Epic Escape (12 page)

Crunch.
The small bug threw itself at the opening. Scales met brick walls and flew into the sky. The creature didn’t seem to mind losing shards of exoskeleton. The bug shoved forward, and the edge of a brick caught his eye, making it burst. A jelly-like liquid splattered along the wall, filling the air with the heavy smell of bio lab.

The determined bug scooped up a claw-full of the vitreous slime, and rubbed the ooze between the wall and his shell, as if applying hand cream to loosen a ring.

“Let’s go,” Chase said. His voice held disgust and urgency.

Crack.
The larger creature rammed the broken bug from behind, causing the smaller one to pop through the opening and into the alley with them. It twittered. The larger creature forced his body forward, but couldn’t fit.
Ram!
Bricks shuddered but held. The smaller, broken bug darted forward and jerked to a halt when the bracelet refused to leave its mate.

One of the translucent scales landed by her foot. Without discussion, they ran in the opposite direction, Veronica supported by Riley’s arm, Megan and Chase leading the way.

The alley dead-ended at a ten-foot-high brick wall.

A high screech sounded and Megan couldn’t resist looking back. At the alley’s entrance, the smaller bug had put its front legs against the brick wall and was using the leverage to chew on his companion’s grey tongues. The bug wanted freedom at any cost. The Hummer bug cawed and strained backwards.

Stop watching the bugs. Get out!

Chase took his golden rope and lassoed a steel pole jutting from out of the top of the wall. Feet flat on the surface, he climbed. When he reached the top, he straddled it, tied off the rope, and dropped the loop end of the lasso down to them. “Megan, go next so you can help lift Veronica.”

Megan stepped into the loop, and pulled under her hips, like a swing. Riley’s arms circled her waist and he lifted her up as if she weighed nothing. Chase pulled. She used her feet to help, and Chase raised her fast. The rough rope bit into her palms and the shiny fabric of her pants snagged against the bricks as she flew onto the top. She didn’t complain, the cawing sounds behind her encouraged her to hurry.

Pop!
The smaller creature successfully chewed through its mate’s tongues, severing the grey strands. The large creature screamed, but the smaller one didn’t look back. The legs trudged forward, the metal bracelet clanging behind like a tin can from a newlywed’s car.

Megan shrugged awkwardly out of the loop and tossed it down to Riley.

“Hurry,” Chase said.

Riley lifted Veronica and hooked her in. Chase lifted her. Megan tightened her legs against the wall and reached down, ready to help.

Veronica was lifted a foot higher, then her hand slipped loose, her injured wrist too weak to hold her up. “You go,” she said, hanging backwards, looking at Riley.

“No.” Riley’s voice came out gruff and forceful. He dragged a crate over to the wall, and shoved her back into position, forcing her to grab the rope.

Clatter, Clatter.
The creature made its way forward.

Veronica lifted into the air. Megan winced each time Veronica scraped against the brick wall, unable to brace herself.

Chase didn’t stop. When she got close, Megan reached down, grabbed Veronica’s arms, and helped Chase lift her up beside them.

That’s when the bug showed off its latest trick.

W
hoosh.
The stream of concentrated yellow-green slime arched over the wall, pooling on the other side, the liquid splashing like a heavy Texas thunderstorm. Megan covered her mouth, trying not to scream, not wanting to taste goo--it was enough just to have to smell it. The creature propelled a second jet of slime at Riley. He hit the pavement.

Chase’s big hands latched onto Megan’s and he swung her to the other side of the wall. He released her and the impact of the hard pavement jolted through the soles of her shoes. She slipped a little in the goo, regained her balance, and moved forward to help Veronica.

Chase took Veronica’s hands next. The spray hit her torso, the force shooting her over the wall. Chase didn’t let go. Veronica’s body banged hard into the bricks and though Chase tried to maintain his balance, he couldn’t. They landed hard on the pavement in the widening puddle of goo.

Riley appeared at the top, and they heard the creature slam into the wall from the other side. Old mortar shook loose from between the bricks. From the sounds the creature was making, Megan thought it must’ve burst something new. Riley dropped down and stepped over the goo puddle to help Veronica up.

Veronica kicked at the puddle. “Have you ever seen anything more disgusting?”

“Or more beautiful?” Chase’s eyes were on the dark Ferrari 612 Scaglietti behind them. He approached the car slowly like a cautious lover, and opened the driver’s door. He slid into the leather seat. “The keys are in it.”

With her good hand, Veronica shoved at the slime coating her body, shuddering. “We can’t just take someone’s car.”

An antennae appeared over the wall. Riley wrapped an arm around Veronica’s waist and tugged. “Let’s go.” He guided her into the back seat.

Megan ran the passenger’s side.

“The word you’re looking for is
boost
,” Riley said, “You’ve boosted someone’s car.”

The engine purred, and Chase shifted into to reverse. The car slung backwards, smooth and fast. “Boost.”

“That’s not the word I was looking for,” Veronica said, “That’s not a word I even want to know.”

Chase reversed onto the main avenue and shifted the car into first. “
Ferrari.
That’s the word you want.” His voice caressed the name.

“These are screwed up circumstances,” Riley said, trying to justify it to Veronica.

Megan breathed in the richness of the leather, the new car smell. “We’re getting slime on the seats.”

Chase patted the steering wheel affectionately. “We’ll rub her down later.”

Riley gently touched Veronica’s chin. “How’s your head?”

“Fine…but I, well until I got hurt, I didn’t think this was really real. You know, any of this.” She cradled her wrist.

Riley rubbed his own stabbed arm. “It’s real.”

Veronica wiggled under the seatbelt, and dropped against him, her head on his shoulder. “Will you play for me sometime?”

“Didn’t we already have this conversation?”

“Yeah, but since then you knocked me into a monster pile of goo,” Veronica said, “You owe me.”

“Fair enough. I’ll play something for you.”

“And sing?”

The light turned red before he answered, halting them at the intersection.

Tap, tap, tap.

Megan’s heart raced as she turned to the sound at her window.

She screamed.

T
he usher pushed through the door and stepped into the section that held the balcony seats. The filth was always worse up here. Mess everywhere. Graffiti, sticky floors, slashed seats. He looked at the red curtains.

The drapes had to be pulled back before the boy could return. The left one hung at a drunken angle, pooling on the carpet and the right one hung high, uneven like a pair of ill-fitted trousers. And the smell, stale popcorn and spilled soda stench blasted his nostrils.

Priorities first.

He went for the bleach.

T
he ugly grey of a handgun pressed into the glass by Megan’s face. She couldn’t breathe, and felt more than saw Chase’s hand drop to the gearshift. The Ferrari was wedged too closely between the car in front of them and the car behind them to maneuver.

Chase made a growl of frustration. “He wants to steal our car.”

“
Our
car?” Riley said.

How can he be flippant at a time like this?
It was all she could do not to hurl.
The guy had a gun.

Chase put the car in neutral and removed the keys. Holding them carefully, he put his hands up and opened his door. Slowly, he lowered one foot to the street.

The thief yanked the passenger door and the smell of cigarettes and hard living overwhelmed the small space as he shoved his weight into Megan. She jerked away, and her hip jammed into the gearshift. The hard metal of the gun pressed into her waist and she froze.

Chase lowered back to the driver’s seat.

“Drive,” the thief said.

Chase said, “Look man, just take the car.”

The thief pointed the gun at the back seat. “Out.”

Veronica and Riley scrambled out and ran around to the sidewalk.

Chase put his foot outside the driver’s side door again.

The car thief stared at the stick shift then out the front window. The light flashed green through the windshield. “You can go or you can drive, but she’s staying.”

Megan covered a sob with her hand. “Chase, get out.”

Chase dropped down, put the car into gear, and the Ferrari moved forward.

Riley tugged Veronica behind a taco truck and looked back to the street. “They didn’t get out.” Rage filled him and his instincts screamed at him to kick, punch, destroy.

“He’s got them?” Veronica’s worried voice pulled Riley back to himself. He used the adrenaline coursing through his blood to fuel his body as he ran after the Ferrari.

The thief rolled down his window and leaned against the door with his elbow in the opening. He shifted Megan closer so she was forced halfway onto his lap. His calloused hand ran down her arm. Megan stiffened and moved as far away as the small space would allow.

Chase’s hands moved into the ten and two position, not his usual one-handed style. He made a sharp left turn. The tires squealed. He shifted the gears and turned onto bug alley.

“Hey, I didn’t say turn.” The thief tensed and his hand fell from Megan.

Up ahead crouched their battered enemy. The creature wore a partial human carcass strapped to its side.

“What the hell?” The thief straightened his arm, aimed at the bug, and fired off a shot. Megan covered her ears at the loud retort. A burning smell filled the car. He fired again.

The second bullet hit and scales flew into the sky.

“Caw!”
The bug roared and charged them. Chase shifted the gears again and the Ferrari sped up. He jerked the wheel sharply left and sent the car into a sidespin in an unrelenting game of chicken. The car slid right up to the bug and slammed into his body.
“Caw
.” One of the creature’s bulbous eyes stuck in the window between the thief’s elbow and the frame, trapping them both.

The car thief screamed, a high-pitched terrified sound. He pulled and jerked, his body thrashing to get away.

Chase opened the driver door, scooted free, and used both arms to pull Megan away. The thief didn’t try to stop them, too entrenched in his own escape.

“Caw.”
The creature reared backward. The eyeball burst inside the Ferrari and covered the thief in eye pieces along with vitreous liquid. He screamed again. The bug shot out its tongue, wrapped around the thief’s neck silencing the noise. He reeled the thief close.

Dropping the partially eaten carcass in favor of this new treat, it twittered.

Megan and Chase ran and ducked into an alley so narrow, they could touch both sides at the same time, breathing in air free of bug, free of fear. Chase ran his hands frantically over her arms.

Her knees weakened in the shaky aftermath of the adrenaline, but her mood was lifted by a strange happiness.
Chase hadn’t left her.

“I’m okay.”

Chase grasped her arms, and leaned his forehead against hers. “That was bad.” He pulled back a little. “You’re really okay?”

She touched his waist. “Yes. You? Two’s a lot of car wrecks for one week.”

“I’m okay.” Chase let go of her arms and took her hand.

Megan said nothing, just let herself feel overwhelmed with relief in the shaky aftermath of the adrenalin.

Chase said, “Sometimes I’d catch you looking over at me and I think…well,--I don’t know what. But you never say anything to me.”

Megan shook her head.

“Why?” Chase asked.

Megan shook her head again.

“Tell me,” he said gently.

Megan swallowed, looked around, and grasped his wrists. She raised his hands and folded them in front of his face as if he were reading. “The first time I saw you, you were in the library.” His hands slid down. She lifted them back into place. “I saw your hands first. And I thought, beautiful.” Her fingertips lightly traced the backs of his. “Then below the book I could only see your mouth.” She touched his perfectly shaped lips. Chase’s hands dropped to his sides. “And I thought,
mine.
Completely unjustified I know.” Megan lowered her own hands and shrugged. “It was ridiculous. So what do you say when you see someone you think of as inexplicably yours, and he’s spread all over every other girl at the school? You--”