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hll Murphy hadn'L seen hls frlend Sllck 8andall ln several years Accordlng Lo Lhe dlrecLlons he'd been
glven earller ln Lhe evenlng he'd be aL hls house ln a few mlnuLes Lhough
1he drlve from uenver had Laken hll nearly LhlrLyfour hours 1lred havlng sLopped only Lo caLnap back
ln Loulslana he was anxlous Lo geL Lhere AfLer a vlslL he'd be on hls way Lo hls own new home ln
Creenvllle SouLh Carollna and a new [ob aL Lhe 8MW assembly planL ln Creenvllle
1he dlrecLlons weren'L qulLe clear Lhough Was he supposed Lo Lurn aL Lhe nexL llghL or Lhe lasL one?
Sllck had sald ctoss ooe btlJqe ooJ toto tlqbt ot tbe oext llqbt"
1bete wosot o tlqbt toto to toke ot tbot lost llqbt! lt wos o ooewoy stteet
Okoybete we qo 1be oext llqbt ls o ctosstooJtbot most be wbot 5llck meoot erhaps he had
meanL Lwo llghLs or Lhe flrsL one where he could make a rlghL hand Lurn
1he rlghL Lurn placed hlm on uecaLur SLreeL 1he small red brlck aparLmenL bulldlngs on one slde of Lhe
sLreeL Lold hlm he was ln a publlc houslng area Cn hls rlghL were old dllapldaLed bulldlngs LhaL looked
llke Lhey'd been vacanL for decades lL cerLalnly dldn'L look llke a nelghborhood Sllck and Lorl would llve
ln lf ALlanLa was anyLhlng llke Lhe oLher blg clLles he'd been Lo Lhese areas usually meanL hlghcrlme
Clanclng Lo hls rlghL hll noLlced Lwo shadowy characLers up ahead ln hls headllghLs as Lhey sLepped
back lnLo Lhe conflnes of Lhe darkness beLween Lwo of Lhe old bulldlngs robably drug dealers he
LhoughL buL he needed Lo pull over and call Sllck before he goL Loo far offLrack and posslbly losL Pe
wlshed he'd had a CS devlce buL Lwo years of unemploymenL had prevenLed hlm from ownlng such
luxurles
Pe pressed hls doorlock buLLon Lo lnsure lL was locked
hll never saw Lhe assallanL approachlng from Lhe rear Whlle llsLenlng Lo Sllck's volce mall greeLlng on
hls phone he heard Lhe crashlng exploslon of glass golng off lnslde hls head 1here was no Llme Lo reacL
1he volce was husky and demandlng yeL had a Lone of confldence 1he flrsL Lhlng hll LhoughL was 'Jo
wbot be soys!
CeL da fuck ouL daL car man" Lhe man sald Leave lL runnln'"
lear shoL Lo every polnL ln hll's body ln an lnsLanL lmpulse Pe froze ln compleLe and uLLer shock! All he
could musLer was a wlmper reallzlng Lhe hard ob[ecL belng pressed agalnsL Lhe lefL slde of hls head was
a gun All he knew was any chance of survlval meanL he had Lo say someLhlng fasL
llease don'L shshooL me man" 1he Lrembllng dldn'L have Lo be mlmlcked Pe was shaklng
vlolenLly as Lhe door was LhrusL open by Lhe large man occupylng mosL of Lhe space necessary Lo exlL hls
car l'm geLLlng ouL"
?ou beL yo ass you geLLlng ouL blLch!" A sharp Lug on hls shoulder lengLh blonde halr lnsured hls
compllance as Lhe man [erked hls onehundredflfLyflve pound frame ouL easlly
As hll fell Lo hls knees nexL Lo Lhe runnlng car he exLended hls hands Lo break hls fall nexL he felL a
sharp pressure on hls upper back Lhe resulL of belng dragged forward hurrledly Pe was belng handled
llke a ragdoll obvlously Lhe man dld noL need Lhe gun LhaL was now polnLlng sLralghL beLween hls eyes
1he man was an AfrlcanAmerlcan abouL Lhe same age he was hll guessed Pls face was large and
sLrong looklng as was hls frame hll LhoughL he looked llke a llnebacker for a professlonal fooLball
Leam lronlcally he dldn'L Lhlnk Lhe man had Lhe look of a robber Pe was sporLlng a nlce khakl colored
wlndbreaker such as would be worn ln Lhe early days of Sprlng on a wlndy evenlng where he was from
Clmme ya walleL man Where's your walleL?" 1he aglLaLlon was apparenL now hll could see Lhe man
meanL buslness
lease don'L shooL me broLher!" Pe dldn'L know whaL else Lo say Mymy wawalleL ls"
Pls head was LhrusL backward by Lhe gun as Lhe robber pushed lL lnLo hls face Lhe barrel sLopplng hard
agalnsL Lhe edge of hls mouLh hll LhoughL he felL a LooLh crack as he blL hls llp
Clmme your phone!"
hll couldn'L Lhlnk Where was hls phone? Pe [usL had lL he was calllng Sllck WhaL dld he do wlLh hls
phone? 1hls man would klll hlm Pe could sense lL
lease don'L klll me"
Pe felL Lhe release of pressure Lhe man held on hls shlrL ?ou wanL me Lo klll you? Look aL me muLha
fucka!" 1he gun sLlll exLended dlrecLly lnLo hls face
hll buckled under Lhe pressure noL able Lo remember lf he had sald anyLhlng else or noL 8olllng over
and coverlng hls head he LhoughL Lo pull hls legs lnLo a cannonball poslLlon ln case Lhe man drove off
he wouldn'L geL Lhem sLuck under Lhe car
Pe heard Lhe snlckerlng sound made by Lhe man as Lhe door closed and Lhe englne revved Cne qulck
scraLch off sound was heard as hll rolled over agaln sLlll coverlng hls head ln hopes LhaL Lhe car[acker
would noL flre back ouL of Lhe busLed wlndow
Shaklng he lay sLlll Convulslons overLook hlm as he Lrled Lo come Lo peace wlLh whaL had [usL
happened LeLLlng go of hls knees he rolled over and Lrled Lo sLand unsuccessfully Pls shlverlng legs
slmply would noL hold hlm Pe remalned on one knee momenLarlly as he aLLempLed Lo gaLher hlmself
Looklng up he waLched as hls 2004 8MW headed off Loward Lhe nexL lnLersecLlon aL warp speed
1he nexL Lhlng hll saw seemed more unbellevable Lhan whaL he had [usL encounLered lL all happened
so fasL hls braln was havlng Lrouble keeplng up wlLh Lhe pace
1he body musL have flown LwenLy feeL ln Lhe alr All hll could remember was Lhe flash of brake llghLs
comlng from Lhe back of hls car Pe LhoughL Lhe robber had reacLed Lo Lhe red llghL reallzlng when he
LhoughL abouL lL LhaL he had Lrled Lo sLop from hlLLlng Lhe person who now lay moLlonless ln Lhe nexL
lnLersecLlon
As Lhe horror of whaL he wlLnessed seLLled ln hls adrenallne began Lo flow 8efore he knew lL he was
up and runnlng Loward Lhe downed pedesLrlan 1o hls dlsmay he noLlced as well LhaL hls car was now
rolllng forward slowly [usL pasL Lhe lnLersecLlon 1he drlver's door was open yeL Lhe car was advanclng
slowly As he ran he saw hls aLLacker runnlng ahead abouL a block up Lhe sLreeL
Pey!" Pe screamed as loud as he could Pey man!" ln seconds he was approachlng a human body
lylng sLlll ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe road [usL pasL Lhe lnLersecLlon never glvlng noLlce Lo hls own labored
breaLhlng or Lhe facL LhaL he was gasplng for alr
lrom whaL hll could Lell Lhe body was LhaL of an elderly female She was wearlng a long Lrench Lype
overcoaL LhaL had parLlally flew up and covered a parL of her face as she came Lo resL on Lhe pavemenL
Cne of Lhe arms was broken backward causlng hll Lo gag lmmedlaLely ln shock as he Look ln her faclal
feaLures She was elderly very old ln facL uesplLe Lhe facL LhaL her complexlon was dark Lhe llghL from
Lhe clLy's sLreeLlamps llL Lhe area falrly well
Ch my Cod! Ch Cod! Ch Codare you allve?" hll knelL down aL Lhe mass of cloLhlng and flesh
Cff Lo hls lefL hll heard Lhe sound of a youLh screamlng aL hlm ?o manwhaL's up over Lhere?"
Pe lgnored Lhe volce 1here was blood coverlng Lhe face of Lhe lady now LhaL conLlnued Lo pour ouL of a
gash above her eye
1he fooLsLeps approachlng caughL hlm by surprlse hll whlrled around Lo see Lwo youLhs comlng aL hlm
ln a LroL 1urnlng hls aLLenLlon back Lo Lhe old woman he repeaLed Ma'amcan you hear me?"
1here was no response Pls phone! Pad Lhe robber found hls phone? Pe musL have dropped lL when Lhe
robber smashed hls wlndow lL would be ln Lhe car! WlLhouL Lhlnklng furLher he rose qulckly Lurnlng hls
aLLenLlon Lo hls car whlch had rolled abouL a hundred feeL and was now lodged up agalnsL a curb wlLh
Lhe door sLlll hanglng open
Pey man! ?ou sLop rlghL Lhere!" Cne of Lhe young men had yelled aL hlm
l goLLa call Lhe pollce man" Pls volce was broken buL he had goLLen lL ouL All he knew was he had Lo
call nlneCneCne
A scream rang ouL LhaL plerced Lhe evenlng alr sLarLllng hlm as he ran Lo hls car Approachlng lL he
noLlced Lhe englne was sLlll runnlng Leanlng ln he saw Lhe open console fllpped up lndlcaLlng Lhe
robber had no doubL snaLched hls walleL lL musL have been whaL he was dolng when he hlL Lhe old
woman
Pls phone! 1here lL was ln Lhe floorboard 1hank Cod" he mumbled
1he force from behlnd was lmmense Pe lunged forward falllng across Lhe fronL seaL as hls hands were
[erked behlnd hlm ?ou aln'L golng nowhere dude"
Pang onwhaL are you dolng?" hll sLruggled Lo screamed ouL perplexed LhaL someone would be
sLopplng hlm from maklng an emergency phone call Pe hadn'L goLLen Lhe buLLon pushed yeL
Pelp me Mo" sald Lhe young man obvlously shouLlng lnsLrucLlon Lo an accompllce CeL hls hands"
hll Lrled Lo wlggle hls hands free buL soon Lhere were Lwo of Lhem l goL hlm"
WhaL Lhe hell"
8e sLlll man" Lhe volce came hurrledly lL was a young black male Pe was Lall and lanky noL a day over
flfLeen or so As he sLruggled Lo Lurn over he noLlced Lhe second man older now holdlng Lhe back of hls
[ackeL and hands
?ou guys goL Lhls wrong!"
8e sLlll!" 1he younger man yelled loudly
SLruggllng harder Lo geL away hll [erked back as hard as he could causlng Lhe flrsL youLh Lo loosen hls
grlp on hlm 1he force of leLLlng go caused hls head Lo snap backwards 1boJ!
Pe musL have hlL hls head on Lhe gearshlfL or some parL of Lhe console area Whlle absorblng or hearlng
Lhe bump he dldn'L feel lL only rememberlng Lhe daze LhaL seL ln lmmedlaLely Pe couldn'L speak yeL
could hear or leasL he LhoughL he could hear Lhe commoLlon golng on around hlm
?o man" Pe heard a volce buL could noL answer nexL he felL a slap across hls face Wake up
man"
hll leL ouL a moan uqb"um"
Can you hear me bud?" A deeper volce
Pls vlslon was blurry buL he could make ouL Lhe sllhoueLLe of a larger man Caucaslan? WalL a mlnuLe?
Pe was sLruggllng wlLh Lwo black youLhs WhaL had happened?
l need you Lo sLand up slr" 1he brawly soundlng volce was noL asklng Pe was belng commanded Lo
sLand Shaklng hls head Lo clear lL he felL hls body lmmedlaLely defylng gravlLy as he was [erked forward
and lnLo a sLandlng poslLlon hll sLuck ouL hls hand Lo brace hlmself expecLlng perhaps Lo be slung
forward 'wbot tbe bell ls qoloq oo?
Cnce uprlghL he reallzed Lhe blue llghLs flashlng off Lhe back of a nearby sLreeL slgn 1he sound of a slren
was blarlng ln hls head Agaln he shook hls head buL hls LhoughLs were lnLerrupLed by a Lugglng as he
was led around Lo Lhe back of hls car 1here were pollce cars everywhere and an ambulance !erklng hls
head around he reallzed Lhe man leadlng hlm was a pollce offlcer Somehow he had been unconsclous
1urn around here and puL your hands on Lhe back of Lhe car slr"
l"
l wouldn'L speak" Lhe cop ordered Spread your legs for me do you have anyLhlng ln your pockeLs l
need Lo worry abouL?"
WalL a mln" hll Lrled Lo respond pulllng away from Lhe offlcer's grlp Pe was lmmedlaLely LhrusL
onLo Lhe rear of hls 8MW causlng hls rlbs Lo come lnLo hard conLacL wlLh Lhe Lop edge of Lhe car's body
l advlse you Lo cooperaLe buddy" demanded a second volce ?ou are under arresL you hear me?" Pe
felL hls body belng frlsked abrupLly ?ou have Lhe rlghL Lo remaln sllenL"