by Harley Tate
The girl stilled enough for the soldier to open her backpack and he whistled in appreciation. “Well, look what we have here.” He pulled out a box of Slim Jims. “These sure will come in handy back at the base.”
“Those are mine.” She twisted in his grip, but he leaned in close and she ducked her face away.
“That’s right. I’m the one in charge. Consider everything in this backpack payment for the grief you’ve put me through.”
Colt rolled his eyes. He should walk away. The girl didn’t mean anything to him and helping her would only expose him to risk and potential injury. She wasn’t a fighter. Not, really. One good hit and she’d already cowered into submission.
Bringing his pistol back, he began to move away from the corner when an anguished cry tore from the girl.
“Stop! That’s for Gran. It’s not yours!” She scrabbled at the man’s hands where he held a six-pack of some drink in his hands. “She needs it!”
“You got an old lady to take care of? Shit, little girl, she’s gonna be dead in a week with no one but you lookin’ out for her. She won’t mind if I help myself to her stash.”
In an instant, the girl’s demeanor changed. Gone was the shrinking violet and in her place, a fighter. She twisted in the soldier’s grip and brought her knee to her chest.
Colt inhaled and found his focus. Everything slowed.
The girl’s foot came down hard on the soldier’s knee and Colt watched the joint buckle and warp. A shout ripped from the man’s lungs as his leg gave way, but he didn’t release his grip on the backpack.
If only she let the bag go, she could get away. She would be free.
But the stubborn kid wouldn’t give it up. She slipped her arms out and spun around before yanking on it with all her might. The soldier groaned and landed hard on the ground, but he didn’t let go. He grabbed for his rifle with one hand while he held onto the backpack with the other.
“You’re about to wish you never set foot in that store, little girl.”
That’s it.
Colt couldn’t let a kid who was trying to keep herself and someone else alive get shot. Not when he could do something about it. He stepped clear of the building with his gun pointed straight at the soldier.
“Drop your weapon!”
The girl spun, dirty dishwasher hair flying wide in an arc as her mouth fell open. Her hands still clutched the backpack, but her eyes were trained on his gun.
“I said, drop your weapon.”
“Or, what? You gonna shoot a man in uniform?” The soldier tried to puff himself up with one knee on the ground and the other contorted in pain. “You really want that hell on your shoulders?”
Colt didn’t blink. “Are you really going to shoot an unarmed little kid? How are you going to explain that to Colonel Jarvis?”
The soldier faltered, the barrel of his M-4 dipping as he worked his jaw back and forth. “Who are you?”
Colt stepped closer. “You don’t want to know who I am. Drop your weapon.”
The girl stood, petrified and still, staring at Colt like the Red Sea parted at his feet.
One shot would end this. One bullet to the asshole’s head and the girl could run and Colt could be on his way. But he didn’t want to shoot anyone.
Colt knew the rotten streak ran deep inside the man. One look at the sneer on his face and the calculating look in his eyes as he positioned himself behind the kid and Colt had him pegged. He wasn’t one of the good guys. He was one of those SOBs who joined the military to shoot people, not to keep the country safe or do his duty. Like a bad cop on a power trip, the guy would always be trouble. Using a kid as a shield was pathetic.
Colt made a show of aiming the Sig. “I won’t ask again.”
After a tense standoff for what seemed like minutes, the soldier caved. He shrugged the strap of the M-4 off his shoulder and shoved the rifle across the pavement. “I’m gonna catch hell if you take that.”
Colt reached down and picked it up. “Should have thought about that before you picked on someone half your size.” He slipped the rifle over his neck and arm and slung it behind him. “Now let her go.”
“She’s a thief. She should be punished.”
“By whom? You?”
“The authorities.”
Colt snorted. “And who would that be, exactly? I don’t see any cops around. Or lawyers or judges or anyone who gives a damn. Your unit doesn’t have time to play jail warden.”
“What do you know about my unit?”
“I know you’re locking down the college campus. Is that to keep the bad people out or the good people in?”
The soldier broke eye contact. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Part of Colt wanted to push the issue. The way the guy ducked his head meant he knew something, but the girl needed saving. She stood like a statute in a garden, still and unmoving, while the two of them traded insults. She should be somewhere safe. Didn’t she have anyone to take care of her?
He pushed the thoughts aside. Dealing with the girl would come later. “Let her go and hobble out of here and I won’t tell Colonel Jarvis about this little incident.”
The soldier chewed on his lip and glanced around him. They were still alone. “How do I know this isn’t all some sort of act? You could be a nobody.”
“Would a nobody be able to walk out of the college campus free and clear? Would a nobody be prepared to drop you where you kneel and not think twice?”
After a moment, the guy’s shoulders sagged and Colt knew he’d won.
“Fine. I’ll let her go.” His fist opened and the girl moved like the Flash to stand a few feet away.
With a grunt of pain, the soldier pushed himself up to stand, hopping when his knee threatened to give way. “I should have hauled your scrawny butt in when I had the chance.”
The kid stuck her tongue out at the soldier and Colt suppressed a chuckle. “Get on with it. You so much as open your mouth and you’ll hit the pavement before a single word comes out. Understood?”
The soldier scowled at Colt, but nodded. Colt and the kid stood in the street, watching the injured soldier hop onto the sidewalk.
After he disappeared out of sight, Colt turned to the girl. “Mind telling me what the hell that was all about?”
CHAPTER SEVEN
DANI
Downtown
Eugene, Oregon
12:30 p.m.
Dani stared at the man in the black T-shirt through strands of her hair. What was he? Some kind of commando? One of those Special Forces guys no one ever talked about but everyone knew existed?
She ran her tongue over her teeth like she had a piece of food stuck in them, buying herself some time. During the past three years living with her mom, she’d learned not to trust anyone. He might have saved her, but that didn’t mean he didn’t bring something worse to the table.
Would he kidnap her? Hold her hostage? She stared at the pistol in his hand like it might leap up and bite her.
“I’m going to ask you again, what was all that about?”
Dani flicked her gaze up to his face. She couldn’t see anything behind his mirrored sunglasses, just a bronze version of herself, distorted and smudged. His shoulders were relaxed, his body at ease with two guns and who knew what else lurking in his pockets. He knew how to handle himself.
She was no match for a guy like him. She couldn’t run or hide or even think about getting away. Not unless she caused a commotion.
At last, she answered. “I was hungry. He caught me eating.”
“Where?”
She hedged. “A store.”
“Do you live around here?”
“No.”
“Then what are you doing here? Do you need some help?”
“No.” She shifted her weight, eyes never leaving the gun he still pointed.
The man exhaled in a burst and lowered the weapon. “How about you come with me out of the street? We can talk. I might be able to help you.”
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“No.”
“Is that all you know how to say?”
Dani let a small smile tease the edges of her lips. “No.”
The man laughed at that and pushed his sunglasses up his head. “I’m Colt.” He stuck out his hand, the thick slab of flesh hanging in the midday sun.
She stared at his palm, wide and strong. If he didn’t kill her, he could keep her safe. But she was better off alone. “Dani.” She tucked her hair behind her ear to get it out of her face, but she didn’t shake his hand.
Colt dropped it with a nod. “Come with me. There’s a store around the corner that still has some food in it. You can finish filling up that backpack.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“Good.” He held his pistol low and loose at his side. “You shouldn’t trust anyone now.”
Dani frowned. He didn’t seem like the rapist type. Or the kind to turn around and sell her to the highest bidder. She’d heard all about the dangers of human trafficking thanks to a school assembly last year. A woman had come and stood in the cafeteria, talking about all the predators kids could meet online and how so many never came home.
For a minute Dani had entertained the idea. How could anything be worse than her mom? But then the woman shared her own story and Dani went home thankful that night. At least her mom ignored her some of the time. Being hungry and alone beat what that woman faced at sixteen.
Colt glanced around. “We really should get out of the street before that guy comes back with his friends.”
“So that part about knowing his boss?”
“Was a bit of an exaggeration. If you’re coming, let’s go. Otherwise, I’ll see you around, kid.” Colt turned to go, never once looking back.
Dani stood in the street, watching until he disappeared around the corner. Something about losing sight of the man tore up her insides and she took off, loping toward the corner of the building with her backpack still in her hands.
As she rounded the corner, she caught sight of him ducking through a busted window. She followed.
The place had been trashed. What used to be a little convenience store now looked like the after-effects of a riot or a bomb. The back wall of coolers stood open and empty, every case of beer stolen.
The revolving stands of sunglasses were rifled through and tipped over, bits of broken plastic sprawling out across the floor. Even the gum and candy were looted, all that remained were a few tins of Altoids and a 100 Grand bar.
Colt watched her as she picked through the store, waiting. At last, she turned to him. “So why did you rescue me?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Maybe I was hoping for a little appreciation.”
Her cheeks warmed and Dani focused on the ground. He’d saved her from that creep and she hadn’t even told him thank you. I’m such a jerk.
“Thank you for helping me. And for not being a serial killer or a pedophile.” She glanced up and caught his eye. “You aren’t, are you?”
Colt shook his head. “Neither. Just a guy who can’t stand to see a bully take advantage of someone half his size, that’s all.”
Dani nodded. “Then, thank you. But you don’t have to do anything else. I can handle myself.” She set her backpack on the ground and began to repack it, shoving the six-pack of Ensure into the bottom before putting the trail mix and jerky back inside. The whole time she worked, Colt’s eyes stayed on her, boring a hole in the sweatshirt she wore despite the spring heat.
The entire time she packed, she tried to ignore him, focusing on the backpack and her supplies instead of the commando-turned-security guard taking up space inside the store.
After a few more minutes, she couldn’t take it anymore and turned to face him. He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. She frowned at him. “What?”
He shrugged. “Nothing.”
She groaned and shook her head. “No way. You’re thinking something. Nobody stands around like a bodyguard waiting around for no reason if they don’t have an opinion.”
Colt pushed off the wall. “Fine. Maybe I do have an opinion, but it’s not one you’d want to hear.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just what I said. It’s not my place to tell you what to pack or what supplies you might need. You don’t know me.”
“You’re right, I don’t. Like I said, you could be a murderer or a drug dealer or… a cop.”
Colt let out a chuckle. “You put the cops in the same categories as criminals?”
Dani focused on the half-empty rack of paper products in front of her. “Most of the time they’re worthless. The other times they only make it worse.”
“Then you haven’t met the right ones.”
Great. “Is that what you are? A cop?”
He shook his head. “Nope. But I’ve known enough of them to know they aren’t all bad. Some of them are downright saints.”
“Not around here, they aren’t.”
“So you do live around here.”
Darn it.
“You don’t have anything to fear from me, Dani. I’m not a threat.”
“I don’t know that. I don’t know anything about you.”
“True.” Colt pushed off the wall and reached down to the floor. Up came a duffel bag that he slung over his body next to the rifle and a pair of shopping bags stuffed to the brim. “But I’m the best bet you have of making it home in one piece.”
“I don’t need your charity.”
“No charity. Just company.” He adjusted the duffel and glanced outside. “And a bit of protection.”
Dani scowled. She couldn’t take him to the nursing home and to Gran. She didn’t know anything about the man. What if he turned her in when they got there? What if he was feeding her a bunch of bull just to take advantage of her when the moment was right?
“You walk me home and that’s it, right? You’ll let me go?”
“I’m not keeping you prisoner. You can go without me.”
She zipped up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. “I can?”
He nodded. “I just don’t think you’ll get very far.”
He had a point. What if that military guy came back? What if she ran into someone worse? There was only one place she could take him. A place she hadn’t been since the power quit out of fear of what she would find. But with a guy like Colt there, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
“All right. Let’s go.” She led him out of the store and down the small side street. “I’ll warn you, it’s a long walk. Most people take the bus, but…”
“Transportation’s a bit of an issue these days.”
She nodded.
“It’s fine. I need the exercise.”
After a few blocks, they fell into step, Colt a few paces behind, head always up and eyes alert. Every once in a while, Dani would steal a glance behind her to make sure he was still there. Every time he gave her a nod and resumed his surveillance. He seemed like a guy straight out of the movies.
One of those FBI types who helped people out of bad situations when everything seemed hopeless. But no one was like that in real life. Everyone had baggage. Secrets.
Dani learned a long time ago that nothing was as simple as it seemed at first. They walked in companionable silence for almost an hour until Dani slowed. She pointed up at the dingy gray building with a call box out front.
“This is your place?”
She nodded. “My mom’s.” Dani glanced up at the building with a mixture of hope and dread. “You’ve seen me home. You can go now.”
Colt lifted up his glasses and peered at the windows above them. “Naw, I think I’ll walk you inside, make sure the place is safe, if that’s okay.”
Dani shrugged. He might as well know where she came from. Pride didn’t keep her safe. But she needed to warn him about what he might find. She motioned to the holster on his hip. “You might want to be prepared. My mom can sometimes…”
She trailed off, unsure what to say.
> Colt drew the pistol and nodded. “Thanks for the heads up. Lead the way.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
COLT
489 Bellwether Street
Eugene, Oregon
2:00 p.m.
If the tattered name tapes on the call box were any indication of the type of residents at 489 Bellwether Street, Dani had been right to warn him. The whole area looked one step up from the ghetto. No way the army had made it this far in their patrols. From where he stood, Colt counted five busted-out windows, new car up on blocks, and two buildings burned from the inside out.
Riots had already gripped this part of Eugene. He wondered how many people were still left.
As Dani fumbled with a key for the scratched and scuffed front door, Colt squinted to look through the glass. Dilapidated cardboard boxes leaned against one wall like a row of laborers who toiled all day in the sun, the backs bent and soaked in sweat. An empty counter that once held a doorman sagged beside a shabby set of stairs. Run-down was the charitable way to describe the place Dani called home.
She pushed the door open and the smell forced Colt to hold his breath.
Garbage. Lots of it.
He slipped in behind Dani and the putrid odor almost knocked him smack on his butt. “What is that?”
She winced at his words. “I guess no one’s taking out their trash.” She pointed at a hallway toward the rear of the lobby where bags spilled over each other in a stinking heap. “The dumpster’s out that way, but it looks like there’s a backup.”
“Why didn’t someone set the bags outside? Then the place wouldn’t smell like this.” Ugh. He brought his arm up to his nose, but it did nothing to ward off the smell.
Dani shrugged, but he caught the frown on her face. He shouldn’t ride the girl so hard. He shoved down a wave of nausea and tried to lighten the mood. “The people who live here… They’re not big on housekeeping, I guess?”
“Something like that.” Dani walked through the lobby and started up the ragged stairs. Years of foot traffic had worn holes in a faded red carpet, exposing fifty-year-old linoleum beneath. The middle of each stair sank with use and Dani kept to the edges, trying to step where fewer feet had gone before. This wasn’t her first time.
