Pedal to the Metal

by Jesse J. Thoma

  Holt peered around the wooden pallets they were hiding behind and spent a few minutes observing. When she ducked back to them, she looked triumphant. “Well, Amy’s not going to be happy,” she said in a whisper. “Her car is being hacked up completely. There are six other cars there right now. Must have been a busy morning. Dubs, will you take a careful peek and see if there’s anything that stands out to you? Don’t get spotted.”

  Dubs knelt carefully and used the same peephole Holt had used. She was astounded at what she saw. The amount of equipment and the sophistication of the operation was staggering. There were at least twenty guys working on the six cars, rapidly breaking them down into parts. Dubs had helped chop cars before, but this was unlike anything she had seen before. She felt like she was watching it happen in fast-forward. She was about to duck back when Mr. Malevolent came into view. He had a handgun stuffed into the waistband of his pants. He seemed to be barking orders and surveying the jobs.

  She sat back down. “Our old friend Mr. Malevolent is here,” she said. “I think he’s the big boss. Or in charge of this portion of the operation, anyway. He’s armed.”

  “I think we’ve seen all we need to see,” Holt said. “Time to call in the cleanup crew.”

  The three of them sat back against the pallets and waited for their backup. Holt checked the chop shop behind them occasionally to make sure no one was coming their way to take a leak or check the perimeter. It was incredibly hard for Dubs to sit still while she waited. She noticed Max wasn’t having the easiest time either. Holt looked annoyed with both of them.

  After what felt like an hour and a half, but was probably only fifteen minutes, Dubs sensed movement all around them. Heavily armed state police moved into position. Just after they were past their location, one of the officers identified themselves to the men at the chop shop and indicated they were under arrest.

  Max, Dubs, and Holt watched from behind the pallets. Most of the men dropped their tools and put their hands up. Dubs thought it seemed a little too easy. She noticed Mr. Malevolent wasn’t complying. He had taken cover behind one of the cars and had pulled the gun out of his waistband and was holding it in his right hand. It seemed to be keeping the police officers from moving further forward, although he was careful not to point it at them. He seemed to know that would be a death sentence.

  Dubs jumped out of her skin when Moose asked how it was going from right behind them. When she looked more closely, Holt’s crew was interspersed with the state police officers fanning out covering the area. Moose must have come to check on Holt.

  “I’m worried about the leader,” Holt said. “I don’t like his body language. And he’s armed.”

  “I agree,” Moose said. “He’s got that look.”

  No sooner had Moose said that, then Mr. Malevolent started shouting. “Get out here, bitch. Come see what you’ve done. I know it was you. Get out here now. Now!”

  A woman cautiously, and clearly with great trepidation, emerged from the building. She was very pregnant.

  “No, no, no, no,” Holt said.

  “Who is that?” Dubs said. Holt was white and Dubs couldn’t think of anything that would scare Holt, which made it terrifying.

  “That’s Tiffany,” Max said, looking scared herself. “Lola’s ex. She’s pregnant with Holt’s kid.”

  “Holy shit.” Now she understood why everyone’s tension had just shot up.

  “You led them here didn’t you?” Mr. Malevolent screamed, his voice angry and full of hate. “I knew you didn’t need so many meetings with that stupid bitch you used to sleep with. You betrayed me.”

  He walked to her, still protected behind the car, and struck her across the face. Moose had to hold Holt by both shoulders to keep her from running to Tiffany. The officer in charge of the police contingent shouted for him to stop and put his hands up. They moved closer.

  Mr. Malevolent faced the officers and the field where they were crouched behind the pallet. “Where are you, cowards? Dubs, I know you’re there. And you, Holt Lasher. Face me. Face me now!”

  Dubs wanted to stand up and show herself, but Holt held her back, even though she looked like she was fighting every instinct she had. “Wait,” she said. “Let the troopers handle this right now. He doesn’t actually know we’re here.”

  He pointed the gun at Tiffany’s head. “Show yourself, or I kill her.”

  The police officers stopped, waiting for a signal from someone.

  “We’ve got to step out,” Holt said.

  “What’s to stop him from shooting you on sight?” Moose asked.

  “Nothing,” Holt said. “But if we stay here, he’s going to get more hyped up. I’m worried he’s going to do something bad. I can’t watch that happen. Dubs, you don’t have to pop up with me. But if you do, stay behind me when we move forward. Always stay behind me. I’ll provide cover. You understand?”

  “Who’s covering you?” Dubs asked. She didn’t like the idea of either one of them standing up.

  “Stay behind me,” Holt said. “Got it?”

  Dubs nodded. Holt stood. Dubs popped up right behind her. Holt was so much taller than she was, she could barely see what was going on in front of them.

  “You wanted to talk to me,” Holt said. “You’ve got me. What’s on your mind?”

  “I knew it was you,” Mr. Malevolent said. “Call off your attack dogs. I don’t like guns pointed at me.”

  “And yet you’ve got one pointed at me,” Holt said, stepping forward.

  “That’s because I can’t trust you,” he said. “Or her.” He turned the gun back to Tiffany. “Tell me how you led them here. Tell me how she betrayed me.” He turned the gun back to Holt. Dubs watched under Holt’s upraised arms, showing she wasn’t armed.

  “Let Tiffany go. She had nothing to do with your current situation. Believe it or not, we figured it out all on our own.”

  “I don’t believe you. I signed the adoption papers on the first day that stupid lawyer came by. Why did she need to meet with Lola so many times? And that lawyer? She was spying on me and feeding your puppy information.”

  “If he’s the father, H, you better hope nurture is way stronger than nature,” Dubs murmured.

  “Shut up, Dubs,” Holt said under her breath. She sounded like she was holding back laughter.

  Dubs stepped to the side just enough so she could see better. Not being able to see was more nerve-racking than potentially catching a bullet. She didn’t like the idea of Holt being her personal bulletproof vest, either.

  Mr. Malevolent turned the gun back to Tiffany. “Tell them how you spied. Tell them. You betrayed me. You don’t deserve to carry my baby.” He was ramping up the anger again. His face was red and he was waving the gun erratically.

  “Holt,” Dubs said.

  “I know.”

  “Hey,” Holt said. “She’s innocent. If you want to be mad at someone, point that at me. Take out your anger on me.” Holt sounded desperate.

  Dubs watched him scream at Tiffany. She had seen this kind of single-minded focus before. She didn’t think he could hear anything but his own heart beat and deluded sense of justice. She moved out from behind Holt, closer to Tiffany. She had only been in one other situation where someone was held at gunpoint in her presence. It had been terrifying, but she hadn’t felt in danger, because she knew she would never get involved. She wasn’t scared now.

  She didn’t know how she knew he was about to fire, but she did. She also didn’t know where the overwhelming urge to protect a woman she’d never met, and a baby that hadn’t yet been born, came from, but in that moment, it was the only thing she was on this earth to do. As soon as she knew he was readying to shoot, she sprinted for Tiffany. She had heroic plans of grabbing her and pulling both of them to safety, but instead ended up in a leaping, flailing body shield in front of her.

  Her heart was beating so fast and hard she didn’t even hear the gunshot. She wondered how that was possible. The searing pain in her abdomen,
on the left side, about even with her belly button, took her breath away. When she hit the ground she wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to breathe again. She looked toward Mr. Malevolent, just in time to see Holt fly over the car he was hiding behind, seemingly unconcerned that the gun was now pointed directly at her, and slam him to the ground.

  Dubs put her hand down on her stomach where it burned so badly. It was wet. She pulled her hand back and saw it was covered in blood. How pretty, she thought.

  Tiffany was by her head, lying on the ground, moaning quietly. Dubs tried to pull herself to her. She started out okay, making it about a third of the way before her progress stopped. She didn’t know why.

  “Dubs, stop. Baby, please, stop.”

  Dubs looked up. Max was holding her. “I’m trying to get to Tiffany,” Dubs said. “Can you help me?”

  “You’ve already done enough,” Max said. “She’s fine. She’s going to be just fine. Someone else is helping her.” Max was crying. Dubs didn’t like that.

  “Why are you crying?”

  Max was kneeling next to Dubs, her hands pushing down on the painful part of Dubs’s stomach. Dubs really wished she wouldn’t do that. It hurt.

  “We need rescue,” Max shouted.

  Dubs tried to sit up.

  “Don’t do that,” Max said. “You’re going to make it worse.”

  “But you’re crying,” Dubs said. “You held me when I was crying. It made me feel better. Let me hold you.”

  “You just scared me is all,” Max said. “You just did something heroic, and selfless, got yourself shot, and I wasn’t sure I was going to have the chance to tell you I love you.”

  “I would have gotten shot a long time ago if I knew you were going to tell me that afterward,” Dubs said.

  “Don’t ever do it again,” Max said. She gently stroked Dubs’s cheek and she leaned into the touch. It felt nice. She wished Max would come up by her head and hold her more tightly. Her stomach hurt so bad. The light was taking on a funny tinge, too, and she didn’t like it. “I’m sorry,” Max said. “I’ve got to use both hands for pressure.”

  “I’ll do that,” Holt said, appearing next to Max. “She looks like she needs a pillow.”

  “Thank you,” Dubs said. “Did you read my mind or did I say that out loud?”

  “Thank you,” Holt said. “You saved Tiffany’s life, and the baby’s.”

  “I kind of like being part of the Avengers,” Dubs said. “All for one, and one for all.”

  “That’s the Three Musketeers,” Max said.

  “Whatever. I just got shot. Give me a break.” Her stomach was hurting badly, but Max cradled her head and stroked her forehead. That helped. Plus, she could look up and see Max’s face. But she was tired. She really just wanted to close her eyes, more than anything.

  “Did you really mean what you said?” Dubs asked. “It’s not just because you were scared because I got shot?”

  “You mean am I sure I’m in love with you? Yes, absolutely. Never more sure about anything. And now I’ve got Holt as my witness. You know I’d never lie in front of her, not even to make you feel better.”

  “Next time wear a bulletproof something when getting shot,” Holt said. “You heal up faster, while still getting at least some sympathy.”

  “No,” Max said. “No more getting shot, for either of you, or me, or anyone else.”

  “So many rules,” Dubs said. “Is Isabelle going to be mad at me?”

  “Oh, so pissed,” Holt said. “And really mad at me. I’m supposed to keep you safe.”

  “I kinda took off on you there.”

  “You do have a habit of doing that,” Holt said.

  “I’m working on it.”

  “Your ride’s here,” Max said.

  “You’re coming with me, right?” Dubs asked. She didn’t want to go to the hospital alone. She wanted Max there with her.

  “I’ll be by your side as long as you’ll let me,” Max said.

  “That’s going to be a very long time,” Dubs said.

  As they loaded her onto the stretcher and into the ambulance, Max didn’t let go of her hand. The paramedic made Max let go for a moment while he hooked up an IV and got her strapped in. Dubs panicked. She tried to sit up again and flailed around looking for Max. She calmed when she felt Max’s hand wrapped tightly around hers.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Isabelle couldn’t believe the turn the day had taken. She started off with only a second showing on a promising house on her to-do list. Since then, she and Holt had made an offer on the house, Holt had found the bad guys she’d been chasing for months, Dubs had gotten shot protecting Tiffany and the baby. In all the stress the baby’s heart rate had gone through the roof, and Tiffany was induced, and now, Isabelle had just gotten off the phone with their realtor. Their offer on the house had been accepted. She could remember a time when her life could have been described as boring. With the exception of people getting shot entirely too often, she wouldn’t trade her new life with Holt for anything in the world.

  She was in the lobby of Women and Infants Hospital awaiting word on the birth of their baby. Dubs had been taken to the trauma center of Rhode Island Hospital, which was a separate hospital, but connected to this one by a walkway a few floors up. Holt had been bouncing back and forth checking on Dubs, and especially Max, since Dubs had needed surgery to repair some internal damage. Luckily, she was going to be fine. From the sound of it, Holt’s entire crew was up keeping Max company.

  “Are you Isabelle Rochat?” a hospital employee asked.

  “Yes,” Isabelle said, her anxiety spiking. What if something was wrong?

  “Tiffany wanted me to get you. The baby is still stressed and has now flipped into a breach position. They’re going to do a C-section. She thought you, or your partner, might want to be in the room when the baby is born.”

  “Yes. Of course, yes. Can we both be there?”

  “I’m sorry, no. Only one of you. But since it’s an adoption, after the baby gets checked, we can bring you and the baby out to one of the labor and delivery rooms if there’s one available and you can have some time as a family while they’re finishing the surgery.”

  “I’ll get Holt and we’ll be right up,” Isabelle said. She couldn’t believe she was about to become a mother.

  “You have about ten minutes. They’re prepping everything now.”

  Isabelle called Holt. “It’s happening now. They’re doing a C-section. One of us can be in the room,” Isabelle said. “The other one has to be outside, but then we can all be together right after.”

  Holt said she was already on her way back. She wasn’t kidding. She was in the lobby in less than two minutes. Her smile looked permanent.

  “This is the greatest thing,” Holt said. “I can’t wait to meet him. You should be in the room with him when he’s born. I want him to see your face first. If I were a baby, I would want to see someone as beautiful as you as my first introduction to this world.”

  “You are so sweet,” Isabelle said. “But he would do quite well being introduced to someone as amazing as you right away.”

  “I’ll be right outside the door to meet him,” Holt said. “You should be there. Let’s get up there. I don’t want to miss anything.”

  They went up to the labor and delivery floor. Isabelle changed into scrubs and was ushered into the operating room. She took a seat by Tiffany’s head. She had never met her, but despite that, Tiffany looked happy to see her.

  “I’m glad they’re getting him out, so you can meet him,” Tiffany said. “Holt and that other woman saved my life.”

  “Okay,” one of the doctors said. “We’re just bringing him out now.”

  “They’ll take him for a quick exam,” a nurse explained, “and then they’ll bring him over to you.”

  Isabelle nodded. She felt anxious, and excited, and completely overwhelmed. She wished H
olt were here for this moment.

  Before she knew it, she heard the sound of a tiny baby cry. It was the most beautiful noise she had ever heard. Shortly after the baby was born, a nurse delivered the swaddled baby boy to Isabelle. She took him in her arms and stared down at him in awe. He was so beautiful. He was crying and scrunching up his tiny face, and she would do anything to make him happy.

  “Would you like to see him?” Isabelle asked Tiffany.

  “Can I talk to him for a minute?”

  “Of course.” Isabelle held him up close to Tiffany’s face. She wanted to get him out to meet Holt, but she felt like this was the least she could do.

  “Baby boy,” Tiffany said. “I’m not giving you up because I don’t love you. But I know you can have a better life with these women. I know them. They’re good people. They’re going to give you the world, and keep you safe, and teach you to be a good man. I couldn’t do that. Be good, little boy.”

  Isabelle had tears in her eyes. She moved her son closer to Tiffany so she could kiss him on the forehead.

  “We’re going to have to move you and the baby out now while we finish the surgery,” the nurse said.

  “Raise him well,” Tiffany said. “Thank you for taking him.”

  “Thank you for him,” Isabelle said. “We’ll love him dearly.”

  She held him tightly as she was led out of the operating room. Holt was right outside the door as she promised. She still had the same smile on her face. It got bigger when she saw Isabelle and the baby.

  “Look at how beautiful he is,” Isabelle said.

  “Look at how beautiful you are holding our son,” Holt said. “Look at my family. Can I hold him?”

  “Yes, of course, yes.” Isabelle handed him to Holt. A nurse ushered them down the hall to a labor and delivery room. She said they would have plenty of time there to bond as a family and feed the baby for the first time. As they settled in, the nurse reminded them that skin to skin contact was the best thing for their baby.