Witness On The Run

Tala gripped Cam’s elbow, terrified. Cam didn’t answer. A car passed by in the next lane, its headlights illuminating the scene. The man closed his jacket. He squinted at the curious onlooker in annoyance. Then he nudged his friend with the edge of his boot.

“Get up.”

The skinny man rose to his feet slowly. The man with the gun helped him stagger away. He shot Cam a threatening look over his shoulder. Then they both disappeared into the dark recesses of the parking lot. An older-model SUV, maybe a Ford Bronco, took off in the opposite direction. There were other vehicles in motion. It was difficult to tell which one held the men who’d attacked her.

Cam picked up her backpack. “We have to go back inside to call the police.”

Fear spiked through her. “No. We can’t.”

“Why not?”

“There was another man in the store. He’s with them.”

His eyes narrowed with suspicion. He glanced toward the front entrance. “Okay, we’ll call from my truck.”

She didn’t argue, because she wanted to get out of sight. They crossed the parking lot in long strides. Cam unlocked the door for her. She climbed in, taking the backpack from his hands. He walked to the driver’s side and got behind the wheel.

“Please,” she said. “Let’s just go.”

A muscle in his jaw flexed. He fired up the engine and left the parking lot. A delayed reaction to the close call struck her. She started shaking uncontrollably. Tears flooded her eyes. She drew her knees to her chest, making a tight ball with her body. She thought about Duane, the last man who’d been violent toward her. He’d said he was going to kill her once. She didn’t know if he meant it, or if he was capable of murder. He seemed pretty tame compared to the men she was currently running from.

When she lifted her head, they were parked on the side of the street, in front of an auto repair garage. There was a café and a bookstore across the street. Cam turned off the engine and gave her a measured look.

“I have to call the police,” he said again.