Hiding in Plain Sight
Chapter 2
October 31st, Halloween night.
8PM
After a couple minutes of walking I could hear the rushing sound of water and I knew that the river was close by. I'm hoping I can make it that far, but the dizziness from the blood loss is causing me to feel faint. I can hear sirens and barking dogs in the distance. The Sheriff obviously knows I'm still alive.
I have to take off all my baggy clothes and scatter them around to throw off the dog's scent. I already had a change of clothes underneath; a red and black jogger's outfit with a hoodie, allowing me to ditch the baseball cap as well. Hopefully, if the police spot me, I won't fit the description of the person they are looking for.
Now I can assess my wounds. The bullet that is still lodged in my upper-chest hurts the worst. The bullet that hit my arm passed right through, and luckily the one that hit my neck was only a flesh wound.
I finally make it to the river and splash my face with water. The water is very cold, but it feels so good.
I then submerge my entire body, hoping that the cold water will numb my fresh wounds.
It seems to help.
I try getting back out of the water, but I've lost a lot of blood and I can't muster up enough strength to do so.
I'm feeling rather faint, so I grab onto a log that was floating nearby.
Suddenly- everything goes dark.
Minutes later my eyes open and I have somehow managed to stay on the floating log. It looks as if I have drifted several hundred feet from where I was at originally.
I then hear a voice calling out to me. "Hey, Mister! Are you all right?! I thought I heard gunshots just a little bit ago!"
It's the voice of a teenage boy and not the cops.
I turn my head to get a glance at the teen. To my surprise, it is Donovan standing on the river bank. He must have been walking through the woods, trying to evade the police, while he went to check on Brenda. He still doesn't know what I've done to Brenda or his friend Josh.
Donovan picked up a large dead branch from off the ground and extended it out to me, allowing me to grab on to it and float closer towards the river bank. He then put his hand out to try and get me out of the water.
When he saw my wounds, he grabbed his cell phone and tried to call for a paramedic.
I couldn't allow that to happen, so I reached out and knocked the phone out of his hand, making it seem as if it was just an accident while I was reaching for help. His phone fell into the water. I make it seem as if I am trying to find it, but I can actually feel it below my boots. I smash it down into the mud below, making it impossible to find.
"Sorry about that. I can't find it." I lied, finally making my way out of the water.
"What happened to you? It looks like you've been shot."
"Hunters." I lied again. "They must have mistaken me for a deer."
"Why were you in the woods?"
"I was jogging and I thought there was a trail I could run down. I guess I was wrong." I replied, slightly slumped over.
He then allows me to use his shoulder as a crutch.
"My van is parked just a couple blocks away. Could you please help me get to it? I should be able to make it to the hospital from there."
Donovan was happy to oblige.
After making it out of the woods, I looked around to see if the police had found my van yet, but they hadn't been looking for my van because they thought Donovan was the suspect.
If the police found Donovan now they would no longer look at him as a suspect because the Sheriff knew that he shot the perpetrator and Donovan has no bullet holes in his body… yet.
As Donovan helped me to the van, he also cautiously looked around to see if any police officers were anywhere nearby. He knew that the police were looking for him, but he didn't know that I also knew about that.
I told him to stay next to the passenger door while I made my way around to the driver's side to unlock it.
After getting into the van, the first thing I do is check to make sure Josh is still in the back. He was. I'm not quite sure if he is dead or not and I don't have time to check. I decide to cover him up with a blanket before trying to convince Donovan to go to the hospital with me.
"Do you think you could ride along with me… at least until I get to the hospital? I don't want to fall asleep or pass out."
"Sure." Donovan replied.
Just as he was getting into the van, someone from out of nowhere startled us.
"Yo! Donny! What the HELL is going on, dude?" Some punk kid asked.
I try not to let him see my face too much.
"The entire police are looking for you! Brenda is in the hospital in critical condition and they said you did it!"
Donovan looks shocked. "What? Brenda was actually missing? Josh and I saw her earlier tonight, but she left to go home. The Sheriff pulled into the park a few minutes later where me and a few other guys were smoking weed. I thought he was only saying that about Brenda to try and draw me out."
Brenda's still alive. She's the only one that has seen my face up close other than Donovan, but Donovan doesn't know what I've done. I have to think of something quick. Do I just want to kick Donovan out of my van and high-tail it out of here, or do I want to hang around and try to tie up all my loose ends first. Fuck it. I already thought I was a dead man tonight when the Sheriff had his gun pointed at me. I might as well see how far I can take this before the night is over.
"Donovan, why don't you have your friend hop in the van? We can all head down to the hospital to try and see if we can get all of this sorted out."
"I swear, Ben, I had nothing to do with Brenda getting hurt. Get in! We were just about to go to the hospital anyway."
Ben starts looking more closely at Donovan's body.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Donovan asked.
"I'm looking to see if you've been shot. The Sheriff said he shot you."
Crap! This punk is going to give me away. Surely Donovan will start adding up the pieces. I open my door and act like I need to get something out of the back.
Ben continues talking. "Yeah, the Sheriff said he shot you like three times."
"When?... Where?"
"About 20 minutes ago, I guess. He said you stabbed Brenda and then fell down the side of a hill after he shot you. He said you made it to the river and disappeared."
"Shot me?... By the river?" Donovan had figured it out.
Donovan looked towards the back of the van. He could see something bulky under the blanket.
"Dude. I think we need to get out of here." Donovan tried whispering to Ben.
"What are you talking abou-"
THUD! I smash the butt of my gun over the back of Ben's neck, causing him to fall to the ground unconscious.
Donovan tries to react, but I quickly put the barrel of my gun directly up against his forehead.
"Don't you FUCKING MOVE, or I will blow your FUCKING BRAINS OUT!"
Donovan puts his hands up and shows me that he is willing to comply.
"Reach into that glovebox, pull out the handcuffs, and cuff yourself to the steering wheel." I keep my gun firmly pressed against his head.
Donovan hesitated at first, so I pressed the gun as hard as I could against his forehead and cocked the gun.
"Okay! Okay! I'll do it! Just don't hurt me!"
After Donovan cuffed himself to the steering wheel, I picked up Ben and threw him into the van, right on top of Josh. Josh's legs moved.
I'll be damned. He's still alive... so far,
As of now, if I get caught tonight, the police could only get me for attempted murder.
I get back in the van, continuing to point the gun at Donovan.
"I'm going to unlock you now and you better not make a move."
CLICK… the cuff is removed from the steering wheel.
"Now, I want you to put your hands behind your back."
Donovan does what I ask.
CLICK… cuffs are back on.
"What are you doing this for?!" Donovan cries out.
"Shut up! SHUT. THE HELL. UP!"
THUD! Before Donovan knew what was coming, I smacked him as hard as I could in the head with my gun, causing him to fall back against the seat unconscious.
I start the van and begin driving away. I now have three of these little shits in my van and one at the hospital fighting for her life.
I want to go to the hospital, but I need to make another stop first.
A few minutes later, I pull the van into the parking lot of an animal clinic and get as close to the building as I can. My plan is to get inside and find some medical supplies for my gunshot wounds. Hopefully I can also find some painkillers.
I make sure none of the three boys are conscious and then I bust out one of the animal clinic's windows. I crawl through it and go unlock the front door.
Before looking for any painkillers, I go back out to the van and drag each boy inside the clinic one by one, locking them up in a large dog cage.
I then go back out to the van to retrieve two large propane tanks. After bringing them inside, I place the tanks next to the cage.
Now I can begin looking for medical supplies.
Soon, I find some rubbing alcohol and splash it on my wounds to disinfect them. After that, I take an anesthetic needle and inject it into my upper chest, near the bullet wound.
Within seconds, I don't feel the pain anymore. As a matter of fact, I hardly feel anything at all.
I grab a pair of large tweezers and begin digging for the bullet.
There it is. "Aaaaargg!" I pulled it out. I certainly still felt that.
I then grab a needle and thread and begin sewing the hole shut. I do the same thing for the bullet hole that passed through my arm.
Now I can finally do what needs to be done.
I begin spritzing rubbing alcohol all over the floor near the cage that the three boys are locked up in, and then I light the rubbing alcohol on fire. I don't expect the small fire to kill them, but in a couple minutes, the propane tanks will finally heat up, and then… BOOM.
I make my way towards the front door, thinking that I'm going to make a clean getaway, but then-
"DONOVAN WILLIAMS! WE KNOW YOU ARE IN THERE! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"
I looked out the window and saw the Sheriff speaking into his bullhorn.
I have to act quick.
I've got it.
I run over to the locked cage, open it up, and pull Donovan out.
I take off his handcuffs and then start smacking him in the face, trying to get him to wake up.
A few seconds later, I was finally successful.
He woke up feeling disoriented.
I look out the window. Several police officers have their guns drawn.
This is the moment.
I pointed the gun at Donovan and… BANG! I shoot him in the shoulder, the same area of the body I was shot in, causing Donovan to fall backwards. He is still disoriented, now in pain, but still awake. Surely the police heard the shot.
I only have two more bullets left, but I don't intend on using them.
Instead, I drop the gun at Donovan's feet and begin making my way towards the door.
Sure enough, Donovan picked up the gun and pulled the trigger.
BANG!ZING!CRASH! The bullet buzzed right past my ear and went out through the window on the door.
I blast through the door, knowing there is still one bullet in the chamber.
"Help! He's trying to kill me!" I cry out to the police.
BANG! Donovan fired the last bullet.
"Arg!" The bastard managed to get me in my leg, causing me to fall to the ground.
Donovan came running out of the animal clinic, still thinking there were more bullets left in the gun, and he then pointed it directly at my head. I could only smile.
"FREEZE!" The Sheriff yelled.
Donovan looked up, surprised by all the police officers surrounding him. And then, before he could drop the gun...
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! The police pump Donovan's body full of lead.
Donovan fell over onto the ground, dead as a doornail, my gun still in his hand.
The police begin to approach us, but then-
KABOOM! The entire animal clinic blew up in flames.
The propane tanks must have finally heated up.
Moments later, the ambulance crew loaded me up onto a gurney and checked my leg wound.
The Sheriff walked up next to me as I laid there. "Don't worry, buddy. We are going to get you to the hospital right away!"
"Thank you." That's exactly where I want to go next.
