Chapter 7: Running Again

Ponyboy had fallen asleep in front of the TV. He had a dream that he was in the park. He had no idea how he had gotten there. He looked around and saw…him and Johnny! They were running from some socs. One of them knocked down Johnny and the others were drowning him. Johnny got right back up and flipped out his knife. Ponyboy was about to scream out to Johnny to put it away, but he woke up. Jason was shaking him.

"Ponyboy! Get up now!"

Ponyboy sat up and looked at Jason.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"We've gotta go! Now!"

Ponyboy followed Jason as they ran through the back door. Wesley was already outside waiting for them. All three of them cut through the woods and got into Jason's car. Ponyboy then asked his question.

"Why did we have to leave in such a hurry?"

"Look!" said Wesley pointing down the street. Pony looked and his eyes widened. A black car had stopped in front of Wesley's house. Then six people got out of the car and pulled out heaters. They shot up Wesley's house. Glass was flying everywhere, smoke was appearing. They made the house look worse. When they finally finished. They all ran inside.

That was Jason's chance as he drove off. He was making sure the Heaters didn't know there were any witnesses.

"Those guys were the Heaters," stated Wesley.

Ponyboy couldn't believe what he had just saw. He was just in that house. He was almost shot to death. These guys didn't play at all. When Johnny killed Bob, the most the socs did was jump them. He didn't recall anyone being shot to death except for Dally. And that was by the fuzz.

"Okay. You wanna run to my place?" asked Jason. Wesley spoke up.

"Do we have any other place to go?"

"Guess not. We'll crash there until we can think of a plan."

They drove to the apartment and walked up to the room. They all sat down in the apartment and Wesley asked,

"Where's your mom?"

"Visiting her sister."

"Hm. So what info do you have."

Jason smiled.

"Ponyboy. You're in luck. I happened to find some information on the guy that shot the gang member."

"What makes you so sure?" asked Ponyboy.

"These two guys were going back and forth about money loans. The guy's name is Harris. They say that Harris borrowed money from the member and the member took it out of the gang's treasury. Harris couldn't pay him back all the money so they started beefing yesterday. The Heaters didn't know about it yet because the member never told them. It could have gotten him shot to death. I put the conclusion together. The two met in the alley behind where me and Ponyboy were supposed to meet. Harris must have killed the member, but didn't know that the other gang members were close by. He darted off as soon as Ponyboy walked up. One of the other gangsters saw Pony and assumed he shot him."

Wesley thought for a moment.

"You didn't exactly answer the question."

Jason rolled his eyes.

"What was my uncle shot over."

Ponyboy and Wesley nodded.

"Well. That's a good 90 percent chance. Do you know where this Harris usually hangs out."

"In the bar next to the alley."

Suddenly there was a rumble at the door. All three of them looked at it. Jason got up and ran to the window.

"Dang. That's the Heater's car. We've gotta get out of here."

"How?" said Ponyboy. He was getting real scared now.

Wesley looked down in the window. We'll just have to risk it and jump into those open dumpsters. They're full of bags."

Everyone agreed. Ponyboy went first, then Jason, then Wesley. Ponyboy could feel the adrenaline rushing through him as well as the wind as he dropped right into the dumpster. Jason fell in right beside him and Wesley into the other one. They quickly got out and ran to Jason's car.

When they all got in they drove in the direction of the bar. They needed to get to Harris and fast!