Author Note: ….seriously, remember they are short chapters.


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Chapter 5

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7:10 PM

Fake Schotzie barked loudly.

Eric winced when a large rock was thrown at the little dog. Fake Schotzie yelped in pain and hurriedly scuttled away, dragging his broken hindquarter behind him.

Eric closed his eyes.


Eric's thighs were cramping and he was getting a Charlie horse in the balls of his feet and toes yet he tucked himself back farther into the narrow hollow where he hid. There were punching noises and grunting and the sound of those huge Harley motors revving. Were they leaving? Was there more of them?

Eric's body began the natural instinctual fight or flight inventory.

His heart started pumping faster and he could feel his blood pressure rising. Eric's scalp was covered in goose bumps as the hair on his neck stood up like a sentry. His mouth was dry and he felt like he was going to vomit at any moment. He slapped a hand over his mouth just to hold back the bile.


His mind was running through endless scenarios of what he could do and how did the evening end like this? If only he could have changed one thing in the course of this day….Leo wouldn't be lying on the ground resembling a broken Raggedy Andy doll like Laurie used to torture as a child.

If only.

If only dad hadn't have given him the stink eye and insist on making them stay for dinner – at least Hyde could have got to Leo first!

Where was Hyde?

If only they hadn't stayed around to listen to Kelso's Heartbreaking-Is-A-Citable offense fantasy – they would have got out of the house before dark and Leo never would have had time to go to the Korean market for Kim Chi or end up in this Fatso Burger alley.

If only his fantasy Donna hadn't been wearing poppy red toenail polish….ahhh…Donna…..the world's most perfect woman.

Ssscccrrreeecccchhhhh!

Eric brought his brain back around to the calamity at hand. What could he have done or changed or why did a simple meet and greet with Leo end up like this?

Hell, this was all Kelso's fault! If only they hadn't been smoking that pinner joint while Red's favorite chucklehead was worried about his crazed mailman – they could have cut out that conversation and still made time to save Leo!

Eric used his unwedged hand to brush the damp hair from his forehead and it resulted in a resounding THUNK on the side of the dumpster. Eric froze as his bladder threatened to unleash a telltale warning to the bad guys just ten feet away. Fake Schotzie was still curled around his broken haunch and looked at Eric with a baleful expression and the saddest eyes.

There were more sounds of scuffling and shouts of anger or was that pain? Something metallic scraped the dumpster and scuttled along the asphalt finally skipping to a stop just short of Eric's feet. It was a switchblade still wet with blood. Oh my God Leo!

A loud growl pierced the air and something, a body perhaps (?) pushed against the dumpster crushing Eric in his thin slot. He inhaled as a grunt of pain from his ribs squeezed his lungs. A low hiss involuntarily issued from his closed lips.

Then out of nowhere a huge arm with a rose tattoo appeared in front of his face.

Eric fainted.

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A/N: I know, I know you're hating me now but we're getting there – hang in for the rest!