Chapter 79

Outside the terminal Palmer got a bit of a surprise. All of the cabs were pulling out of the parking lot and many of them didn't even have passengers.

Making a quick scan of the area he saw a car pulled up to the curb less than fifteen feet to his right with the driver's door open and the engine still running. Even though there was a group of four people standing behind the car unloading bags from the trunk, the open door looked like an invitation being offered.

Moving as quickly as the pain would allow he gently tossed the duffle bag containing that baby onto the passenger seat. Someone from the group by the trunk must have noticed him getting into the car because he heard a shout of, "Hey this is MY car! What do you think you are doing?!" as he put it into drive without closing the car door.

Glad the car was an automatic, because his shoulder was causing him so much pain he wouldn't have been able to steer and shift. There was also no way he could close the door since it was his left shoulder that was wounded. However, he knew that the momentum of the car in motion would cause it to shut. It did just that as it started to move forward. Three of the group from the trunk area were running after him and shouting.

As Palmer was passing the terminal exit Woody ran out and saw the commotion going on. He knew that he had but one chance to save his son. He raced across the area and with everything he had made a sprint towards the car. Woody took a flying leap through the open car window, and the struggle for control of the car began.

Woody was lying partially across Palmer's chest, pressing against the wounded shoulder. His body, from the waist down, hung outside the driver's door.

He tried to run along side the vehicle that was picking up speed as he fought with Palmer. First he tried jerking the wheel out of Palmer's hand. But, he seemed to have deathlike grip on the wheel. So, as he lost his footing and started being dragged along Woody let go of the wheel and reached for the keys, figuring that the car would roll to a stop if they weren't in the ignition.

Palmer saw the motion and also let go of the wheel. As well as he could in the confines of the car he shoved the flat of his hand into Woody's nose, hoping to drive the bone into his brain and kill him instantly. Fortunately for Woody, he wasn't able to execute this maneuver as he desired, and only managed to break Woody's nose and daze him.

Trying to maintain his position in the car even as he felt himself losing consciousness Woody grabbed for anything he could. As his hand clawed across Palmer's left shoulder Woody's fist closed on the socks covering the wound.

The wad of bloody material remained in Woody's hand as he fell from the car window and tumbled to a stop on the ground. The makeshift bandage pulled loose the scab that had formed over the hole free and fresh blood started spurting from the wound.

While this fight had been going on, the squad cars that had been converging on the station had arrived. They had taken up positions to barricade the exits, following the directions of the helicopter crew.

This renewed injury caused a white hot frission of pain to shoot through him; it was more than even a trained person could possibly overcome. As he lost consciousness Palmer sent up a mental curse, 'I can't believe that this naive hick cop from the sticks and his arrogant pushy wife had finally been the ones...'

With an unconscious driver behind the wheel the car plowed into the squad car barricade.

Shaking his head to clear the pain Woody got to his feet and he staggered over to the crashed car. Yanking open the passenger door to search for the bag with Riley in it, Woody snarled, "Palmer you are under arrest!"

Seeing the spurting wound, Woody was tempted for just a second to let Palmer bleed to death, but his years on the force, not to mention the value for all life taught to him at his mother's knee, kicked in and he called for medical help for the man he secretly wished dead, as he took Riley out of the gym bag amazed that he slept through the entire ordeal!

To be continued…