Free Undercover by Christina Wolfer Page B

touched his arm, stopping him. "Thank you for what you did Friday, having my back."
    "No problem. Sucks it turned out the way it did for LeAnn."
    "Yeah.” She nodded her head. “Have you seen Joey?"
    "No... Well, actually here he comes now." He gestured with a nod.
    Erica turned. As if in slow motion, she saw everything happening at once. Joey strolled across the lawn toward them. A blue van barreled down the road from one direction. From the other, Derrick's car pulled to the curb.
    "Huff, hurry, get inside," she said as she started toward Joey. The door on the blue van slid open and Erica began to run, pulling her .38 from her waistband. "Get down, Joey." she yelled.
    The first crack of gunfire split the air as she reached him and together they hit the ground. Erica landed half on top and half in front of him. She managed to get her gun positioned, aimed and fired three rounds before the door slid shut and the van sped away.
    Erica rolled to her knees, facing Joey. "Are you all right? Are you hit?" She shoved the gun again into her waistband.
    "I'm fine." He lay there, breathing heavy. "What the hell just happened?"
    Before she could answer, Derrick ran up to them. Panic edged his voice. "Are you okay?" He looked at Erica and then Joey.
    "I'm fine. Make sure Joey is okay." Erica pushed to her feet and rushed to where Henarez stood a few feet from his porch steps. "Is Huff all right?"
    "Worried ‘bout me huh?" Huff said coming out the screen door, a cocky grin playing across his face. "Nice piece of shooting."
    She smiled with relief until she brought her eyes back to Henarez. Derrick and Joey joined them.
    "Thank you for what you did today but you realize this ain't over,” Henarez said. “It doesn't end here. We won't hide the next time."
    "Yes. I realize that."
    "I will honor your request for silence under one condition. You don't ever come back here."
    “What are you talking about?" Joey stepped forward.
    Huff bounded down the steps prepared to defend her.
    "No, he's right.” She looked at Joey and then back at Henarez. “Thank you." Erica turned and started down to her car.
    "I don't understand." She heard Joey say and then he was beside her, grabbing her arm, turning her to face him. “You saved my life. If he won't let you come back here then I won't come back either."
    "Ah, Joey, you are so sweet, the best friend a girl could ever have." She felt the tears assemble, preparing for the painful goodbye. God, how she would miss him. She let her eyes wonder just over Joey’s shoulder to where Derrick stood. Confusion and concern etched across his face but he made no effort to approach. He was probably putting it all together in his head, she thought. "I never belonged here anyway," she said focusing her attention back on Joey.
    "I’ll see you again, right?"
    On some level, he knew, even if he didn’t realize it yet. She brushed at an errant tear and backed away, memorizing his face like she’d already done with Derrick’s. "I'll see ya." She turned, making her escape before the tears began to fall in earnest.
     
    ****
     
    Derrick had it figured out, or so he thought. Erica wasn't what or whom any of them believed her to be.
    He felt duped, foolish, as if she had played him all along. Not as if, he corrected, she had played him. He just didn’t understand why.
    He was both hurt and disappointed, and it pissed him off to be either. When had he started hoping for something more with her? He told himself all along there was no possible way they could be together. But deep in his heart, he’d been thinking maybe, maybe, maybe…
    Two weeks had passed since the shooting at the Hufferman house and Erica hadn't returned to school. Joey seemed to fluctuate between anger and sadness, not much different from Derrick's own feelings. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
    "What?" Joey asked from across the living room where he sat on the couch, his books spread open in front of him.
    "We need to talk."
    "Have you