Free No Escape by Heather Lowell

already dialed 911.”
    “Thank God one of us has a brain.” Tessa grabbed the phone, which had been charging on the dashboard during dinner, and held it to her ear. “I need you to look in the backseat, Kelly. I have a big, metal flashlight lying around somewhere in there.”
    Kelly leaned into the backseat and began patting around for the flashlight. Grunts and swear words came to her through the open window. “I don’t see it.”
    “Keep looking. It’s long and black—like the kind police officers carry,” Tessa said. She checked on Kevin, but he was still on top. She figured that meant he was okay for now.
    “Got it! It’s under my seat, hang on.”
    Kelly broke two nails tugging, but finally pulled it free. She tried to pass it through the window, but the flashlight was too wide. With shaking fingers she turned the key she’d put in the ignition enough to get power to the automatic windows again.
    Tessa grabbed the flashlight and held it like a weapon as she advanced toward the writhing, cursing mass on the ground. She heard a voice in her ear at the same moment that Kevin laughed triumphantly. He had Sledge Aiken in a wrestling lock, held from behind and basically immobilized on the ground.
    “Kevin? Are you okay?” Tessa asked.
    “Fine. This asshole is history,” he said, tightening his grip on Sledge’s arms and at the same time forcing the older man’s head down to his chest from behind. Sledge heaved and grunted a few times, but could not shake off his opponent.
    Tessa thought fast. Yes, Sledge was immobilized. But as soon as Kevin let him go, he could take another shot and really hurt someone. She’d be forced to bash in Aiken’s brains with the flashlight, and there would be a lot of explaining to do to her boss.
    “Yes, is this the 911 operator?” Tessa said suddenly. She watched as Sledge froze. “There’s a fight in the parking lot behind Game World. Someone just attacked a guy here, we need help. How long? Okay, I’ll stay on the line.”
    Sledge made another effort to throw Kevin off his back. “You’re breaking my neck, man.”
    “The police will be here in about four minutes,” Tessa said.
    “I can hold him that long. No problem,” Kevin said. “I’m not even sweating.”
    “Why don’t we forget about this little incident?” Tessa said, looking at Sledge. “That way, no one has to deal with the paperwork.”
    “What?” Kevin asked, surprised into loosening his hold.
    “How about you let go of Mr. Aiken, then he gets in his car and drives away. We forget this ever happened, and he stays the hell away from Kelly. Sound like a plan?” Tessa asked Sledge.
    “Fine. Whatever. Just get this dickhead off of me.”
    “Let him go, Kevin. We’re not going to solve this tonight.” Tessa checked Kelly to make sure the window was rolled back up and the door was still locked.
    Kevin stood and dusted his pants off with his hands. Normally, he’d hold a hand out to help his wrestling opponent off the ground. Instead, he stood over Aiken with feet spread and arms at his side, ready to take the guy down again if he made a move toward Tessa or Kelly.
    Sledge pulled himself off the ground and wiped his bleeding nose with the back of his hand. With a wary eye on Kevin, he began to edge toward the Hummer. “This isn’t over. You can’t get off telling lies about me to the police. No one is going to believe that little slut, so y’all had best just keep your mouths shut.”
    Kevin took a step forward. “I’m going to say this real slow-like, so you understand. Go on home, boy. Git!”
    It might have been over a decade since Kevin had left Virginia, but the rhythms of the South could still come through in his speech. He spoke to Sledge in the same way he had addressed the sweet and stupid hound dog he had gotten as a boy.
    Sledge pinned Tessa with a glare. “You know what they say about paybacks—they’re a bitch. Bitch.”
    Tessa leaped forward to restrain Kevin. “Let him go.