Free BAD TRIP SOUTH by Billie Sue Mosiman Page A

car. She hoped no one came running around the side of the building and turned this into real trouble.
    Rory’s eyes registered shock first and then they held nothing. Before he ever fell to the ground, he was dead. She’s gotten him right in the chest where his heart should have been. She didn’t think she’d ever made such a lucky shot as that before.
    Heddy stepped over him and hurried around the building. Her purse was torn and she had to carry it in her arms to keep the contents from falling out. She got into the Riviera, switched on the ignition, and pulled from the pump, the back tires giving a little squeal.
    Crow said, “I thought you were getting gas.”
    The little girl said, “I had to go to the bathroom!”
    Heddy shook now. She had to grip the steering wheel hard. She drove the speed limit, watching in her mirrors for anyone following. She hoped Rory had come alone.
    “ Crow, there was someone back there.”
    “ Who?”
    “ Someone from St. Louis. That guy I told you about. The one with the tattoo? Been following us, he said.”
    “ Was that the sounds we heard? Was it gunshots?”
    Heddy nodded. She hit the town limit and picked up speed.
    “ You just killed someone?” Jay asked.
    “ Jesus God,” Carrie said and put her arm around Emily.
    “ I don’t know if he was alone.” Heddy put on the blinker and passed a car. She hadn’t seen anyone following, but then she hadn’t noticed anyone before either, yet he’d been there, tailing them for days.
    “ Shit.” Crow leaned forward and touched her shoulder. “You okay?”
    “ A little shook. Not bad. I’ll be okay.”
    “ Someone must have heard those gunshots back at the station. They’ll remember this car was there. They’ll probably remember you .” Jay turned toward Heddy in his seat, scrutinizing her as she drove.
    “ You turn the fuck around and watch the road! I won’t have you watching me,” Heddy shouted. She pointed through the windshield and waited until he faced front again.
    “ This means they’re really onto us, Heddy.” Crow sounded nervous.
    “ Yeah, so the whole goddamn world’s onto us, I don’t care. We’re getting out of here, we’re going to Mexico, and any fucker tries to stop us is getting the same thing Rory got. No one’s going to hurt us. No one’s going to stop us.”
    She began to slow down and took the emergency lane, finally bringing the car to a stop. She took her hands from the wheel and rubbed down her face. Then she pulled open her damaged purse and found the bottle. She opened it and drank down what was left, gulping with her eyes closed.
    “ You want me to drive?” Crow asked.
    “ No. I’ll drive. Give me a minute.” She watched the mirrors and studied every car that passed by, wondering if any of the passengers might be from St. Louis. It occurred to her that the enemies she and Crow had made stealing the drug money were more of a problem than any law enforcement group. If they could walk right up to her at a bathroom in a service station...
    “ Heddy?”
    “ I’m going, I’m going.” She put the car into gear and pulled back onto the highway.
    “ I can drive, you know,” Crow said.
    “ I’m okay, I said!”
    And she was. Or she would be. Just as soon as she got the buzz on and everything stopped being so sharp-edged and confusing.
    Hell, why did everything have to be so goddamn complicated? Why didn’t anything in her life ever go right?
    She felt not so good. She felt pretty bad, really.
    She felt like she would vomit or have a heart attack. She needed another bottle.

    #

    Heddy’s mother was named Jolene and people called her Jo. When Heddy drove up to the door of the trailer where it sat on a little deserted patch of land outside of the small Kansas town, Jo waddled to the door and flung it wide. She squinted at the nice car and then she leaned down and looked through the windows. She saw Heddy.
    Heddy waved a little, shut off the engine, and took the keys as she stepped