Free Remember the Future by Bryant Delafosse Page B

turned toward the Toyota, taking his time and allowing the kid to catch up with him.
    Click.
    The teen pressed the gun to Rudy's head.  “On second thought, I'll take them both.”
    Rudy sighed.
    The Toyota blasted a single honk.
    Rudy spun and trapped V-Man’s gun arm under his.  A shot broke the dead silence.
    The bullet struck high on the Toyota's windshield.
    Inside the car, Maddy—folded over the center console in order to reach the horn-- screamed and dove back, falling into Grant’s arms.
    Snatching the gun from V-Man, Rudy cuffed him on the ear like a naughty child. The teenager fell to the ground holding his ear with one hand.
    “Kids today,” he sighed.  He leaned down to his ear and yelled, “Don't get greedy!”
    A knife appeared in the teen’s hand.
    Rudy drove a booted heel down on the other’s hand.  Kicking the knife across the parking lot, he brought the side of the gun down across V-Man’s face. V-Man screamed in pain.
    The teen yelled, rolling onto his side and throwing his hands up in defense.
    The rear door of the Toyota flew open.  Maddy rushed out of the Toyota, the ever-present satchel clutched in one hand.  “He's just a child,” she bellowed at Rudy’s back.
    Behind her, Grant grabbed Maddy’s arm and gently restrained her.
    Rudy yanked his arm away and stepped up to V-Man, slapping his hands away and taking his chin in his hand.  “Cowards,” he said in a contemptuous tone.  “Your generation is nothing but a bunch of pussies.”
    “Get off me, you bitch,” V-Man said in a whimper.
    Releasing him, Rudy turned his back on him in disgust and headed for the Mercedes.
    Stepping slowly up to the youth, Maddy offered him her hand as he struggled to rise from the ground.  He slapped her hand away and spit in her direction.
    She backed away with a grim expression and collided with Grant standing behind her.  They watched as Rudy popped open the trunk of the Mercedes, peering down into the open trunk from behind him.
    A small wooden case sat in an otherwise empty trunk.  Several bungee cords secured it to the frame to keep it from sliding around. Rudy unfastened the strap and opened it with a squeak of hinges.
    Grant furrowed his brow and cocked his head to one side.
    “Is that what I think it is?” Maddy asked, trading a look of confusion with Grant.
    “Either that Chihuahua is a very deep sleeper or it’s a corpse,” Grant commented.
    Ignoring them, Rudy closed the lid and fastened the bungees back in place.
    “She belonged to the boss,” Maddy said to Grant.
    Rudy glared at her. Grant edged slowly between them.
    “We wouldn't have come back for just any car and it's not every dog gets a coffin like that,” she added.
    Slamming the trunk, Rudy turned to face Maddy.  “You're so fucking smart, then maybe you can tell me what its goddamn name was.”
    “Pepe,” Maddy replied flatly.
    Rudy blinked wide-eyed at Maddy.
    Grant coughed into his fist, then just surrendered to laughter.
    “Name was inscribed on the coffin.”
    “Wait, you got a dead Chihuahua in your trunk named Pepe?” Grant managed between laugh fits.
    Rudy grabbed Grant by his collar.
    Something in the distance caught Maddy's attention. “Headlights!”
    Rudy peered in through the open driver’s side window of the Mercedes and found the keys in the ignition.  “Get in the car!”
    All three piled into the Mercedes.
    As the car squealed away in the opposite direction, V-Man crawled across the parking lot and retrieved the knife.  He slowly rose, weaved to the Toyota, and collapsed behind the wheel.
    The dark sedan arrived moments later and pulled to a stop along the left side of the Toyota.  The Shorter Blank Man leaned out of the passenger-side window and quickly scanned the interior of the adjacent car.  Satisfied that his target had gone, he stared out at the fading taillights of the Mercedes.
    Rolling down the driver-side window of the Toyota, V-Man cast a long look at the men in the sedan