Free Deviation by A.J. Maguire Page B

Kate's body was crammed between the two men and Reesa wondered for a moment how Hedric planned on getting in without being shot. But this was Hedric, after all. He'd already thought of something. With quick movements he led her around to the passenger door, all the while keeping cover behind her body as he loaded into the vehicle.
    Her car was not made for so many men, especially larger men, so the sight was a little absurd.
    Hedric hadn't given her a warning but then, none was really needed. His weapon remained fastened on her as she moved back to the driver's side. She heard the police calling her and for a moment she hesitated. Everything had moved so fast up to this point that she hadn't felt like she could breathe, much less see. Around her, the scene became vivid, locking itself in her memory like a traumatic, invisible burn. Dusk had settled in, lighting the street with the faded remnants of the sunset, the sky a haunting mix of purple and blue. It allowed the emergency vehicle lights to stand out in the parking lot.
    Red. Blue. Red. Blue. It whirled in her vision for her five seconds of hesitation until Freeman tapped on the window with his weapon, dragging her back into motion.
    She climbed into the car, turned the ignition and felt her engine roar to life.
    "Head to Tokeland Bay Marina," Hedric showed her the GPS.
    "They're going to shoot," Reesa said.
    "Not with hostages so close," Jellison kept his attention on the back window, his weapon trained on the men outside.
    "And we'll shoot back," Freeman adjusted so that he could find a clear shot as well.
    Taking a slow, deep breath, Reesa put the car into gear.
    ***
    At first Hedric had his doubts that the Zimmerman woman could get them out of parking lot. There were too many variables, too many police blocking the road, too many restrictions on the small vehicle. But then she turned the car, punched the gas and flew over the curb, weaving between two emergency vehicles and missing them by inches. The sudden jostle of the car forced him to brace himself in the seat and Hedric found a flicker of respect for the girl. Whatever shock had overcome her, Zimmerman was dealing with it.
    "Three on our tail, Captain." Jellison reported.
    Hedric looked at Zimmerman. "Think you can lose them?"
    "Not a chance," she huffed a strained laugh.
    And why should she try, he thought. He had just held a weapon to her head, after all.
    "Looks like you'll have to deter them," Hedric glanced at the side-view mirror. He could see one of the pursuing vehicles clearly and tried his damndest to remember history class.
    "You think it's a good idea to piss 'em off further?" Freeman asked.
    "No, but it's a worse idea to lead them to the ship."
    "Good point," Freeman turned, procuring a serrated blade from his back pocket.
    Were the circumstances different, Hedric might have grumbled about the item since his mother had stressed that they were to take only what was in the packages assigned to them. Which was understandable given the obvious leap through time that they'd taken, but Hedric wasn't about to argue logistics. Or quantum physics or whatever. He could boggle through the science of it later, with his mother standing there to explain how the hell she'd managed it.
    Freeman stabbed the soft top, ripping through the hardened fabric and making himself a window. Without looking, Freeman tossed the blade to Jellison, who repeated the actions.
    The first shot made a cacophony through the cab and startled the Zimmerman woman so that she screamed, swerving the car. The pitch of her voice almost exactly matched the screech of tires behind them as one vehicle slammed on its brakes. Then there was the crunch of metal to metal and he knew Freeman had made his mark. Jellison and Freeman cursed in unison, trying to keep upright as the woman had to swerve again, putting them out of the oncoming lane and missing a large truck. Gritting his teeth, Hedric braced himself again and glared at her.
    "What the hell