WindSwept Narrows: #11 Mariah Peyton
Karen Diroll-Nichols
- Long
- dark
- brown
- hair
- tumbled
- from
- the
- solid
- black
- helmet,
- leather
- gloved
- hands
- hooking
- it
- on
- the
- back
- bar
- on
- the
- large
- motorcycle.
- Something
- was
- definitely
- off.
- Mariah
- Peyton
- moved
- toward
- the
- gas
- pump,
- one
- finger
- raised
- to
- her
- lips
- as
- she
- met
- the
- wide
- blue
- eyes
- watching
- her
- from
- the
- back
- seat
- of
- the
- car
- on
- the
- other
- side
- of
- the
- filling
- island.She
- sighed
- thickly.
- Her
- hand
- went
- to
- the
- heavy
- zipper
- down
- the
- front
- of
- the
- black
- jacket,
- lowering
- it
- slowly
- and
- reaching
- inside
- as
- she
- approached
- the
- driver
- of
- the
- car.
- She
- tapped
- lightly
- on
- the
- window,
- a
- brightly
- deceptive
- smile
- on
- her
- face.
- Wide
- brown
- eyes
- surrounded
- by
- a
- cloud
- of
- dark
- brown
- and
- they
- fell
- all
- over
- themselves.
- Men
- were
- such
- gullible
- creatures.
- She
- leaned
- over
- a
- little,
- a
- view
- of
- the
- low
- front
- of
- her
- top
- momentarily
- distracting
- him
- as
- he
- wound
- the
- window
- down.He
- froze
- in
- place
- when
- the
- familiar
- sound
- clicked
- in
- his
- ear.“You
- know
- what
- that
- sound
- is?”
- She
- asked
- quietly,
- accepting
- his
- slow,
- resigned
- nod.
- “Hands
- on
- the
- wheel…does
- he
- have
- a
- gun,
- elf?”
- She
- saw
- the
- redhead
- nod
- rapidly.
- “Lift
- it
- out…very
- slowly…it’s
- cold
- and
- I
- don’t
- want
- to
- slip
- on
- this
- trigger…cheap
- gun…empty
- it
- onto
- the
- seat…is
- there
- another
- one?”“He
- went
- inside
- to
- pay,”
- Eloise
- said
- softly.“Unlock
- her
- door,”
- Mariah
- ordered,
- the
- click
- barely
- heard
- in
- the
- bustle
- around
- the
- gas
- pumps.
- “Wrap
- up
- in
- the
- blanket,
- elf,
- we
- need
- to
- hide
- that
- red.
- Stand
- over
- by
- my
- bike,”
- she
- said
- with
- a
- nod
- at
- the
- blanket
- the
- woman
- lifted
- from
- inside
- when
- she
- climbed
- from
- the
- back
- seat.
- “You…turn
- the
- car
- off…hand
- me
- the
- keys,
- nice
- and
- slow…”
- leather
- clad
- fingers
- wrapped
- around
- the
- jangling
- keys.
- “Good
- boy…now…pop
- the
- trunk.”Mariah
- stepped
- back
- from
- the
- door,
- opening
- it
- and
- watching
- the
- main
- entrance
- to
- the
- quickie
- mart.“No…don’t
- even
- open
- your
- mouth…I’m
- not
- interested,”
- she
- said
- simply,
- nudging
- him
- carefully
- with
- the
- gun
- in
- her
- palm.
- “I
- have
- a
- license
- for
- this…I
- bet
- you
- don’t
- have
- one
- for
- yours……now…get
- into
- the
- trunk…please…no
- noise…”She
- closed
- the
- trunk
- and
- let
- it
- latch,
- dropping
- to
- her
- heels
- and
- using
- her
- finger
- nail
- to
- release
- the
- air
- from
- the
- tire
- near
- her.
- She
- stood
- up
- and
- moved
- to
- Eloise.“Are
- you
- okay?
- Can
- you
- see
- inside
- the
- window?
- Which
- one
- is
- his
- partner?”
- Mariah
- followed
- her
- gaze.“I’m
- much
- better
- now,
- thank
- you.
- He’s
- wearing
- the
- grey
- sweatshirt
- thing…they
- thought
- they
- would
- get
- money
- if…if
- they
- took
- me,”
- she
- only
- had
- one
- of
- the
- red
- gloves,
- both
- hands
- holding
- the
- heavy
- blanket
- tightly
- closed.“There’s
- another
- helmet
- inside
- the
- case
- on
- the
- back
- of
- my
- bike…get
- it
- out
- and
- put
- it
- on…hide
- that
- hair,”
- Mariah
- suggested,
- leaning
- casually
- against
- the
- gas
- pump,
- her
- gaze
- never
- leaving
- the
- partner.
- “Do
- you
- know
- if
- he
- has
- a
- gun?”
- She
- sighed
- when
- the
- redhead
- nodded.Mariah
- stepped
- up
- when
- the
- other
- man
- approached
- the
- car,
- her
- smile
- bright
- and
- voice
- light.
- “He
- said
- he
- had
- to
- go
- to
- the
- restroom…”
- she
- took
- a
- step
- toward
- him,
- letting
- him
- see
- the
- gun.
- “Now…no
- moves…”
- her
- hand
- patted
- his
- sides
- and
- back,
- the
- gun
- pulled
- free
- and
- dropped
- into
- the
- car
- after
- flicking
- the
- safety
- in
- place.
- “Let’s
- join
- your
- friend…”“This
- isn’t
- your…”
- He
- swore
- when
- she
- brought
- her
- free
- hand
- up
- and
- grabbed
- his
- ear.“No
- noise.
- I’ve
- had
- a
- long,
- long
- day…and
- I’m
- tired
- and
- I’m
- cranky.”
- She
- opened
- the
- trunk
- of
- the
- car,
- gesturing
- once
- and
- offering
- one
- arched
- eyebrow
- when
- he
- hesitated
- for
- only
- a
- moment.
- She
- slammed
- it
- down,
- replacing
- her
- gun
- in
- the
- holster
- and
- latching
- it
- in
- place.
- She
- moved
- efficiently,
- emptying
- the
- two
- guns
- onto
- the
- seat,
- raising
- the
- window
- and
- locking
- the
- car
- doors.Mariah
- moved
- to
- her
- bike,
- straddling
- it
- and
- helping
- the
- redhead
- get
- on
- behind
- her.
- She
- had
- her
- phone
- out,
- tapping
- in
- 9-1-1
- and
- handing
- it
- to
- the
- woman
- behind
- her
- who
- removed
- the
- helmet
- and
- accepted
- the
- phone.“I’ll
- take
- you
- back…tell
- them
- we
- left
- the
- keys
- to
- the
- car
- on
- the
- gas
- pump
- and
- we’ll
- be…where
- ever
- you
- need
- to
- be
- returned
- to,”
- Mariah
- said tiredly.
