Saving Dallas Forever (Saving Dallas 3)
“Luke wins.”
Chapter 26
Dallas
It took a moment for the goons to realize what had just happened. As they watched Charlie’s body collapse to the floor, I took the opportunity to train my gun on them. This was something I had not mentally prepared for, but I let Luke’s voice guide me, even though he was miles away.
“If you have to pull your gun, fire. Don’t ever show it unless you plan to use it. If you do, get out of there as fast as you can. Even in the worst parts of town, someone will report gunfire. Keep your mind focused on your target, but once you squeeze that trigger, it’s over and you need to focus on your next move. You can do this, baby. Now, shoot the target and move to the next. Don’t let anyone or anything distract you. Stay in the zone and stay in control.”
“I’m going to walk out of here now,” I said, standing on my wobbly legs, forcing them to hold me up. “I suggest the two of you do the same. Don’t follow me and don’t come looking for me. If you aren’t aware of Charlie’s orders about excluding me from harm, then I suggest you get acquainted with the man who is now in charge.” The black man eyed me warily, wondering how I was aware of such confidential information. “To answer the question that you refuse to ask, Charlie is the one who shared that useful piece of information, and it was a fatal mistake.” Charlie had informed Luke that no matter my transgressions, his army had specific orders that no harm was to come my way. He forgot to add a clause that stated it was null and void if I took his life. Like I said, divine intervention.
“It was a fatal mistake, and a very stupid one. As Charlie’s second, I can assure you that no harm will come your way. You are free to go Miss Knox.” I took a second to wipe my fingerprints from the arm of the chair, before I made my way to the door. The men stepped aside and I nervously walked past them, afraid that the goon who looked quite pleased to now be running things might not be as faithful to his word as Charlie had been. When my feet hit the concrete sidewalk, I stuffed my gun in the back of my pants, pulled my hood up over my head, and attempted to run as fast as my stiff muscles would allow. There were no cops in sight as I looked around nervously, having to remind myself of my next plan of action. I was not in the clear just yet. I had to get away from the scene and meet Luke before a certain time. If I was not at his hotel by noon, he would come looking for me. The last thing we needed was for him to be seen anywhere around the scene of the crime. I was thankful for the thunderstorm that was brewing. The light shower of rain was helping to wash the grime from my body, as I hobbled down the block, keeping my head down as much as possible as my eyes focused on the stop signs in front of me. I would not get sidetracked. I would not allow my mind to think of anything, but my next move. I was to go to the third stop sign and turn left. The light shower became a heavy downpour as the heavens opened, and the flood gates were released. The sounds of sirens in the distance helped to urge my stubborn muscles to work harder, so I could move faster. By the time I rounded the corner at the third stop sign, I was running. My feet splashed through the puddles of water as the cold, hard rain beat down on me. In a matter of minutes, I was running down the stairs of the subway station and out of the rain. I found the ladies restroom on the right and ran inside, going to the fourth stall to find it occupied. I waited patiently, keeping my head down, so as not to draw attention to myself. I counted to ten in my head, remembering Luke’s words as I began to feel anxious.
“Don’t allow yourself time to think. When you find yourself in a situation where you have to wait out some time before your next move, do something simple that doesn’t require a lot of focus. Say your ABCs or count to twenty. Repeat this until you can move forward. If you think, you will get upset- allowing time for panic to set in. If you’ve made it out of the room, you’re on the homestretch. Don’t fuck it up over something stupid. Be patient. Keep your head down and don’t do anything to draw attention to yourself. If you engage in conversation with someone, it will throw you off. Ignore people. It’s a big city. They are used to it.”