44. Tommy

Chapter forty-four

Tommy

R icardo drives in silence, and I sit in the passenger seat. I don't know when the shaking began, but it works through my entire body. At every stoplight, the entire car jitters with my movement. Ricardo says nothing, just keeps on driving until he turns down a dirt road. After a mile or two, he stops and puts the car in park.

"If you struggle or beg, I'll go back to her." He says it without any energy in his voice, and I briefly wonder if the guy has the guts to actually kill me. "Get out."

My hands fumble with the door handle before I finally get it open. Ricardo is out as well, his pistol held out but not really pointing in my direction. I close the car door and move forward.

"I'm not gonna say I'm sorry, but I do wish there was another way."

I keep my mouth shut. Any word could be construed as begging, and there's no way I'm risking my family's life.

Family. God, I wanted that so bad. My boys and Tilly. They're already my entire world. She'll find someone else, right? Someone that loves her like I do? I have to hope. That's the only way. Maybe her next man will actually keep her safe, get her away from her sick family.

"Walk to the edge," Ricardo says, and I hear a small click. It seems to echo all around me, like the last reminder that I can still try something. I want to ask 'what edge?' when I see it, the cliff in front of us. He's going to make me jump. An accidental death, no doubt. The police won't even know that this snake is taking a bribe. For a split second, I want to fight. To force him to shoot me. Maybe then he won't get away with it.

But I can't do anything stupid, not again. Hitting Keaton is my biggest regret, and I won't do anything like that ever again. I walk, each step harder than the last. When I've counted out ten, I look far off over the hills.

The sunset is beautiful in the distance. Oranges and reds all swirled together. It reminds me of Tilly's tattoo. The top has a golden sunset over a beautiful beach. I close my eyes and picture her. That million-watt smile. The way she always smells like lilac and vanilla. Her growing belly. The sound of my babies' heartbeats through the machine.

But instead of hearing a gunfire or the shock of pain, I hear something overhead. The thump of helicopter blades.

They grow closer, and suddenly a megaphone booms. "Agent Lopez, put down the weapon!"

I don't wait for my next chance. I sprint off into the bushes just as I hear sirens roar down the dirt road. Faster and faster, I continue, my legs growing tired, being scraped by the vegetation. Still, I don't stop. Getting back to Tilly is all that's on my mind.

I run until I can't breathe anymore. I'm in fantastic shape. Surfing on a daily basis has given me muscles and endurance. Run. Run. Run. I keep going until my chest feels as if it will burst. Then, I stop. If I don't, my heart might explode. Hunched over, I gulp in air. I have no idea how far I've gotten.

But far off behind me, I hear a familiar voice. "Tommy!"

That's Greg. I turn back around and inhale deeply before jogging towards my own name.