Errand Runners

Chapter 32

“Alright,” Taro agreed. “But please, don’t kill anyone else.”

"Okay, kid,” Ryker slighted, not even bothering to hide his obvious ill intent. “Let me have them, now.” Surprisingly, Taro reached behind him. Nole hadn’t planned on Taro being armed, and neither had Ryker apparently. “Hey!” The gun immediately shifted toward Taro, and Nole was shoved to the ground as Ryker made his move forward.

Armed or not, Nole wouldn’t allow the opportunity to slip by. Quickly getting to his knees, he felt around his left pocket for the switchblade. The desperation hung over him like a dark cloud. Whether it was the pain or the stakes at hand, fumbling the weapon out of his pocket felt like it was taking an eternity.

Finally!

His triumphant moment of unsheathing the blade was short lived, because a millisecond later, a gunshot rang out inside the confined lobby. Whipping his head toward the presumed standoff, he saw only one person standing. Hovering over a fallen Taro, Ryker clenched his gun, the barrel still smoking from the fresh round.

Nole didn’t know where Taro was shot; he didn’t even know if he was still breathing. Seeing the boy lying defenseless on the floor, with a gun still pointed at him, a sudden fury enveloped Nole. They weren’t friends, or even acquaintances, yet the rage was building up inside of him.

Why?

Getting to his feet, the adrenaline pumping through him, he clutched the handle of the blade deeper into his palm.

Why am I so upset?

“You rotten kid,” Ryker spat at the boy lying at his feet. “Shouldn’t have bluffed.”

This guy doesn’t mean anything to me.

“I asked you one simple question!”

So why? Why do I feel like wind just got knocked out of me?

“You’re not dead yet, but I’m gonna make you wish you were.”

Not dead yet. Nole clung to the three words. This is my chance. I can’t waste it.

Desperately trying to calm himself enough to attack calculatingly, Nole was caught off guard when Ryker kneeled down beside Taro. Is he going to shoot again? Inching his foot forward, Nole watched as his enemy moved the gun to his left hand. Realizing that Ryker wasn’t planning on shooting Taro again, Nole breathed a silent sigh of relief as he shuffled another foot forward, and then another.

He couldn’t tell what Ryker was planning, and he didn’t have time to speculate. When he got within a few yards of Ryker, he could hear Taro’s pain-filled panting. Taking one more small step, he was finally able to get a clear look at the injury. A bloodied blotch on the right side of his cargo shorts confirmed that he’d been shot in the leg. The grotesque image wasn’t enough to stop Nole’s advance, but Ryker’s words were.

“Vale, if you get any closer, I'll shoot him dead.” Shocked by Ryker’s declaration, Nole stopped dead in his tracks and reflexively hid the switchblade from sight.

Did he see me? No, he didn’t mention the switchblade. He heard me then, Nole reasoned. Unable to move any further, he chastised himself for losing the option of a surprise attack. Maybe I should-

“W-wait,” Taro stammered, ending Nole’s scheming. “S-stay b-back.” The fact that he was conscious, let alone able to form complete sentences, displayed his determination.

Is he talking to me?

“Don’t worry, I want to help.” Ryker’s sinister tone was enough to call his purpose into question. Moving his free right hand over the gunshot wound, he clutched the boy’s leg like a vice grip, causing Taro to let out a blood-curdling shout. The sheer decibel-level of the tortuous scream made Nole clench his teeth in frustration. Wait. Nole reminded himself of Taro’s words.