The Confession Of Zakary Jameson

Chapter 10

Zakary Jameson

I opened my eyes slowly to see Charlotte bent down over me. She was violently shaking my shoulder and seemed to be yelling at me, but what little I could hear was nearly silent and muffled. She glanced over her shoulder in distress, then back to me. A panicked expression was on her face.

My head pounded and my body ached. I was completely an utterly exhausted. Suddenly, my vision blurred and I felt my head slowly sag to one side, so I was able to see the end of the alley Charlotte and I were in.

A tall, thin man was cautiously approaching us. He wore a grey hoodie, jeans, and red sneakers. His brown hair was shaggy and hung over his eyes, which were bordered by dark circles. By his looks, he couldn't have been more than nineteen years old.

As the boy grew closer, Charlotte slightly cowered away from him, her eyes still full of panic and fear.

Seeing her reaction, the man held up his hands defensively and spoke to her. I wished I could understand what he was saying.

The man turned his head to look at me. A puzzled look appeared on his face. He pointed to me and once again spoke to Charlotte. As he spoke, he seemed to grow anxious, almost desperate.

Slowly and gradually, my hearing began to return, and I was able to make out the words they were saying. Even though I could understand them, their voices were distorted and warped.

"We're fine! I don't need your help!" Charlotte yelled at him,

The man scoffed and took a step closer to me.

"Your boyfriend here is collapsed on the ground, for goodness sake! Just let me help you get him to your car. It's no trouble." He assured her.

Charlotte fell silent, and remained that way for several seconds. She kept looking from me to the man, then made up her mind.

"Fine. You are?" She did not sound like she trusted the man's plan, even though it was simple.

"Rick."

Charlotte nodded.

"Okay... Rick. I'll take his legs, you take his shoulders. My car is just at the end of the alley." She pointed to the car, then moved to take me legs.

Rick walked around to my torso, bent down, and lifted my shoulders and Charlotte lifted my legs.

With the movement, a very sudden pain, like a serrated dagger, stabbed I my head. I tensed up and let out an involuntary scream of pain. Charlotte almost dropped my legs in surprise.

"Zak!" She yelled. I groaned, but couldn't say anything. I was nearly blinded by pain.

Quickly, Rick and Charlotte began to move me towards the end of the thin alley towards the car. With each foot I was moved, it felt like the dagger in my head was being pushed in deeper and being twisted.

By the time we reached the car, a silver 2000 Honda Accord that I had hijacked the previous afternoon, I was delirious. Charlotte supported my legs with one arm long enough to throw open the back door.

The two of them wasted no time as the carefully lay me across the back to seats. Due to my height, my legs had to be bent at the knee for me to fit. Charlotte took off her red jacket, balled it up, and place it under my head.

When I was settled, Charlotte turned to Rick. She brushed her brown hair away from her face, then crossed her arms.

"Thanks." She said awkwardly. Charlotte was not the kind of girl who often asked for or accepted help from anyone. She was extremely strong and independent.

Rick shrugged nonchalantly.

"Nah. Don't mention it. You couldn't have carried him by yourself."

Charlotte chuckled quietly and smiled.

The two stood silently for a couple moments, not knowing what to say, before there was a distinct, robotic chirping noise from the far end of the alley. My heart sank.

At the end of the alley, about one hundred feet away, was a police cruiser, which was just coming to a half perpendicular to the small alley entrance. The drivers door swung open, and a short man stepped out. He held one hand on the gum holster on his belt.

"Stop where you are!" He shouted.

Rick and Charlotte got panicked looks on their faces. The officer took a few steps forward.

"Richard Daniels! Put your hands up and step away from the vehicle!" He shouted.

Rick looked at Charlotte, who looked just as scared as he did.

"Um. I'm gonna need to borrow your car." He said hurriedly. Charlotte looked confused.

"What? No!" She protested.

Rick bit his lip, looked up, then pulled back his fist and punched her hard in the forehead. Charlotte fell unconscious. I attempted to sit up or yell, but I was still too disorientated to do anything but groan.

Rick caught Charlotte in his arms.

"Daniels!" The officer pulled his gun from the holster, held it up, and fired once.

Instinctively, Rick pulled Charlotte in front of him. I saw the officer'a bullet go straight through Charlotte's thigh.

The following minutes were a blur.

Rick threw Charlotte into the passenger seat, ran around the other side of the car, and jumped into the drivers seat. By now, the officer had begun to run back towards his car, walkie talkie in hand.

Rick slammed on the gas pedal, and we began to speed down the street.

I wondered if Rick had figured out he had a murderer in the back seat yet.

Minutes passed, and soon we were on the other side of Chicago. So far, the police had not caught up.

For the time I lay there in the back seat, I watched Charlotte for any sign that she was okay. Alive, even.

So far, she hadn't moved. Blood ran down her forehead steadily.

I gritted my teeth and tried to muster up all the strength and energy I could manage. Finally, I was able to speak.

"You're...gonna...pay..." I groaned. Rick sighed and sped up slightly.

"I'm sorry, okay? I just needed to get away from those cops. They've got an arrest warrant with my name on it." He told me. Even though I hated to admit it, the guy sounded sincerely sorry.

A sharp turn around a corner left my head spinning. I closed my eyes, wishing I was able to sit up and beat the thug in the front seat, who had both punched and used Charlotte as a shield from a gun.

A few more minutes passed, and Rick looked like the stress was going to make him explode. He turned on the radio, using it as an attempt to lighten the mood, as if that was even possible anymore.

The station currently playing on the radio was the news. A male news anchor started to talk:

"Our top story this evening is what is thought to be a pairing of two bloodthirsty criminals in their attempt to hide from police.

Just twenty minutes ago, police officer Mark Bender caught fugitive Richard Daniels, wanted for bank robbery and two murders, in an alley. Only then, did Bender see what else was going on.

Upon further inspection, this brave officer spotted, in the back seat of Daniels' car, killer Zakary Jameson.

Now, Jameson is quite a story. Wanted for the murder of his nephew, Anthony Turner, Jameson has been on the run for nearly two months. The public is to be advised that Jameson is extremely dangerous, and is thought to be armed."

We pulled into the parking lot of a gas station, and Rick slammed on the brakes. He turned backwards to stare at me.

"You're Jameson?" He shouted. I smiled slightly.

"You're Daniels?" I mocked. Rick blinked, still staring in disbelief, then smiled slyly.

"Well, looks like we're partners now, huh?"