One Blood

Chapter Sixty-Five

For the first time since all the craziness back at Angola, he was sure his injuries weren’t fatal. Jhonnette really had healed him. Lincoln didn’t dwell on this miracle too long, however, because he realized he was starving. Another good sign.

He looked around and saw a pizza place, Baskin-Robbins, Burger King, Popeye’s, and Starbucks. What the hell was a Starbucks? 

His mouth salivated, as he smelled the wonderful aromas of fried chicken and fresh biscuits. But like an idiot he’d left the money Jhonnette gave him back in the Jeep.

Damnit! 

Lincoln burst out into the rain. He was halfway to the Jeep when he saw Snake Roberts step out of a dark blue Crown Victoria parked two cars down. Vertigo gripped him as Snake’s present-day image merged with the younger version of him Lincoln remembered encountering that day at Simmons Park. It had been Snake’s bullet that caused Lincoln to shoot Kris!

Lincoln ducked behind a small compact car.

Did they spot me?

Snake walked right past his hiding spot, clearly in some pain.

We must have hurt him worse than I thought.

Lincoln’s head swam as he tried to maintain focus on the present.

At least I’ve got this gun.

He glanced through the driver’s side window and saw two other men getting out of the Crown Vic. One man was huge, bald-headed, and ugly. The other man was younger, with long, shoulder-length dark hair. Neither man looked like they were here for a potty break.

How did they track me here?

He and Jhonnette had left Roberts hog-tied in the recovery room, sure the police would have picked him up by now. It was either dumb luck that they had ended up in the same place at the same time, or they had some sort of tracking device in Jhonnette’s car. On the other hand, maybe Jhonnette had double-crossed him. Was that why she’d agreed so willingly to his plan? 

Lincoln’s ears perked up as the men moved closer to his position. They didn’t even look at the Jeep as they passed it, confusing Lincoln even more. He had the gun in his palm now. His index finger flirted with the trigger.

He could rise up and put bullets through each of their heads before they took their next step, but something told him to wait and see. Snake growled something that sounded like, “Where is she?” But he couldn’t have heard that right. He’d probably said, “Where is he?” 

Lincoln peeked out from behind the car and saw they were carrying their pieces as openly as he was.

Then he heard, “There she is!” The younger man took off running toward the facility where Lincoln saw Kris Lafitte’s mother, Coral, filling up a white Ford Taurus.

They’re after her? Why? 

Lincoln watched in amazement as the younger man called out to Coral. She turned, eyes growing wide as she saw who was calling her. She pulled out a huge gun.

What the fuck is this, the Wild Wild West? 

Coral squeezed the trigger but nothing happened.

The young man took one shot. Coral swatted at her neck and then collapsed.

Lincoln looked around. Amazingly, he was the only person watching this go down. Roberts and Big Bald Ugly humped it double time back to the Crown Vic. The young man put Coral in the passenger seat of her own car, replaced the gas nozzle, and got into the driver’s seat. Then both cars took off.

Lincoln’s instincts told him to follow them. He ran back to the Jeep.

You’re not getting away from me this time, Snake.