Kelly was still curled up in a ball in the foot well She wasn't going anywhere.
I searched the two bodies for wallets and magazines. I left Luther for last.
He was on the ground behind his car, hands clutched to his chest.
"Help me... help me... please..."
He'd taken a round in the armpit as he rolled on the ground, and it must have continued on into his chest cavity. I thought of Kev, Marsha, and Aida and kicked. He opened his mouth to scream, but all that came out was a gurgle. He was on his way out. Good. Let it happen slowly.
I ran back for Kelly and lifted her out other hiding place. I had to shout at her above her screams.
"It's OK, Kelly. I'm here, it's OK."
I held her tight in my arms. She was nearly deafening me.
"It's all over now! It's OK!"
It wasn't.
The police would be here soon. I looked around. The inter section was with a main road, two lanes in each direction. To my left and downhill was 1-95, crossing the road by a bridge, with a Texaco gas station about four hundred yards away on the other side of it on the right. Uphill and about the same distance away a Best Western hotel cut the skyline.
Lights were coming from the exit road toward us. Luther was lying there softly moaning to himself. He wasn't dead, but it wouldn't be long. The lights came closer.
Kelly was still hysterical. Grabbing her to conceal my pistol, I went behind the two cars. The lights were nearly level with us. I moved out and waved the vehicle down.
The good Samaritans were in a Toyota Previa, man and woman in the front, two kids in the back. I played the traumatized victim for all I was worth, shouting, "Help! Help!" as I rushed to the driver's side. The woman was at the wheel; she opened her door.
"Oh my God, oh my God!" Her husband already had his cell phone out to call for an ambulance.
I put the safety catch on and held the gun against her face.
"Everybody out now! Get out, get out now!" My other arm was windmilling like a madman's. Hopefully they'd think I was one.
"Get out! I'll fucking kill you! Get out!"
The one thing I did know about families is that no one will risk theirs. The husband started to lose it.
"Please don't, please don't!" Then he started to cry.
Kelly had quietened down, listening to my act.
It was the mother who kept her cool.
"OK, we are getting out. Dean, get the kids out. Out!"
Dean got his act together. I yelled at him, "Throw your wallet back inside!"
I pushed Kelly through the sliding door, slammed it shut, ran around to the driver's side, climbed up, and we were off.
I wanted to get away from the initial danger area, then sort myself out. The freeway was out because it would be too easy for the police to pick me up. I drove up onto the intersection and turned left under the bridge, past the garage. The road became a normal two-lane highway, and I put my foot down.
This was no time to be explaining stuff to Kelly. She was curled up in the backseat, sobbing. My adrenaline rush was slowing down, but my face was soaked with sweat and I was lathering up. I took deep breaths, trying to get more oxygen into my body and calm everything down. I felt unbelievably angry with myself for losing control back there. I should have killed Luther right off the bat, not fucked around.
I realized we were heading south, away from the airport.
I'd have to stop and get my shit together instead of just running in a blind panic. I pulled over and checked the road atlas.
Kelly didn't look good, but I didn't have too much of a clue what to say to comfort her.
"It's OK now," I tried.
"I told you I was going to look after you, didn't I?"
She looked up at me and nodded, her bottom lip quivering.
I made a decision. Fuck it, let's just go straight to the hotel, get the backup disk, and clear out. I swung the Previa around in a U-turn, heading for the freeway. We stayed on it until we hit the Beltway.
Blue lights flickered toward us. There must have been ten of them. I wasn't worried. Even if they did ID me, they'd have to get across the median.
It took us just under an hour to get to the Economy Inn. We drove straight into the parking lot, and I told Kelly to wait where she was. If she did hear me, there was no reaction. I tried again and got a nod.
I went upstairs, got out my pistol, and went inside. I pulled the bureau onto its side, the TV crashing onto the floor, and ripped the disk away from the tape. If Luther and company were connected with PIRA, they must know I had a disk they had to assume it, anyway. Retrieving the black bag, I went into the bathroom and threw two hand towels into the bath and ran the water. While that was happening I got the plastic laundry bag from the drawer. I put in the wet towels and some soap. I walked out of the room, keeping the do not disturb sign on the handle.
Kelly was still curled up in the backseat. We drove straight down the road to the Marriott. I parked up alongside a line of cars and pickup trucks and grabbed the towels. The moment I opened the door, Kelly ambushed me, throwing her arms around my neck and clinging hard. Her whole body was shaking.
I lifted her head off my shoulder. Blood from the guy I'd head-jobbed had gone all over my jacket, and now some of it was on her face, too, mixing with her tears. I whispered in her ear, "It's OK now, Kelly, really it is it's all over."
She held on even harder. Her tears were warm and wet on my neck.
I said, "I've got to go and get another car, so I want you to stay here. I won't be long."
I started to lift her away from me to put her back on the seat but she resisted, burying her face into my shoulder. I could feel the heat of her breath through the material of my jacket.
I put my hand on the back of her head and rocked gently.
For a moment I didn't know who was clinging to whom. The idea of what was happening and who might be behind it scared me shitless. I had to confirm what Luther had said, and now was as bad a time as any.
"Kelly, do you know Luther?
Was it true what he said about him coming to pick up Daddy?"
I could feel her head nod slowly against my shoulder.
"I'll never leave you alone again, Kelly. Let's just clean ourselves up a bit, shall we?"
I tried to sound happy as I used one of the wet hand towels to wipe her face.
"If you're going to come with me, I'd better give you a really important job. I want you to look after the bag while I go and get a car, OK?"
"OK."
As she dried herself I checked the wallets. Just over two hundred dollars in all.
The parking lot surrounded the whole hotel and was lit only by borrowed light from the street. The area dividers that made it easier for people to find their cars were waist-high bushes and shrubs, with small trees around the main perimeter. There was plenty of shadow. I positioned Kelly in a clump of shrubbery with the bag.
"Don't come out until I stop the car and get out to fetch the bag,
OK?"
"Will I be able to see you?" she whispered as she put her hood up. Her coat was already wet from the leaves.
"I want to see you."
I had my eye on a family-size Dodge among the long lines of cars. I said, "See that big blue car over there? That's the one I'm going to pick up." I didn't actually want to tell her I was going to steal it, which seemed crazy after what had just happened.
It took about five minutes to break in. The vehicle started immediately. I put the windshield wipers and defroster on high, rubbing the inside of the screen with my sleeve. I backed up to the bushes, stopped, and got out. Kelly climbed into the front with a big smile, and we started off. I stopped.
"Seat belt!"
She put it on.
We headed south on 1-95. About twenty miles before the Lorton exit we came across temporary traffic signs warning us that the junction was closed off. As we crossed the bridge, I looked down to my right and got a bird's-eye view of the shooting. Police cars dotted the area, red and blue lights flashing. I didn't slow down with the rest of the traffic to take a closer look.