Page 51 of Cooper

I feel the guy next to me grab my arm as the two up front duke it out, trying to decide which of them is dumber for taking this street. The driver in the Santa Claus truck is totally oblivious to the fact that he’s completely blocked us in, but I couldn’t be more grateful.

“So, we run, man!” The guy in the driver’s seat shouts.

“Where? We don’t know where the fuck we are, goddammit!” Moira shouts back.

Moira looks out her rearview mirror and pulls a gun out of the front of her pants, while the driver mirrors her, pulling his own weapon out. I feel the barrel of a gun at my temple as we slowly exit the car. “You scream I shoot.” He says simply.

As he exits the minivan, the gun is at my back, I’m guessing to conceal it, since we are out in the open. I’m forced to turn around. Dalton exits his Escalade, acting calm and cool, while some other man in another vehicle, walks over, with his weapon drawn. Moira’s gun is concealed, and so is the driver’s. I want to shout that they have guns, but I think…I think, that Dalton and this other guy know full well that they’re armed.

“You let us go and the girl doesn’t get hurt.” Moira says.

“I think I’m the one with the gun here.” The other guy says.

“Who the fuck are you?” Moira spits.

“Jenkins. This is Dalton.” He says, cocking his head towards the Ford brother.

“You guys feds?” The driver asks.

“That’s for us to know.” Jenkins replies. “What do you want with the girl?”

“That’s for us to know.” Moira volleys back.

“I’ve got a pretty good idea.” Dalton states.

“Of course, they know, you stupid bitch! Why else are they following us?” The driver argues.

“Would you fucking shut up, before the whole neighborhood comes out here?” Moira hisses.

Something in my gut tells me to look carefully at the Santa Claus truck, so I slowly train my eyes to gaze over, but I don’t see the driver. Could he have seriously left this scene? He had to have seen what’s going on here. I pray that if he did leave, that he’s at least going into the small business on the corner, to call the police, unless he’s got a cell phone on him, and is making that call that route. And that’s when I hear his voice behind me. “Drop it, asshole.” Cooper murmurs into his ear. The gun clicks, signaling that it’s cocked, and I see Jenkins’s gun pointed directly at Moira. And when I look over, I see that the driver in the Santa Claus truck, is dressed, in fact, in a Santa suit, and he’s got a gun pointed right at the other driver’s temple.

My friend behind me drops his gun on the ground. Dalton walks over and picks it up. “You okay, baby?” Cooper asks, as soon as the gun is in Dalton’s hands.

Mind reeling, I say. “Yes. I’m fine. How did you know?”

“I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you, darlin’. You are everything to me.” He says simply, as Jenkins and Dalton then pat down Moira and her partner, pulling their guns from them. Santa stands there, satisfied, as Dalton calls the cops, giving them an update.

“Where were you? I didn’t see you in the Escalade with Dalton.” I ask Cooper.

“I scooched down so they wouldn’t see me, and I crawled over to see Santa here, who was more than pleased to assist.” He winks.

“Thank you.” I say to Santa.

“Merry Christmas.” Santa frowns and winks. He’s an older man, who could pass for Santa, anyway, even without the outfit.

I watch Jenkins pull zip ties out of his pocket, and use them to place the three perpetrators into custody, until the police arrive.

“Thank you, Dalton, and thank you, too, Jenkins.” I tell the boys. Then I look at Cooper, and he takes a step towards me, holding me close. He searches my eyes. “Now, you can be free, baby.”

“So…so, you knew all along?” I ask, voice cracking, tears coming to my eyes.

He nods. “Yeah, kinda. I knew you were in trouble. And...I have to protect those that I love.”

“But we’d only just met.”

“And I’d only just fallen in love, darlin’.”

Chapter 17

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