Page 96 of Pulse
The front of my car crashes into the pizza delivery car, spinning it like a top. Glass breaks, spilling onto the road. Tires squeal. The smell of rubber and exhaust fills the air as the car with Dahlia goes careening into a marsh.
I jump out of my car and around the front. The engine smokes, and fluids sizzle against the hot metal. I run to the other car, submerged in just a few feet of water, and immediately search for Dahlia.
My heart breaks as she pulls a pillowcase off her head.
She’s dazed. Bleeding. And sitting next to a madman.
A madman who’s about to die.
Freddy kicks his door frantically, but it’s jammed. I hop on the car’s hood and slide over it, kicking Freddy in the face as he exits.
He falls to the side, splashing into the water, a piece of metal catching the light in his hand.
“He has a gun!” Dahlia screams from inside the car.
It’s a relief to hear her voice, but I can’t even look at her.
Neutralize the threat.
And this motherfucker’s going to pay.
I draw my gun as Freddy gets to his feet. He dives toward the car as Dahlia exits, then grabs her by the front of her hair—yanking a handful so hard her face bounces off the door. She screams as he stands her up just as I’m coming around the door.
He stops me in my tracks … by shoving the gun into the side of her skull.
Dahlia’s eyes are wild—wide and full of fear. Tears flow down her cheeks, mixing with what’s unmistakably blood.
Fuck. She whimpers, pulling away from the gun.
Don’t blink. Stay calm, Castelli.
“Let me walk out of here, or I’m killing the bitch,” Freddy says, yanking her arm.
Dahlia cries, and her body shakes. But she’s alert and aware.
She hasn’t given up.That’s it, Doll. Stay with me.
I assess the situation quickly. If he’s going to kill her, he’s going to kill her either way. So I take a steadying breath and try to play chess with a child.
“Iwillkill this bitch!” he yells again, the gun trembling in his hand.
“Well, that’ll be two dead bitches today. The choice is yours.”
“I’ll shoot her in the face. Do you want to see that? Do you want to see her blood in the water and know you didn’t save her?”
My chest tightens.
“Mom! Hold on! Trav is calling an ambulance!”
Everything’s red. The floor. Her shirt. My hands.
She looks up at me and tries to smile.
“Can’t …” she whispers, the words gurgling in her throat.
“Mom!” I yell, ripping my shirt off and trying to stop the blood from pouring out of her skull. “Mom, hang in there. Please.”
“Can’t save me, Troy. You can’t …”
