Second Chance

Chapter 89

COOMBS CROUCHED down close and leered at me with that haughty smirking grin I'd come to hate already. Chimera was right here. “Seems you're the one who's leaning to the left a little now,” he said.

I had just enough clear-headedness to realize what incredible trouble I was in. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong had.

“This is a murder investigation,” I said to the men around me. “Frank Coombs is wanted in connection with four killings, including two cops. You don't want a piece of that.” Coombs continued to grin. “You're wasting your breath if you think that bullshit carries any weight here. I heard you talked to Weiscz. Neat guy, huh? Friend of mine.”

I forced myself into a sitting position. How the hell did he know I'd been to Pelican Bay? “People know I'm here.”

Suddenly Coombs's fist flashed out. He caught me flush on the jaw. I felt a warm ooze fill my mouth, my own blood.

My mind flickered for some way to escape.

Coombs continued to smile down at me. “I'm gonna do what you bastards did to me. Take something precious from you. Take something you can never have back. You don't understand anything yet.”

“I understand enough. You killed four innocent people.”

Coombs laughed again. His coarse hand stroked my cheek. The venom in his stare, the coldness of his touch nearly made me retch.

I heard the gunshot, loud and close by, only it was Coombs who howled and grabbed his shoulder.

The others scattered. There was chaos in the darkness, and I was as confused as anyone. Another bullet whined through the air.

A skinny thug with tattoos yelped and grabbed his thigh.

Two more shots thudded into the garage wall.

“What the fuck is going on?” Coombs yelled. “Who's shooting?”

More shots rang out. They were coming from the shadows at the end of the driveway. I got up and ran in a crouch away from the house. No one stopped me.

“Here,” I heard someone shout up ahead. I churned my legs toward the sound. The shooter was crouched behind the mustard-colored Bonneville.

“Let's go,” he hollered.

Then all at once I saw; but I couldn't believe my eyes.

I reached out and fell into the arms of my father.