depths of the woods. The deputies shouted another warning. The person continued running from them. The deputies fired, but the person was too far away. The two deputies did not give pursuit; instead they attended to Andrew.
Andrew was not moving. Deputy Miller knelt beside Andrew to check him over. He was expecting to see blood on the back of Andrew’s coat. There was none. Deputy Miller took his glove off and slipped his hand into the slashed coat. He could feel the body armor that Andrew wore underneath.
“What is it?” Deputy Brown asked.
“He has on body armor,” Deputy Miller answered.
“He’s out cold?” Deputy Brown surmised.
“Yeah,” Deputy Miller answered.
“Do we arrest him like the Sheriff said,” Deputy Brown asked.
“What do you think?” Deputy Miller replied.
The two deputies lifted Andrew up and carried him back to where Deputy Nash was standing beside his squad. When he saw them carrying Andrew, Deputy Nash rushed over by them.
“What the hell happened?” Deputy Nash demanded.
“Knight and some masked person were fighting in the woods,” Deputy Brown explained. “We broke it up. The other person got away. Knight was knocked out cold.”
“He’s cut across the back,” Deputy Nash further observed. “Is he hurt?”
“No,” Deputy Miller answered. “He’s wearing body armor.”
“Do we arrest him?” Deputy Brown asked. “You know, like the Sheriff told us to.”
“What do you think?” Deputy Nash answered sharply.
“He’s done a lot for us and the Bayport cops,” Deputy Miller added. He looked at Deputy Nash. “He’s even saved your skin a couple of times as I recall.”
“Yeah I know,” Deputy Nash lowered his eyes to the ground. A few seconds later he looked back up at his partners. He was about to say something, when they all heard Andrew coming to.
Andrew opened his eyes to see Deputy Miller and Brown holding him up. Deputy Nash was standing in front of him. Suddenly things didn’t look so great.
“Don’t worry,” Deputy Nash smiled. “We’re not going to arrest you.”
“Why is that?”
“You’re a good guy, and well the Sheriff is a real…”
“Pain in the ass,” Deputy Brown chuckled.
“She’ll find out you know,” Andrew reminded all three of them.
“Not really,” Deputy Nash replied. He looked at his fellow officers. “As far as we’re concerned we never saw you, right guys?”
“Right,” they answered.
Andrew took a moment to get his bearings and immediately shook hands with all three deputies. He thanked them and took off in the direction of where his car was parked.
The three deputies returned to their respective posts waiting for the relief shift to arrive in a couple of hours.
Andrew walked to his car slowly. He was now certain it was not Wyatt. Whoever it was though, they were very experienced in the martial arts. Andrew finally arrived at his car. He winched a bit as he bent down to unlock the door. Once inside, Andrew stopped to reflect further. Logically, the next thing he would do is go see Storm at the hospital. But a nagging thought in the back of his head warned him that Sheriff Delsmann would be waiting for him. Instead, Andrew decided he would try and local Wyatt. The person that attacked him was of slender build and average height. They wore a mask to conceal their identity and black gloves to cover their hands.
Andrew started the car and shifted it into drive. The tires dug into the snow packed road as the car sped off back to Bayport.
From the safety of the dark woods a pair of eyes watched as Andrew got into his car. It was a disappointment that he had survived. A promise was made that next time there would be no errors and that Andrew Knight would most certainly die.
Chapter 4
“Collins, you’re next!” Coach Martell barked while looking at his clipboard.
Chad swallowed hard and looked first at the balding man in the blue and black jumpsuit that held his future in his hands. Chad stepped up to the rope, beads of sweat on his brow. Chad bent his head back following the length of the rope with his eyes to the very top to were the green tape was taunting him like so many times before. This was his last chance to finally make it, or get the only “D” on his otherwise perfect report card. If you gave him a problem to solve in calculus; to write an essay for English, or any other subject in school; Chad would’ve pass it without any problem.
“Move it Collins,” the whole class chastised him this time. Chad jumped up and grabbed on with both hands while at the same time crossing his legs and digging his tennis shoes into the thick rope. Chad shimmied with all his strength towards the top of the rope. He kept telling himself not to look down, not to let the sweat on his forehead keep him from reaching his goal. It took two long weeks to get to this point; two long weeks of all the guys in class making fun of him because he was the only one left that couldn’t climb the rope all the way to the top. This was his chance to prove all of them wrong, but also to impress Amber.
Chad’s muscles strained with each movement of his arms and legs working together in concert towards the crescendo of his ascent. Finally, and with all his body straining to keep his place, Chad reached out his fingers which were just inches away from the coveted green piece of tape. Chad swallowed hard and for a minute took in the surroundings below. He had the best view in the gym. He could see the girls’ class at the far end of the gym and there she was, Amber. She wasn’t like most girls he’d dated before. The first time Chad had his mom meet Amber, it was very awkward. Here he was introducing his mom to this girl with short cropped black hair, dark brown eyes, black finger nails and lipstick. She looked more like a vampire than the girl next door. But after they talked for a few minutes, his mom realized that Amber was a very intelligent girl and that the way she was dressed had nothing to do with who she was.
“Collins!” Coach Martell barked again. It startled Chad so much so that he almost forgot where he was for a second and nearly let go of the rope. Chad quickly recovered and with one last effort touched the tape with the tip of his fingers. He’d finally made it! Just as Chad tried to savor his victory, the class bell rang. He suddenly started to slip and the rope became too hard to hold onto anymore. Chad slid down the rope. The friction burned at the flesh of his hands, arms and legs without any remorse. Chad cried and let go of the rope when he was still a few feet off the ground. He landed hard on the padded mat with a loud, painful groan. An explosion of laughter erupted from the group as Chad withered on the mat with his hands tucked in his armpits trying to sooth the pain. Amber saw what had happened and rushed over. She shoved the boys out of the way, gave the coach a sharp look for just standing there too, and then knelt beside Chad. Amber helped Chad to his feet and walked him to the nurses’ office.
“Thanks,” Chad said.
“I was impressed,” Amber answered. “Until you crashed and burned.”
“Burned is right,” Chad replied looking at his hands. They were red and felt like they were on fire.
“Maybe this will make you feel better,” Amber said. She looked around first making sure they were alone and kissed him. Her lips tasted like black licorice. Chad forgot his pain for a minute.
“Better?” Amber asked when their lips drew apart.
“Yeah,” Chad answered as they stopped in front of the nurses’ office.
Amber walked him inside and after explaining the situation to the nurse; she left to go back to class. The nurse had Chad sit down and took a look at his hands. She got some antibiotic cream and gauze from the cabinet. The moment the cream touched the flesh of his hands, the pain instantly went away. The nurse wrapped his hands.
“I have to call your mom,” she picked up the phone.
“Oh great.” Chad lamented.
