If Hooks Could Kill - By Betty Hechtman Page 0,110
got accustomed to low light and he saw the situation. His hand made a slight move.
“Don’t even think about going for your gun or she gets it,” Stone said. He was standing so close to me now, the sweet smell of his coconut sun lotion was making me sick to my stomach.
The color had drained from Barry’s face and he seemed frozen just the way he’d been when I had been struggling with the shoplifter kids. Stone pushed me in front of him and we took a step toward the open door. I could feel the metal of the gun touching my skin. It was a terrible feeling.
I was afraid to breathe for fear it would make Stone pull the trigger, but I kept looking around, hoping to see something, anything that could help me out of this situation. Stone said something about us getting out of there. A bad sign. Once we got out of there, it seemed unlikely he was going to keep me as a travel companion.
That was when I noticed them. At first they didn’t show up in the dim light, but the lantern reflected off one of their shiny black bodies. The big bugs I’d seen a few days before were moving around the floor. I tracked their movement and saw that they were headed toward Stone. It must have been the cloying coconut fragrance that was attracting them. Stone was too busy staring at Barry to notice.
“We’re getting out of here,” Stone said, giving me a push.
“Wait,” Barry commanded. “Don’t rush into anything. Let’s think this out.” Barry had made eye contact with me and I tried to direct my gaze to show him the parade of bugs headed toward Stone’s exposed feet and legs, hoping he’d realize that once the insect army walked onto Stone’s skin, he’d be distracted. But Barry’s face was impassive and I couldn’t tell if he’d gotten it. And even if Barry had understood my signal, when the moment for action came, would he freeze? Any hesitation on his part and the tiny window of opportunity would be lost.
Barry tried to calm Stone and asked him what it was that he really wanted. Meanwhile I watched the bugs get to the base of Stone’s sandal and begin to walk up the strap. They were big and ungainly as they moved across the thin strip of leather that ran across his toes. One bug fell off and landed on his foot, then another. At the same time another contingent of insects had started walking up his bare legs. Even with all the adrenaline flowing, Stone felt something and looked down. He might have been a champion surfer with nerves of steel when it came to waves, but not bugs. He started kicking his feet out, trying to shake the insects off. The gun was wavering, and I felt it move away from my temple.
It had to be now. I threw Barry my most imploring look, but he seemed frozen. At any second, Stone would push the gun against my temple again. Just when I thought all was lost, Barry’s expression sharpened as if something had kicked in. With precise timing, he rushed Stone and knocked the gun out of his hand before the surfer had a chance to react. At the same moment I elbowed Stone in his six-pack abs.
Our joint actions knocked Stone off his feet and Barry made him lie down spread eagle on the pavement, while he took out his handcuffs. Stone took an eye-level look at the congregation of shiny bugs and protested, but Barry ordered him to stay on the ground.
As he clipped the handcuffs on, Barry read Stone his rights, then checked him for more weapons and called it in.
When I looked over at Barry, he had turned away and was pumping his fist in a victory move. His mojo was back. I would have said something like congratulations, but I didn’t think he wanted anyone to know that he’d ever lost it. A moment later, he hugged me.
“That was close. Thank God, you’re all right.”
“Thanks to you and your fast reflexes,” I said. “How did you happen by?”
He gestured toward Stone. “I was following him, hoping he’d throw something away with his DNA on it, but I lost him when he came to this place. Then I saw your car.” I was confused and asked why he’d been following Stone.
“I don’t know if you were paying any attention when I told you about