Chapter 8

 

Kevin stared disbelieving at the scene in front of him. This couldn’t be real. About four squad cars littered the parking lot, lights flashing. Several of the officers that had arrived in them were crouched behind the vehicles, using them as a shield, with their weapons aimed at the store. Others milled around in the back, trying to get a handle on the situation.

 

Brian and A.J. are in there, he thought bleakly. The question was, were they alive?

One of the cops was on a bullhorn, speaking calmly to the crooks inside.

 

“We have you surrounded. There is no way out. Please release your hostages and surrender yourselves peacefully!”

 

Yeah, right. Nick thought to himself. Haven’t these guys ever watched movies? This never works.

 

Howie was clutching his phone for dear life, praying for it to ring again.  He stared fixedly at the building in front of him, as if he concentrated hard enough, he could make A.J. and Brian walk through it. Kevin noticed how contorted his face was, and could see his knuckles were white from gripping the phone. He walked over to him, placing his hand down on his shoulder. Howie didn’t seem to notice him.

 

“You’re going to break that if you don’t loosen up, you know,” he said, the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile. Howie looked quickly up at him, and then down to the phone in his hands. He immediately loosened his grip.

 

“Sorry, man.” Howie said, exhaling a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.

 

“Nothing to be sorry for.”

 

“Do you think they are all right?”            

 

Kevin raised a shaggy eyebrow. “This is A.J. we’re talking about. Do you honestly think he’d let himself get shot? Or Brian for that matter?”

 

Howie forced his breath out through his nose in a slight chuckle. “You have a point. Then again, his smart mouth could have started all of this in the first place.”

 

“If that’s true, maybe when this is all over he’ll think twice before he shoots it off again.”

 

“That would make our lives a little easier,” Howie admitted, trying to hide his smile.

 

“Just relax, D.,” Kevin said, patting his friend on the back. “They’ll be ok.”

 

“Yeah right. Can you honestly tell me that you’re not wound tighter than a drum?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Well, as long as I’m not the only one.”

 

Nick wandered over to them, and Kevin recognized that angry crease in his forehead. Nick was pissed.

 

“What the hell is taking them so long? Why can’t they figure out what the deal is?”

 

Kevin pointed to the hood of a car. “Sit,” he ordered.

 

Nick stared at him as if he’d grown two more heads.

 

“Do it.”

 

“And if I say no?”

 

“Then I’ll kick your ass.”

 

“Do I have to keep reminding you that I’m bigger than you now?”

 

“I’ll still kick your ass.”

 

The two squared off, Nick’s blue eyes hard and glaring, while Kevin’s green ones were calm and steady. For a minute, neither said a word, until Kevin broke the silence.

 

“Wanna play Rock, Paper, Scissors?”

 

This time, it was Nick and Howie’s turn to stare, open-mouthed. What really threw them was there was that he gave them no sign that he was kidding.

 

“I think he snapped,” Howie said, petrified. Nick nodded in agreement.

 

“I have not,” Kevin said, irritated.

 

“Then where the hell did that come from?” Nick exclaimed.

 

“It took your mind off of Brian and A.J. didn’t it? You didn’t haul off and do something stupid did you?” He lounged against the back of the car, getting amusement out of the dumbfounded expression on Nick’s face. “That’s what I thought. The more we work ourselves into a frenzy, and get all wigged out, the more chance we have of getting in the way and screwing things up for them.”

 

The two of them digested this for a moment.

 

“Kevin?” Howie asked.

 

“Yes?”

 

Nick finished his thought. “What would we ever do without you?”

 

Kevin feigned a smile. Deep down, he was more troubled than the other two put together. If only I could take my own advice, he thought miserably. The only reason he could remain so calm was the fact that the other two needed him to so badly.

 

Howie caught the flicker of worry that crossed his face, but chose not to bring it up. He knew Kevin was as concerned as he and Nick were, but if this was the way he could deal with it, than so be it.

 

***

 

 

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