“I’m fine.” He glanced at the open window again. “We should go. Now.” Sharp needles prickled down his spine. He took the chills as a sign of warning. He’d ignored his gut earlier and he ended up shot and bashed in the head. He wouldn’t make the mistake of not listening to his instincts again. “This place is giving me jitters. Like we’re being watched.”
Blaine didn’t move. “And how do you plan on getting home?”
“The same as I got here.”
“You came on foot, Eric. You’re in no shape to walk back.”
“You drove your car, didn’t you?”
“I’m not putting you inside my vehicle with the amount of blood you’re leaking,” Blaine told him indignantly. “Besides, you’re only speculating as to what’s wrong with you. Your injuries maybe a lot worse than you believe, and I refuse to have you bleed out and die en route to somewhere. I’ve already called in the police and the EMT’s. At least let them inspect those gashes.” He paused to survey Eric. “Let’s do the right thing and keep our asses out of trouble.”
“Under the circumstances, I think we’re in deep shit no matter what we do.”
“I hear voices coming from the front. I’m betting the authorities and the ambulance have arrived. I’m going to get them.”
“I wish we could avoid all of this. But we have no choice, I guess. There’s no way to turn back the clock.”
Blaine bent forward and inspected him again, then stood upright. “Nope. Right now we need to focus on your arm. It needs tended to and someone should put a Band-aid on that gigantic bump.” He took a step in the direction of the doorway. “Sit tight while I lead them inside.”
“Tell ’em to hurry.” He gave a small nod toward the body. “No offense to the dead, but I’m not comfortable staying in the same room with a bloodied corpse, even if I did know him. Besides, the smell is getting to me.”
“Yeah, the stink is bothering me too. Be right back with some help.”
Eric glimpsed down at the hole in his skin. Blood oozed like crazy though it wasn’t as traumatic as he’d thought it’d be. He didn’t understand much about bullet wounds, but he figured this must be a clean shot.
Blaine led the authorities inside. Medical personnel and police swarmed the area. An EMT attended to Eric’s head and worked on his arm, while homicide questioned him and Blaine. The detectives definitely believed a pattern was forming. The members of Raging Impulse were quickly dying out, and the cops warned them to pay attention to their surroundings and be extra careful. The medics rolled in a stretcher and stopped in front of him, but Eric waved them away. “I’m fine.”
“You should go to the hospital and get checked out,” Blaine reasoned.
“The EMT’s looked me over,” he argued and pointed at his bump. “This is probably a concussion and the bullet hole is most likely a flesh wound, just as I said.” He held out his good arm. “Get me up.”
Blaine stepped to where Eric sat and grasped the offered forearm. Balancing between the wall and Blaine, he hoisted to his feet. Blood rushed from his head, and his world faded in a hurry. He fell forward, conscious enough to catch a nightstand before he toppled onto the floor.
“Are you sure you don’t wanna rethink this decision?”
Eric forced his eyes shut, opened them, and blinked. “I’m fine. Just give me a minute.” He took several deep breaths to make the fog clear. “You’re gonna have to help me, at least until I get my balance.”
“I’m helping you right over to that stretcher. You’re headin’ to the hospital.” Blaine put a shoulder under Eric’s undamaged arm to heave him the rest of the way to his feet. He remained immobile until Eric became stable.
“Ready?”
Realizing he was in no position to argue, Eric gave a slight nod. Blaine assisted him to the gurney and lowered him down onto the slender padded mattress. Eric groaned as he laid back. A female EMT picked up his legs and placed them on the top, then covered him to the neck with a light sheet, while the male busied himself sticking an IV into his hand.
“Better?”
“No,” Eric groused. “Be sure you get my cell phone.”
Blaine stayed beside him, snatching Eric’s phone from the dresser as they left the room. They gradually made their way through the house, the emergency techs carefully maneuvering him to the front door which remained open. Dull beams from the outer lights swathed the faded tiles. A path that led to freedom. Eric’s heart did a slight hop from the relief to be leaving. Outside, the EMT’s stopped to readjust his IV.
“Hey, I just thought of something,” Blaine looked at Eric and frowned. “Where is Richard?”
“Don’t know, don’t care.”
“Isn’t it funny he’s nowhere around? He’s never very far away from Finn. This whole situation is odd.”
“Goes beyond odd. It’s fucking bizarre.”
Once they’d furthered themselves from the scene, Eric motioned he needed to stop. The rocking from the movement made him nauseous. They halted in front of the dark house near a low, zigzag fence. One attendant put something into his saline drip to curb the nausea while the second medic climbed inside the ambulance to radio the hospital.
Flat on his back, Eric stared into the sky. The evening was unusually clear. There seemed to be thousands of stars above. Tonight he considered them lucky. He had the urge to thank each and every one of them that he was alive. This night could have turned out so different. The darkness closed around them and was far from quiet. Distant traffic buzzed from an unseen freeway, blending with the nocturnal creatures as they boisterously made their presence known.
Blaine, who remained beside him, finally spoke. “This is insane. First, Drake’s dead. Dugan comes up missing, Mitchell is hurt, and now Finn’s gone. I won’t mention your misfortune.”
“Appreciate that.”
Eric’s gaze skated around the walkway to Blaine, who’d moved to the curb. A blast of cold air slashed across them. The breeze drove a heap of litter and scattered it over the deserted road. He shivered and wished he’d brought a jacket.
He tugged the sheet closer to his neck. “Did you get a good look at the person lying on the bed? Are you sure that was Finn?”
Blaine gave a wry smile. “I hate to admit this, but I’m a bit squeamish when inspecting dead people. I’ve never seen one shot in the head before. I didn’t want to get too close.”
“I hear you.”
“So to answer your question, no, I didn’t get a decent look. You think there’s a chance the body might not be his?”
Eric lifted his right shoulder. “I suppose anything’s possible. But if it’s not him, where is he and who’s lying dead in his bed?”
“Dunno. There are a lot of questions with no answers.”
“Yeah, and more questions keep coming in. I’ve got a feeling we’re not going to find those answers anytime soon.”
****
Damn. He hated when his plans went astray. He should have waited to get rid of Finn later. Yeah, he’d have loved to send him off in a grand exit with hundreds around to witness his demise like Drake. But trying that feat twice would be too risky. The fact Eric nearly caught him made him want to hit something and smash it into pieces. After several deep breaths he calmed, remembering the importance of remaining cool. His strategies and his success depended on his being in control. But Eric’s appearance after he’d executed Finn threw him way off. Forced to adlib, and react on his feet after he’d just killed someone else…hell, there was no time to think outside the box. That left him unprepared. His shot at Eric? He couldn’t operate accurately under such pressure.
Then Blaine showed up. Who could’ve known tonight would be a fucking’ Raging Impulse reunion? It was best for him to disappear with so much going on. So he had climbed out the window. He held in a laugh as he crouched by the opening and listened to Eric and Blaine try to decide what they should do. The hilarity of the situation was almost worth tonight’s risk.
Did Eric recognize him? Would he identify him to the police? He was unable to hang around to hear them question him. Eric seemed groggy. Hopefully the big knot on his head made him doubt reality. Still, it’d be best for him to lay low for a while. Wait and see.
From across the road, he lurked in the shadows and viewed the two men at the scene. He needed to leave. The police would soon be scanning the neighborhood and he couldn’t afford discovery. He rolled the bike silently down the street and glanced back at them as he mounted the motorcycle and hit the gas.
****
Eric looked out into the darkness. From a distance he could make out a single taillight fading into the night. His stomach tightened as he fought the urge to jump off the stretcher and follow the crimson light. He sucked in a long breath and wished this damn dizziness would go away. Even lying down, his head continued to spin. The tech appeared from behind, and after administering some more drugs into the IV, he manipulated the rollers across the bumpy concrete, moving toward the waiting ambulance.
Blaine slanted a quick side glance at Eric and veered in the direction of his vehicle. “I’m going to stop by the house before I meet you at the hospital.”
“Wait.”
A fleeting vision of the weapon pointed at him elapsed through his mind. So vivid, the cold barrel of the gun pressed against his temple seemed all too real. He shuddered and drove the disturbing image from his head.
“Don’t go to our house. The killer might realize he didn’t finish the job with me and be waiting there. You may be in danger too.”
“I’m sure I am.” Blaine shot Eric a hard look. “We’re all targets, aren’t we?”
Eric took a hand out from underneath the sheet and rammed his fingers through his hair, then stuffed his arm back under the covers. “I suppose you’re right.” He nodded to the emergency vehicle. “Um, would you mind riding with me?”
Blaine glanced at his car parked by the curb and shook his head. “Not at all.”
A moment passed and the EMT’s picked up the stretcher and thrust him inside the back of the ambulance. Eric groaned from the shift, his entire body throbbed, but his rolling stomach had settled. Blaine climbed in behind him and sat down. The medical personnel followed and continued to monitor Eric’s vitals as the driver spoke into the radio from up front. The paramedic asked Eric if he was still in pain. He nodded. The woman hooked something else into his IV and told him he’d feel better soon.
“Bet you weren’t planning a ride like this.”
Blaine grinned. “Stephanie and I agreed to continue our date after the meeting. She’s at a friend’s who lives down from us waiting for me to call her.” He inspected Eric’s cell he still held between his hands. “I suppose I’ll have to tell her the rest of the night’s off.”
“Fuck that.”
Blaine gazed at him.
“Once I get to wherever, you phone her and arrange to meet somewhere.”
“I’m not gonna leave you.”
“Look, all you’re going to do is wait while they run tests and stuff. You might as well go out and end the night on a happy note. God knows we need some joy. You should get yours while you can.”
Blaine peered down at him. “What do you mean while I can?”
Grogginess overtook him. Whatever the lady put in the saline drip was making him drowsy. His eyes drooped, but he forced them open. “You go see your girl tonight,” he murmured. “’Cause I think we oughta leave.”
“Leave?”
“Hmm. Get out of town. When I’m better. We should disappear. Hide somewhere until he’s caught.”
“Might not be a bad idea. As soon as the doctor gives you the okay, we’ll take off for a few days. Hopefully the police will solve this in a hurry.”
“Shouldn’t be hard.” Eric’s eyes closed and he mumbled, “I remember now. I saw….Darla…”
Chapter 11
“Thanks for letting me stay here to wait for Blaine.”
“You’re always welcome,” Darla said, almost mechanically.
Darla sat on the sofa with her hands folded in her lap. Her head swung back and forth, her gaze followed Stephanie pacing the floor, her friend’s mouth moved twice as fast as she walked.
“I’d be crazy to drive all the way to my place,” Stephanie was saying, “and have Blaine come over to my part of town when Finn lives close to yours and Blaine’s neighborhood. This makes more sense for us to meet here.”
“Your idea to wait here for Blaine is much better, Darla replied.
“I’m so excited we’re going to continue our evening,” Stephanie rambled. “At first, I was a little disappointed. Especially when he told me we needed to cut our date short for this meeting. We were having such a great time. Then he suggested we get together after. I felt so relieved.” She flashed Darla a quick, bright smile. “And you’re going to meet him.”
Darla had to admit she experienced a bit of the green-eyed monster over Stephanie’s joy. Not that she resented her. She only wished she had something to celebrate in the romantic department so they could share in this fun together. Yet, the idea wasn’t feasible as long as she was in rejection recovery. Still, she wanted to meet Blaine. Purely for Stephanie’s sake. Her motives had nothing to do with the fact he was Eric’s friend, song-writing partner—band mate.
Right.
Stephanie glanced at the clock and frowned. “It’s been over an hour though. Blaine said they wouldn’t take long.”
“He drove to Finn’s house, didn’t he?”
Stephanie nodded. “He was supposed to meet up with Eric. He walked, so maybe Blaine is giving him a ride home before we continue our date.”
Darla flinched at the mention of Eric’s name.
“Blaine also told me Eric would want to discuss their situation, whatever that is, after they’re through with Finn. But Blaine promised he’d cut that short too. Apparently Eric wasn’t ecstatic over us dating with the issues surrounding their band. So Blaine might have changed his mind and agreed to talk things over as a way of appeasing Eric. He’s such a pleaser.”
“Then that’s probably why he’s late. They’re debating.” Darla stopped. “I was also wondering about Blaine wanting to go out tonight with all the drama going on in his life.”
“I did ask him if he was sure tonight was a good idea. He explained he just wanted a normal evening. To get away and not think of any of the tragedies. And he hoped to do that with me.”
“He sounds like a sweet guy.”