Landon
By the time I’ve finished making rudimentary stitches in Steel’s chest, he’s passed out for good. My hands are shaking and covered in blood, but I think I’ve done an okay job for the time being. After all, I was never much good when it came to medic work after an incident.
“Steel,” I say urgently, shaking the old man’s shoulders. “Steel, wake up! You gotta help me out, man.”
Steel’s eyelids flutter open and his lips form silent words, mouthing to the ceiling.
“Steel,” I grunt. “Come on, man. Come on, you gotta help me. I don’t know where to look for Vivian.”
“Leave,” Steel says in a voice barely above a whisper. “Vivian…” He trails off, his eyes closing once more.
“I know,” I say quickly. “I gotta find her, man. But you have to help. Why were those thugs wanting to snatch her up in the first place?”
Steel shudders. Looking at his chest fills me with panic–the blood is bubbling out of my makeshift stitches at an alarming rate. His skin is red and shiny and the air is filled with the scent of iron from all the blood pooling under Steel’s body. Worse, the skin around the wound is puckered and turning black.
“Fuck,” I mutter. “We gotta get you to a hospital!”
As gently as I can, I wrap an arm under Steel’s head and try to pull him across the kitchen floor. But Steel is muscular and heavy, and I can barely budge him without listening to him cry out in pain.
“Go,” Steel grunts. “Go and find her.”
“Man, I can’t leave you,” I say truthfully. I know I have to go find Vivian, but if I leave Steel here, he’ll surely die.
“Go find her,” Steel whispers. “Go find my daughter, Landon.”
Climbing to my feet, I rinse my hands with soap, washing Steel’s blood down the sink. There are still little dark crescent moons under my fingernails, but I don’t have time to do a more thorough washing.
The kitchen looks like the set of a horror movie. There’s blood spattered everywhere–the floor, the walls, the ceiling. And Steel is the grisly centerpiece, spread out on the tiled floor like a dead man.
“Steel, man,” I whisper, kneeling down. “I’m calling an ambulance for you.”
The terse exchange with the 911 operator doesn’t do much to make me feel better. The woman sounds tired, almost bored, like she’s sick of having one of the world’s most tense jobs. But finally, she assures me that an ambulance is on the way.
Precious time is slipping away, but I can’t leave my boss now that I think he’s dying. It goes against the code of Blacktop Chaos. Even though Steel kicked me out, I have a feeling that he’d want me to honor my vows until the end.
When the sound of sirens is faint in the distance, I grab my jacket and suit up. I have two knives, a small gun, a couple of ammo clips, and a full tank of gas in my beloved bike. God, I hope that’s enough to find Vivian, I think.
Steel’s eyes flutter open once more and instantly, I’m at his side, holding his hands. His skin is cooling and I can see that the pulse in his throat has slowed down. Even though I’ve been panicked about his condition the whole time, it’s starting to hit me that this might be the last time I ever see my president.
“I’m so sorry,” I tell Steel, staring deeply at his face. “I’m so sorry, man, this is all my fault.”
Steel doesn’t reply. His lips are parted and cracked. Quickly, I grab a glass of water from the sink and gently tilt it into his mouth. Steel doesn’t say anything, but I can tell from the slow way that he moves his head that he’s grateful.
“I’m gonna make this right, Steel,” I say, willing the ambulances to move faster. It’s killing me how I have to make a choice between my boss and the woman I love, but I know that time is money and I can’t stay here forever.
“The train,” Steel grunts. “They were going…to the train station…” His voice trails off like he’s letting out a powerful breath and I lean closer, just in case he’s got more to say.
“What else?” I demand loudly. “What else, Steel?”
“You’ve got to find her, Landon,” Steel says with a sudden burst of energy. His eyelids fly open. “Vivian is the only thing that matters.”
“I know,” I say, getting to my feet. The ambulances still sound frustratingly far away and I groan impatiently, willing them to move faster. “I know she is.”
“Go,” Steel groans. “Go, Landon. Leave me here. You have to go save Vivian.”
“I don’t want to leave you here—“
“Go!” Steel yells, with surprising strength. He’s glaring at me and I can barely hold his gaze–the blood everywhere makes for a terrifying sight.
“Okay,” I say quickly. “Steel, you’re gonna be fine. They’re coming to save you, buddy. Everything’s gonna be fine.”
As I grab my bag and run out the door, Steel calls something unintelligible after me. The air outside is chilly and makes me shiver. I can hear the whine of the siren coming closer. Hurry up, I think as I climb on my bike and point it in the direction of the train station. Please, God, hurry the fuck up.