Running Hot - Jacob long (classic book list txt) 📗

and pointed at them with an accusing finger. “Security, stop them!”
The automatic doors opened too slow and Reed slammed right into it. His body bumped into the stretcher and he stopped for a moment to allow it to open completely; then he sighed and dashed through.
Devlin and Angela saw them coming. Angela stood in her seat and shouted, “Reed, what’s going on?”
Suddenly a security guard came running out of the hospital after them and she sat back down, starting the car.
Reed pushed the stretcher up next to the car and ran for the trunk. “Laurel, unclip her!”
As Laurel quickly went about her task, Reed threw open the trunk and pulled out a .40 caliber pistol; pointing it at the guard. The guard ground to a halt and put his hands up. Reed handed the gun to Devlin; and Devlin continued to hold the guard with it. Now that Kolden was free, Reed grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her into the car. He hopped into the driver’s seat and peeled away as fast as he could.
“Who’s she?” Devlin asked.
“She’s one of the cops who took an early retirement in the last month.” Laurel answered.
“She is?” Reed asked.
“Yes, I recognized her name from the newspaper,” Laurel said. “Even they noticed the enormous amount of police officers taking early retirements.”
“Hey Elaine,” Reed said. “Who else is in on this funny business of yours?”
Kolden put her index finger to her lips. “Shhh, mustn’t tell.” Even under morphine’s influence Kolden’s lips remained sealed.
“What are we going to do with her, Reed?” Angela asked.
Reed simply said, “You’ll see.”

Minutes later, they were back in front of the police station.
“Push her out,” Reed ordered.
Devlin opened the door and pushed Kolden onto the pavement. Once the door was closed again; Reed squealed the tires and sped away from the scene.
An officer was walking out for a smoke break and heard the commotion. He went outside to investigate. There he spotted Kolden on the ground at the edge of the parking lot and rushed to her. In her delirium, she simply smiled and waved.

8)
“You have no reason to live, so God won’t let you die.”

Mc Donald’s Restaurant
4:08

Reed sat in the booth staring at his half-eaten Big Mac in silence as Laurel regaled everyone else at the table with events from throughout the day.
Angela was dumbfounded once Laurel finished her story. “Wow,” she finally said. “Just another day at the office, eh Reed?”
Laurel smiled, “Yeah.”
“What I don’t get though; is why you got in that cop’s car in the first place.” Devlin absent-mindedly rubbed the bruise on his cheek.
“How was I supposed to know what he was going to do?”
“Oh bullshit, Reed.” Angela chimed in.
“Don’t swear.”
“Don’t swear.”
“You knew what the little punk was up to and you went anyway. I know you, Reed. Were you just bored? Did you need the excitement?”
Reed didn’t answer, he simply turned to the window and peered outside.
Angela sighed. “So, what do we do now?”
Reed looked out the window at the ever descending sun for a while. Eventually the intense light began to hurt his eyes and he looked away casually. “I don’t know; these fries suck and they’re making it hard to think.”
Laurel read his body language perfectly and said, “We’ve been running from the police all day long. Could we just find a hotel or something?”
Reed took another bite out of his burger and nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Let’s go.”
“Don’t you wanna finish your burger first?” Angela asked.
Reed shook his head as he threw his burger on the tray with everything else. “No. We shouldn’t be eating this crap anyway; it’s bad for you.”
Reed grabbed the tray and walked over to the garbage, dumping everything in. The gang got out of the booth and followed as Reed walked toward the front entrance doors. That’s when he saw them; two cops walking toward the restaurant. Now freed of the supernaturally thought-hindering fries, Reed quickly came up with a plan. He slowed down so Laurel caught up to him, in which case he put his arm around her.
“Reed, what are you doing?” Laurel asked.
“Smile; we’re married,” Reed ordered.
Laurel took one quick glance out the window and understood.
Reed turned to the others. “Angela, go to the bathroom; Devlin… get a drink to go.”
Angela shot Reed a confused look but did as she was told; abruptly turning and heading for the bathroom. Devlin was already getting a refill when Reed spoke to him; he took one disinterested glance in their direction and continued about his business.
As Reed opened the door he nuzzled into the nape of Laurel’s neck. Laurel was already smiling as if having a good time but Reed’s nose was cold and it tickled so she laughed in spite of herself. The police officers passed them in the parking lot and didn’t stop. Once past, Reed looked back to see if they were even a little suspicious. They continued without a second glance so he let Laurel go. They walked over to the next parking lot where Reed had stashed the car and got in. A minute or two later, Angela and Devlin emerged from the restaurant and hurried to the car.
Angela was visibly elated. “Whoo! Quick thinking, Reed.”
They pulled out on the street and Laurel gave them directions to the Marriott Hotel.
“Hey, Devlin right?” Laurel asked suddenly.
Devlin gave her an irritated look and said, “Yeah?”
“Um, where did you meet Reed?” Laurel leaned over the front seat. “How did he get so…good?”
“What are you talking about?” Devlin inquired.
“Well, when we were face to face with that cop at my house, Reed dodged a bullet…how?”
Devlin smiled coyly. “Well, Reed would say that it’s not like in the movies; once the guy decides to shoot the bullet’s going to travel in a straight line. You don’t just stand there and wait to get shot; but I say he’s being protected.”
“Protected?”
“Yeah.” Devlin nodded matter-of-factly. “Reed probably operates under the impression that he’s lucky but I know why he is so lucky.”
“Why?”
“God knows he doesn’t have a reason to live-.”
Reed scoffed then.
“Yeah, Reed, you know it’s true,” Devlin said stubbornly, “and you have yet to realize your worth. You have no reason to live, so God won’t let you die.”
“If you look at it like that, then there’s not a lot of incentive for me to find my worth is there?” Reed said snidely.
Angela smiled.
While driving down North 2nd St. a cop pulled up behind them and flashed his lights.
Angela immediately lost her head. “Ohmygod ohmygod, Reed, it’s a cop, gun it!”
“Calm down,” Reed ordered, pulling over.
“Reed, are you insane?” Angela squeaked.
“No, Angela, just get ready to shoot him,” Reed said.
Angela fumbled around in her purse for her dart gun and pulled out the firearm, then quickly hid it behind her leg.
The cop parked behind them and walked up next to the car. “License and registration please.”
Reed already had the items ready and handed them over casually.
“Larry Messer?” the cop asked.
Reed nodded. “Yes sir.”
“Well sir, I pulled you over tonight because we have an A.P.B. out on a car matching this description, right down to the damaged headlights,” the cop explained, then after a moment of silence asked, “Could you step out of the car please, Mr. Messer?”
Reed sighed. “Angela.”
Angela brought the gun up and shot a dart into the officer’s stomach. The officer’s hand went to the area, but he quickly lost consciousness and he fell backwards into the street. A red Nissan Skyline going by at a faster speed than was considered safe tried to swerve but just ended up running over the cop’s face. The car crossed the center line and a cement truck smashed into its front end, spinning it around!
Angela leaned out the window. “Oh my god!” she shouted, covering her mouth.
“Ho shit!” Reed muttered under his breath, punching his foot down on the accelerator. The Cuda’s engine roared and they sped away.
“That was so messed up!” Angela shrieked.
Reed nodded and continued toward the hotel at a hurried pace.
“They’re gonna blame that on us too!” she continued. “We’re screwed! We’re screwed! They’re gonna nail me to the wall! They’re gonna send me upstate!” Angela started sobbing uncontrollably. “ …and I’m gonna be someone’s bi-he-hitch!”
Laurel and Devlin were staring at Angela with dumbfounded looks. For a crook, Angela was remarkably prone to breakdowns.
“Angela, stop swearing. And shut the hell up on top of that!” Reed put in. “No one’s going to send you to prison.”
Angela’s hysterics didn’t end; she leaned forward in the seat and sobbed into his ears. “How do you know!?”
Reed turned his head and looked at her confidently out the corner of his eye. “Because I would never let them.”
Angela’s expression softened and she almost managed a smile. There she leaned forward in her seat and wrapped her arms around Reed’s neck from behind. “Thank you, Reed.” She kissed him on the cheek.
Reed lifted his left arm up and pressed her face against his. “It’s okay. Now sit back. We’re not safe either.”
Angela did as she was told, wiping her eyes with her hand. Laurel scooted over and wrapped her arms around Angela. Angela accepted the comfort offered and they sat together in that embrace.
The gang arrived at the hotel and Reed quickly found a parking space. The gang hurried into the building and scuttled up to the front desk as a pack.
“Let’s get some really nice rooms,” Angela whispered into Reed’s ear, ever conscious of the level of luxury in her surroundings.
When the gang got up to the front desk the clerk glanced at them with bored eyes. “Checking in or checking out?”
“Checking in.” Reed rushed the words out. “Two luxury suites.”
The clerk typed on the computer for a moment, and then said, “Okay, that will be 708 dollars and 95 cents. Cash or charge?”
Reed turned to Devlin. “Where’s the money?”
“Angela’s got it in her purse,” Devlin answered.
Angela dipped into her purse and proffered the thousand dollar pack, neatly stacked in a rubber-band.
“I’ll also need a name and a phone number, along with a picture ID,” the clerk continued.
Reed looked at him with his furrowed eyebrows. “For what?”
“Security reasons,” the clerk spewed the old cliché. “We need a name if we go in there and the room’s wrecked.”
Reed turned back to the group.
“Just give him your fake ID!” Angela whisper-shouted.
“I can’t.” Reed shook his head.
“Why not?”
“Because the cop was holding it when he fell!” Reed answered.
Angela went quiet, slapping her hand over her face.
Reed turned and spoke in a low tone to the clerk. “How about I make it 800 dollars, and we forget the name?”
The clerk thought for a moment. “…a thousand.”
“A thousand?” Reed asked in outrage. “That’s a 300 dollar payoff!”
The clerk shrugged in arrogance. Reed rolled his eyes and plopped the entire pack of cash onto the counter.
The clerk subtracted his cut from the pile and handed Reed a key. “Enjoy your stay at the Marriott, Mr. Marley.”
Reed snatched up the key and the gang went up to their rooms.


“Here you go, Elaine.” Matt said, handing Kolden a hot cup of coffee at the police station.
Kolden rubbed her eyes and took a sip. “I don’t really remember what happened.” she repeated.
Matt sat in the chair across from her. “Okay, well