Chapter sixteen
Derek, exhausted, let his eye lids droop.
Then close completely.
When the car came to a full stop the sudden movement nudged him from his abeyance. He opened his eyes and saw that they were at a traffic-light. He had almost fallen asleep. Groggily he rubbed his eyes and looked around. How long had it been? Five minutes? Ten minutes? Looking at the stores outside the window he realized that he was on the other side of town and was plenty far away from the police station to make a clean getaway. Then the light turned green and the car started moving again. He glanced over at Paul--he was smoking another cigarette and concentrating on the road. Derek’s stomach growled. He realized that it had been hours since he had eaten last. There would probably be food at the bar but he wouldn’t be able to hang around long enough to have any. His stomach would have to wait until he made it back to his pack.
There was another traffic light ahead. Off to the right, down a side street at the intersection, Derek could make out the T-O-R of the neon sign for Torredo’s. The car started to slow again. Derek decided that he didn’t want to wait until they were at the bar to get away—he had more options if he jumped out here. He waited until they were almost to the stop line, the car was moving less than fifteen miles per hour, then he grabbed the handle and pulled, throwing himself against the door at the same time.
Nothing happened.
He tried again, still nothing, the door wouldn’t open.
Paul looked over at him, he didn’t appear surprised at Derek’s attempt to escape.
“Relax there, nephew. We’re almost there.” He said, putting the blinker on and then turning right, immediately after completing the turn he turned again, this time he went left down the alley next to Torredo’s.
Paul pulled up in front of a metal door that had Torredo’s written on it in red lettering, then put the car into park and turned off the engine. The door was on Derek’s side, he heard a click then the door opened and an enormous man came out. He was so big and so tall that his body almost completely blocked the light shining through the doorway from inside the bar. Derek’s door made a click then the enormous man reached over and opened Derek’s door for him, then stood to the side blocking any chance of Derek escaping down the alley.
Paul got out and walked around the front of the car to Derek’s side. He waited for Derek to get out of the car then shut Derek’s door and motioned for him to go inside.
“After you.” Paul said.