Silencing Joy Read Online Free PDF Page B

jumped, as though he
did it all the time. His feet thudded onto the cement.
    “Okay, I’ve got you. Let go.”
    I gazed below me at the enormous space
between the metal ladder and the ground. Derek had his hands
raised, as if to catch me. Up until this point in my life, I do not
think I had ever fallen from this height, nor had I ever needed
someone to catch me. If I’d had to do this a couple of weeks ago, I
would have chickened out. But instead, I was numb. I let go. The
cool fall night air rushed around me. In the blink of an eye, I was
in Derek’s arms. He caught me. I was surprised. I really didn’t
think he could do it. He set me down on my feet. My hand was once
again in his as he led me along the alleyway.
    Derek and I moved swiftly through the
streets. We dodged around some corners and hid in a couple of door
alcoves. My heart danced nervously in my chest. Derek seized my
hand, and we were off, headed straight for a car.
    The alarm in my head rang – danger – as we
headed to a black sedan with tinted windows. I tried to jerk back
my hand, but Derek had a good hold on me.
    “It’ll be okay,” he said, attempting to
reassure me.
    I lightened my tug and let him continue to
pull me to the vehicle. The automatic door opener clicked. Derek
opened the driver door and threw my bag in the backseat. We
simultaneously got in the car and fastened our seat belts.
    The car was definitely nicer than my little
Ford. This car had a shiny black leather interior with all sorts of
gadgets and knobs.
    Derek eased the car away from the curb. Then
he let out a visible sigh of relief.
    “How are you doing, Joy?”
    “I’m a tiny bit spellbound. That was like a
secret agent getaway,” I told him. Only the lights of the dashboard
illuminated his face and he snorted.
    “Yeah, well, this is how I operate.”
    “Where are we going?” I asked as we pulled
out onto the main road.
    “Far away from here,” he said
cryptically.
    I was just about to open my mouth to ask
Derek what he meant by that when he pushed down on the accelerator
and stole an anxious glance in the rearview mirror. I noticed the
deep growl of motorcycles. The sound ricocheted around the interior
of the car. I swiveled in my seat to look through the back window
and saw them...two headlights, one coming up quickly on the right
and the other on the left. They dispersed like fireworks and rode
along each side of our car.
    “Down!” Derek yelled. “They are trying to see
in!”
    I shrank down in the seat as low as I could
go. The fear and panic, what had been a dull throbbing in the pit
of my stomach since that horrible Saturday night, resurfaced in all
of its strength. Being crunched down in the seat left me blind. My
head snapped and whipped around with the jolt of the vehicle as
Derek swung the car right, then a quick left.
    I peered up at him from my awkward position.
In his face, I perceived intensity. The thrum of the motorcycles
shifted from screeching to slowing over and over again. Derek
whipped the wheel back and forth as if he was auditioning for
NASCAR.
    “Hold on!” Derek barked as he spun the
steering wheel in a complete one-eighty.
    The car suddenly jerked like we went over a
speed bump. From my crouched position, I looked up and saw overhead
lights whipping by, then more darkness. Without warning, Derek
stopped the car and turned it off. He laid his body over the middle
console, partially on top of me.
    Derek whispered, “I think we lost them, but
let’s stay right here for a while. You okay?”
    “Who was that?” I asked, my chin resting on
my chest.
    “That was Tommy’s guys,” he murmured and a
cell phone rings. His face was just inches from mine as he yanked
the cell from his pocket.
    “Yeah. (pause) We need a new car. They must
have tailed me to her place. (pause) I know it’s going to shit, but
we can still fix it! I’m at the downtown mall garage in the closed
section. (pause) Just come get us.” He tapped the end button in