The Siege Read Online Free PDF Page A

stir within her. She might not have felt his breath, shallow as it was, but the artery in his neck was still thumping. She could see it pulsing beneath his skin.
    “Last chance!” Hocker shouted.
    Tasha stood up slowly, silently regarding the unconscious old man.
    Yes! she thought. Unconscious. Not dead!
    For just another second, she considered running off into the woods and letting Hocker go his own way. But then she thought, it may not be a chauffeured Cadillac, but it’s wheels, and it sure as hell beats walking . The more distance between her and this old duffer the better! She turned and sprinted down the slope to the waiting truck, swung open the door, and jumped inside.
    “Come on,” she said breathlessly. “Get this mother moving.”
    Hocker stepped down hard on the accelerator, and the truck jerked forward, leaving three inches of black rubber on the road.
    “We’ll avoid town in case anyone recognizes the truck,” Hocker said. He turned left just before they reached the first business buildings on Main Street.
    The fuel needle bobbed between three-quarters and full, so Hocker was satisfied that they wouldn’t have to put any money into the truck before they got a good distance past Holden. He draped his left arm out the window and settled back comfortably in the seat as they drove across the bridge into Bangor.
    Tasha still felt uncomfortable with the idea that they had just added car theft to their list of crimes, but all in all, things weren’t turning out so badly. At least, for a while, they had wheels!
    “You know,” she said as they darted up the entrance ramp onto I-95 North, “that was quite a trick you pulled back there.”
    “What, blindsiding the old man?”
    “No, with the lug nuts,” Tasha said. “I wouldn’t have thought to use one from each tire.”
    Hocker glanced at her and smiled that lopsided grin that bothered her so much. “Hey, I may be crazy, but I ain’t stupid .”
     
    III
     
    F inally, once the sky was completely light, Dale gave up on trying to sleep. He got up and shambled into the kitchen to start preparing his breakfast. Angie was a sound sleeper, and he figured she would stay in bed at least until eight. School started in another few weeks, and then she’d be up at six o’clock every morning. No sense waking her up early just to tell her Larry was dead.
    “ ‘Uncle’ Larry” Dale said aloud, sadly shaking his head as he dropped two slices of wheat bread into the toaster slots. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the refrigerator.
    Ever since Angie could talk, she had called him Uncle Larry, and in many ways he had been like an uncle to her. He never forgot her birthday, and he always gave her a present that Dale, and Natalie, when she was alive, thought was maybe a bit too much. He always made Angie feel special, too. Unlike some adults, who condescend to kids and either patronize them or act as if they don’t deserve attention, Larry had always made an effort to include Angie in the conversation whenever she was around. He was warm and friendly toward her, always explaining that he, at least for now, didn’t have children or a wife of his own, but Angie was more than enough to make him happy.
    But not anymore! Dale thought, and again his eyes stung as they filled with tears. No more presents… No more talks… No more nothing!
    Dale jumped and let out a small gasp when his toast suddenly popped up. Moving mechanically, he put both pieces on a plate and went to sit down at the table. The knife made a harsh, grating noise as he spread a thin coat of grape jelly over each piece. He got up, poured a cup of coffee, and then sat down to eat.
    Instead, he ended up staring blankly at the two pieces of toast as his mind sifted through his memories of Larry, especially of Larry and Angie. There were so many memories of their deep-rooted friendship, of caring and helping. Dale recalled his kindness during the years it took him and Angie to