I should have told Simon that I loved him.
She was still screaming, but the sound weakened as the men continued their ruthless attempt to render her unconscious.
“Fucking bastards!” Another male voice sounded, one that she recognized.
A muscular arm wrapped around her waist, yanking her away from the two thugs. She was quickly jerked back against a hard chest, her head spinning like she was on a tilt-a-whirl. Looking up, her vision spinning, she could make out Sam Hudson’s furious face as he lowered her gently to the sidewalk and sprinted back to the car.
Panic rose as she realized that Sam was going to take on the two men by himself. Amazingly, the men looked unsure of what to do. Sam was slightly larger, but there were two of them.
Gotta help him. Gotta get up.
She couldn’t let Sam get killed after he had saved her life. Kara came to her knees, trying desperately to fight her obscured vision. Unable to stand, she started to crawl just as Sam engaged the first man, landing punishing blows to his face.
Pounding feet approached, hitting the pavement beside her. Two men she didn’t recognize entered the fray, grabbing Sam’s arm and subduing the man that Sam was hammering on.
“Don’t hurt Sam,” she whimpered, afraid they might injure Sam in the confusion.
“Sorry, sir. Didn’t recognize you.” The man released Sam’s arm.
One bad guy was on his stomach on the sidewalk, with one of the newcomers that had entered the fray on top of him. The other bad guy was scrambling into the driver’s seat of the car, a gun waving wildly at Sam and her other rescuer.
“No. No.” Tears were flowing down her cheeks, her heart slamming against her chest as she silently pleaded with Sam and the other innocent man not to provoke the junkie with the gun.
Sam lunged, but the man had already hit the gas and the dark vehicle sped into the night, the door yanking closed as he flew down the street, disappearing almost as fast as she could blink.
Her terrified eyes raking over the scene, she saw that the two rescuers and Sam were unharmed, though Sam was releasing a stream of obscenities as he raced to her side.
“Kara! Are you ok? Fuck! You’re head is pouring blood. What were you doing?” Sam gently lowered her to the sidewalk to rest on her back. He continued to whisper soothing words as he pushed her hair from her face.
“Wanted to help you,” she rasped, her throat dry.
“Crazy woman.” Sam shook his head, but his voice was light and sweet. Then, in a harsh, booming voice he ordered, “Get an ambulance. Now. She’s hurt.”
Darkness started to encroach on her vision and she struggled, determined not to lose consciousness. “Tell Simon…” Her voice trailed off, her mouth so dry that her tongue was sticking to the roof of her mouth. Her eyelids fluttered. She tried to focus on Sam, but he became just a large, unfocused blur.
She sighed as Sam clasped her hand and grumbled. “You can tell him yourself. He’s on his way and pissed as hell.”
Simon’s coming?
Her heart skipped a beat and she gave Sam’s hand a feeble squeeze as a humming noise started in her head. It grew louder, so loud that she could barely make out the sound of approaching sirens that were screaming through the night.
“Kara. Are you still with me?” Sam’s voice sounded panicked and desperate. And distant.
A blanket of darkness completely consumed her as the low-pitched droning sound in her head reached the very top of its crescendo.
“Simon.” She whispered his name, not knowing if it was even audible, as she slid into complete darkness and blessed silence.
~ The End ~