The Returners Read Free Page A

firing two shots from the pistol while struggling to get free of her grasp. The bullets struck, making her stumble backwards and fall to the ground. Blood spattered across Jessica's face and the interior of the car as bullets ripped into flesh. For a moment she couldn't move, frozen from what had transpired. That brief moment of stasis didn't last long as an overwhelming feeling of survival and self preservation took over.
    Opening the car door she cautiously stepped out, keeping an eye on Mrs. Mills who lay motionless. The sound of police and ambulance sirens could now be heard approaching from the distance. She knelt down to examine Mr. Mills and heard faint raspy breathing emanating from his throat. He was hurt, but alive and bleeding heavily from his head wound. He wasn't going to last long if he didn't get medical attention quickly.
    The sound of sirens screamed in her ears as the ambulance and police cruiser stopped at the foot of her driveway. Turning her head towards the vehicles she recognized the cop as Mark Stepson, a friend she had known for years.
    "Mark! Mark! Mr. Mills is hurt bad and I think Mrs. Mills is dead." The words came out of Jessica's mouth so quickly she wasn't sure they made sense.
    Mark's hand was on his gun. He was looking at her with a fixated stare while slowly approaching her. Airing on the side of caution, unsure of what had transpired.
    "Jessica I'm going to need you to slowly put the gun down on the ground.” Jessica complied. “ Good, now put your hands behind your back and lean across the hood of your car." Again she complied.
    She hadn't realized she had still been clutching the gun. Jessica couldn't help but let the tears flow as she leaned across the hood of the car. The chaos of the whole situation finally registering in her brain. Hitting her with a flood of emotions that couldn't be controlled. Mark placed handcuffs on her and turned her to face him as two men from the ambulance crew rushed towards Mr. and Mrs. Mills.
    Mark had known Jessica since high school. In fact they had dated for a short period of time their senior year. She was one of the most honest people he'd ever met and knew she would tell him the truth, no matter how bad it was.
    "Jessica, I need you too calm down and tell me what happened," Mark said in a calm reassuring voice. Something his training had taught him to do when dealing with distraught subjects.
    Fighting through her tears and emotions she managed to tell him what happened, at least what she could remember. So much of it already a complete blur. The look on Mark's face told her for some weird reason he believed her. He didn't respond, but listened to her story until she was finished.
    “That was everything you can remember?” Mark asked.
    “Yes, Mark what's going on?”
    Mark looked down at the ground. He wasn't sure now was the right time to explain what was going on, and freak her out anymore than she already was. “Give me a second okay?”
    Jessica nodded her head as she watched the paramedics load Mr. Mills into the ambulance. Several people had gathered in the street and were now watching what was going on. Mouths agape, fingers pointing in Jessica's direction. It made her angry to think these people had nothing better to do and almost said something, but decided against it.
    Mark had noticed the gathering crowd as well. "Stay right here for a second."
    Jessica watched Mark go to his cruiser and grab a sheet from the trunk of the car. He walked to where Mrs. Mills lay and placed the sheet over her body.
    Mark turned and looked at the small crowd who had gathered from the neighboring houses. "Everyone needs to go home and stay inside!”
    His voice was raised and filled with an odd nervousness. One Jessica had never heard in all the years she'd known him. It almost seemed he wanted to say more, but didn't want to cause a panic. His body language projecting a similar signal.
    People looked at each other with confused looks, but did as they were