A Constant Reminder by Lolah Lace Read Free Book Online Page A

from the cashier’s face and pointed it at the manager. He somehow thought this brazen action would get his point across. His underlying fear and his unsteady hands betrayed him. Tony pulled the trigger.
    BAM!!!
    The gunshot echoed in the quiet of the night. Adam dropped all the cash bills from his hands. The impact of the gunshot pushed the manager backwards onto a display of potato chips.
    The various dollar bills floated down onto the floor and landed a few seconds after the body of the manager bounced off the display rack and smacked the floor.
    The center of the manager’s dingy white button up shirt was covered with an almost perfect red circle of blood. Miscellaneous bags of chips were scattered about.
    Somewhere in the clutter laid the gun the manager once courageously held. Tony’s panic hit hard and steadfast. He released the young cashier from his grip. The cashier crumpled.
    Tony tapped the butt of his gun against his own head multiple times. He followed the action with pacing back and forth.
    Adam rushed around the counter to get a closer view of the manager sprawled out on the floor. Adam’s face was covered in sweat.
    “Oh man what, what, why did you go and do that?” Adam asked under duress.
    Tony’s eyes were fixated on the lifeless store manager. His hand was still firmly holding the gun at his side.
    “I had to. I had to.” He was pointing it at me. He was pointing the gun at me. He was going to shoot me.” Tony wasn’t sure if he had accidentally pulled the trigger or if he thought the manager was really going to shoot him. Tony stopped moving to stand like a statue.
    Adam began to frantically pace up and down the narrow aisle. The store manager lay there dead. At least that’s what they thought. They never checked to see otherwise.
    The terrified cashier was quiet. He was shaking and perspiring more than Adam and Tony. He was the only witness and therefore dispensable. He just knew they were going to kill him.
    “Goddamn I think he’s dead. He’s not fucking moving!” Adam looked down at the manager’s motionless body.
    Tony raised his gun and pointed it at the cashier that was cowering on the floor at his feet. “I can’t leave any witnesses.”
    “Tony, no, Tony are you fucking crazy!”
    “Why did you say my fucking name?” Tony lowered his pistol and took a few steps backwards drawing the pistol up in the air. “Adam! Adam! There I said your fucking name.”
    Adam snapped out of the disbelief and looked over at Tony. “I don’t care if you say my fucking name. We’re screwed. We got to get the fuck out of here! Someone heard that gunshot.”
    “Maybe he’s not dead.” Tony voiced his wishful thinking.
    Adam took a few steps in the direction of the front door. Tony pointed his gun at the scared cashier. “You stay down on the ground. Don’t get up!”
    The cashier obeyed. He was already down on the ground. He prayed they would leave him alive. Tony gave Adam an urgent look. He bolted out the front door with Adam on his heels. As soon as they reached the sidewalk they noticed the flashes of red and blue lights in the night sky.
    The manager had really called the police. Adam thought it was a threat. The sirens proved that theory wrong.
    They were only a few feet away from the van. But the van wasn’t an option. They heard the police sirens in the distance growing louder. Tony led the desperate run down the sidewalk en route to any place other than where they were.
    Adam could hear the beat of his heart over the hard patter of his feet slamming into the pavement with every long distressed stride.
    They had only run a quarter of the block when Adam looked back and saw the first squad car round the corner. Then the second squad car turned the corner. Did Adam think he could outrun a car? Somehow he knew he couldn’t. He was hell-bent on trying. He felt ill and he would probably die of a heart attack if he didn’t get apprehended.
    A third police sports utility vehicle