Dying to Live by Roxy De Winter Read Free Book Online Page A

to budge under her attempts. Judging from the wreckage, if it did give in to her struggles, then her legs would be trapped anyway. Even so, this did not reassure Pete and Xin. There were people rushing around, trying to figure out the best way to get the woman out.
    “What shall we do?” Asked Xin.
    “I’m thinking,” Pete responded. It was almost possible to see the cogs working away inside his head.
    “Okay, well in about five minutes that’s not going to help us anymore,” Xin said, pointing to a group of staff members who were striding towards the car. The manager was leading them with a crowbar in his hand.
    “We can’t let them do that,” Pete said, shaking his head. Acting on impulse, he quickly pushed his way through the crowd and placed himself between the car and the approaching posse.
    “Please Sir, stand aside. We have this situation under control...” The beak-nosed manager warned Pete dismissively.
    “I’m sorry, but you haven’t. Not if you’re intending to use that crowbar on the car door,” Pete said calmly.
    “Excuse me?” The manager spluttered indignantly. “There is a woman in that car that needs help. Step aside and let us deal with this.”
    “Listen buddy, there’s gonna be a whole lot more to deal with if you go barging in there with that.” He inclined his head toward the crowbar.
    “And who are you, exactly, to be telling me what to do?” He asked pompously. The manager flicked his head to dislodge a stray lock of slick, black hair that had fallen over his forehead.
    Pete’s temper was gradually rising. His frustration was not eased by the self-righteous glare of this idiot. He took a step towards the manager but felt Xin’s hand close around his arm. She had found it harder to struggle through the crowd with her petite build. The time it had taken her, combined with Pete’s stalling, had given her time to think of a plan. Pete watched the manager’s face visibly soften as Xin smiled at him.
    “Please, excuse my friend. He is right though... I’m a doctor you see,” Xin added, before anybody could argue. It wasn’t technically a lie; she just wasn’t the right kind of doctor for this situation. “If you move anything, there is a great chance that you could do more harm than good. I trust that somebody has already called the emergency services?” She asked, trying to sound authoritative.
    “Oh, yes of course. They are on their way right now. Would you take a look at her?” The manager asked.
    Xin exchanged a nervous look with Pete. Reluctantly, she agreed and directed the staff to disperse the crowd. As they hurried off, she whispered to Pete.
    “We have to do something...” Xin hoped that she had said it meaningfully enough that he would understand her line of thought.
    “Yes. When the services get here all hell will break loose if she’s alive to bite anyone... but we can’t kill her. Think of how that idiot would react.” Pete rolled his eyes.
    “What if the car happened to... blow up?” Xin said innocently, keeping her voice low.
    “That might work. We can only make that happen if there’s a fuel leak though.” Pete turned towards the wreck, where the woman was now leaning through the shattered windshield and trying to claw her way over the bonnet. There was smoke coming from under the hood and thankfully, a slowly forming pool of fuel. He pointed it out to Xin, who nodded thoughtfully.
    “Alright, you go and distract anyone else that is still milling around...” She started.
    “I think I should do it, Xin. It’s dangerous. If you’re too close when it goes up, you’re going to be hurt,” Pete said.
    “Yes, but I’m the doctor. I’m the one who is meant to be helping her. How will it look if you approach the car? We don’t have time for this,” She argued. In the background, as if to back up her statement, was the distant sound of sirens.
    “Okay, just be careful,” Pete said with resignation. A frown creased his forehead, displaying