places: the night it happened

I heard a muted noise.  I knew the sound of gunfire.

I rolled down my window.  I looked to the front door.  There was movement behind the drawn the yellow shade.  I got out of the car and stood at the sidewalk.  This was different, I didn't know what to do.  I waited with my finger on the trigger.  The door opened and someone fumbled out.

There was another shot fired.

Rod was on the deck and had quickly rolled over onto his back.  His gun pointed to the inside of the house.  He fired two more rounds.

I ran to him with my gun drawn.

Rod choked, "Help me - get - out of here."

I drug Rod to the steps as two men came from around both corners of the house.  One had a shot gun.  I let Rod fall and roll down the steps.  I instinctively put a bullet in the guy with the sawed-off.  Rod dropped the other guy.

I drug him to the car and shoved him into the back seat.  I tried to keep my eye on the house...any movement.

"There's nobody else...just get me out of here."

I'd seen fatal wounds before.  Rod was a dead man even if he was still barking orders.  I approached the body with the sawed-off next to him.  I rummaged through his pockets and transferred his shells into my pocket.  I walked inside the front door and saw two mean assuming the dead position.

I grabbed Rod's briefcase and exited.

"Stop the car... I need to talk."  Rod's voice had softened.  There was no urgency in his voice, I'm pretty sure he knew his ticket was punched.

I drove the car a short way down a logging road to a secluded spot.  Rod's breathing was labored.  I got out of the car and opened the rear door. His head rolled off the edge of the backseat. He gaze at the silhouetted trees and into the night's sky.

I got in his face. 

"What happened back there?"

"Shut-up and listen," Rod said,"I'm dying."  I shook my head.

"I am not who you think I am."

"I have no idea who you were supposed to be."

"Please, quiet and listen..."

I listened.

"I am with the government, they found me out."
 

I listened.

"No one could follow... I am alone.   If you want to live...you must kill them."

"Kill who?"

"Kill them all?"

"What do you mean?"
 

"Kill them all.  Everyone, every drop off - everyone at every place."
 

"What about Clayton?"

"Especially Clayton."

 His voice was weakening.

"Who do you think I am?"

"You're a dead man if you don't kill them all.  I know that they will just assume you are with me.  None of those guys will take chances.  You're nobody - they'll kill you as insurance..."

He kept talking, but his voice faded, whispering names I'd never heard.  I knew he wanted to tell me more but he simply couldn't.

I left his body in the woods. I needed to find another ride. Get Camille to a safe place.

 I had things to do.