Fletcher and Soren stood on the corner, right where Jean had asked the Uber driver to stop. They stood under the street light, looking in all directions. Soren waved as he looked across the street. That’s when Jean saw Norm on the other side of the street. He waved to Soren.

Jean and Dwight did their best to melt into the darkest part of the convenience store wall. “Maybe they’ll walk on,” Jean whispered.

“Maybe. Look, Soren’s waving and pointing down the street. Are they going that way?”

“I’ll bet the others went east, trying to spot us.” Jean waited, hardly breathing. “Damn,” she whispered.

A car with an Uber sign pulled up to the corner. The window rolled down and Soren and Fletcher went up to the car. After a minute, the window went up and the car drove off. Fletcher whistled, and Norm came back and crossed the street. There was some conversation between the three of them.

“Not good. They’re looking around. That Uber driver told them your name, I’ll bet.” Dwight scrubbed his face. “We’ve got to go.” He headed off to the back of the store lot and went along the wall to the right.

Jean followed. This was not going to plan at all. They eased around the wall and went left, going north on Kishner. “We need to get to the police station.”

“I don’t know where that is.” He kept moving along the street. It went to the left. “We’ve got to go this way.”

Jean grunted acknowledgement and did her best to do a search on her phone for the Main Street police station. It was hard to do while trotting along behind Dwight. “Where are we?”

“Lana Ave.”

Jean was peripherally aware of the houses they were passing. Lots of walls and driveway gates so no good place to hide. “Okay. We’re headed for Koval Lane. It’s a big street. We can turn right and head up to…” she paused, “Flamingo Road. It’s a divided highway. If we go left, we can reach the strip and maybe catch a monorail ride.”

“Where’s the cop shop?”

I haven’t had the time to find it. If we can get somewhere to hide for a minute, I can find it easier.”

The two continued to jog. “Stop, Dwight. My kidneys can’t take it.” Jean was sweating and panting for breath. It felt like she was being punched all over again.

“Fine.”  He stopped and a little winded himself, looked around. “Let’s get out of the way, edge into this gate for a minute.”

Jean nodded and followed him in. Still breathing hard, she ignored the pain in her back and worked with the map on her phone. “Hah. Look.” Dwight leaned over her phone. We go up Koval like I said but we don’t have to go all the way to the highway. We can cut across and go by the Bally tennis courts and catch the monorail there.”

Dwight nodded. Sounds like a plan. And maybe Fletcher won’t figure out we’ve left the sidewalks.”

“Let’s go. I don’t want to stand still any longer than we have to.”

“Copy that.”

They started off again, Dwight letting Jean set the pace. Jean moved as fast as she dared. If the others got ahold of them, kidney pain would be the least of it. They reached the end of Lana and without slowing down, turned onto Koval. There was more traffic on this street and it was a divided highway. Jean took the first opportunity she had to cross to the other side. “We start cutting left across the empty lot at East Rochelle. We’ll see a casino on the right just past the intersection. With any luck, the Bally’s lights will be visible on the left.”

“That should help hide us too. Every turn we make will make it harder for Fletcher and Brandon to find us. They’ll have to keep splitting up to cover more ground.”

“Let’s hope.” Jean kept pushing. If she could just get to the monorail and sit down. She looked across the undeveloped expanse to her left. It looked like a development was going in over there. “Let’s start crossing,” she said as the casino ahead on the right grew closer. My phone map doesn’t show it but that looks like a parking lot.”

“Yeah. And I can see the big Bally’s sign.”

They began to cross. In the dark Jean stumbled over rocks and left-over construction materials, every jolt a shot to her kidneys. Finally, they reached a street. “Same direction till we get to one that goes left. That will lead to the street with the monorail stop.”

“How’re you doing?”

“I’m moving,” she said. There was no point complaining. There wasn’t a damn thing he could do to help her.

It was another three hundred feet when they found the street. They went left. Jean was in a sweat from the pain and gulping big breaths.

“Looks like about six hundred feet to the corner, Jean.”

She nodded. There was no strength in her for talking.

When they reached the corner, they went right, and Jean could see the monorail sign up ahead. Now, if they could just get there and have a train pull in right away.

She climbed the stairs to the station carefully. They bought tickets, chose the northbound track and checked the schedule. It had a train coming in five minutes. Jean leaned against the wall to rest.

“You don’t look good.”

“Thanks.”

Dwight stood in front of a plexiglass covered sign. “I’m looking at this map. Looks like we can go as far as the SLS Las Vegas. Where’s the police station?”

Jean sighed. All she wanted to do was lie down. She lifted her phone and looked at the map. “If we get out at the SLS, we have to get down Sahara Ave to the strip, then go left onto South Main Street. It’s several blocks up on the right.” She handed Dwight the phone so he could see.

He studied it for a while, scrolling up and down. He handed it back. “Okay, I’ve got a good picture in my head. I think we’ll catch a cab at the SLS, go straight to the police.”

“I like it. If I can avoid any more running, or even walking, that would be great.”

Dwight checked his watch, looked down the track, and checked it again. He looked out of the windows to the street below then checked the watch again. He walked up and down the platform, then checked the street again.

Jean saw him dart back away from the window. “What?”

“Fletcher and Soren are downstairs.” He turned at the sound of the monorail coming.

Jean levered herself from the wall. There was nowhere to hide on this platform. Their only chance was to get on the monorail and have it move off before the two could get up the stairs. They stood together, Dwight putting himself between the stairs and Jean. Gallant, she thought, but useless. She was in no condition to put up much of a fight and, she was surprised to realize, she didn’t want Dwight to get hurt. The monorail got closer. Several people had come up to the platform and were waiting. Not enough to hide in, though. Hurry up! Hurry up!

The monorail entered the station and as far as Jean was concerned, took entirely too long to open the doors. When they did open, she and Dwight hurried onto the train. Come on, come on, she thought. Let’s go! Jean eased her way behind another couple who stood in the center of the car. She saw Dwight do the same thing just as she spotted Fletcher and Soren reach the top of the stairs. They looked around the platform, Soren approaching the car, looking in at everyone.

“Come on, come on,” Jean whispered. She lowered her head and did her best to keep the couple between her and Soren. He just reached the doors when they closed, and the train pulled from the station. Jean sank to the nearest seat. Dwight sat down next to her.

“He saw me.”

Jean let out a deep breath. “Crap.”

“Yep.”

“You think they’re driving?”

“Probably. Rented a car at the casino. Or cars. They can call each other and put someone at every stop.”

Jean closed her eyes. “We’re trapped.”

“Pretty much.”

The monorail ride, which normally Jean would have thoroughly enjoyed, seemed like a torture. The first stop, they didn’t see anyone but the next stop, they saw Fletcher running to the platform just as they pulled away.

Jean massaged her temples. “One of them will be at the next station, and the next. What do we do?”

Dwight shook his head. “Unless they’re ready to shoot up everyone on the car, nothing.” He indicated the car, now pretty full of happy revelers. “We have a chance, a small one, to outwit whoever gets on the car with us.”

“We need to get off before the last stop, though. Not too many people will be on the car by then.”

“Good thought.”

Jean looked at her map. “The next stop is the convention center. The stop after that is the Westgate casino. I don’t think there will be a lot of traffic at the convention center, do you?”

“No.” He shook his head. “The casino seems like a better choice, but by then there’ll be at least two of them.”

“I know, but I think we need to get off at Westgate. Then somehow lose our friends and get to a cab. They won’t know where we’re going. They think we’re just running.”

“Yeah. I think you’re right.” He patted her leg. “I never told you how tough I thought you were.”

“What?”

“Sure. I mean, all that crap in Afghanistan. Twice, no less. Juggling the military and a family. I was always proud of you.”

“Like the day you left me standing in the hall?” Jean immediately regretted saying it. He was trying to be a good guy.

His head dropped. “That was my bad, Jean. I understand how you’d still be hurt by that. I said some horrible things.”

Now she felt like a complete ass. “I’m sorry. I guess that it still stings.”

He nodded and looked up at her. “I guess it would. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For giving me a chance.”

Jean wasn’t quite sure she understood what that meant but they were rolling into the convention center station. Sure enough, Brandon was there, smirking. He waited until he was the last one on, then stood at the door. It was going to be hard to get by him. But, there were a lot of people on the car. As Jean suspected, this wasn’t a popular stop.

She whispered to Dwight. “We push out in the middle of the crowd when we stop. No matter who is at the station, we need to get by him and Brandon. Move with the crowd.”

Dwight nodded. “I don’t see any other option.”

They stood up and moved to the center of the car. Brandon watched them the whole time. Jean worried that he had a gun or a knife. A knife would be the bigger danger. He could stab either one of them and walk away with no one else being the wiser. All she could do was wait.

At the Westgate station, they spotted Damon waiting on the platform. Jean and Dwight moved with the crowd. Brandon flanking them to the right, Damon, on the left. They walked along the corridor past the Spacequest casino and then the bar. From the signs, they were headed to the main lobby. That was good. Jean constantly looked around for Damon. Dwight, on her right, was keeping an eye on Brandon. They lost revelers as they passed the casino and then the bar. Soon it was just a few others and them. Brandon stepped in front of them.

“You left so suddenly.”

“I didn’t feel well,” Jean said.

Damon moved up to stand just to the side and behind Brandon. He patted his waist and pulled his suit coat aside to show a flash of a gun. Jean could feel the blood pounding in her temples.

“We’re just taking a ride around town.” Dwight edged in front of Jean.

“That so.” Brandon laughed. “We know you overheard us you bitch. Why did you have to be so nosy!”

Jean shook her head. “I was curious. You and Fletcher especially were acting all hinky. Then I was assaulted, then threatened and then my room was trashed. What did you expect?”

“What did you hear?” Damon asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Brandon said. “We’re all going to walk out of here like the best of buddies.”

“I don’t think so,” Jean said. “I’ll start screaming right here. Security will be here in a second.”

Damon moved on her before she could move. He had her by the arm. Jean could feel the gun barrel pressed into her side. “Don’t make a move, Dwight. I don’t even know why you’re here. You two are divorced.”

Brandon went behind Dwight. “Now let’s all just walk calmly and like old friends to the lobby. We’ve got a car there, waiting.”

Jean’s heart sank. She looked desperately around for any kind of security officer. There were none to be seen. There was nothing to do but walk with Damon beside her.

“Take it easy, Jean,” Damon said. “I can feel you tensing. Don’t do anything stupid or I’ll shoot Dwight before I shoot you.”

“I’m walking,” she said.

They went past the bell desk and car rental booth, both attendants were working with customers and never looked at them. At the hotel registration desk there was a line of people waiting to see the clerks. Jean was a little surprised since it was a Sunday night. Maybe they needed some sort of concierge service. They were at the main doors before she knew it and there still didn’t seem to be anything she could do to escape. She did not want to get into a car with Damon and Brandon. She was pretty sure she’d never leave it alive.

A bellhop held the door for them. “Have a nice evening, folks.”

Brandon smiled. “We will. Thanks.”

Damon whistled. A car pulled up to the curb. Norm was driving. Just then a crowd of six men got out of a taxi behind Norm. Laughing and slapping each other, it was clear they’d been having a great time somewhere. All of them were drunk. There were about twenty steps to the car Norm was in and they all had to cross the path of the drunk guys. As they moved through them, Jean reached out a foot and tripped one of the drunks. He stumbled into her and Damon. Damon used a shoulder to push the guy off. His hand slipped on her arm. She pulled away. In the confusion, Brandon let go of Dwight. Dwight punched him in the side and with Jean, took off. They jumped into a taxi in front of a couple just about to get in.

“Sorry,” Jean called as she pulled the door shut.

“Drive!” Dwight shouted. “Drive!”

The couple were shouting at them, the man pounding on the window. Jean was holding the door closed.

“Main Street Police Station.” Jean said.

The driver put the car in gear and took off.

Dwight sank back into the seat. “That was close.”

Jean nodded. “I cannot wait to get there and get this information to the police.”

The driver followed a twisty path through the parking lots and at the light, went straight across Paradise Drive onto Elvis Presley Boulevard. They passed some smaller restaurants and hotels before getting back to the strip. They drove up Las Vegas Boulevard and Jean began to relax. It looked like they were actually getting away. The driver made a left onto South Main Street. The going was easier here, out of all the traffic.

She looked out of the window at the businesses, all closed up for the night. There were a few small bars, advertising slots. Maybe the kind that were there back in the day, before everything was all built up.

They were about five blocks along Main Street when, as they were at a light, a car crashed into them from behind. Jean cried out in pain. The sudden impact made her back spasm.

Vaguely she saw the driver get out and begin shouting at the offending car in a language she didn’t recognize. Dwight turned around. “We’ve got to move.”

That was the last thing Jean wanted to do but she did her best to follow Dwight out his side of the car. He pulled her out onto the street and to the sidewalk. He was moving fast. Faster than Jean wanted to go but she did her best to keep up. The street was a lot of closed store fronts or empty lots. There was no place to hide.

Dwight pulled her into an alleyway just after they crossed Colorado Avenue.

“What happened?” she asked.

“It was Damon, Brandon and Norm. They had the gun out pointed at the driver. It seemed prudent to leave.”

“We stiffed the driver.”

“I’ll catch up with him after we get out of this.”

Jean nodded and tried to catch her breath. “We’re still blocks from the police.”

“I know. It’s going to be cat and mouse all the way there.”

“I didn’t hear a shot.”

“Maybe the driver ran when Damon pulled the gun.”

Jean chuckled. “Smart man.”

They worked their way behind the buildings all along the block. They could see the car and Norm, driving up and down the street. Damon and Brandon couldn’t be far behind.

They worked their way to the parallel street, Casino Center Boulevard, and moved as quickly as they could. As they crossed California Street, they spotted Norm a block away in the car on Main Street. They hurried and took shelter behind a building on the corner on the right side of the street.

“I think they’re all still on Main Street,” Dwight whispered.

“I hope so.” Jean pushed off of the wall. A drunk shuffled past them in the alleyway, a bottle in his hand and a cart being pulled along behind him. “Let’s go.”

They continued in the alley, all the way to Charleston. There was a lot of traffic. The only way across was at the light. They went east to 3rd Street and crossed there. On the other side, they took Casino Center Boulevard again and kept moving north. There wasn’t a lot of cover on this block. All they could do was keep moving. Just past Coolidge Avenue, Jean checked the map. “We’re still blocks away, and we have no idea where Brandon is.”

“Let’s do this,” Dwight said as he looked at the map. “I want to avoid that bus depot ahead of us. Too much light. Let’s ease back to the west, follow 1st Street up past Bonneville. From this map we don’t know what side of the police station building is the entrance. So I choose the Main Street side going back to Main via Clark. What do you think?”

“Sounds like a plan. Let’s go.”

“No you don’t.”

Jean slumped. She and Dwight turned around.

“Brandon,” Jean said.

Next Chapter: Chapter Twenty