Between a rock and a hard place

“Put that down!”

“Get out!”

“Mr. Bryce, what’s going on?”

“Jackie, run and call the police!”

“Are you hurt?”

“Just get the police please.”

“I said get out!”

“Fer chrissakes, I can barely move in here,” I complained as I tried to prop myself to a kneeling position so I could back out. “Put that damn thing down!”

She didn’t waver.

I struggled to my knees, took a risk and played the light over to the dark corner of the cave where the hooded gun-totter was cornered. I only caught a glimpse, but that was enough.

“Stop that!” she yelled.

I heard a metallic click.

“For God’s sake Leslie, put that down!” I screamed.

The stony silence was all the confirmation I needed.

Another click. She lowered her aim.

“How do you know my name?” came the reply from the dark.

“I’ve been searching for you for months. Can we get out of here?”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Ed Bryce. I’m with Federal Scientific Investigations. “

She raised the gun again.

“Put that away. I only want to talk to you. Right now you’re only wanted for questioning on misappropriation of federal materials, but using a gun will change all that. Put it away.”

She lowered it again. 

“Let’s get out of here so we can talk. And leave that in here. If the cops see it, they’ll do everything to part you from it and you’ll get arrested. Ok?”

“Ok,” came the wary reply with some rustling sounds hopefully meaning the gun was being put away.

I backed out by reversing the contortions that got me in there. As I stood up I saw Leslie follow.  I backed away from the cave entrance so she could get out, and then briefly took my eyes off her to reach for my jacket.

Big mistake.

In the instant it took to grab my jacket, and stupidly check to make sure I still had Melissa’s note, Leslie had silently snuck up on me and was nearly right in my face. 

She gave me hard punch to the solar plexus, and then a harder kick to the family jewels. 

I dropped to the ground and gasped for breath while white hot electric pain seared through my nether regions.

I’m not too sure what happened next. I’m told Jackie did find a park ranger, but he could only stop the fleeing Leslie with a lucky blast from his bean-bag rifle that accidently went off when he dropped it while dodging a flying kick to the stomach.

The next instalment can be found here.