Shadow Prey

Lucas gritted his teeth.
    “The muzzle of the gun is taped to your head,” Hood said when he had finished. His voice was a notch less tense. “Ifone of them white boys snipes me, you’re dead. If anything happens, you’re dead. A couple of pounds of pull on the trigger and you’re gone, man. You know what I’m saying? Lights out.” A third and fourth loop of tape overlapped the first two. The last loop partially covered Lucas’ left eye. He could feel the buttons on his shirt pressing into his chest and suddenly found it hard to breathe.
    “Jesus Christ, man, be careful,” he said, struggling to keep a whine out of his voice.
    “You just be cool, man . . . . Now get up.”
    Lucas got to his hands and knees and shakily stood up. The muzzle of the gun stayed with him, behind his right ear.
    “Everything all right?” the ERU team leader called.
    “Everything is great, motherfucker,” Hood yelled back. “We’re coming out in a minute.” He turned back to Lucas. “My car’s about fucked up. I want a cop car and I need some time. We’re going out there and get it.”
    “Tell them what you’re doing,” Lucas said. The weight of the gun pulled his head to the side. The tape over his left eye was sticking to his eyelid, and he struggled with a sudden feeling of claustrophobia. “If they see me with my hands up and you behind me, maybe somebody who can’t see what’s going on will take a shot at you.”
    “You tell them,” Hood said. “They’ll believe you. Over to the window.”
    Lucas stepped over to the window. Hood held onto his shirt collar with his left hand. The shotgun was in his right and he used the end of the barrel to push Lucas to the windowsill.
    “Everybody hold it,” Lucas screamed as he stepped into the opening. He put his arms up over his head, his fingers spread. “Everybody fuckin’ hold it. He’s got a shotgun taped to my head. Everybody fuckin’ hold it.”
    There was movement inside the apartment across the street, just a flicker at the window. Hood pulled him closer, the shotgun cutting into the flesh behind his ear.
    “Billy . . .” said the loudspeaker.
    “I want a car, man,” Hood shouted. He prodded Lucas forward until he was sitting on the windowsill. Carefully,carefully, he climbed up beside him. “You get down first,” he said.
    “Jesus,” said Lucas. “Don’t jar anything.”
    “Get down.”
    Lucas dropped the five feet, flexing his knees, his eyes closed as he landed. The world was still there. Hood landed next to him. Lucas took another breath. “I want a cop car and I want everybody out of my way,” Hood screamed.
    “Billy, this isn’t going to help, man, everything was fine,” the team leader called. The loudspeaker echoed in Lucas’ ears. He looked at the street, the cars blocking it, the people half visible behind them, and he wondered if they would suddenly wink out and Lucas Davenport would be a shell on the cold ground, with a crowd looking down at him . . . .
    “Just give me the car, man, bring a car down here.” Hood was tensing up again, his voice screeching toward blind panic.
    “Give him the fuckin’ car,” Lucas yelled. The scent of pines came through. There were no pines there; no vegetation at all, but the scent of pines was there, just as though he were at his Wisconsin cabin. A refrain started running through the back of Lucas’ mind, Not yet, please not yet, but the cold circle of the shotgun muzzle pressed into the flesh behind his ear . . . .
    “Okay, okay, okay, we’re calling for a car, take it easy, Billy, we don’t want anybody else hurt . . . .”
    “Where’s the car?” Hood screamed. “Where’s the car?” He jerked on the shotgun and Lucas’ head snapped back.
    “Take it easy, take it easy, man,” Lucas said, his heart in his throat. His neck hurt his head hurt, and Hood pressed against him like an unwanted partner in a three-legged race. “If you fire this thing accidentally, you’re a dead motherfucker just like me.”
    “Shut up,” Hood snapped.
    “You can have a car, Christ, take it easy,” the ERU team leader called. He was directly across the street. “Take the car down to your right, down to your right. See the cop getting out? The keys are in that car.”
    Hood turned to look at it and Lucas looked with him.The car was next to the negotiator’s car. He could see Lily behind it.
    “Okay, we’re walking to the car,” Hood yelled toward the ERU leader. They