Five

Five.

I wake with a start.
The gun is still in my hand, I look around at my surroundings and everything comes back, quickly.
I groan, I’ve been lying on my injured shoulder.
I take the gun into the bathroom with me, I strip and get into the shower.
I place the gun into the sink and I climb in.
I let the water soak my skin before I start cleaning, I go carefully around my shoulder.
I wash my hair and then I get out. I reach for a robe and wrap it round myself.
I climb out and grab the gun, they have toothpaste, but no toothbrush.
I laugh and take the tube in my other hand; I drop the one with the gun to my side. I squirt the paste into my mouth and rub it on my teeth, I spit it out. I take the toothpaste with me.
I dry myself and slip on some fresh things, I wear a simple tee-shirt under my top and a pair of trousers.
I put the tube into my bag and tie my hair into a knot, it’s still wet, but it will dry straight. It’s pulled away from my face. I put the gun away into my waistband and I put the dirty clothes, which still has the bullet in the pocket, and the first aid kit into my bag.
I make sure the place looks unused, I sling my bag onto my back and then I leave.
I run down the stairs, looking behind me now and again, no one is following me.
There is a dining room to the left, I sit down at a table and look at the menu.
Someone takes the seat opposite. I look over the menu and it’s the man from the desk.

‘I thought you looked familiar’ he whispers.

He is now in normal clothes, and he looks unrecognizable.

I frown.

‘What do you mean? I’ve never meet you before’ he leans in.

‘You have’ he pauses. ‘Ruth’ he’s voice is a whisper.

I pull away.

‘How do you know my name? And yet, I don’t know yours?’

He smiles.

‘It’s Tom’

I narrow my eyes.

‘How do you know my name?’ a waiter comes to my table.

‘What do you want, darling?’ asks the man.

Tom starts before I can talk:

‘Two coffee’s and two bacon roll, please’ the waiter walks away.

‘Now, Ruth, where were we?’ Tom puts his hands together and rests them on the table.

‘How do you know who I am?’ I echo.

‘I used to know you when you lived with your mother’ I frown again, nothing coming to me.

I shift, the gun digging into my skin.

‘I still have no idea who you are’ the waiter comes back with two cups of coffee and bacon rolls, he places them on the table and wrap my hands around the mug.
Something about the way it slips into my hands seems familiar .

‘Of course you don’t. I wasn’t allowed near you, my father wouldn’t hear of it. Said because I’m older then you, I’d be taking advantage. But then you’re mother died and I had to watch you’ he slips his hands on the cup too.

‘But then you left, and I couldn’t find you. I assumed you would know how to protect yourself.’ His eyes flicker to my shoulder.

‘How’s the bullet wound?’ I take a sip of my tea as the rolls come, he takes a bite.

‘Fine, I cleaned it up’ I reply.

‘The man who shot you didn’t think you were stealing his car, did he?’ Tom asks.

I frown and take another sip.
I finally shake my head.

‘What have you done, Ruth?’ he asks, his eyes now cold.

I lean in.

‘I’ve messed everything up, but you see, Tom, I haven’t just done it now. It’s been pretty messed up since she died.’ I smile and go back, pressing my back to the chair.

I eat my roll quickly, put cash onto the table and stand.

‘Bye, Tom’ I say.

I start walking away, but he grabs my hand and pulls me round.

‘Let go of me’ I speak between my gritted teeth.

He pulls me in and I pull the gun out and press it to his stomach, no one notices.

‘I said, let go’

He looks behind me.

‘They’re here for you’ I look behind him and see a gang of men dressed in white suits.

‘How do you now that?’ I ask, gun still pressing against him.

‘I overhead them talking. They mentioned your name, and that’s when I realized who you were. I remember the fire behind your eyes, but apart from that you’ve changed so much. What happened to the brown hair?’ he asks.

He really does know me.

‘Now is not the time to catch up, Tom. I need to get out of here’ He nods.

‘But I’m coming with you’ I look at him and he looks back, not blinking.

I back down.

‘Fine. I’m going to turn and shot one of them. Take these’ I hand him my keys to the car.

‘It’s the Ford Minivan’ I say.

‘Are they looking at me?’

Tom looks behind and shakes his head, he takes the keys.

I put the gun into my waistband and sit at the table, I rip a bit off from a napkin.
I ask a passing waitress if I can borrow a pen and she hands it to me.
I write down my number and hand it him.

‘Call me once the car has started then I’ll be out’ he nods and starts to turn.

‘Tom, I’m trusting you’ I whisper.

‘And I’m trusting you’ he replies.

He turns and I sit back at the table, the waiter comes by and picks up the money.
I drink the rest of my coffee and then my phone buzzes.
I look behind me, they’re still there, not looking.
I stand up and put my bag on my back once again, I pull the gun out and turn quickly. I shoot.
It hits the tallest man in the back of the head. 
I run out the building.
I see my car and I jump into the passenger’s seat.

‘Go, go, go’ I yell once in.

Tom drives forward just as the men come out of the hotel. They start aiming and I pull down the window and shove the gun out, shooting at them.
Each bullet hits a new person.

‘Good aim’ Tom says.

I come back in and do the window up; the gun goes into the glove compartment

‘I’ve lived on my own for seven years, in a town where nobody interesting lives, I’ve had practice’ Tom smiles.

‘What are you going to do when you’re bullets run out?’ he asks.

‘I know people. That’s going to be a stop, it’s in the city. I know a man called Bud who works there, he owes me a bit’ I smile and Tom looks at me.

‘You were right weren’t you?’

‘Right about what?’ I ask.

He grins ‘When you said your life was troubled.’