Hardbingers

18

The WALK sign flashed the go-ahead green to cross 58th. Gia was just stepping off the curb when she heard a voice calling from somewhere behind.

"Miss! Oh, Miss!" Calling her?

She turned and saw Dov, the owner of Kosher Nosh, hurrying toward her, waving his arms.

Had she forgotten something?

"Phone call!" he said, pointing back toward the deli. "Emergency phone call!"

Emergency? Who—?

Her chest tightened as the possibilities raced through her mind. Had something happened to her parents? No, they wouldn't know about Kosher Nosh. Only Jack knew of her fondness for the place, and no one in her family had a way to contact him.

It had to be Jack.

She signaled to Dov that she'd heard him, then turned to take Vicky back. She was surprised to see her a third of the way across the street, her nose in her new book. Probably thought she was right behind her.

Then things began to happen.

Hearing the roar of a big engine…

… turning to see a truck of some sort running the red light and bearing down on Vicky…

… seeing the hulking shadow behind the wheel…

… realizing he wasn't going to stop…

… knowing Vicky was going to be hit and nothing she could do would change that…

… leaping into the street…

… pushing Vicky to get her out of harm's way…

… seeing the truck's grille rushing at her…

… feeling an instant of awful, bone-crushing impact…

Then nothing.