The Running Man

MINUS 060 AND COUNTING

“Step out your vehicle, sir,” the bored, authoritative voice was saying. “License and registration, please.”

A door opened and closed. The engine thrummed softly, holding the car an inch off the paving.

”-district manager for Raygon Chemicals-”

Bradley going into his song and dance. Dear God, what if he didn’t have the papers to back it up? What if there was no Raygon Chemicals?

The back door opened, and someone began rummaging in the back seat. It sounded as if the cop (or was it the Government Guard that did this, Richards wondered half coherently) was about to crawl right into the trunk with him.

The door slammed. Feet walked around to the back of the car. Richards licked his lips and held the gun tighter. Visions of dead policemen gibbered before him, angelic faces on twisted, porcine bodies. He wondered if the cop would hose him with machine-gun bullets when he opened the trunk and saw Richards lying here like a curled-up salamander. He wondered if Bradley would take off, try to run. He was going to piss himself. He hadn’t done that since he was a kid and his brother would tickle him until his bladder let go. Yes, all those muscles down there were loosening. He would put the bullet right at the juncture of the cop’s nose and forehead, splattering brains and splintered skull-fragments in startled streamers to the sky. Make a few more orphans. Yes. Good. Jesus loves me, this I know, for my bladder tells me so. Christ Jesus, what’s he doing, ripping the seat out? Sheila, I love you so much and how far will six grand take you? A year, maybe, if they don’t kill you for it. Then on the street again, up and down, cross on the corner, swinging the hips, flirting with the empty pocketbook. Hey mister, I go down, this is clean kitty, kid, teach you how-

A hand whacked the top of the trunk casually in passing. Richards bit back a scream. Dust in his nostrils, throat tickling. High school biology, sitting in the back row, scratching his initials and Sheila’s on the ancient desk-top: The sneeze is a function of the involuntary muscles. I’m going to sneeze my goddam head off but it’s pointblank and I can still put that bullet right through his squash and-

“What’s in the trunk, mister?”

Bradley’s voice, jocular, a little bored: “A spare cylinder that doesn’t work half right. I got the key on my ring. Wait, I’ll get it.”

“If I wanted it, I’d ask.”

Other back door opened; closed.

“Drive on.”

“Hang tight, fella. Hope you get him.”

“Drive on, mister. Move your ass.”

The cylinders cranked up. The car lifted and accelerated. It slowed once and must have been waved on. Richards jolted a little as the car rose, sailed a little, and kicked into drive. His breath came in tired little moans. He didn’t have to sneeze any more.