Chapter 3.4
Lee froze with his hand on the doorknob. A wave of fear rushed through his body, leaving him light-headed. It was the same man from Goode Company, the one they had seen kill all those people.
Before Lee knew what was happening, the man planted his foot in the doorway and withdrew the two evil metal pieces from his belt. He quickly began fitting them together, just as he had the night before. Lee had only seconds to react. Without thinking, he let go of the doorknob and reached under his shirttail to take the hammer from his waistband. The man looked at him quizically as Lee raised the hammer. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.
Lee brought the hammer down as hard as he could on the man's wrist. There was an ugly thud, followed by a shriek of pain and surprise from the star-suit man. One of the metal pieces fell to the floor. Lee immediately kicked it across the room, where it bounced off the wall and fell to rest in a pile of laundry.
"Melissa!" Lee shouted. He backed quickly toward the couch where she was sleeping. He kept one eye on the intruder, who was doubled over with his head between his knees, cradling his shattered wrist. Lee could hear murmurs of rage as the man rocked back and forth on his feet.
"Melissa!" Lee barked again. She was a heavy sleeper, he remembered, switching the hammer to his left hand. He grabbed her shoulder and shook violently. "Mel! Wake up!"
Melissa rolled onto her back and stretched, a contented smile on her face. When she opened her eyes, Lee was standing with the hammer in the air, breathing fast. She frowned and shook her head. "Wha...?"
Lee grabbed her by the hand and pulled her off the couch. He dragged her halfway through the kitchen and then stopped, remembering. Melissa looked back and saw the assassin the doorway. She screamed, which seemed to rouse him from his daze. Lee pushed Melissa toward the back door. "Get the keys. They're in the bowl! Go!"
Lee ran around the couch and back toward the front door as Melissa watched, horrified. The strange man looked up at Lee, his face red and streaked with tears. "Go!" Lee yelled over his shoulder, sensing that Melissa hadn't moved. Lee reached the laundry pile and dropped to his knees, feeling around, rummaging frantically through the pile of clothes. He felt the metal piece and jumped to his feet.
The man straightened up and lunged toward him, growling. Lee rounded the sofa and broke into a run.
Melissa had left the back door open for him. He sprinted through the kitchen, setting the whisky bottles jingling on the bread rack. He flew out the door and into the driveway without touching the steps and scrambled over to the Jalapeno. Melissa was waiting in the driver's seat.
Lee opened the passenger door and threw himself in. "Go!" he panted. Melissa was already in reverse. She stepped on the gas as Lee grabbed for the door and pulled it shut.
They reached the front of the house just in time to see the Blue Star Man emerging from the front door. He rushed down the steps as Melissa backed into the street.
"Hurryyy..." Lee muttered. Melissa threw the car into gear as the man bolted across the lawn toward them. She stomped the accelerator. With a staccato squeal of the tires, they were off.
Lee looked back over his shoulder as his house fell away behind them. The man stood by the curb, watching, until they were out of sight.
Before Lee knew what was happening, the man planted his foot in the doorway and withdrew the two evil metal pieces from his belt. He quickly began fitting them together, just as he had the night before. Lee had only seconds to react. Without thinking, he let go of the doorknob and reached under his shirttail to take the hammer from his waistband. The man looked at him quizically as Lee raised the hammer. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.
Lee brought the hammer down as hard as he could on the man's wrist. There was an ugly thud, followed by a shriek of pain and surprise from the star-suit man. One of the metal pieces fell to the floor. Lee immediately kicked it across the room, where it bounced off the wall and fell to rest in a pile of laundry.
"Melissa!" Lee shouted. He backed quickly toward the couch where she was sleeping. He kept one eye on the intruder, who was doubled over with his head between his knees, cradling his shattered wrist. Lee could hear murmurs of rage as the man rocked back and forth on his feet.
"Melissa!" Lee barked again. She was a heavy sleeper, he remembered, switching the hammer to his left hand. He grabbed her shoulder and shook violently. "Mel! Wake up!"
Melissa rolled onto her back and stretched, a contented smile on her face. When she opened her eyes, Lee was standing with the hammer in the air, breathing fast. She frowned and shook her head. "Wha...?"
Lee grabbed her by the hand and pulled her off the couch. He dragged her halfway through the kitchen and then stopped, remembering. Melissa looked back and saw the assassin the doorway. She screamed, which seemed to rouse him from his daze. Lee pushed Melissa toward the back door. "Get the keys. They're in the bowl! Go!"
Lee ran around the couch and back toward the front door as Melissa watched, horrified. The strange man looked up at Lee, his face red and streaked with tears. "Go!" Lee yelled over his shoulder, sensing that Melissa hadn't moved. Lee reached the laundry pile and dropped to his knees, feeling around, rummaging frantically through the pile of clothes. He felt the metal piece and jumped to his feet.
The man straightened up and lunged toward him, growling. Lee rounded the sofa and broke into a run.
Melissa had left the back door open for him. He sprinted through the kitchen, setting the whisky bottles jingling on the bread rack. He flew out the door and into the driveway without touching the steps and scrambled over to the Jalapeno. Melissa was waiting in the driver's seat.
Lee opened the passenger door and threw himself in. "Go!" he panted. Melissa was already in reverse. She stepped on the gas as Lee grabbed for the door and pulled it shut.
They reached the front of the house just in time to see the Blue Star Man emerging from the front door. He rushed down the steps as Melissa backed into the street.
"Hurryyy..." Lee muttered. Melissa threw the car into gear as the man bolted across the lawn toward them. She stomped the accelerator. With a staccato squeal of the tires, they were off.
Lee looked back over his shoulder as his house fell away behind them. The man stood by the curb, watching, until they were out of sight.
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