Four

Four
Fascination

They didn't stop running until they'd reached Danny's apartment
building. They paused at the front doors, as Cal fought to catch his
breath.

His face was still bleeding.

"What did they do to my face?" he asked Danny desperately.

Danny looked, pulled Cal's pudgy hands away. There was a short deep cut
across one cheek, it was still bleeding, but it didn't look too bad
right now. His nose looked broken too, that was probably where most of
the blood had come from.

"I think he punched you with the knife. It's really just a scratch.
It'll probably need stitches," he told Cal.

"Ah, shit," said Cal, "my good looks are gone now."

Danny stared at him. He had been a fairly plain man before the
cut.

Cal smiled.
"I'm joking," he said.

Danny sighed deeply and with relief.
"Good, I'd thought he'd damaged your brain or something."

Cal gasped for a few more minutes.
Danny was out of breath himself.

"I can't. Believe. You did that," Cal said, "you're my hero."
The sarcasm was clear despite the breathing difficulties he was
having.

"Neither can I. Fuck."
Danny was being honest, but what he wasn't saying was how close he'd
come to actually shooting the knife-wielding biker. When he'd fired the
gun, he wasn't actually sure if he was aiming at the bike or not.

"Give me that bloody thing," said Cal.

"Why?" asked Danny.

"I don't want you holding it right now, you're much too
dangerous."

Danny reluctantly handed the gun over.

It went off. Bang. Totally unexpected.

They both screamed, and lept back several feet.

They stared at each other, then at the gun.

"Jesus! What the fuck was that?" screamed Danny.

"It just went off, was the fucking safety on?" screamed Cal.

They looked around, saw lights going on in bedrooms and living rooms in
the buildings all around them.

They ran into Danny's apartment building and didn't stop until they
were in his place, lights off, door triple bolted.

Three left.