Tigers on the Run by Sean Kennedy

Author:Sean Kennedy [Kennedy, Sean]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2015-06-30T23:00:00+00:00

THE RUNNERS started half an hour before the walkers, so Dec and his cohorts would have been finished long before we crossed the end line; Dec was scheduled to give a speech at one o’clock, however, so I had to make sure we got there by then.

“Come on, chop chop!”

“Are you directing that at me?” Lisa asked.

“Yes, because I’m racist,” I said.

“Good to know.”

We all looked worse for wear. Ten kilometres (well, 9.6 to be precise; two laps of Albert Lake) was a lot to expect from us. Even the babies were tired, and they were being pushed around by their parents, godfather/guncle and adopted aunt.

Dec and Abe were watching for us at the finish line, drinks at the ready. As I collapsed under a tree, Dec rubbed my back gently. Abe was doing the same for Lisa; Fran and Roger were comatose and unable to tend to each other.

“Hey, Simon,” Abe called out. “You were the first over the line, so technically you’re the winner.”

“I am the champion!” I crowed, weakly raising my hands in the air. This overexertion made me fall back against Dec.

“And you guys aren’t even the last walkers,” Dec told us.

“I liked the way Abe put it better,” I said.

“Don’t worry, I still think you’re a champ.”

“As long as you don’t need me to move for the next hour, I’ll believe you.”

“I know how I can make you really happy.”

“Please, not in front of the kids,” I wheezed.

“You beat Jasper.”

“Fucken oath!” I cried to the heavens, which were blocked by the branches overhead.

“Told you,” Dec said, smugly.

“I believe I feel my legs again.”

“It’s a miracle!”

“It is, Brother Declan, it is.”

I didn’t beat Jasper by much, however, as he and Coby staggered up to us only a few minutes later and also collapsed into exhausted heaps of sweaty flesh.

“That was tough,” Coby said.

Roger finally pulled himself up into a sitting position. “We really shouldn’t be this bad, should we?”

“I’m not saying anything,” Dec said.

“Good,” I told him. “Just hold me until I can walk again.”

“God, you like to milk it.”

“I’m sorry, what was that? Why is it going so dark? Dec, are you there?”

He dug his chin into the top of my head.

“Ow! Stop it!”

“Fran, honey, are you okay?” Roger asked.

She grunted.

“At least she’s alive,” Roger said, satisfied.

Lisa was also leaning against Abe, her eyes closed. I caught Abe and Dec giving each other amused looks.

“How did Micah do?” I asked Dec.

“Are you really interested or just being polite?”

“Comme ci, comme ça.”

“He did fine.”

“Brief, but still an answer, I guess.”

“I’m just happy he turned up.”

“You didn’t think he would?”

I saw Jasper Brunswick watching us, and it unnerved me. I turned to face Dec, and strategically placed myself so Jasper couldn’t see him.

“Let’s just say he hasn’t been the most reliable attendee for GetOut events. Still, he came when it counted the most.”

“Or when he could get the best publicity for himself.”

“Oh, my sweet but so, so, cynical Simon.”

“What are you guys whispering about?” Fran yelled across to us.

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