Chapter 8 Escape

Pete waited behind the Dumpster. Ryan thought that his body looked relaxed compared to other guys he’d seen getting ready to fight.

“Hey, man, where’d they go?” Rev’s voice echoed loudly in the alley.

“To dump a load or something. They’ll be back,” said Cruiser.

“Don’t think so; it’s been a while. I think they took off.”

Ryan wanted to turn back and help Pete, but his head was still spinning. All he could do was listen as the guys’ voices grew louder. They were closing in on the Dumpster.

“He knows about the chop shop and Speed. Can’t let him get away. Speed will kill us,” said Sparkplug.

The guys kept jabbering. Ryan figured Pete had a good fix on their location.

Timing was everything.

Pete stepped out from behind the Dumpster. Ryan moved so he could see farther down the alley.

“Hey guys,” Pete said. The threesome stopped and stared at him. “I think it’s time to return to the party. Lots of action back there.” He nodded in the direction of the house.

“Where’s our bro, Ryan?” asked Rev. His switchblade flashed.

Pete shrugged. “Not your business. Party looks like fun. You should head there.”

“You’re not our boss,” yelled Rev. He lunged at Pete, slashing with his knife.

Pete’s movements were a blur. In seconds, Rev lay on the ground. His friends stared at Pete.

Pete turned and ran down the alley. Ryan took a deep breath and headed for the semi. As Pete caught up to him, they heard police sirens wailing in the distance.

Despite being drunk, Ryan kept up with Pete. “Do you think they’ll follow us?” His voice was breathless.

“Don’t know for sure. Keep running. The semi is ahead.”

When they reached the semi, Ryan pressed the key fob and jumped in the passenger side of the truck. He rolled down the window and heaved. As his head came back inside the cab, Pete got in and sat in the driver’s seat. Ryan handed Pete the key fob.

“Thanks for not doing that in here,” Pete said. “But if you miss the ground next time, you’ll wash the outside of the semi. Glove compartment has a garbage bag. Use it, okay?”

Ryan nodded and grabbed the bag. His head pounded.

“Those guys didn’t follow us or they’d be here by now,” said Pete. He turned the engine over and put on the running lights. “We got to let her warm up for at least fifteen minutes.” He began to check the gauges. “We’re going to need fuel soon. We’re pretty low.”

“There’s a gas station over on Eighth,” said Ryan, “But we shouldn’t go there. It has a chop shop in the back. That’s who those guys work for.”

They were about to leave when blue lights flashed through the cab. Ryan glanced at the side mirror and saw a cop car pull up and park beside the trailer. The cop got out of his car and walked toward them, making signs to roll down the window.

As Pete rolled down the window, the cop climbed up on the running board. The smell of beer drifted out of the cab.

“I think you two better step out of the cab,” said the cop.

The cop stepped down into the snow. Pete and Ryan exited the semi. Ryan came around to join Pete.

“Smells like a still in there,” said the cop. “So don’t tell me you aren’t drinking. Let me see your driver’s licence.”

Pete handed over his licence. The cop gave him a breathalyser, which he passed with flying colours.

“No sense giving the kid one. It’s obvious,” said the cop. “So what’s the story?” He frowned at Pete.

“Me and my brother have been driving since dawn yesterday. We stayed overnight at this motel. My brother went out for a pop, and I fell asleep. When I woke up, he wasn’t back. I went looking, found him at a party house down by the motel, and hauled his ass back here.”

“That so?” the cop said looking at Ryan.

“Yes, sir.”

“You didn’t happen to go by the convenience store down the street, did you? Got a report that some kid was yelling in front of the store. He told the officer he’d been sprayed, but he’s always causing trouble. The clerk said the kid and some other guys were hanging around the store, looking for a fight. I guess they found what they were looking for. Someone hog-tied that kid.”

“Motel office had pop. I grabbed one, then wandered over to the party.” Ryan pronounced each word slowly, so he wouldn’t sound drunk.

“Hmm,” said the cop. He eyed Ryan up and down, and then glanced over at Pete. Ryan figured the guy was no fool.

“Well, if you hear anything, let us know. I found three of his buddies complaining about a ninja warrior taking one of them down. Sounds like they may have been at the same party as your brother. Busy night, with people playing super cop. Needs to stop. You agree?”

Pete and Ryan nodded their heads.

“Have a good ride, and keep that brother of yours out of trouble.”

“Have a good day, officer. Thanks. By the way, do you know of a gas station open at this hour?”

“Yeah, there’s one on Eighth and another on Sixth.”

“Thanks, I think we’ll try the one on Sixth. I heard the one on Eighth has an interesting backyard.”

The cop looked at Pete and nodded.

Ryan and Pete got into the cab. Pete put the semi in gear and hit the road.

They stopped on Sixth to fill up, then headed down the highway. The sun wouldn’t be up for another hour. Ryan stared straight ahead with a scowl on his face. From the corner of his eye, he saw Pete looking at him, but Ryan didn’t look back. An uneasy silence hung in the air.

Finally, Ryan burst out, “Why did you tell him something was going on behind the gas station on Eighth? Why did you snitch?”

Ryan turned and saw Pete’s lips tighten. His knuckles turned white as he clenched the steering wheel. A street light shone in the cab, giving a ghostly appearance to both of them. The cab smelled of stale beer. Ryan’s stomach felt foul and his neck hurt. He rubbed it with the back of his hand.

Pete stared at him for a moment. “Damn, I’m too tired for this crap. Not enough sleep, cops, badasses with knives, and now this. Give it a rest. We need to get far away from that town.”

Ryan scowled at Pete. Screw you, he thought. But Pete was his ticket out, so he shut his mouth. He rested his head against the window and fell asleep.