Page 12 of Joshua's Mistake
“Get the fuck in,” she shouted over gunfire coming from near the house.
The enemy feared him. It was the only explanation as to why they didn’t come forward. He didn’t know if he had enough energy for one more blast. Deciding in an instant it would be safer for the Flacks if they were gone, he jumped in the back of the ATV and nearly tumbled back out when she hit the gas and headed toward the woods.
Joshua was in the little storage bed behind the seats. Tessa barreled through the woods at a dangerous speed, tossing him around as if he were a sack of potatoes. He kept a death grip on the roll bar as his body was battered against the steel bed.
A bullet struck the bar just below his hand. They both ducked at the sound. He could hear men shouting and multiple shots being fired in their direction.
“To the left, Tessa!”
She didn’t question him. She jerked the wheel to the left and sent him flying to the side of the ATV. He hooked one arm around the bar and braced the other on the steel side of the storage bed to keep from flying out.
It was the same way his brother and Lena had come, though they had been on horseback. He hadn’t been with them, but he’d tracked their path once the danger had passed. He wanted to make sure they’d gotten away. Unfortunately, their escape had been short-lived and they had eventually been captured.
He had a bad feeling if he and Tessa were captured they would not come to as satisfactory an end. Joshua didn’t know what this was all about, but it was obvious someone wanted them dead.
He had to yell to be heard over the noise of the ATV and gunfire. “The woods are about to clear. Head for the barn. We’re going to borrow a car.”
She nodded and kept her hands on the wheel and her focus on the break in the trees.
Joshua had to admit the woman could drive.
They wouldn’t have much time once they cleared the trees.
Tessa gunned the engine as soon as they were out of the rough terrain. The small vehicle, pushed to its limits, sped toward the red-and-white barn. She careened around the front and Joshua jumped to the ground before she had fully stopped. He rolled open the barn doors.
The gunfire had stopped for the moment. The enemy was likely just getting into position.
Keys in the ignition, Max’s black, hardtop ‘71 Corvette sat there as if waiting for them to arrive. “You drive,” Joshua said.
She didn’t argue. He had one magazine in his handgun and he had a feeling he was going to need it when they cleared the barn door.
The engine roared into action and with the windows rolled down Tessa spun the tires and rocketed out of the barn.
Three men dressed in black BDUs were a blur. She clipped one with the side-view mirror and he went down. Joshua emptied the clip at the other two, who ducked for cover. One tried to fire on them, but he went down when one of Joshua’s bullets ripped through his right side.
“Take a left and then head north on 206.”
“Where are we going?”
“We need a better means of transportation.”
Joshua could practically hear all the questions going through her mind. But instead of asking them she trusted him. He knew she really had little choice, but he loved the idea she had even the tiniest amount of faith in him.
He watched the road. Two black SUVs pulled out behind them.
“This is not going to work. We need to lose these guys and wait for dark.”
“You want me to lose them? I hope you know your way around these country roads, Lakeland.”
She gunned the engine and turned down the next street. It wound through woods and over bridges. She was pulling away from the slower vehicles. Another turn and they were on a narrow road. Joshua wondered if there was any way out. He saw a flash of the other car before the road turned again.
Tessa was doing eighty-five on a road with a dozen S turns and she barely broke a sweat. The road turned left and a dirt road continued straight. She slowed and pulled down the dirt road.
She cut the engine.
Fifteen seconds later the two SUVs sped down the paved road and disappeared from sight.
“Nice job,” Joshua said. He leaned back in the bucket seat.
