Page 47 of Dangerous Silence
We came around the curve of the building. Dusty desert dirt surrounded the gas station. I steered off to the side, and the tiny rocks beneath us made the car vibrate. I quickly saved it, driving back onto the cement.
It was lucky that we were in a spot where hardly anyone was around, so I could use the time to figure out the basics. No matter how jolty my gas and brake movements were, Axe stayed calm, letting me figure it out. There were so many times that I was so sure that he was going to make me get out of the driver’s seat, but he didn’t. He trusted me, and because of that, I settled into it.
“Now, pull out onto the highway,” he said. I did, feeling the smooth asphalt underneath the tires, different from the slight cracks and dips of the parking lot. I gripped the wheel a little tighter. “Don’t be nervous.”
“I’m not,” I said, a little too quickly, and the corner of his mouth twitched up, another almost-smile, teasing me. And as stupid as it was, I grinned too.
“This highway isn’t used much anymore. Only locals use it.” He leaned back. “You can take your time if you want.”
I raised my brow, smiling as I tested his words, teasing him right on back. I let the gas go, the car drifting slower, then slower still. A huff escaped his lips.
“Pick up speed,” he said. “A little more gas.”
One or two cars passed around to the side of me, but once I was up to the speed limit, I felt better about it. The road was fairly empty. I was technicallynotsupposed to be driving. I didn’t have a learner’s permit, though I had been studying the DMV handbook since I had gone to college—butstill. I didn’t know the ins and outs of what was required for driving.
And for once, I realized that it didn’t matter. We were fairly safe. And there were far too many things beyond what we were doing right then to be focused on what was right and wrong and what the rules were. Life was bigger than that.
Once I was comfortable, I turned on the radio, only finding country stations, but that was okay. I turned up the music, giving a sideways-glance to see how Axe reacted. I swear he was tipping his head to the music. Actually enjoying himself.
Maybe you could be accepted for who you were. If you gave yourself the chance.
After about ten minutes, Axe straightened, glancing at the side mirrors. I looked too; a black SUV was in the distance. I had noticed it before but didn’t care about it until I saw his reaction. I tightened my grip on the wheel.
“Take this off-ramp,” Axe said. My stomach churned. I did as I was told, coming to a stop sign at the end, and sure enough, the black SUV was behind us, taking the same ramp. “Back onto the ramp up ahead,” Axe directed. I followed his words, unconsciously picking up speed.
“Who is that?” I asked.
Axe stared at the side mirror, then opened the dashboard and pulled out a gun. I kept my eyes on the road, but it was hard to ignore the fact that he was checking the ammo for the gun from his holster and the one from the dashboard. What was happening?
The SUV sped up behind us.
Axe stuck the guns out of the window, shooting at the car. They fought back. Bullets ricocheted into the van, the metal frame shuddering around us. I sucked in a scream and kept my eyes on the road. Axe shot again, and a bullet from the other side landed in my side-view mirror.
“Shit!” I yelled, swerving.
“Keep driving,” he said. “Stay on the highway.” He stuck out his guns, shooting more, and I hit the gas, but there was only so much faster we could go. Burning rubber smoked to the sides of us.
“Axe,” I said, trying to warn him.
“Keep going.”
There was an off-ramp to the side. I switched lanes closer to it.
“Keep going,” Axe instructed. But my gut told me not to. Told me to get the hell out. I grit my teeth. We needed the SUV to stop following us. The off-ramp was about to pass us up.
Suddenly, I jerked the wheel to the side, and the force of the turn made the van screech to a halt, the two of us slamming to the barrier. My head hit the window and Axe braced himself. Then the SUV slammed forward, crashing into our van with momentum making the SUV rollover.
Axe stared at me, waiting for my response.
Blood throbbed in my ears. “I’m okay,” I said, though I wasn’t sure that I was.
He nodded, then got out of the car, carrying both guns. He glanced across the highway, then went to the car. A voice called out, asking him to stop, but Axe didn’t listen. Three shots went off in the driver, and though a bullet came out from inside of the vehicle, he leaned down and shot the rest of them too, even the ones who weren’t moving.
He leaned down, picking something up, then tucked it in his pocket. It was quiet then. The van was ticking with condensation dripping off of the undercarriage. I let out a long breath. My face was lit up with heat.
“Did you kill them?” I asked. It was obvious that he had. I don’t know why that came out of my mouth.
“Some of them were already dead,” he said.
