Page 20 of All He Sees
He was no help.
"Let's go," Ken said, touching Nicky's arm. He had turned toward the door, and Nicky glanced toward it. A group of bikers were standing there. They had their arms crossed in front of them, and they were looking in her direction.
"What the hell?" she said under her breath.
"Come on," Ken said.
Nicky faced the bartender. "Well, thank you for your time."
"You're welcome, now get out of my bar," he said.
They headed for the exit, ignoring the hostile stares, and went back outside. After walking across the parking lot, they reached the car. Ken looked out at the bar. "I don't know, Lyons. There's got to be something here."
"Did you see how he reacted?" Nicky said, putting on her seatbelt. "He wouldn't even let us wait around and see if Pedro shows up. I'd bet my rent money he's in there."
"Well, his car's right there," Ken said. "Should we wait it out? See if he comes out?"
Nicky nodded. "Good idea."
But just as she was saying it, a man was making his way through the parking lot. Nicky squinted to see him clearer, but he was walking low, ducking beneath cars, acting sketchy.
Nicky caught a glimpse of him as he passed between two cars.
Pedro.
"Shit," Nicky said, "I think that's him."
"Bartender must've tipped him off," Ken said.
They went to rush over, but Pedro reached his car and jumped in. Nicky knew where this was going. Pedro was the first to start his engine. The rumble was an angry roar as he revved the motor. He threw his car into reverse and peeled out of the parking space. Heart pounding, Nicky raced over to her own car, just as Pedro ripped out of his parking space. Nicky turned on her ignition and her wheels spun, kicking up gravel as she began to chase him down the road.
They merged onto the highway as the sky was fully darkening. If Pedro was going to try to escape her--he had another thing coming. Nicky stepped on the gas. Speed was in her blood. They merged with the highway traffic, ducking and weaving between lanes, but Nicky was right behind Pedro the whole time.
She veered behind Pedro into the next lane and was about to pass him.
"Lyons, careful! You're gonna get us killed," Ken said.
Nicky heard the honking behind them, saw the red taillights of oncoming traffic, but she took the exit anyway. She passed Pedro, cutting off the lane of oncoming traffic as she veered hard into the exit lane.
Pedro had to turn around and try to get back onto the highway, while Nicky made it onto the exit, still several cars behind him.
The two cars zipped over the tracks and onto the winding road. Roads that were now dark and empty of traffic. Without the highway lights, Nicky lost sight of Pedro.
She slowed down, and in the distance, she saw him, continuing up the road. Her wheels squealed beneath her.
She was coming up fast behind him.
Pedro must've noticed her because he cut his lights and kept driving. He was planning to escape.
But Nicky was ready for that. She hit her lights, and the beams of her car cut through the darkness, sweeping over Pedro's back bumper.
He veered to the left and down a dirt road that led away from the highway. She followed, but soon realized it was a dead end, and Pedro's car was turning around.
Nicky switched her lights back off. She started to slow down, but Pedro's car was right in front of her. Nicky hit the gas and veered to the left, coming right for Pedro's car. The last thing she wanted was to crash, and truthfully, she was bluffing--she'd hit the brakes just in time. But he didn't know that.
And he froze up.
The cars screeched to a halt on the dirt road.
