yelled at her again, and Rayanne opened the Chevy
door. She jumped up into the driver’s seat.
Darryl
came over to the passenger side. The door had been left hanging open, and he
hoisted Owen’s body into the seat. Blood smeared the leather when Owen’s body
slipped sideways toward the center console. Darryl slammed the door shut.
Rayanne found the keys left in the ignition and she cranked the engine.
She
saw Scut and Roddy through the windshield as their heads turned.
Darryl
dove in, slammed the back door shut, and yelled, “Drive!”
She
threw the gearshift into reverse and stomped on the gas pedal. The engine
stalled. Darryl yelled again as she fumbled with the key. She turned it. The
engine choked.
Scut,
still holding the baseball bat, came closer. He walked to the front grille and
slammed the bat on the hood with a loud thud. He aimed the bat again and
brought it down with such force it shook the truck. Rayanne screamed.
Through
the glass she could hear Scut yelling and she saw Roddy nearby with a rock. He
threw it and it cracked the windshield. Scut swung the bat again and she heard
glass shatter.
A
headlight, she thought. He broke a headlight. She turned the key again and
looked up to see Scut through the cracked windshield. She heard more yelling
from the two boys as they rocked the truck.
She
turned the key. The engine sputtered. Darryl yelled at her as he removed his
glasses and used his shirttail to wipe blood from the lenses. He slipped them
back on his nose and opened the door. Rayanne started to say something to him
as he jumped out of the truck. Maybe he was going after Scut and Roddy, she
wasn’t sure. She turned the key again. Darryl slammed the door shut.
She
watched him come around the front of the truck and reach for Roddy. Scut
stopped beating the hood with the baseball bat.
Darryl’s
fist hit Roddy’s face. The teen stumbled and fell against the black bug shield,
lessening the impact with his right arm. Pushing off the hood of the truck, he
swung his huge fist into Darryl’s neck. Coming beside Roddy, Scut launched a
savage kick at Darryl’s groin. Darryl dropped out of sight and Rayanne screamed
his name. Scut turned to smile at her, tossed the baseball bat from hand to
hand, and let it hover over his head a moment.
Rayanne
couldn’t watch. She could hear the thwaaap of Scut’s bat, but nothing from
Darryl. She shook her head, pushing the thought away. She turned the key again.
The engine started. She pressed down on the pedal, and the truck lunged in
reverse. The empty boat trailer turned in the opposite direction, bending back
toward her. She slammed on the brakes, lunging them forward, then moved the
gear into drive. Her foot mashed the accelerator and the truck rushed forward.
The trailer rattled behind them.
Rayanne
could think of nothing else but escape. Racing forward on the dirt path, she
drove faster, with a reckless disregard for the jutting trailer or the truck’s
undercarriage. The Chevy jerked and thumped, smashing through branches and tree
limbs. Rayanne didn’t care. She wanted to get to the county road. Get to the
road, she told herself. Her foot mashed the gas pedal, thrusting the truck
forward, faster, crashing through branches. She turned her head to look behind.
She
couldn’t see anything but trees. The kids were no longer in sight. She turned
around and saw the black van directly in front of her. It was heading straight
for her.
Rayanne
screamed and recognized the driver as the van barreled toward them. It was
Dru’s face behind the wheel. Dru was driving the black van. Their eyes
connected.
Rayanne
twisted the wheel. The truck and trailer spun wildly to the right, swerving out
of the way of the passing van and into a rush of branches. They violently
struck the windshield, scratching at the side doors as she barged through them.
Then something hard hit the right tire.
The
truck bounced. It swung wildly and hit something else. A tree, maybe? She
door. She jumped up into the driver’s seat.
Darryl
came over to the passenger side. The door had been left hanging open, and he
hoisted Owen’s body into the seat. Blood smeared the leather when Owen’s body
slipped sideways toward the center console. Darryl slammed the door shut.
Rayanne found the keys left in the ignition and she cranked the engine.
She
saw Scut and Roddy through the windshield as their heads turned.
Darryl
dove in, slammed the back door shut, and yelled, “Drive!”
She
threw the gearshift into reverse and stomped on the gas pedal. The engine
stalled. Darryl yelled again as she fumbled with the key. She turned it. The
engine choked.
Scut,
still holding the baseball bat, came closer. He walked to the front grille and
slammed the bat on the hood with a loud thud. He aimed the bat again and
brought it down with such force it shook the truck. Rayanne screamed.
Through
the glass she could hear Scut yelling and she saw Roddy nearby with a rock. He
threw it and it cracked the windshield. Scut swung the bat again and she heard
glass shatter.
A
headlight, she thought. He broke a headlight. She turned the key again and
looked up to see Scut through the cracked windshield. She heard more yelling
from the two boys as they rocked the truck.
She
turned the key. The engine sputtered. Darryl yelled at her as he removed his
glasses and used his shirttail to wipe blood from the lenses. He slipped them
back on his nose and opened the door. Rayanne started to say something to him
as he jumped out of the truck. Maybe he was going after Scut and Roddy, she
wasn’t sure. She turned the key again. Darryl slammed the door shut.
She
watched him come around the front of the truck and reach for Roddy. Scut
stopped beating the hood with the baseball bat.
Darryl’s
fist hit Roddy’s face. The teen stumbled and fell against the black bug shield,
lessening the impact with his right arm. Pushing off the hood of the truck, he
swung his huge fist into Darryl’s neck. Coming beside Roddy, Scut launched a
savage kick at Darryl’s groin. Darryl dropped out of sight and Rayanne screamed
his name. Scut turned to smile at her, tossed the baseball bat from hand to
hand, and let it hover over his head a moment.
Rayanne
couldn’t watch. She could hear the thwaaap of Scut’s bat, but nothing from
Darryl. She shook her head, pushing the thought away. She turned the key again.
The engine started. She pressed down on the pedal, and the truck lunged in
reverse. The empty boat trailer turned in the opposite direction, bending back
toward her. She slammed on the brakes, lunging them forward, then moved the
gear into drive. Her foot mashed the accelerator and the truck rushed forward.
The trailer rattled behind them.
Rayanne
could think of nothing else but escape. Racing forward on the dirt path, she
drove faster, with a reckless disregard for the jutting trailer or the truck’s
undercarriage. The Chevy jerked and thumped, smashing through branches and tree
limbs. Rayanne didn’t care. She wanted to get to the county road. Get to the
road, she told herself. Her foot mashed the gas pedal, thrusting the truck
forward, faster, crashing through branches. She turned her head to look behind.
She
couldn’t see anything but trees. The kids were no longer in sight. She turned
around and saw the black van directly in front of her. It was heading straight
for her.
Rayanne
screamed and recognized the driver as the van barreled toward them. It was
Dru’s face behind the wheel. Dru was driving the black van. Their eyes
connected.
Rayanne
twisted the wheel. The truck and trailer spun wildly to the right, swerving out
of the way of the passing van and into a rush of branches. They violently
struck the windshield, scratching at the side doors as she barged through them.
Then something hard hit the right tire.
The
truck bounced. It swung wildly and hit something else. A tree, maybe? She
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