“Interesting. Where are we headed then?”
“To meet the remaining scientists. My guess, whoever’s left alive must be on THEIR side, or are about to be killed. Either way, we have to get to them quick.” Sam casually changed down into second gear and prepared for the next bend in the road.”
“Do you know where they are?”
“Not a clue. Elise is in the process of getting me some names and locations. I’ll fill you when I get there…”
Crash!
Sam stopped his sentence short –
Because someone had just smashed into the back of his car, sending the Rolls Royce out of control.
Chapter Seven
Sam gripped the steering wheel. Swerving inwardly, he handled it with the precision of a racecar driver, as his powerful Rolls Royce fought to stay on the narrow road. At the same time, he touched his accelerator lightly, bringing his four-wheel power to his assistance to pull him out of the deadly spin.
Aliana swore.
Then turning her head around to look, she said, “It’s them.”
Sam glanced in his rear view mirror. A large yellow pickup with pitch black tinted windows was on their tail. Red paint could be seen on its hood.
“It’s the one we passed earlier! The one in the breakdown lane. Get a picture with your phone. We’re going to find out who owns that truck,” Sam said.
He floored the accelerator and his powerful V12 began distancing itself from their attackers. Then they reached the straight. Sam increased speed. He looked in the rearview mirror. And the pickup was keeping up with them.
What the hell?
Aliana turned to have a better look. “Damnit! What the hell do they have in that pickup?”
“It must have a custom build under its hood. Don’t worry; when we reach the next series of corners, we’ll lose it. A small truck that size will never be able to keep up.”
Maintaining their distance, the occupants of the yellow pickup became more desperate. Sam heard the shots fire. They must have gone wide by a mile, because he couldn’t even see where they landed.
“There’s a keypad next to the glovebox. My dad keeps a 50 caliber Magnum in there for emergencies.” Sam overtook another truck. He heard a second set of machine gun fire. On the side of the truck were more than a dozen holes. The shots were getting closer. “I’d say now’s an emergency.”
Aliana sat forward. “What’s the code?”
“666.”
She raised her eyebrows at him. “Really?”
Several shots fired into the rear windscreen. Small cracks formed like snowflakes but the bullet proof glass held. Thanks dad! “Just get the gun and shoot them.”
She typed in the code. Opened the glovebox and pulled out the gun. It was already loaded. She switched the safety to off. Lowered the side window, aimed, and fired — all five rounds.
The pickup’s windscreen smashed into a million pieces.
“Nice shooting!” Sam said. Then he saw the passenger push the remains of the broken glass forwards, and point his Uzi at them.
“Shit. Not good enough.”
Chapter Eight
Sam entered the tunnel. He swung around the last corner and jammed on his brakes. The entire back end of the Phantom slid dangerously close to the life ending edge of the road. The entire Rolls Royce came to a stop, on the opposite side of the road, pointing backwards — towards their attacker.
He waited.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Aliana screamed at him.
Sam saw the yellow pick up round the bend. He accelerated. All four wheels projecting them forward like a rocket. “I’m finishing this.”
Aliana gripped the side of her seat with such force the whites of her knuckles stood out. The yellow pick up continued towards them, unaware.
Suddenly the oncoming driver saw what Sam was doing. But it was too late for him. Sam directed his Rolls Royce towards the middle lane and slammed into the pick up’s front left wheel. The massive 5800 pounds of curb weight from the over-engineered Rolls Royce plowed into pick up’s left wheel, sending it turning to its right.
The pickup’s left wheel came to an instant stop, causing the pick up to slide. The driver tried to correct for it, but he was too late, and the top heavy pick rolled on its side. The driver, now no more than a passenger on an uncontrolled freight train, looked up with just enough time to see the guardrail approach at speed. The heavy pick up demolished the guard rail, sending it rolling down the cliff on the other side.
Sam shoved the Rolls Royce into reverse. And then spun it around so that it was facing the correct direction along the road, and then got out of the car. Below, the pickup had rolled at least twenty times before striking a large rock at the bottom with a spine-breaking crunch.
“You okay, Aliana?”
Aliana fidgeted with the hem of her short dress. “Fine, but it does seem like every time you take me on a date, someone ends up trying to kill me.”
“If it makes you feel better, I think these people were more interested in killing me. You were just collateral damage. And it would have been a terrible waste, had they succeeded.”
“No, it doesn’t make me feel any better!”
Sam stared at the broken pickup truck at the bottom of the hill. A slow puff of smoke dispersed from its crumpled hood. It was unlikely anyone had survived the crash, but you never know. All Sam knew was that the only person he knew who might shed light on what was going on was trapped in that mangled wreck.
“I wonder if I should go talk to them,” he asked.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Aliana said.
A moment later, the flame reached the fuel pump and the pickup swiftly became engulfed with fire. No one got out of it.
“You’re right. I guess they’re no longer interested in talking.”
Chapter Nine
Sam drove into the private entrance of the Denver International Airport. It was a hangar used by the rich and famous to leave their private jets. Just outside, and on the tarmac his father’s Gulfstream stood prepped and waiting for him to board.
“How did you know it would be here?” she asked.
Sam stopped the car and left it in First Gear. “My father has a business meeting in Denver today.”
“So you’re planning on just taking his jet?”
He shrugged his shoulders and got out the car. “I’d say my need is greater than his, so yeah. Sure you don’t want to come with us?” he asked.
“No. I can’t. I have other responsibilities. Things that don’t involve me getting shot at.”
“I’m sorry. Really, it was out of my control.” He felt hurt. “Are you going to be all right?”
She smiled. Her lips curled in a deliciously coquettish manner. “I’ll be fine. I’ll catch a public flight from here.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
She moved closer to him. Wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on his lips. A slow, passionate kiss. “I’ll see you around sometime.”
“Good bye, Aliana.”
“Good bye, Sam.”
And that was it.
He knew she’d said her good byes. It wasn’t ever a matter of one of them loving each other less than the other. Simply a case of each one living another life. Both of them tremendously driven. And neither willing to compromise.
Sam quickly boarded the Gulfstream.