Clover squeezed Pyro’s shoulder, and it lowered as Pyro took a deep breath, maneuvering around some obstruction so rapidly the centrifugal force pushed Tank onto his bike. “He’s there, but there were so many of them. We ran, but they stopped him, and I couldn’t do anything. I had to leave him there so I could save him,” Pyro choked out, his hands squeezing on the steering wheel.
Tank’s mouth dried, and he lowered himself when the truck shook yet again, prompting him to hold on more tightly. “He tried to run with you?”
“I pretended I was running from the fight and he chased me. I think it was believable enough but… can’t fucking bear that he’s there, and I’m running away.
When the vehicle dove into yet another pothole so fast Tank’s teeth clashed, he knocked on the back of the cab. They had enough advantage on their pursuers—if the chase was even still going—to regroup. “Stop, I’ll take the wheel. You’re right. We’re not running away. This is the only road out of there, so if we watch it, we will spot that van eventually.”
Pyro gave a low exhale and hit the brakes until the truck came to a halt. By the time Tank was off the bed, Pyro had managed to roll out of the driver’s seat, and Tank pulled him into the briefest of hugs.
“Hang in there, brother. We all want him back, do you understand me?”
Pyro’s eyes were wide and dark because of the cocaine he must had used, but he caught Tank’s gaze and nodded before walking around the truck to climb in from Clover’s side. Tank got in too, and when both doors closed, the boy was sandwiched between them.
“Keep your eyes open, we’re looking for someplace to hide nearby. We’re not losing Boar now that we found him,” Tank said and didn’t waste any time, switching the engine back on. He knew something was wrong the moment his truck moved. The vehicle was pulling to the right, and there was a constant, buzzing noise coming from the dented hood, its cover bulging despite the fat steel bumper mounted at the front. He didn’t even want to think about the damage to his baby. There were more important things to deal with now, so he could rage about the minor ones once Boar was back in the fold.
On the upside, he was positive they weren’t being followed anymore. The stunt they pulled hardly looked like an inside job of law enforcement, so whoever organized the fight had bigger fish to fry.
His knuckles creaked when the engine gave a choking noise, and a controller lit up on the dashboard. He didn’t even want to know which one, because whichever it was—they were in deep shit regardless. If the truck stopped out in the open, they’d lose all the hard-earned advantage.
Clover grabbed his arm and pointed to the side of the road ahead. “There. Look!”
Tank pressed on the brake before taking a good look at the dark hole between the pine trees creating a wall along the low banks on either side of the road. It seemed small, but there was some kind of path leading away from the asphalt road. Already overgrown with grass because of infrequent use, but just broad enough to provide them with shelter. Even the slope behind a dip in the ground was gentle enough to drive on—maybe not for a sports car, but a pickup? Most definitely.
He exhaled and switched to low-beam lights, locking them in the tiniest ball of illumination and letting darkness creep all too close. But Tank was an adult and no longer feared imaginary boogeymen, so he drove onto the path, exhaling with relief when he saw that the corridor of ground devoid of trees led farther away, where their black vehicle couldn’t be spotted from the road.
It was high time too, because the truck chose that moment to tremble, as if the engine was about to give up. Tank exhaled and pulled to the right, into a small gap between trees, and switched everything off. Relief overcame his flesh as soon as it became dark, but this wasn’t the time for relaxation.
“We need to track where they’re taking Boar in case they move him soon. I’ll call Drake and tell him to get there fast.”
Clover curled his shoulders, taking a deep breath. “Is it a good idea though? What if he gets caught again?”
Pyro opened his door and rolled out of the cab before taking a couple of steps into the darkness. He remained still as he looked toward the asphalt road with hands resting on his hips.
Tank exhaled. Nothing was certain at this point, but they couldn’t afford doubt to set in when they were so close. “Drake knows the risk, and he’s experienced. I’m sure he won’t make the same mistake again,” he said, squeezing Clover’s hand in the near-perfect silence of the fragrant woods.