Sweat beaded along my forehead.
The intersection appeared in front of us.
The light turned red.
Instead of stopping, the kid flew through, probably hitting close to 60 mph.
“Shit!” I matched the speed and floored it through the light. The intersection was wide. The cars with the green light and right of way drove forward. Others braked hard around me. A taxi driver almost hit me as he sped by. He honked at me furiously.
My brothers stayed behind at the red light.
West spoke, “You still have eyes on Phoenix, Cain?”
“Right behind her.”
“Thank God.” Griff complained. “I don’t know if I can sit around that park another day.”
“Don’t worry about that.” I matched the kid’s pace. “This hunt ends today.”
Phoenix checked over her shoulder and stared right at me.
Are you directing the kid? I must admit. You’re not doing a bad job.
She turned back around.
Twenty feet ahead of us, another light turned red.
The kid increased his speed.
Be careful. You have priceless cargo on the back.
I gritted my teeth and floored the gas.
He sped through.
I followed.
Instead of continuing forward, the kid did a U-turn, a sharp one. So fast, the bike fishtailed and Phoenix tilted to the side and bounced.
“Damn it!”
He passed me and held his middle finger up.
I’ll break that finger off and feed it to you.
I had to jerk the wheel to miss him.
“They’re coming back your way!” Ignoring the stop light, I attempted the same U-turn, but with less finesse. It was damn near impossible. The kid had free space. Meanwhile, I had to maneuver around the green-lighted-cars trying to cross the intersection. Panic swept through me. Vehicles came on my left and right. They honked and tires screeched.
It was a miracle that no one crashed into me.
Come on. Get out of the way. I can’t lose her.
“They just passed me!” West yelled. “They’re driving back in the wrong direction.”
Griff groaned. “How the hell are we going to follow them now, without killing ourselves?”
West sighed. “I’m going after them.”
“Me too.” Griff groaned again. “I’m expecting double donuts now, Cain!”
“You’ll get your fucking donuts.” I was almost done with the U-turn when one red car swerved near me, braked too fast, and started spinning out of control.
Shit.
That caused more hysteria within the intersection. Some zoomed along. Others panicked and weaved around to avoid the spinning car. Others slammed on the breaks so hard their tires screeched. A few side-swiped vehicles or caused rear-end collisions. Many blocked the paths as if unsure of what to do.
Fuck!
“I’m on my way.” I spun to the right and then zipped past a car right before it crashed into the front of another.
Sirens blared off in the distance.
I took a sharp right turn to avoid the swerving cars. My body tensed, but I stayed focused.
Nice try, but it won’t be that easy to get rid of me, Phoenix.
Driving in the wrong direction in a lane proved to be damn near impossible for my big ass truck. Meanwhile, the kid and even my brothers simply swerved and maneuvered their bikes.
I had to slowly maneuver through the moving maze of oncoming semis and pick-ups, trucks and sedans to make it to the highway’s grassy divider. Vehicles swerved and honked. Many slammed into each other.
Once I made it to the grassy divider, I plowed forward, hitting the gas.
“Thank you, Jesus!” Griff yelled, “I’m behind them and still alive!”
“I’m getting there.” I spotted West’s bike, but not the kid and Phoenix.
“Okay!” Griff yelled. “He made a left on a side street at the last second.”
I sped up and lost sight of West. “Which left?”
“First intersection.”
“I’m on the gravel side,” West said. “I’ll be there.”
I hurried forward passing accidents—ones no doubt that all of us had caused. Guilt sank deep in me.
I made the turn. This road had less traffic. The kid and Phoenix were several blocks ahead, but I had them. I floored the gas and tore down the road.
“I see you behind me, Cain,” Griff said. “We have to watch out for the cops. I’ve already heard the radio talking about accidents.”
“Fuck the cops.” I leaned closer to the steering wheel.
Up ahead, the kid turned right again, but it wasn’t an intersection. It must’ve been a parking lot.
Griff missed it. “Fuck. I’ll be there.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got them.” I slowed my speed as I approached a side street with a large graffiti-covered brick wall creating a dead end.
Dim lighting blanketed the empty space.
What the hell? Where are you?
I turned on my high beams and stopped the truck. I spotted a wide-alley path running behind the buildings. It looked like a dead end was several feet up ahead.
What’s the trick now, Phoenix?
I took a hard right down the alley, still not catching sight of the bike or them.
It was darker down here, I realized as I rode along, looking at the large dumpster cans lining the sides of the path. A couple of dirty cats rushed away.