Screw it. I’d never been any good at doing what I was told.
I rounded the corner and raced down the alley until I reached the rear of Randy’s shop. The back door was open to let the breeze through, so I sneaked in—well, as best I could on skates. Jaxson and his evil vixen were gone, so I stepped over the clutter of hoses and car parts, and smacked Randy on the shoulder.
He spun. “Hell, Savannah! You nearly gave me a heart attack! What are you doing?”
I grabbed his shirt. “Will my car run?”
His eyes went wide. “Y–y–yes.”
“I’m taking it.”
“Savannah,” he said, finally getting a full word out, “these people are going to pay for all the fixes to your car. I can do anything, it’s a blank check! It’ll be better than before. I could make a lot of money. You could have a new ride.”
My car was the most important thing I owned. The last thing my parents had given me. It was filled with promises and broken dreams. But I wasn’t a rube, and I stuck my hip out. “Doesn’t that sound sketchy to you? Nothing in life is free.”
“But it’s a lot of mon—”
I tightened my grip and gave him the look.
I didn’t use it much, just on special occasions. In high school, people had called me “Crazy Eyes.” That was fine by me because I loved Orange is the New Black and Uzo Aduba, and I didn’t really care what people said—as long as I got what I wanted.
It wasn’t like I’d had any friends to lose.
Randy, the hapless ass, was now on the receiving end of the look.
“Let me explain things to you, Rand-dee. I’m taking my car. You’re not going to tell Jaxson or that mean-looking woman, and you’re not going to fess up when they come asking. You don’t know them. You know me. I designed your stupid auto body logo, for what it’s worth. Help me now. I need to get out of town.”
It was like I was a different person when I was angry. Like I had a snarling, raging force inside me that demanded to be free.
I guess that’s what happened when your parents blew themselves to bits, and you had to spend the rest of your life walking with your head down.
Randy looked around nervously. “I’m sorry, but there’s no way I’m going to help you. Those people seem like they leave bodies in places where they’re never found. But I’ve really got to piss, and I’m going to go use the restroom. If you happened to go by the office and take your keys and leave while I’m gone, there’d be nothing I could do about that.”
I let him go. He looked about ready to wet himself, so it was a pretty good call either way.
Randy hurried off to the restroom, and I staggered awkwardly to the office on my rollerblades. I was really glad there weren’t cameras because I probably looked like an utter idiot.
My keys were hanging on a hook inside the door…right next to Jaxson Laurent’s.
Sometimes, life gave you lemonade, and you didn’t even need to squeeze the lemons.
A minute later, I was safe in the heavenly confines of my Gran Fury, desperately struggling to yank my rollerblades off. They’d been hell to get on, but this was worse. I didn’t even bother putting on my tennies—I just chucked them on the passenger side along with the blades.
I fired up the engine, took one second to savor the low rumble of freedom, and rolled out of the garage as quietly as possible. Once I was a couple blocks away, I hit the gas and raced home.
Soon, doubt crept into my mind. The spooks might be watching me. But I was already committed, and I’d have to risk it.
I called Alma and explained the situation. As soon as I as screeched to a halt in front of our house, she dragged my bags down the front steps, and we threw them in the car. I kissed her and my familiar life goodbye in under a minute. Then I hit the open road.
I didn’t bother throwing Jaxson’s truck keys out the window until an hour later when I was in Illinois, roaring down US-20 on my way to Chicago.
7
Savannah
The trip to Chicago sucked.
My old Gran Fury struggled to stay over fifty, so I had to take side routes. With the summer heat and the passenger window broken, it was like I had a hair dryer blasting in my face the whole way. Heading to Chicago was probably a terrible plan, verging on horrendous. I shuddered as I recalled Jaxson’s warning. Monsters are real, Ms. Caine. You can’t outrun them, and wherever you go, they’ll find you.