“You fucking hothead!”
Spinning around, I ran to grab my car keys and phone.
Then I flew down the stairs as fast as my shifter body could. Lothair’s ridiculous toy car was just disappearing down the driveway when I jumped into my vehicle.
It was pure luck that the neighborhood was busy for a Sunday. Lothair was a hothead, yes, but he wasn’t as reckless as to endanger kids on tricycles. He drove reasonably slowly through the residential areas, and after a few red lights, I caught up with him. Where was he going? Was he just driving around to clear his head, or was he actually trying to get away from me? He must have noticed me following him.
At least the rain had stopped, and the sun was already peeking out among the fluffy clouds.
Lothair swung to the right, heading out of the city in the direction of the mountains. He met my eyes briefly in the rearview mirror, his expression significantly less pissed than before. Even though we were now out of the busiest suburbs, he wasn’t accelerating. Chances were, he would stop and let me talk to him.
I was composing possible speeches in my head when a blue SUV cut in front of me from the left in a blatant disregard for both traffic rules and common sense. The road was wet, puddles glistening here and there. I swore and honked at the jerk.
He began taking over Lothair, who slowed down to let him pass. With relief, I realized Lothair was about to stop. Maybe he was just looking for a good spot where we could both park.
Abruptly, the blue SUV swerved.
A blood-curdling screeching sound followed. I saw it happening in slow motion. Lothair’s convertible took a hit to the driver’s door, but Lothair stabilized it in a remarkable show of his stunt training.
The SUV drove left, crossing into the opposite lane, gaining speed. Then it swerved right again, about to hit Lothair’s car harder, in an idiotic move taken straight from one of Lothair’s B-movie scripts. Lothair stepped on the gas, his car shooting forward. The SUV missed, rocking precariously as the driver fought to stay on the road and keep up with Lothair.
What the actual fuck?
This was a targeted attack.
Various courses of action ran through my mind. I could try getting my car between the SUV and Lothair’s convertible. However, Lothair was an excellent driver with shifter reflexes, and steering my car too close could endanger him more. I had a backup gun in the glove compartment, but unlike what you saw in movies, shooting from a moving vehiclewhile drivingon a curving road was about as accurate as shooting with your eyes closed while jumping on a trampoline. I wouldn’t risk a stray bullet hitting the convertible. Could I drive into the SUV and push him off the road the same way he’d tried to take out Lothair?
Mere seconds passed as I analyzed the situation. Lothair was speeding just enough to stay in front of the attacker, cutting his trajectory whenever the driver tried to get beside him. He was brilliant. If anyone had a chance to get out of this unscathed, it was him.
I tapped the screen on the center console, dialing the Cassidy and Hassel emergency number.
“Terrance here. Code zero-three-eight. I’m following a midnight-blue Toyota SUV down one-forty-seven toward the national forest.” I rattled off the license plate. “The driver is pursuing and endangering my client, who’s driving an orange BMW. Inform authorities, and find out who this is. Follow mylocation.”
“I got you. I have your location. Any firearms?”
“Not that I can see. The driver attempted to hit my client’s car, pushing him off the road. I’m right behind.”
“We’re on it.”
Lothair still couldn’t speed away. The traffic wasn’t heavy, but we were passing gardens and houses. A young boy on a bike paused by a crossing and stared at Lothair’s car as it swooshed by. The valley on the right deepened, only separated from the road by a low guard rail. This was the worst possible area for a car chase.
Then I heard the siren. It wasnota police car. The sound came from the left, and suddenly, Lothair hit the brakes as a blinking and wailing ambulance hurtled onto the road right in front of him. The SUV driver took the opportunity to slam into Lothair’s tail from the side. The convertible began spinning.
I ignored the SUV, which made a U-turn and sped away.
I felt as if the world had slowed down around me as I stopped by the guard rails, got out, and sprinted to where Lothair’s BMW hung stuck between two trees. The front seat of the convertible was empty.
I jumped over the rail and skidded down the slope, almost falling onto my ass as rocks rolled under my feet.
“Lothair!” I yelled with my heart in my throat. “Lothair!”
A groan and a curse sounded from the bushes below.
I fell, sliding down the incline, scraping my palms in the process.
“Lothair!” Scrambling back to my feet, I searched the vegetation for broken branches and signs of impact.
Then he emerged from a group of prickly-looking greenery. Grimacing, he stumbled out of the mess ofbranches that seemed to be holding on to him with their gnarly fingers. His clothes looked like he’d been through a shredder, but there was no blood on them.
