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She kept her head down on the way back to the car but used her peripheral vision to look and see if anyone in the parking lot was overly interested in her. The Volvo came into sight, and she hit the remote to unlock the doors, sliding into the seat and then immediately locking them again.
Shane was still asleep in the back seat, but he was roused awake as she started the engine.
“Did you call him?” he asked groggily.
“Yeah.” Rachel looked both ways and then sped out of the parking lot. She had a feeling their good fortune was quickly running out.
“Where are we headed?” Shane asked.
“To a little town called Alba. Your friend will meet us there tonight to make sure you’re still alive. Don’t move around back there. I don’t want you to reopen the wound on your shoulder,” she said, navigating the turns. “How are you feeling?”
“Hell of a headache. Otherwise, I’ve felt worse.”
Rachel dug around in the sack of supplies she’d just bought and handed him a bottle of Tylenol and the water. He swallowed three pills and drank half the water and then poured the rest over his shoulder so he could see the damage.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he said. “It’s a clean wound.”
“I bought some supplies back at the gas station and found out some interesting news.”
“Yeah?” Shane asked. “Like what?”
“Like we have warrants out for our arrest. It was on the radio.”
“I’m sure the cops down in New Orleans are getting a kick out of that information. I’ll be hearing jokes for months when this is over.”
“I’m glad you can stay focused on the important things,” she said, rolling her eyes.
They were headed down Highway 43 past the Joplin Airport when a black sedan pulled out in front of them.
ChapterNine
Rachel hit the brakes and swerved. The tires squealed and the smell of burned rubber filled the air. She heard Shane mumble a curse as he was jarred against the car door, and she braced herself for impact as the guardrail loomed before them. The crunch of metal was grating as the front of the Volvo glanced off the rail. There was a shatter of glass and then all was silent.
Her breathing was heavy and her hands gripped the wheel in a white-knuckled grasp. She wasn’t hurt, and the crash hadn’t been bad enough to deploy the airbags. She was just shocked.
“Are you okay?” she asked Shane.
“Dandy.” Shane moved into a sitting position so he could see the other vehicle.
The black sedan was pulled across the road so they were blocked in, and the windows were tinted so the inside couldn’t be seen. Cars honked as they drove around the black sedan and traffic was beginning to pile up behind them.
“We need to get out of here,” Shane said urgently.
“Where am I supposed to go? We’re blocked in.”
“I don’t know, but the guy in front of us has reinforcements coming.”
Rachel looked out the back window and saw a sedan identical to the one parked in front of them driving up the shoulder of the road and parking behind them.
“What should I do?” she asked.
Two doors opened from the black sedan and legs emerged. The driver was tall and dressed in black. His head was shaved and dark glasses covered his eyes. His topcoat was unbuttoned and he held a gun down at his side. The man from the passenger side was shorter and stockier but dressed nearly the same, including the gun.
“Floor it,” Shane yelled.
“Oh, man,” Rachel said, putting the car in reverse and moving away from the guardrail with a squeal of tires. “Hold on tight.” She put the car in drive and punched the gas pedal to the floor. The tires spun and smoke rose from the pavement, but then the car took off like a shot. She headed straight for the black sedan and said every prayer she knew as the men raised their guns.
Both men dived out of the way as the Volvo hit the side end of the car. There was a crunch of fiberglass and the black sedan was pushed aside. Rachel jerked against her seat belt and hit her head on the driver’s side window. A gunshot shattered the back window and she ducked low in her seat.
