04

I shut my ears as it went off with a loud bang.

With his partner out of the way, man Number two had to see the what the commotion was on his own.

And that’s exactly what he did.

I felt a smirk creep on my face as I ran away from my hiding spot. The gates loomed in front of me. I could run, I could get out and I’d be safe.

Or I could see if they had left any evidence in the cars, a name, maybe ? It would be useful if I could get in touch with Dean Cavilleri’s family.

Risk it.

I hesitated for a second more before I blocked away all my thoughts as they nagged me on what could go wrong if I picked either option. I ran towards the car, in his rush to see what was wrong, Man number 2 had left the door open and the car running.

I quickly ducked into the car and shut the door, locking it. I felt a lot more safer then. I began to ravage through the seats for something, anything really. Any clue as to who those men could be. Did they not have any social sense ? Even I knew that knocking on people’s doors when they’re supposed to be home alone was horror movie shit. And I had the social skills of a serial killer. Hopefully not the mindset of one though, now that could be a problem.

I checked under the seats, accidentally bumping my head against the steering wheel once or twice, but I was already nuts, a bonk on the head couldn’t do much.

I really should have worn my spectacles but between setting off firecrackers and avoiding potentially dangerous men, it wasn’t on the top of my priority list. I wanted contact lenses but Ari said they were easily breakable and could cause damage if used by idiots, so she got me these hideous black rimmed glasses that covered half my face and claimed they were ‘idiotproof’. They weren’t. I could still see idiots everywhere, only with more clarity.

I bonked my head on the steering wheel again. What the fuck, man ?

But I think that bonk actually did do something because that’s when I realized a teensy tiny crucial detail.

The glove compartment !

Man, I’m an idiot.

That should have been the first place I should have checked ! Nobody keeps their car papers under the seats ! When I was about to get up, my fingers brushed against something cool and metallic.

You guessed it.

It was a gun.

Brilliant. My situation just worsened tenfold. These people meant business. By that I mean they probably wanted to kill me.

Shit !

Someone knocked on the window.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK !

I had stalled too long. Man Number one had returned. He had large features and dark hair, I hadn’t seen him before, that was for sure.

I held my breath. My heart thumped a mad song in my chest. He pulled on the door handle and I screamed. Fortunately I had locked it, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying. I was trapped. He was going to get me. The gun.

Shit ! What was I doing ?!

As if you knew what you were doing the last eighteen years of your life.

Wasting no time, I leaped to the drivers seat. Man Number Two had left the keys in. So of course I turned it with shaking fingers and floored the accelerator. Man Number one was screaming profanities at me, I even learned a few new ones, but he jumped out of the way. Smart man. I probably would have run him over.

Maybe I do have the mindset of a serial killer.

Heh.

I speeded out of the gate. The Porsche moved like silk on satin, Maybe I was right to have not torched it. I checked the rearview mirror, Man Number Two had joined Man Number one in the chase. Shit !

But I had a car now. I speeded across the roads and onto the freeway. I really should have called 911, but now I had successfully stolen a car.

That sounded so much cooler than I thought. Now I was faced with only two problems. Was this car tracked ? Where do I go ?

With shaking fingers, I dialled Arianna’s number. It was probably dangerous, doing that on a freeway and driving without my glasses but somehow being chased by men with guns redefines your definition of ‘dangerous’.

Her phone was switched off. No surprise, she was on a flight and a sucker for rules. So I gritted my teeth, swallowed my pride and called my second emergency number, Dean Cavilleri.

He picked up after three rings. « Hello ? »

« Hey, Don Corleone ? There are armed men chasing me, » I chirped, trying my best not to let my fear show.

« Kestrel ! » He said.

« The one and only, » I said.

« What do you mean chasing you ? » He asked, bored.

« Give the phone to Arianna, » I snapped.

« Ari’s not with me, » he said.

« Aren’t you two on a flight to nowhere ? The Himalayas ? » I asked. He truly sounded perplexed but with Dean, it was hard to tell.

He cursed softly. « She went, that stupid, stupid girl. »

« Dean ? Dean where is Arianna ? » I demanded. What was Ari up to ?

« Kestrel, where is Arianna ?! » He asked, a touch of panic lacing his voice now.

« I told you ! » I yelled, « She’s on a flight to some hydroelectric power plant in the Himalayan ! »

« Stop lying, » he snapped.

« Dean, I have people chasing me ! I’m not lying ! » I insisted. The same panic was now evident in my voice as I spoke. Was he going to help me ?

He cursed once more and clicked the phone shut.

« Dean ? » I asked.

No reply, the line was dead. That bastard. I should probably use the third firework as a ‘gift’ for him. Assuming I got out of this alive, that is.

What had happened to Arianna ? Why would she lie ? She never lied to me.

I felt unwanted tears sting my eyes, making my vision murkier than it already was.

Arianna was gone. Something had happened and I knew it.

Dean wouldn’t help me.

I had stolen a car and there were five dangerous men on my tail.

To think that I was whining about math homework only last night. A sob fought it’s way out of my chest. No, I couldn’t lose it now. I had to wait till I was safe.

I drove towards the metropolitan area of Chicago. There were people there, anyone who wanted to hurt me would think twice if they had an audience, right ? I spied a wallet on the dashboard of the car and pulled over at a mall. I needed shoes and some food and water.

The wallet, unfortunately had no identity cards or driver’s licences, not even credit cards. Who were they ? They were probably not from the Cavilleri Mafia. The wallet had about a thousand dollars in cash, though. My first stroke of good luck.

I drove into the parking lot of a random bank and checked the glove compartment. Some papers tumbled into my palms. Upon further inspection, I realised they were documents about the car and insurance papers. That was a start. I could use them to see who the car belonged to.

I walked out and walked barefoot to the mal people stopped, stared and whispered but I wasn’t one who cared what people thought and I wasn’t going to start now. First get shoes, then get food. The cool air-conditioning made the sweat on my neck and palms freeze and my feet felt cool against the tiled floor, it was relaxing, somehow. I walked into Skechers.