(Mis)fortune (3 page)

He studied me closely with a slightly troubled expression.  I could guess at what he saw.

“You’re tired.  Can you drive for a few miles?”

Could I?  I didn’t have a choice.  We needed to keep running.  So I nodded.

“I’ll follow you to make sure these two don’t.”

Gratitude swamped me.

“Need help getting your kids in?” he said as he looked down at Aden and Liam.

My kids?  I didn’t correct him.  Physically, I looked older than my nineteen years.  The last several years had matured me.

“No, but thanks.”

He stayed close as I opened the back door for the boys.  I made Liam crawl through first with an order not to look out the window.  They both listened immediately, wide-eyed and quiet.

Once the boys were in, the man held my door for me.  He leaned on the frame, watching me as I buckled.  Worry lined his face.

“Just drive south,” he said.  “I’ll be right behind you.”

I nodded, and his eyes glided over my face in another close study before he closed the door.  He’d most likely been trying to figure out how long I would be able to drive.  I honestly wasn’t sure.

His motorcycle roared to life, a signal that I needed to put my key in the ignition.  I didn’t look to the right as I backed out of our spot, but I knew I’d cleared all prone forms when I didn’t hit any speed bumps.  The persistent roar of the motorcycle reassured me as I pulled out of the parking lot and headed south just as he’d said.  After a few minutes, we passed the town’s sign thanking us for visiting.

The adrenaline from the confrontation stayed with me for a few more miles then I started to slump.

The motorcycle suddenly grew louder, and I checked my mirrors, only swerving a little at the distraction.  He pulled out from behind me as if to pass but, instead, stayed next to me.  I spared a quick glance at him.  He rode with his visor up so I could see his troubled eyes.

He pointed to a spot in front of us—a small combination used car lot, junkyard, and farm implement supplier—and motioned for me to pull over.  I nodded, fumbled for the blinker, and braked firmly.  Thankfully, I’d pressed the correct pedal.  I turned onto the gravel driveway still going a bit too fast, and my tires slid over the gravel for a few feet, making my backend swerve.  I barely managed to pull to the side and park.

Heart racing from the wild turn, I put my head back against the headrest, closed my eyes, and willed myself to stop shaking.  The boys remained mute behind me.  I knew I needed to reassure them, not just about my driving but also about our future.  I didn’t know what I could say that wouldn’t end up as a lie.  Would everything be okay?  David had found us, they could follow our vehicle, and I appeared to be listening to a complete stranger.  No, I had nothing.

A knock on my window made me jump.  The man stood next to my door, his motorcycle already parked behind him.  He eyed me with concern.  I hadn’t even noticed the roar of his engine die.  This close I could distinguish the deep blue of his eyes from his pupils.  I cautiously rolled down the window a few inches.

“You were starting to swerve,” he said quietly, stuffing his hands in his pockets.  “How long since you last slept?”

I didn’t want to admit that the swerving was just the way I drove.  I considered his question.  About thirty-three hours if I counted the very short nap I’d taken while stopped at a stop sign until someone had honked at me.  I knew people could survive a heck of a lot longer than that without sleeping.  I wasn’t sure
I
could go much longer, though.

“It’s been a while.”  My voice came out scratchy.

“That man, David, hinted this was how he followed you,” he said gesturing to the car.

It took me a moment to catch up with his thinking, and I understood why he’d wanted me to pull over here specifically.  I needed a different car.

I looked at the single small building on the property.  A man stood just outside the door, watching us.  When the man noticed my attention, he started walking toward us.  My stomach flipped and not in a good way.  I had no idea what I was doing.

“Come on, guys.  Let’s unbuckle and get out.  Stay close,” I said unnecessarily.  The man backed up so I could open my door.  He glanced at the salesman then turned his attention back to us...me.

I really needed to ask his name, but the salesman wasted no time closing the distance between us.

“Howdy, folks.  What can I do for you?”

“I need a different car,” I said while Aden climbed out and moved close to me.  Liam already stood at my side.  I gently ran my fingers through their hair, trying to give them what comfort I could without being obvious about it.

“A trade?” the salesman said.  I nodded, and he looked thoughtful.  “To be honest, your car is probably worth two of any of the cars I have.”

I glanced at my mother’s car.  The bright red paint sparkled in the afternoon sun.  I didn’t know a thing about cars, but even four years old, it still looked new.  Part of me wanted to cry at the thought of leaving it behind.  I had nothing else of hers.  When we’d run, we’d run fast, just as Richard had said.  I hadn’t even grabbed any clothes.

“It’s okay,” I lied.  “The insurance on this thing is too much for me.  I need something worth a little less to bring down the premiums.”  Not bad for someone using the few cells still awake in her brain.  Even locked away as long as I’d been, I wasn’t completely clueless.  Blake often rewarded good premonitions with simple things like magazines and books.

We trailed behind the dealer as he moved through the collection of vehicles on his tiny lot.  He showed us a dark blue truck flecked with bits of rust.  It had dual gas tanks, but I would probably only get half the mileage I’d been getting.  Not that it mattered.  I still had a good chunk of Richard’s cash.

“I’ll take it,” I said firmly.  The motorcycle man looked a little surprised that I’d agreed right away.  I didn’t care about fair deals.  I just wanted to keep moving.

“Come inside, and we’ll sign the papers.  Do you have the title with you?”

It took me a moment to process his request.  Title.  Paperwork from Richard.  Glovebox.

“Yes, I think so.  Let me go get it.”

“I’ll get it for you and move your things,” the man said from behind me, making me glad he hadn’t left yet.  My thoughts didn’t flow as quickly as they should.

The boys and I walked to the office building with the salesman.  The motorcycle man joined us a few minutes later with the papers from the glovebox.  It didn’t take us very long.

We walked out of the office fifteen minutes later with the truck’s unfamiliar keys biting into my palm.  I questioningly glanced at the motorcycle man as he walked next to us.  Why hadn’t he taken off yet?  It wasn’t that I minded him being there.  It was just unexpected, as was his motorcycle already sitting in the bed of the truck.

“I hope you’ll accept my help for a little longer.  You need to move from here, but you don’t look like you’ll be able to stay awake for very long.”  He glanced from me to the boys, who craned their necks to look up at him.

Since my driving sucked even when I was well rested, I needed to think of the boys.  If I got behind the wheel, I’d be just as dangerous as David.  But could I consider the man in front of us any less dangerous?  He’d just beaten two men with apparent ease, and I still didn’t know his name.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Emmitt, for now.  When you’re more awake, I’ll give you whatever details you want.”

I nodded, too tired to think of another option.  Accepting a stranger’s help was better than falling asleep somewhere and risking recapture.  If that happened, it wouldn’t be me who Blake would punish.  I gently squeezed Aden’s and Liam’s hands.

Emmitt walked with us to the passenger door and held it open while we piled in.  The truck only had a single bench seat; we would be driving illegally for a while.  I put Liam in first and kissed the top of his head.  After putting Aden next to him, I buckled them in together.  Out the back window, I noticed the car seats in the bed with the motorcycle.

I settled myself into my own tight space aware that Emmitt was waiting until I buckled up to close the door.  As he walked around the hood of the truck, his eyes scanned the road, the direction from which we’d come, and it made me glad he was still with us.  Plus, I liked looking at him.  My stomach agreed.

He slid into his own seat, asked Liam if he had enough room, then started the truck.  He pulled out and nodded to the salesman as we passed.

“Which direction should I head?” he said after a few minutes of silence.

The sound of his voice startled my eyes open.  I couldn’t remember closing them.

“Doesn’t matter,” I said as I drifted again.

Aden pressed against my side.  I felt him reach over and run his fingers through my hair, his security blanket.

For the next few hours, I lightly dozed.  Each time I surfaced, I heard Emmitt talking to the boys.  Mostly he played I-spy with them or talked about things like favorite foods.  Despite his efforts, the boys remained quiet.  The sound of his calm voice and Aden’s hand in my hair reassured me enough so I could sink into a light doze again.

When we stopped moving, my still gritty eyes popped open.  We sat in the parking lot of a motel.  The sun hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows everywhere.

“Michelle, the kids could use a break, and I think you’d benefit from some real sleep,” he said.

I liked his smooth voice but didn’t care for his suggestion.  Stopping at a motel with a strange man?  Bad idea.

“How about I get the three of you a room while I stay with the truck?”

Oh.  Well, that didn’t sound so bad.  But I still cast a worried glance at the keys.  If he took off while we slept, we would be screwed.  I didn’t have enough cash to buy a new car.  When I looked back at him, he was studying me.

“You can hang onto the truck keys, of course,” he said.

The idea of a bed called to me.  Just three or four hours.  Then we could move again.  I grudgingly nodded my acceptance.

He told the boys to keep an eye on me as he opened his door and stepped out.  Before he closed it, he pressed the lock down.  I reached over to lock mine, but it already was.  I didn’t remember doing it.

I glanced at the boys who gazed after Emmitt, tracking his purposeful stride across the blacktop to the office.  They looked a little curious.

“How did it go while I was sleeping?” I asked them.

“He’s nice,” Liam said quietly.  “He played games with us like you do.  He stopped because Aden has to go.”

I looked over at Aden who nodded.  We’d driven a long time, again, especially since they’d each had a large apple juice at the last stop.

“Sorry, buddy.  You could have woken me.”

“Emmitt said you were tired.  He said we could wake you up if we were scared but should try not to,” Liam said.

I thoughtfully studied the motel, a single story structure with russet wood siding.  It looked like something from the seventies but seemed well maintained on the outside.  Emmitt really seemed to be trying to help us.  He was doing way more than what just some guy who’d been in the right place at the right time would do.  But why?

He came out with a room key just then.  He held it up and smiled at the boys.  His gaze met mine briefly, and my heart fluttered.  Troubled, I looked away.  I needed sleep.  My emotions were all over the place.  He was just being nice and didn’t need some silly teen constantly staring at him because she didn’t have her head on straight.

Climbing back into the cab, he apologized to Aden for taking so long then moved the truck to park it directly in front of the room’s window.  With a small smile, he handed me the room key and the truck key then quickly got out to open the door for me.

I didn’t know who he was beyond his first name, or why he wanted to help, but I wasn’t ready to question him.  I wearily climbed out of the truck and helped lift the boys down.

He waited by the truck as I tried to unlock the door.  When I failed the second attempt, he came over and held out his hand.  I willingly surrendered the key and backed up a step to give him room.  He slid the key into the lock, and the door immediately clicked open.

“If you need anything, I’ll be right here.  Yell, and I promise I’ll hear you.”  He moved aside to let us into the room.

Before I could walk passed him, he caught my hand.  I turned in surprise.  He lifted my hand, placed the key in my palm, and wrapped my fingers around it.  I realized I would have walked into the room without asking for the key back.

Trying not to dwell on his warm touch, I nodded, stepped into the room, and closed the door.  I watched through the peephole as he went back to the truck and got comfortable.  He didn’t lock the doors for himself as he had for us.  He closed his eyes and appeared to sleep right away.

I clicked the bolt into place and tiredly turned around.  Aden and Liam stood beside me, watching.

“Both of you use the bathroom,” I said, bending to kiss their foreheads.

Aden made a beeline for the toilet, and I shook my head.  Poor guy.

I looked around the room.  It appeared clean enough with a queen-sized bed, television, and small table for eating.  Honestly, it could have been a cave with a pile of straw in a corner, and I would have found it inviting.

Pulling back the bed covers, I kicked off my shoes and listened to the boys giggle as they washed.  The bed tempted me, but as soon as my head hit the pillow, I knew I’d be out.  I waited until they finished in the bathroom.

“I like Emmitt,” Liam said softly after taking off his shoes.  Aden did the same and nodded.

“I’m glad you like him.  I think he might be willing to help us for a while.  At least until I get some real sleep.”

They climbed up on the bed.  I knew they weren’t tired but would stay close to me while I slept.  Thankfully, the room had cable with a cartoon channel.  I showed Liam how to turn on the television then went to use the bathroom.  As I washed my hands, I saw a plastic-wrapped cup on the bathroom counter.  I opened it, filled it with water, and brought it back to the bed with me.  Liam watched me set it on the nightstand.

“Use this on my face if you need to wake me up fast,” I said.  He looked at me in surprise.  “It’s okay, buddy.  Use it if you think you need to.  I won’t be upset.”