The ashes we left behind

Chapter 22

The sound of the police's siren, followed by Asher shouting insults wake me up. I sit on my butt, my hip still hurting but less.

"What is happening?" I ask in a tired voice.

"It's obvious, isn't it?!" he shouts angrily.

"Why are they following us?" I ask.

"Do you want me to list you the reasons?"

No need. We stole the motorcycle, things from the grocery store and the car we are in.

"Stop the car!" I suddenly cry.

"What-

"Stop it. Trust me."

The idea I've got is risked but if we don't try, we'll be screwed. Surprisingly, Asher listens to me. It's something none of the gang's member would have done. Not even Hailey.

"Do you still have some strength left?" I ask.

"I guess. Why?"

"The cops. We have to knock them out."

Asher laughs. "Impossible."

"Too late", I say. The car is already stopping behind us. I hide between the back of Asher's seat and the backseats. "Don't let him know I'm here."

Asher opens the window the moment the cop arrives to us by walking. There is only one cop. Easier!

"What's up, sir?" Asher talks first.

"I have to ask you to get out of the car with your hands behind head."

"Sure."

When Asher opens the door, he bumps it against the cop who moans. Then, he gets out of the car and beats the cop. I join him in order to help. We try to neutralize him. Since we're two against one, the cop has no chance to win. Even though he fights as much as he can, he ends up in his own car's trunk. We lock him there.

"We can't leave him here", I say.

"Of course we can", Asher replies without a trace of amusement. He comes back to the car. I follow him not believing what he's willing to do.

"No!"

"Mackenzie", he says coldly. "Get in the car."

"He can die there."

"No, he won't. His friends are probably already looking for him"

"But-

"Get in the car", he shouts this time.

"No!" I shout back.

I don't wait for him to react. Indeed, I walk to the cop's car and take his walkie-talkie. I press on the central button from where a voice says, "Officer Benson?"

"Officer Benson is in need of help. Can you come pick him up?"

"Who are you? Where is he?"

"I don't know." I look around me. "Somewhere in a highway. There is a forest and –

Before I could finish, someone takes the walkie-talkie away from me and bangs it against the car until it doesn't function anymore. Asher...

"What the hell did you just do?" I ask him as he glares at me.

"What the hell did you do? That's the question." He keeps getting angrier.

"I wanted to help and you came and-

"You want us to get caught?!"

I shake my head. "No... Of course not!"

"Because of you, they'll be able to locate his car and find us!"

Shit!

"I didn't take it this way," I start to apologize until I realize that I did it enough those past days with the gang. "But you don't have to blame me for that!"

They all blame me for my mistakes. I'm tired.

"I'm not blaming you", he says, finding his calmness back.

"Getting mad at me because I made a mistake is called blaming"

"Because it's the truth."

I look at him for a long moment. He becomes less clear because of the tears. I'm tired of crying again and again.

I don't say a word. I walk to the car we stole and sit on the passenger seat. Asher sits next to me and starts to drive. I look at the endless forest by the window.

It takes him ten minutes to finally break the silence, "I didn't know you were that sensitive."

I don't answer. It's all he's looking for anyway.