Illumini

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Nick and Kate drove calmly down the Mass Pike.  They could feel the pressure finally lifting off them, that sense of relief that allowed them to breathe easier, think clearly again.  With this relaxation, they began to talk about what to do next.

Suddenly in the rear view mirror, Nick saw the flash of red lights, moving rapidly in the high-speed lane.  He tightened his grip on the wheel.  There was nowhere to go.

"Don't panic," he cringed.  "But we have some company."

"What?" Kate freaked, and turned around.  "Shit!"

For a second, the fleet of dark Dreads was directly behind them, and seemed to hesitate for an eternal second, in which Nick thought, if only for a moment, that they had found them.  Kate's mind spun at the thought of what was happening.  She refused to turn and look, kept her head down as though praying.  Then as quickly, they raced past them heading up the highway, with sirens wailing.

Nick could barely breathe, flushed with adrenalin that heightened sense of being on the run took a moment to pass.

"We have to get off the highway," he determined.

"There is an exit up ahead.  The sign indicated a half mile," Kate agreed.

Nick pulled into the slow lane and took the next exit.  At the bottom of the ramp, he slowed to allow the electronic toll to clearly scan the tag without problem.  His heart raced a little.  If they had identified the car they were driving, he would find out now.

A green "Thank You" light flashed quickly above, verifying that the transaction was approved and recorded.  He breathed a sigh of relief.  Once clear, they drove through some quiet neighborhood streets before turning onto Route 16 and heading west.

"Whew, that was close, Nick exhaled"

"Too close," she concluded.  "What are we going to do?

"I don't know," he groaned, as his mind spun through the multiple alternatives presented to him.  "We need to stick to some back roads for a while if we're going to make it down to DC."

"You think so?" she replied sarcastically, trying to lighten the moment.

"If they think we are heading west on 90, then we need to work our way south to 95," Nick ignored her.

"Agreed, let's get the hell out of here," a tight smile on her face, the pressure of events clearly starting to wear on her.

They drove down winding suburban lanes bordered by ancient stonewalls, along routes that Paul Revere and William Dawes once rode.

"Damn, this has all gone so wrong," Nick lamented.

"I guess," Kate sighed.  "I just never imagined the feds would come after us."

"That's what everybody thinks," Nick replied.  "It's always somebody else."

Kate was silent for a moment, staring out at the quiet road.

A part of Nick, deep within his psyche, still grated at the restraint of authority.  It had always been this way, for as long as he could remember he had questioned things, resisted what he was told.  As he got older, he accepted that it all started with his father.  How he struggled for his attention and approval, fought against his cold and aloof nature, raged against that calculated and controlled part of his father that he never understood.  Over the years, that anger turned outward, against all authority, in any form, seeking desperately for any response, any recognition, that would never truly be forthcoming.  He would never find the answers, even as his father grew older, and as he, himself grew older.  He learned pessimistically to live with the emotional disconnect, the resultant pain and emptiness in his life.  The anger and resentment were outwardly tamed, but smoldered below the surface, still testing, still pushing the envelope, still longing for that approval.