Sleight of Hand [Show 'em Who's Boss #1]

27: Motorphobia

Slowly I peeped over my shoulder. “Oh, I might,” challenged Jakob as he aimed a gun at my head. I had to take a risk here. Realistically, was Jakob going to kill me? Probably not, although I couldn’t have predicted the game that would follow, but at the time I was convinced that he at least cared about me enough to let me live. This was all a game to him, right? No one needed to die.

     He was worried that I was going to scam him too, so he was going to take the money for himself but I wasn't going to let that happen. That, now that I think about it, totally confirmed his worries. Unless I found a way to make a statement but there was hardly time for that. I needed to get out of there alive and get to James.

     I lifted up my left hand and showed him my shoelace engagement ring. “Well, screw you Jakob Darke.” I tore the shoelace from my hand and let it fall to the floor.

     And I ran from the room, clutching my money close to my chest. Not another gun sounded as I left the building, but footsteps started after me. My guess was that at least Jakob and my father were chasing after me, maybe more of them. I ran out into the cover of the forest and wove in and out of the trees in the hope of losing my pursuers, and then I silently thanked James Morrisby when I saw a car parked in the distance. When I’d asked him earlier to get hold of a car and leave it here for me to make a quick getaway, he had asked whether I actually knew how to drive and if I’d passed the driving tests. In the past it had been no secret that I had been dubious about learning to drive and for that I’d been ridiculed, but secretly I was scared because of what happened to my mother. In that moment I had no other option though. I had to drive, even though I’d only had a few lessons and hadn’t even considered taking the tests.

     What scared me the most was just how dangerous this car journey could be if any of them caught up with me. I certainly didn't want to repeat the past so it was important that I got away.

     I jumped into the driver’s seat of the car and put the briefcase full of money on the passenger seat. James had left the keys in the glove compartment, so I took them out and started the engine. Then it was just a case of racing through the list in my mind I’d memorised to drive this thing. Engine on, clutch down, select first gear, gas, find the bite, hand break down and the car began to move. I'd missed a mirror check somewhere in there but that was the least of my concerns.

     The next stage of my plan was to meet James Morrisby at a café on the outskirts of town. There I would dump this car and we’d find another form of transport out of town. After that I had no idea what to do, but I knew that I had to make good on the promises I’d given James.

     Once I was out onto the main road I kept looking over my shoulder to see if anyone had caught up with me. Every time I did the car swerved dangerously onto the other side of the road. Obviously they hadn’t considered the fact that I might get into a car and drive off because there was no one in sight.

     Just as I thought that I was safe, a familiar truck came into my line of sight in the rear view mirror. The vehicle gathered speed and grew closer until it bumped the back of my car.

     “For fuck’s sake, give up already!”

     I made the car speed up but I was beginning to panic. The world outside was rushing past so quickly and I knew that if something happened then I might not be able to react fast enough. It was likely that I could have a very serious accident if Jakob kept hitting my car. That was my biggest fear. I did not want to end up like my mother. So I slowed down a little before swerving across the road, completing an almost perfect U-turn. I smiled and waved at Jakob as I passed him but it didn't take him long to make the exact same move and get straight begins me again. I'd anticipated that and quickly turned off onto a side road at the last minute, leaving Jakob on the main road behind me. I sped up again and was relieved for second that he'd vanished.     

     Suddenly something hit my car again and it spun out of control straight into a tree. Thank god for seat belts and airbags.

     As the car hit the tree I'm ashamed to admit that I screamed and cried uncontrollably but I was absolutely terrified. I got through it with barely a scratch but I was truly shaken. Was that what it was like for my mum just moments before her death? I don't know much about the accident but I hear the car turned upside down and rolled several times down a hill.

    A figure appeared beside the passenger door. Jakob forced the door open and grabbed the case full of money before coming around the other side of the car to help me. He was particularly rough about it and didn't seem to care that I'd just been through what must have been the most traumatic experience of my life.

     "Don't you dare take my money," I manage to choke out in my most threatening tone as he dragged my away from the car. I was shaking violently and every step was difficult on wobbly legs.

     "You don't scare me, Ebony," he replied with a smile. "But don't worry; I won't take the money yet. Let's play a game to decide who gets to keep it."

     And now you know how we got to the deadly game of fate. Not far from the car crash site was the warehouse where this had begun. We began the game in the same room that James had been held in after his kidnap.

    Jakob had the gun I'd threatened my father with, the same gun if killed two men with; the instrument that had been the source of so much torment. That's the gun we're playing the deadly game with.

★★★

Motorphobia: fear of automobiles

Quick (but not really that quick) author's note:

1) The name has been changed because I don't think 'Show 'em Who's Boss' fits the story that much anymore.  2) This was short because it's a kind of part two for the last chapter. 3) There is only one chapter left now, unless I split that one in two as well. 4) I should have been writing my Camp NaNoWriMo story instead of this but I thought it would be cruel to leave this story without any updates for another whole month when it's so close to the end. 5) THANK YOU SO MUCH IF YOU'RE STILL READING THIS STORY! And don't forget to vote, comment and share with your friends :)