Elysian House: Edge of the World (3)

Chapter 16: Chased

Del

If I wasn't so concentrated on the road ahead and avoiding collisions with other citizen drivers, I may have laughed at the absurdity of the Bittens behind us.

I knew full well that Riley did not speak to her father about anything that has been going on in Elysian House and I also knew that they sought out him, in the hopes that he may know something about our plan to take down Snow. Snow would need to find a better tactic than prey on humans.

The car skidded around the other cars ahead and I didn't even stop for the stop sign.

The moment the guys in the car behind us realize what we're doing, they take off as well, slamming on the accelerator and taking off like a torpedo after us.

Riley is in the passenger seat, with her eyes squeezed shut and her hands gripping the dash in front of her.

"Del, if you don't want me to puke in your car, you'll slow down!" Jasmin hollers from the back seat.

I shake my head at the two, and then remember I'm a bit more used to this kind of thing than them.

But there was no time for pity.

"Roll down the window and puke, then, Jasmin. We can't stop," I take a sharp turn, which nearly sends the car upside down. And then it skids all the way around until I've done a full 360.

The car comes rolling after us, and then it slams on the breaks, until we're both facing each other, peering into one another's windshields.

"Del, what are you doing?" Riley asks.

I ignore her.

I hear the growl of their engine as the driver presses on the acceleration, without taking off. Challenging me to go.

An idea pops into my head and I smirk.

"Jasmin, listen up, I have a plan."

"Oh, no," Jasmin groans, holding onto her stomach.

"I'm going to lose them for a second, just to make them lose sight. Jasmin, you're going to get out as soon as the coast is clear and you're going to go to Riley's Dad's house, tell him to pack his things and then we're going to make a break for his house, in five minutes. We'll keep them distracted until then, but be fast."

"Anything to get me out of this car," Jasmin's green face presses against the glass of the window.

"Hold on tight," I say and then slam on the gas, taking off right toward the black car ahead of us. I make a turn at the very last second, going right past them and lining up with their windows for only a second before vanishing down the road again.

I peer up through the rear view mirror and watch them struggle to be fast to turn around and follow us.

I make a quick turn, into an alleyway and keep going fast until we've come out onto the other side of the block and made a quick drive out to a park, surrounded by children.

It would take Jasmin only a minute to get to Riley's Dad's house from here, if she ran.

I slammed on the breaks and the tires squealed. As soon as the car is stopped, Jasmin flings open the door and jumps out.

"Five minutes, Jasmin, be ready," I tell her before she shuts the door.

When the door closes, and Jasmin is sprinting through someone's lawn, I take off again.

Once we're back on one of the main roads, I see the same car on our tail again. Completely unknowing of what we'd just done.

"We have to keep them occupied until Jasmin's ready," I turn to Riley, as I roll down her window. "What better way to do that than show them we have exactly who they're after?"