Terrible Friend

Chapter 17

"Absolutely not!" Beverly exclaims.

Albert recoils  as the sound and tone of her voice booms in his face. 

"I can't believe you would even suggest it!"

"Well, technically, I didn't. Jax did. Is it not possible?" Albert put his hands up to defend himself if the question pushed her over the edge.

"Of course he did, and no, it's not impossible. It's just...complicated, and THE WORST IDEA EVER!"  Beverly bowed up in Albert's face again.

"Okay, look. You're a lady, and I know Jax is inside me, but I can't have you bowing up on me like that. I have my limits and you are pushing them being up in my face like this. Yelling at Jax and not me doesn't make it ok."

"You're right. I'm sorry." Beverly turned away and looked at the ground.

"I get that it's not the best idea ever, but I think it's the best idea we've got.  It's  been a long and trying day. Let's sleep on it. If nothing else comes to us by morning, we can explore it again. Deal?"

Beverly rubbed between her eyes. "Yeah. That sounds like a good plan. Revisit it in the morning. go on home. I'll close up here and head there myself. Meet back here around 9am?"

"Nine sharp. Right here. Got it. Good night Beverly."  Albert showed himself out.

***

Albert climbs into his truck and heads toward the house. He is extremely tempted to pass the house and head straight for the beach. "It's a little too early and it would still be crowded with people. No rest in that." he said out loud to no one. 

<Plus, the last place you want to be if the monks attack again is out on a crowded beach.> Jax replies.

Albert heads toward the house.  "Tomorrow we will figure things out and sort out how we are  going to find the occult of the shadow ninja monks. Tonight, we rest." 

Beverly had told him the name of the group but it hadn't registered with his brain and at the moment, he was too tired to care.

Albert looks in his mirror and sees a long black car that he had seen parked at the gallery. He drove past it as he left. He hadn't given it any thought at the time, but it was now behind him. He was still in the heart of town, so he decided not to panic.

He and Jax had their first calm and collected conversation in a long time. They discussed Jax's past. Albert wanted to know what it was that made Beverly so angry with him, but he avoided asking the question. The last thing he wanted right now was to get Jax all riled up. The quiet conversation was new and he found he was actually enjoying not being completely alone at the moment.

Jax made jokes about shadow ninja monks and Albert laughed. He told him that it was the best way he could think of to describe them. Jax understood, but told Albert that he watches way too much tv. Albert guessed he was right.

When Albert had driven about 20 more minutes he looked in the mirror and found that the black car was still behind him. He had already passed the point where most traffic turned off and was nearly to the turn off toward his house. He quickly eyeballed the fuel gauge and inhaled. He didn't remember exhaling.

His gut was now screaming at him that this was not simply someone going the same direction as him. There wasn't much out where he lived. He decided rather than sit here and panic, he would test it.

Albert pressed on the accelerator and clenched the steering wheel. He knew this stretch of road pretty well and could get away with almost 80 miles an hour before he would have to slow down for the curve up ahead. He had taken the curve at about 10 miles over the posted speed limit of forty miles an hour, but anything faster than that was asking for trouble.

When the black car didn't shrink off in the distance, he knew. He was being followed. "Shit!" Albert took a deep breath.

<What? What's wrong? You didn't forget to fill up the gas tank again did you?>

"No, we are good on gas, at the moment. We aren't going straight home though."

<Why, what's up?>

"We are being followed."

<Followed by what?>

"A car? What else would be following us?"

<I don't know. Could be anything at this point. Disappearing shadow ninja monks?>

"Probably."

<How do you know they are following us?>

"Because I am driving at dangerous speeds and they are keeping up."

<Oh. Well...what are you going to do? There's not exactly anywhere to lose them out here.>

"I know." Albert's thoughts were racing. He knew what was coming up and had to think quickly. He couldn't go home. His gut advised him against it. As long as they kept moving and the car was only following, but that would only last so long. It was nearing dark and soon it would be difficult to see anything out in the middle of nowhere.

<What are you going to do Albert?>

Albert didn't have a plan worked out. He slammed on the breaks. The small pick up skid and dovetailed. He punched the accelerator again and got back up to speed. The car was far enough behind to avoid slamming into the back of him. It backed off but sped up again as soon as he did.

Albert's heart started to race. Sweat was building on his brow. Jax kept up with the questioning. Panic washed through Albert making it difficult for him to think straight.

He slammed on the breaks again and turned the wheel sharply to the right. The trucks wheels skidded and squealed on the pavement as they hugged and made a sharp turn on to Ivermine road. Once he was around the corner and the truck was going in the right direction, he floored it again.

Albert chuckled when he checked his mirrors and watched the black car pass the turn off. It skidded to a stop and backed up. It made the turn behind him and in a moment flat was on his tail again. There was no doubt he was being followed now. "Shit!"

Albert pressed so hard on the gas that he was certain his foot was going to go through the old rusted floor of his pick up. He needed to find out why they were following him. It had been a day full of disbelief and not know and he had reached his limit on it. He slammed his boot hard on the breaks. The poor old pick up shook and shimmied as it slid to a stop in the middle of the gravel road.

Albert slammed the gearshift into park and jerked the handle on the door. He shoved the door open while he unhooked his seat belt. He reached up under the seat and pulled out a metal pipe. He kept it there for protection, but to date had never needed it. He didn't believe in guns and had never needed one, but at the moment was wishing he had something a little more menacing than an old metal pipe.

He stepped out away from the truck and waited. He knew that as quickly as they had been traveling a collision was likely. He wanted to make sure he was out of the way when it happened. He managed about 4 steps toward the side of the narrow dirt road when he heard sliding on the gravel and the loud crunch of aluminum and fiberglass scraping against steel.

When Albert turned around, it was just in time to see both vehicles meld into one and slide forward about twenty feet. They weren't playing around.