Forked Roads Back

PROLOGUE part 2 - MATT

MY SHOULDER IS KILLING me. I don't have to look at it to know it's got glass in it, but I grit my teeth and grip tighter onto the steering wheel, wanting to keep control.

"Matt, you okay?" Archie shouts.

I nod, grimacing as I push the car faster to get away from Richard.

"I'm fine. But let's get out of here," I shout over the noise of the road. Fire is spreading through my shoulder but I ignore it as I push the car faster. With my window now blown out, the noise of the road is almost unbearable as it combines with the new sound of metal dragging against tarmac.

"Arch, try to ring someone," I shout, panicked.

He fumbles for his phone, dropping it three times as his hands are shaking so much.

"It's not working!" He shouts, hitting a number for the sixth time as I check behind my shoulder before risking pushing into the fast lane. "No one's picking up."

"It's okay. That's our exit," I say, nodding to the gantry above us. "We can make it."

I pull left but I'm immediately buffeted sideways as Richard crashes us into the crash barrier.  This time, though, that crash is supplemented with the most blood-curdling scream I've ever heard. It takes me a minute to work out where it's coming from, but I soon realise they're Archie's screams. He's holding his left leg, and as I risk a look down, I feel like I want to be sick as I realise why.

His entire left shin bone has cracked in two, and is now protruding from his leg. And even after one look I know it's bleeding badly enough to merit the screams, and I'm now thinking we need to head for a hospital, not the fucking airport.

"Archie!?" I yell.

His screams are now muffled as he bites his lip hard, but I don't have time to check he's okay before I see Richard poised to take another swing. My heart is in my mouth as I hit the brakes quickly, watching as he swings and misses before I spot a large lorry in the middle lane I can hide the car behind.

I feel like I'm an extra in Fast and the Furious as I start tapping at the LCD screen on the dashboard but nothing seems to be working. All I can hear is static, which means the screen is broken. And it means we're on our own.

Quickly looking in my mirrors before moving from the cover of the lorry, I push my car forward again, aiming for the next exit. I can't see Richard so I just keep my eyes on the road, both hands tight on the wheel, praying he doesn't come at us again. Neither of us can take another hit like that.

And I speak too soon... and it's Archie's side that's hit again. This time the window blows out and the door caves in, glass falling all over him as he screams again, his head snapping sideways sickeningly, blood already pouring from a large cut in his forehead. The road is even more deafening now that both of our windows have shattered, but as Archie's head starts to loll, I ignore that and shout to keep him awake.

My shouts seem to be falling on deaf ears for nearly two minutes as he goes unconscious. But then he jumps awake as we're rammed from behind, causing me to take my hands off the wheel. The car veers dangerously to the left, but I get control before I'm hit again.

What the fuck does Richard think he's doing?

"Matt, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Archie keeps repeating it over and over, gripping his leg, which is covered in blood and looks sickeningly painful.

"Arch, don't!" I shout, thinking I must have said my thoughts out loud a minute ago. "He's fucking nuts."

As if proving my point, Richard hits us again and again, and I can see in my mirror that the traffic behind us has completely stopped. The sound of sirens in the distance is music to my ears, but I have no idea whether that's just my ears playing tricks or how far away they are. All I know is that if we take one more hit at the wrong angle... I'm not even sure either one of us will survive. Not from the way Richard keeps coming at us.