Ride or Die

Chapter 18: Hold the wheel.

Peter races through the underground lot, weaving among the concrete column.

"He's too fast!" Shouted a Detective.

As Peter threads narrow gasps between the columns, trying to open some distance on the cops, I find myself watching him instead of what's around me. I'm mesmerized by his hands, his movements, his pedal work.

"Hit him with X20!" Commanded my dad. One of the detectives rolls his window and aims a contraption at us.

"I've got him." Ensured the detective. He shoots as Peter steers to dodge. A small projective flits by the window. "Dammin I missed them." Cursed the detective.

"Then I'll do it." Said my father." Dad grabs one of the same devices from his center console , aims out of the window and fires. I hear a loud plunk against the left side of the prototype.

"What was that?" I asked concerned. Peter checks his side view. A small electronic device blinks a blue light low on the car's hull.

"Damn it! They hit us with a GPS tracker! I've got to knock that thing off." He shouts. "Bailey hold the wheel."

"Hold the what?" Peter grabs my hands and presses them to the steering wheel.

"I'll be right back." He ensured me. Peter rolls down his window and, keeping his foot on the gas, climbs halfway out of the car.

"Peter!" I shouted scared that he will fall.

"I can reach it." He said to make me calm down. I clench the wheel tight. I keep the wheel straight and the car flies down the parking aisle. "You got it. I can almost reach it."

Peter stretches, half his body out of the window. Concrete columns whip by, dangerously close. And up ahead the parking structure ends in a solid way.

"Uh Peter?" I asked but he didn't answer. "Peter! We're out of runway!"

"Rip the handbrake and the counter-steer." He calmly commanded. The car drifts around the turn, barely sliding sideways between a column and a wall.

Peter strains, and knocks off the tracker with the tip of his fingers. "Got it!" He slides back to the driver's seat.

Behind us Dad's pursuit at full speed, Brooke in the passenger's seat.

"Damn, how'd he do that?" Asked my father surprised.

"Whoa! We can't make it that! Slow down!" Instructed detective Brooke. Dad's car brakes as Peter loops back toward the exit ramp.

"The other cops are still blocking the exit ramp." I observed.

"Gotta find an other way out."

"There! That gate!" Peter smashes the car through a lower mental granting blocking an other tunnel. "This isn't a way out!" A sign whips past, pointing to the mall in one direction and the loading dock in the other.

"Which way?"

"The loading dock!" I shouted. "There's gotta be a way out there, right?" I put my hand on Peter's hand, which was on the steering hand and we both turn wheel left and floors it. The tunnel opens up into a spacious empty loaded dock, but the trucks are blocking the way to the docks.

I notice an empty, large trailer of an unloaded semi.

"Peter, how wide this car is?"

"You're thinking what I'm thinking?" Peter skids a stop and reserves into the empty trailer.

Peter wriggles our of the window and pulls the trailer's doors behind him, sealing us in darkness. I sit alone in the dark, blood thundering in my ears, until Peter returns.

"Alright, we'll sit tight here a minute." He said. "Listen, Bailey, thank you for warning us, for helping me get this car out." He said and his hand touched my hand. His knuckles we're bleeding and a huge scratch was visible on his stomach. "Why did you? Why would you risk so much?"

"Maybe I want you to owe me one again."

"Well, I'm in your debt. Your wish is my command."

"Don't tempt me." I said and gently push Peter away from me. " I don't think Hans will be happy with me anyway. My dad—" he interrupts me.

"I don't care what Hans says and what your dad is. I'd never let anything happen to you."

"No need for bold declarations right now."

"Can't help myself." He says and smiles.

I lean in. Peter meets my halfway, leaning over the console and kissing me hard. Pulling me closer to him. I feel goosebumps all over my arms. My heart pounds impossibly faster.