“I need you to drive,” he said.
He was already moving out from behind the wheel.
Gripping the steering wheel, I considered protesting, but realized it was too late as he crawled into the passenger seat to my right and leaned between the seats to retrieve the gym bag from the back seat of the car.
Watching him, I perched on the edge of the driver’s seat to compensate for his long legs, gaining control of the car before I fumbled for the knob to move the chair.
I forgot about both things when a booming sound vibrated the sides of the car.
I ducked as I felt nicks from more shards of glass, glancing at the ragged hole punched through a rear side window.
The trucker accelerated from a few lanes over, leaning out his cab.
Revik opened the black gym bag, and pulled out a shotgun that looked like law-enforcement issue. He dug around in the bag for a box of shells. Cracking the cardboard open one-handed once he found it, he dumped a pile in his lap, then began methodically loading the Remington 870 with deft fingers.
He paused, giving me a quizzical look.
“How do you know that?” he said. “About the gun.”
I looked at him, blank, then at the gun. “Old boyfriend.” When Revik went back to loading, I said, “What are you going to do? You can’t just shoot them all.”
He continued loading the gun, not answering at first.
Then he glanced up at me again, his voice flat, “You have the right to lodge a formal complaint regarding my methods with the Council once we arrive. They will hear you, and with a great deal of sympathy...I assure you. But reminding me of the damage I’m doing to my soul won’t help either of us right now, Allie.”
I stared at him uncomprehendingly, saw no hint of sarcasm. When he seemed to be expecting a response, I could only nod.
“Okay. Sure.”
“Thank you.” He chambered the first shell with a smooth jerk of his hand, then leaned out the window.
I watched in the mirror as he aimed at the truck, firing as soon as he leveled the barrel.
The truck swerved and his shot went wide.
Revik aimed again.
He hit the grill that time, and the truck swerved behind another 18-wheeler.
Revik sat back, his pale eyes locked on the mirrors. I heard a bleep of loudspeaker and turned, saw a Washington State police car pull up alongside us. Inside, a red-faced officer leaned back stiffly in his seat, driving and glaring at us while his partner aimed a shotgun at Revik.
“Pull over!” the driver yelled. “Right now!”
I caught the barest whisper of Revik’s thoughts.
We are not the criminals. It is them. Help us.
The cop driving glanced at his partner. Confusion softened both of their faces.
We are in danger. Protect us. Please.
The officer nodded to Revik, indicating the highway ahead. He shouted, “...Go on. We’ll take care of this, sir.”
Thank you, officer.
The driver tapped his brakes, picking up the police radio mouthpiece and speaking into it as the car fell dramatically behind.
I looked at Revik, dumbfounded.
“Go faster,” he said. “They will do the same to us.”
I muttered something about free will, hammering my foot down on the gas. My fingers whitened as the scenery started to blur.
Revik shrugged in answer to a question I hadn’t asked.
“I thought you would prefer that to my killing the driver,” he muttered.
I followed the direction of his eyes through the rear-view mirror, saw the vibrating reflection of the cop car slow beside the truck’s cab, right before I heard the same blare of loudspeaker and warning tap of siren.
A second later, Revik turned to me.
“It’s done. Faster, Allie.”
The Washington cops’ siren blared back into life.
I already had the pedal down hard. Now I pressed it to the floor, feeling my chest constrict as the GTX leapt forward. We were definitely past my comfort zone in terms of my ability to navigate at high speeds. I was on the verge of being out of control when I felt Revik with me in the Barrier, directing my hands. I resisted at first—
Let me. You will learn.
Faintly, a grid appeared, a maze of bright lines that overlaid the scenery and cars. The grid showed how the drivers interacted with one another and the light of the Barrier. I could almost see what each driver would do—#p#分页标题#e#
Another blast hit the back of the car.
My eyes snapped to focus as Revik’s mind left mine.
He leaned out the window as I turned, propping the stock against his shoulder and firing. The sound boomed inside the car, deafening, right before I saw the cop car swerve to avoid his shots. The black hood erupted in smoke after Revik’s third shot penetrated the engine block.
The police car swerved again, then rolled.
I heard a squeal of tires, a sound like an explosion, but the crash sounds were rapidly receding already.