Pull

It was way too early for any sane, non-corporate human being to be up an functional. The birds were just now getting out of their nests and scanning the dew-dropped grass for their revolting breakfast of worms. I gagged as I noticed a tiny bird take flight with a huge squirming shit tube in its beak. Checking my rear-view mirror to make sure no one would get hit as I merged on to the almost deserted freeway. It would have been calming had I not been dealing with more shit than a septic truck. I mean that figuratively, of course.

Taking a deep breath, I turned the radio on for some company. "Lonely Day" by System of a Down came on the local rock station, and I smiled to myself. I lost myself in the music and gunned the engine. I was on a mission to get out of California by noon at the latest. That gave me seven hours to leave all of the bad memories and even worse decisions in the dust. To start a new life under a new name, which was completely necessary considering the content of the trunk. I was content with my decision. Calm. I couldn't have made a better decision. I didn't have anyone left to look after, or vice versa. That responsibility ended months ago. I had long since gotten used to the constant void of human interaction. It wasn't so bad when you realized you're born alone and you die alone.

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Three hours down, four to go. Driving was becoming an annoyance. I was tired and ornery, and I needed to eat. I passed through Los Angeles without too much of a problem. Unless you count me punching some guys lights out for grabbing my ass at a gas station. I, personally, did not find any issue with that. I was raised to take care of myself, and in the business I was in, I had to do so. I had to make sure no one took advantage of little old me. My brother taught me better.

I had to stop thinking about him. That was old news, and I got my revenge. I cleaned up the mess...mostly. I just needed to get out of state before they found out. He would kill me, I knew that already. I needed to save my own ass. I needed to take care of myself. Ace would have been disappointed had I not taken the road I did. He would have been pretty ticked had I not used all of the knowledge he bestowed upon me to seek out his murderer and do the same. I wasn't going to let some asshole get away with shooting my brother for protecting me. For protecting his family.

I was so caught up in my dark memories that I didn't register that my car had started making strange noises a split second before it shot me off the road and almost head on into a median. I would have been in shock had I not been too busy reciting the sailor's dicitonary in the loudest, most angry and irritated voice possible. If there were any houses in the woods, they'd probably be quite offended at the foul language coming from such a pretty face. Flipping the hazards on, I huffed and got out of my car. It would have been a bad choice for most women, but if there were any highway hijackers, they would get a Beretta to the forehead.

Gazing around, I noted that this was clearly not a busy interstate, but a quiet California country road. My heart sank. If this was were I thought it was, I was in big trouble. I walked back to my car and began digging around in my purse for my phone. Prepaid, as my brother never allowed anything different. You would think at 27 years old, I would have stopped listening, but my Ace meant the world to me, and he was all I had. Prepaid it was.

I curse again as I noticed that the phone was dead. Thinking that I should have charged it at the last gas station, and hating myself for not thinking, I also didn't notice the black Cadillac pull up behind my vehicle. Until it was too late and the door was opening. I glanced up and almost had a heart attack. Shit! I'm dead. I'm so dead. I need to pay more attention to my surroundings. Ace taught me better.

"You running from something, sweetheart?"