Dark Rider

“Perv,” A.J. complained and turned over so that his back was facing the front and his face facing the seat. “Be quiet, I’m going to sleep.”

“Its not like you haven’t already slept for six or more hours,” Kassie complained right back as she took a left and just let her instincts guide her; she had done that the entire way to North Dakota and so far it was working out pretty well. She would keep it going until it left a serious problem in its wake. “Rider—“

“What?” he questioned quickly as he went through the dashboard, finding it suddenly interesting and amusing to go through the owners belongings inside.

“Besides the fact that you should stop snooping around in the car,” Kassie stopped to glance in the side mirror to see if her eyes really were seeing what she thought. “Please tell me there isn’t a cop car following us?”

“Oh crap,” he said after a silent minute, he had been glancing at his mirror with frustration clouding his handsome features. “Kassie, drive carefully and if they happen to turn on the blue light—okay pull over, blue lights been turned on. Just stay calm, they probably are pulling us over because of something faulty on the stupid rust bucket.”

“Doubt it but okay,” Kassie nervously stated as she slowed the car down and pulled over to the shoulder of the road, keeping her blinker on she put it in park and kept the engine running. “What do I say?”

“Let me deal with it,” he assured her as he leaned up forward so he could be in eye contact with the arriving officer. “Good evening officer.”

“Good evenin’, did you know that you’re driving with an expired tag?” he questioned as he moved his large flashlight down so he could look inside the cab. “Can I see your license and registration please?”

“Yes sir,” Rider said reluctantly as he began to dig into the glove box, as if looking for something to do with Kassie’s license or registration. “Hey Kass?”

“Yeah?” for the first time speaking since the officer pulled up, she glanced at Rider with anxiety beginning to show on her paling features.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured just before his foot slid over and covered over hers, making the car lurch forward and rock the bodies inside as it accelerated. “Drive!”

“Why’d you do that?!” the scream that emitted from Kassie’s throat was frantic and screechy in tone as she swerved on the highway and tried to avoid other objects in the way of the speeding Ford. “We’re going to get killed or worse, thrown in jail and then get killed by my dad when he fines us!”

“You worry too much,” Rider grumbled as he looked over his shoulder and groaned. “He’s pretty fast, damn supped up cop cruisers. Kass take the next left and go in the tunnel.”

“Tunnel? We’re in North Dakota!” Kassie screamed, beyond angry and scared so she really didn’t care what she did or said or how loud she said it. “Where the hell is there a—why am I going under the tunnel.”

“I’ll tell you in a minute,” he growled as Kassie steered towards the large underground tunnel, flying in the entryway Kassie’s hand reached to turn on the headlights but Rider caught her hand and shook his head as they headed inside the darkness. “Just drive straight.”

“Oh God,” Kassie held her breath as she stiffened at the wheel; things began to tear at her soul in clarity as she realized stuff that had just come up. For the first time in her life she realized that she wasn’t the mistake of her parents life, she was the blessing that was born into two broken lives meant to put the pieces back together in the puzzle, but her pieces so happened to fit differently then theirs. Not only did she realize that, but she realized that A.J. was in the backseat unbuckled and laying against the seat as if it was his last ditch effort to live. And she also realized she didn’t want to die, she wanted to live with the ones she loved around her. “Rider, we’re going to die.”

“Just trust me,” his voice was calming, the serenity that came from his tone told her that he was in direct contact with Christ himself; he was helping them out of the sticky situation. She figured if they lived through the darkness without crashing into anything, she would tease Rider about his wireless connection. “Do you trust me?”

“I trust you,” she said weakly as she felt Rider’s hand slowly grip hers, intertwining each finger until its grasp was airtight. “What do I do?”

“Turn the wheel left and push the pedal down,” his voice was even more calming than before, like the weakening spell that she had gotten when she had seen God up close and personal. She found herself becoming rather fond of that, like the sweet smell of lavender, it was home.

Kassie hadn’t wanted to hear those words pass through Rider’s lips, but she knew if she disobeyed and chose not to listen to the wise words of advice, she would sorely regret it. Knowing with her luck and timing she would crash into a barrier or something from being too scared to listen. So she forced herself to close her eyes and listen to Rider. “Now?”

“Turn now, Kassie. Now,” he called out urgently, Kassie held her breath and popped her eyelids open at the same time she turned the wheel to the left and pressed her foot down to the floor, the pedal between her shoe and the flooring, the car gained its speed as it spun sideways like a drifting racecar. “Straighten the wheel!” she complied and straightened out the wheel until it moved the tires to the opposite side of the way she wanted them to go. “Alright as soon as you see the light, drive to the nearest right side driveway and turn off the car.”

Doing as he said, Kassie drove out of the darkness and blinked trying to focus in the strong rays of sunlight that flooded her eyes with blinding brightness. She blinked a few more times to try and see the road, when she spotted the first driveway she floored it all the way up the incline and at the top of the hill, surrounded by trees and bushes, so that it hid the car all the way around, she turned the engine off. “Jesus Christ,” A.J. gasped seconds later, falling off of the seat into the floorboards. “What the hell was that?”

“Watch your mouth,” Rider snapped as he pushed the door open and climbed out. Slamming the door, he stepped out in front of the car and placed his hands over the top of his head.

“What happened?” A.J. asked hesitantly as he leaned up from the floor to look into Kassie’s eyes, she seen the fear hid deep down in his baby blues and it caused guilt to seep inside her heart, where a dull ache replaced soon after.

“Cops,” she said simply, not wanting to speak too much, considering if she did the large lump in her throat would break free and cause her to cry hysterically. Besides the fact it was scary being chased by cops, even more going through a dark tunnel, could be killed at any moment because she trusted every word out of Rider’s mouth as he directed her to safety. The biggest fear was, A.J. had been there, through it all. If she would have gotten him hurt, she would never forgive herself, ever.

“I thought it was Uncle Lester by the way you were driving,” his hand clasped over his chest as a burst of air shot through his lips. “Kass, I assure you, when we get out of this. You will be a damn good racecar driver.”

Laughing at his comical way of trying to lighten the mood, Kassie opened her door and slipped out and waited beside her door for A.J. to join her, when he did they walked over to Rider who was near the point of hysteria. “Rider, Rider what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he cast a sideways glance at Kassie as he glared at the hood of the car, he growled like an animal a short time later out of pure frustration, because of what? Kassie didn’t know, she wanted to find out but he wasn’t talking to her. So she waited, and waited and waited until he seemed less annoyed with what she seemed to think was thin air, which he happened to be speaking to. Just when she thought all hope was lost, seeming to give up, she walked away to the nearest tree stump or rock formation to sit on, he decided to talk. “I’m sorry, I was getting fussed at.”

“Fussed at?” Kassie questioned as she moved over and made room for Rider to sit down beside her, she glanced from him to the sky in wonder.

“Yes, fussed at. Christ got a tad bit aggravated by my irresponsibility. He said I need to pay more attention and no longer let you drive, that’s my job, to keep you all safe and away from harm,” Rider summed it up as he turned to look Kassie in the eyes.

“That’s insane! You can’t drive all the time; you have to rest at some point. I drive just fine too, why can’t I drive?” Kassie asked as her eyes widened, mainly because she felt insulted. She believed she was at least an okay driver. She wasn’t perfect, she knew that. She had ran a couple stop signs in her day but she hadn’t ever crashed or been pulled over, well at least until she met Rider again.

“Because I have to keep you safe,” he stressed his point, it was his job. No one else’s and it wouldn’t be. She understood his urgency to the matter and nodded without argument, she seen no point in arguing, when she had no say in the matter. She hadn’t forced Rider to protect them, Christ did and no one disobeyed the big guy without consequence. “Come on.”

“Where are we going now?” Kassie questioned as she stood up weakly, she rubbed her thighs as an aching pain went through to the bone. She groaned at the discomfort and decided to walk it off as she followed Rider through the woods, A.J. followed close at her heels. “You know, we’re leaving all the food.”