by Mark West
Once under the bridge, David could see the welcoming blue-ish glow of the petrol station and he put his foot down. It took the Audi a moment or two to match his speed to pull alongside. He glanced over and Clarkey flipped him the bird. The window was heavily smeared and marked, as if the man had been licking it.
"What if this doesn't work?" said Nat quietly, pressing herself back into the chair.
"I don't have another idea," he said, honestly, "so let's hope it does."
The Audi pulled ahead slightly and David moved towards the hard shoulder. He could see the sliproad to the garage now, marked by green cats eyes, with a low sloping wall a hundred yards or so beyond the mouth, painted white with orange chevrons pointing towards the garage.
Far from being the tight turn Nat had suggested, from this distance it looked almost suicidal. If the car hit the wall, it'd be a write-off. But there weren't any other options - in the end, perhaps, it would come down to who ran out of petrol first.
The slip-road seemed to rush towards them, looking smaller as they got closer. The Audi was cruising alongside them now, about half a bonnet ahead.
Three hundred yards.
Two hundred yards.
"Get ready," he said and Nat crossed her arms over her chest and braced her legs into the footwell.
As soon as David gauged the sliproad started, he jammed on the brakes. They protested, squealing and the ABS kicked in, juddering the wheel. He steered onto the sliproad and pulled the handbrake on. The car started to slew to the right and he steered into it. He released both brakes, steered the car straight, then stamped on the foot brake again, cadence braking.
"David!"
The car was slowing but not quick enough. His knuckles were white. The tyres stopped protesting and he realised that, even though it was going to be tight, he would make it. He released the brakes, drove onto the forecourt and braked hard again, steering easily between the empty petrol pumps.
The forecourt was deserted. There were twelve pumps, then a roadway, then the shop building, which was low and built with red brick and a lot of glass. Parking spaces were marked out on the side of the building and one car was parked there. David could see someone inside the shop, who was walking towards the 'night service' counter and that brightened him. The whole area was well lit, bright white lights set in the canopy illuminating the forecourt as if the sun was blazing.
David parked across several spaces and he'd unclipped his seatbelt before he'd turned off the engine.
"What're you doing?" asked Nat, suddenly panicked and she reached for her seatbelt clip.
"I'm going to use the phone. You stay here."
"No! Are you mad?"
He closed his fingers over hers so that she couldn't release the belt. "I'm going to leave the engine running, so you need to stay in the car. Mal didn't know we were going to turn, but even if he comes back, it's going to take him a while to do so."
"Then let me come with you."
"You'll be safer here."
"David…"
"Nat, no. If they come back, you'll be relatively safe in here, but I need to use the phone in the services."
Nat looked around furtively. "Can you hear the stereo?"
David opened his door, but all he could hear was the engine idling, the buzz of the lights and the occasional chirrup of a bird somewhere. "No."
She squinted, as if trying to determine whether he was telling her the truth. "Okay, be quick."
"Yeah," he said and got out. "Lock the door behind me."
She nodded and he walked around the car onto the apron of concrete. He paused a moment but couldn't hear the stereo at all, nor any other engines. Satisfied, he jogged to the 'night pay' window.
The cashier had his back to the glass as he refilled the cigarette rack.
"Hello?"
The cashier moved his head slightly, but then went back to the cigarettes.
David leaned down to the tray and raised his voice. "Hey, I need a bit of help."
The cashier turned around. He was in his early twenties, skinny and thin-faced with dark, sunken eyes and blonde hair the colour of dirty dishwater. His uniform made him look like a scarecrow. "What?" he said, as if he'd rather be anywhere than here.
"I need to use your phone."
"Have you got petrol?"
"No, I just need your phone."
"Why?"
David took a deep breath - he didn't want to piss the bloke off. "I just do."
The cashier laughed and turned back to the cigarette display.
"Please," David called, trying to keep his voice level.
"Use your mobile."
"The battery died."
The cashier sighed theatrically, climbed off the stepladder and put the carton of cigarettes on the counter, but didn't come close to the window. "Is your wife in hospital?"
"No."
"How about your children?"
"What?"
The cashier sighed again. "Are any close family members either in trouble or in hospital?"
"No, I…"
The cashier shook his head. "There's no way on earth you're coming in here to use my phone. I got turned over twice last year, so why would I let you in?"
"Honestly," said David, "I just want to use your phone. My friend and I are being chased by some idiots in an Audi."
"What?"
"These lads, in an Audi. They attacked my friend, I got them off and now they're after us."
"And you brought them here? Oh well done, you fucking twat, that's the last thing I need."
"So call the police! Get them down here and we're both happy."
The cashier sneered at him. "Get the police, to come to a petrol station in the middle of nowhere? The only reason the cops come out here is to get freebie grub when Denise is on, they don't bother otherwise."
David couldn't believe it. "Aren't you going to help me?"
The cashier shrugged. "What do you want me to do? If I let you in, you could just turn around and rob me, or worse. And would your friend want to come in too? And if you're in, those lads'll be after me. And I'll be here tomorrow night, you won't."
It was a lost cause. "Let me in!" David yelled, "or at least slide the fucking phone through the drawer."
"In your dreams, knobhead. Now either fill up or piss off."
David stepped back, leaned on the drawer casing and took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself. Then he heard it, the steady thud-thud-thud of a car stereo and held his breath. The sound was getting closer, coming from behind the building.
"Oh fuck," he said.
The cashier turned around. "Are you still here?"
David looked at the double doors. They were locked in the middle and had metal tabs at the top and bottom of each door. There was no way he'd get in unless the cashier let him.
"They're coming," he said. The cashier blanched slightly and David took advantage. "I can hear them. They're coming back for us and you're here too."
"Mate, I'm locked in here as tight as a nut. If they're coming, it's down to you."
Fear was briefly overcome by anger. "Are you fucking serious?"
The cashier nodded and went back to the cigarettes.
The music was very loud now and David turned towards the Vectra. Nat was staring at something, her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide. He watched the nose of the Audi glide into view, like the snout of a shark circling its prey.
"Let me in," David yelled into the drawer.
The Audi drove up to the Vectra and stopped in front of it. Mal wound down the window and put his arm out, tapping the door in time to the drumbeat.
"Hey," he yelled, "get back in your car."
David frowned and turned back to the cashier. "Help me," he said but the man ignored him.
"Are you deaf?" shouted Mal. "Get back in your car."
"I heard you," David called back to him. "Why should I?"
Staring at David, Mal gunned his engine and the Audi leapt forward. It hit the Vectra just off
the front bumper and David saw Nat open her mouth in a scream that he couldn't hear.
Suddenly furious, David yelled, "My fucking car."
"And your wife inside."
That pulled David back from the brink. Even if his car had been seriously damaged, everything paled against the fact that Nat might be in danger.
"Get back on the road."
"You've had your fun, now just leave us alone."
Still without looking away, Mal reversed back a few feet and then drove forward, catching the nearside panel of the Vectra with his off-side. David heard the dull thud of the impact over the music. "Last chance, twat."
David looked at the cashier, who was walking back into the shadows of the shop and then at Nat, who was glaring at him, beckoning for him to go back.
"You fucker," David yelled at the cashier, then took a deep breath and stepped off the kerb. As he left the relative safety of the building and crossed the apron, his heart-rate increased until, to his ears, it was as loud and quick as the music from the Audi. He kept his arms out, as if for balance, because he couldn't put them to his sides - every ounce of him, every sinew, felt as if it were going to crush itself, his whole body was so tense.
He turned slightly as he walked, keeping face-on to the Audi. He couldn't out-run it, but if Mal came for him, he might be able to jump over the bonnet.
The Audi didn't move, neither did Mal. Clarkey was alternating licking his window and the V of his fingers towards Nat. In the back, Jay looked as if he was asleep again.
David breathed a quick sigh of relief as he reached the back panel. Nat turned in her seat, offering him a weak smile. David worked his way around the car and got in.
"Thank God," said Nat and she leaned over and kissed his cheek.
"Thanks. I'm so sorry I left you, I didn't think he'd come back, let alone ram the car."
"Don't worry," she said and her voice sounded different, stronger, as if the incident had somehow given her some confidence back. She clicked her seatbelt into place. "It was pretty fucking terrifying, but he didn't hurt us. Perhaps he's chicken."
"Maybe," said David, not at all convinced. He shook his hands, trying to get rid of the tension and rubbed the back of his neck and shoulders.
"Let's get to Gaffney off the next exit," said Nat firmly.
David didn't share her newfound faith or confidence, but liked that she was so positive. He didn't know why Mal hadn't shunted the car into a wall, or tried to run him down as he walked back - why did he want this thing to keep going? Whatever, he knew it would be a lot easier to deal with if neither he nor Nat collapsed into hysterics. "Yeah," he said.
Mal reversed quickly, the front of the car forced down by the speed. At the back of the building, it pulled sharply to the left, braked hard and sat idling. David put the Vectra into gear and drove out of the parking bays. As they passed the Audi, Mal offered them a jaunty little wave.
"The bloke's a fucking freak," said Nat.
David didn't say anything. When he reached the sliproad, he put his foot down.
"They're coming," said Nat.
David looked in the rear-view mirror. The Audi was in the overtaking lane, lights at full beam, a couple of car lengths behind. He guessed they'd stay back for a while now, so they didn't get tricked again. He could only imagine their reaction when he'd pulled into the garage and wished he could have seen it. "They're keeping back though, which is good."
"Do you think they'll run us off the road?" The comment, stated so matter-of-factly, touched something in him and made David smile.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," he said, feeling as far from funny as possible - if anything, he felt small and bullied, like a new kid in school, "it's just how you said it. We've known one another for two or three hours and we're now calmly discussing if we're going to be run off the road."
She gave a nervous little chuckle. "You're right - fucking scary and bloody weird."
There was a sign ahead. "That's our junction," said Nat.
David watched the sign go by - would Mal try to keep them on the A14 this time? They passed the hundred yard markers and, without indicating, David pulled onto the wide sliproad, the Audi tucking in behind them.
The sign at the top of the sliproad indicated that Gaffney central was the first exit off. David checked the mirror - the Audi had moved onto the hard shoulder and was pulling up along the near side.
Nat looked out of her window. "Shit. They're going to stop us taking the exit, aren't they?"
"Maybe," he said, "hold tight." He twitched the wheel to the left but the Audi didn't seem to give even the slightest ground. David twitched the wheel again and Nat screamed, but the Audi didn't move.
They were running out of sliproad and David moved further over. He didn't want to hit the Audi, but if he needed to shunt it out of the way, then that's exactly what he'd do. Except that Nat was on that side of the car and any impact would catch her first.
The Audi pulled alongside, jerking up and down slightly from where David guessed the wheels had come off the tarmac of the hard shoulder. Mal pointed towards the roundabout, using his middle finger. David shook his head, pointed towards the back of the car and mouthed "Gaffney."
Mal pulled the Audi towards them. Surprised, David jerked the wheel over and heard his tyres squealing in protest.
Nat was sitting bolt upright, staring straight ahead. "What are you doing?"
"We can't beat him, if he's not worried about crashing."
"But what happens if we can't get back into Gaffney?"
"I don't know," he said and looked at her, saw the tears threatening to spill over her eyelids.
"I'm scared, David."
"So am I. How many exits are there on here?"
Nat glanced at the Audi and bit her lip. "I'm not sure. There's a turn to Gaffney, to the hotel, the A14 and then to Haverton."
"So what's that, four? Five with the other A14 turn."
They drove onto the roundabout, the Audi forcing them towards the centre. They passed the Gaffney and hotel exits, then the A14 one. The Haverton exit was a hundred or so yards away. The Audi stayed on the nearside wing.
They passed the Haverton exit and the Audi disappeared from view in a cloud of brake smoke.
"What's he…?" started David.
"There's another turn," said Nat.
The Audi accelerated, wheels spinning on the tarmac, kicking out more smoke. David put his foot down, trying to gather speed - if he could keep to the outside of the roundabout and get past the other A14 sliproad, then Mal couldn't - in theory - stop them getting into Gaffney.
"He's coming," said Nat. She'd taken off her seatbelt again and was twisted so far around she looked like she was almost sitting backwards.
As hard as the Vectra engine was working, the Audi was already level with the boot. David willed the car on, as the roundabout curved to the right and knew he wouldn't beat the car to the A14 exit. He saw the other exit and wondered if that might be a good escape.
He didn't have time to make a decision. The Audi drew level and shunted into them, the dull thud of the collision loud in the car.
David tried to turn the wheel, but the car wouldn't move. He glanced out of the window to see Clarkey going mad, shaking his head violently, his spittle lacing on the window.
"They're pushing us in."
"Can't you brake?"
The Audi turned in slightly, shifting their position and aiming the two cars for the last turn off.
"Where does this lead?" said David.
"Up to Fowler's Farm."
"What else is up there?"
"Nothing, just the driving range and the farm."
They drove into the junction and the Audi braked and pulled back, as David negotiated a sharp bend. The street lights stopped almost immediately and he flicked on his full beams, which showed a narrow road bordered on either side by thick hedges.
The Audi was tight behind them.
"There's the driving range
," said Nat, pointing out of her window. Between gaps in the hedge, David saw a darkened building in the middle of a field. A few moments later, they passed the range entrance, a lit sign informing him it didn't open again until 10 the next morning.
"There's nobody up here," he said, slamming the steering wheel in frustration.
"What did you expect?"
He shook his head. "I don't know, but we need to see someone else."
"There's the farm."
"Is it a big one?"
"No, it's a piggery, I think."
"Shit." David's mind was racing and he was finding it difficult to gather his thoughts to concentrate on anything. "And where does the road lead beyond the farm?"
"Lead? It doesn't lead anywhere, David, it's a dead end."
Seven
The road narrowed as it wound uphill and David could only see glimpses of the fields surrounding them through gaps in the thick hedges that lined the tarmac.
The Audi had dropped back, far enough that it was often out of sight as the road curved, though the headlights lit the road and hedges.
"Can you see this place from the road?" he asked.
Nat looked as if she'd shrunk in the seat - her shoulders were hunched and her lips were drawn in a tight line. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"I was thinking that if we get trapped up there, perhaps we could somehow alert people."
"What, like set fire to a barn or something?"
He thought for a moment. "If there's an empty one, why not?"
Nat folded her arms. "You're mad."
"So can you see it from the road?"
"Of course you can, it's on the top of the hill."
"So if we could do something…"
"… like start a fire," she said, as if only half-convinced of the seriousness of the thought.
"Whatever we do, perhaps someone from Gaffney will see it. I mean, we've left a trail now - there must be CCTV from town and there's the bloke in the garage…"
"David, he didn't want to help us while we were there, so why would he bother once we'd gone? As for the cops, I didn't see one car tonight, did you?"
