“No, no, no, please don’t do this to me.” I pressed the clutch and brake again, put the car in neutral and started it again. This time after I put it in reverse, I eased up on the clutch more slowly as I pressed the gas. The car shot backwards a few feet before my right foot found the brake again and brought it to a screeching stop. My heart pounded. Damn this was a lot harder than people made it look!

I gripped the wheel and pressed the gas gingerly as I let off the clutch. The car rolled backwards until I tapped the brake. Now to turn this thing around.

Something banged on the back of the car and I jerked my head around to find Tarek leaning over the trunk. The tendons stood out on his neck and his eyes burned into me through the rear window. Christ! How did he get to us so fast? I gulped and reached frantically for the gear shift.

I got it into first gear but my feet got all tangled up trying to find the right pedals. I turned the wheel as I released the clutch and pressed the gas and the car moved forward in short jerky movements. I was too afraid to look to see where Tarak was so I kept my eyes straight ahead.

The car narrowly missed hitting two parked pickups but the Escalade wasn’t so lucky. I winced as metal grinded against metal but I didn’t dare stop. A few scratches on the Mustang’s paint job were the least of our worries and I could care less about the SUV.

I straightened out the wheel and the car lurched forward. Shouting reached my ears and I glanced furtively over my shoulder at the furious man limping after us. Just keep going. Don’t let him catch you.

The exit loomed before me and I hit the brake suddenly, making Scott fall forward. My arm shot out just in time to keep him from hitting the dashboard. I can’t do this. I’m going to get us all killed. I glanced back at Peter to make sure he was okay. He was still laid out across the seat, totally oblivious to what was going on around him.

Scott mumbled incoherently and I prayed the witch had not screwed up his mind. Another injury he could lay at my door. At this rate Scott would be lucky to get through senior year intact.

I stole a look in the side mirror and sucked in a sharp breath when I spotted Tarek going for the Escalade. I gritted my teeth and pulled out into the merge lane. The car shook every time a vehicle sped past and my heart pounded in my ears but there was no going back now. Risking a glance in the rearview mirror, I spotted a black SUV pulling out of the truck stop and my foot stomped on the gas, making the car shoot forward. I saw a gap in traffic and swung out sharply into the next lane, just barely correcting the Mustang before it careened into the middle lane. I hit the gas again and the engine started to whine. Terrified to take my eyes off the road, I fumbled with the pedals and gear stick until the car stopped sounding like it was about to strain something.

My heart felt ready to burst through my ribs and I swallowed dryly, suddenly very thirsty. I gripped the wheel and focused on my bigger problem. We couldn’t stay on the highway. I could barely keep the Mustang in my lane; there was no way I could outrun them. Our only hope was to take the next exit and try to lose them in town.

The closest exit was four miles away and those were the four longest miles of my life. Every second I expected the Escalade to catch us and run us right off the road. I checked my mirror whenever I dared take my eyes off the road but there was no sign of the SUV. But I knew it was behind us somewhere. I wasn’t foolish enough to think a man like that would give up easily.

I hit the off ramp going a little too fast and almost stalled the car at the bottom, which did nothing to help my confidence. The road I merged onto did not look familiar at all and I let out a nervous groan. I had no idea where I was and I had no business being behind the wheel of a car. Not to mention Scott was blubbering like an idiot next to me, I had no clue where my attackers were and Peter was probably bleeding to death behind me.

Don’t think about that!

I got off the road as soon as I could, taking a series of turns until I was hopelessly lost. A few times I thought I spied a black SUV on a parallel road so I just kept driving, afraid to stop for even a minute. My phone rang several times but my hands clenched the steering wheel too tightly to answer it. It was probably Roland, wondering why we weren’t back already.

Despair of ever finding my way home was settling over me when a large building I recognized came into view. My heart quickened. I had never been so happy to see the mall. Following this street I would reach the high school in ten minutes. I couldn’t go home. There was a strong possibility those men knew where I lived. They might not be able to get past my wards but I couldn’t take that chance with Peter and Scott incapacitated as they were.

“Thank you, God!” I sobbed when I spotted the steeple of St. Patrick’s church. I pulled into the church parking lot and drove around to the back. My hands shook as I turned off the car and immediately turned to check on Peter, afraid of what I’d find. “Peter?”

“Hmmm,” he murmured without moving.

“How are you doing?” I probed anxiously.

“Better than I expected. You know, your driving really sucks.”

I laughed and cried at the same time. Falling back into my seat, I pulled out my phone. My strength almost failed me when I heard Roland’s voice. “Roland… we need your help.”

“What happened? Where are you guys?” he demanded with a desperate edge to his voice.

“We’re behind St. Patrick’s. Just hurry. Peter’s hurt.”

There was a short pause. “Sit tight, I’m on the way.”