Chapter 14
Steel hadn’t meant to let it slip that he had questions about Kristen’s father’s death. He wanted to sweep it under the rug, at least until he had more concrete proof, but the last thing Kristen needed was to feel as though she were being lied to by him. She already felt as if her entire life was a lie, and what she needed most was honesty from those she trusted.
It’s just a hunch right now,” Steel began as he pulled back out onto the road. “But, I think that maybe the accident that you and your father were in…the one that killed him, wasn’t an accident after all.” He waited for Kristen’s reaction.
“How could it not have been an accident? Are you saying that someone deliberately tried to kill him?” Kristen’s head was reeling. She felt like she was trapped inside of a bad soap opera, one that she couldn’t get out of. It was one bad thing after another.
Steel explained what he had discovered concerning the man that had hit them, but began slowing his words as he repeatedly glanced in his rear and side mirrors. “Damnit!” he said as he quickly turned a corner.
“What is it?” Kristen asked. She was worried, but didn’t know what was wrong. Steel’s attention had been diverted to something that was causing him to drive erratically. She looked behind them, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“We’re being followed,” Steel answered. He clenched his jaw tightly as he watched the black car that followed them. He couldn’t see the driver or even how many people were in the car through the darkly tinted windows, but was sure the car was following them. He took a few quick turns just to make sure, and every time the car took the same turns.
“What?” Kristen asked, her voice rising out of both surprise and fear. “Who’s following us?”
Steel was too busy driving to answer. He didn’t know what the car that was chasing them was after, but he didn’t intend on finding out. Not while he had Kristen in the car with him.
After maneuvering onto the freeway, where he could drive faster and without the worry of lights and stalled traffic, Steel reached for his phone. “Call 9-1-1,” he ordered, as he handed the phone to Kristen. “Ask for the Thirteenth Precinct.”
Kristen did as Steel had asked. Once she was connected to the Thirteenth Precinct, Steel asked her to place the phone on speaker.
“Put Sergeant Kawoski on the phone!” Steel ordered whoever answered the call. “This is Andrew Steel. Within seconds, Steel was patched through to Kawoski, who promised to dispatch two units ASAP.
Kristen watched out the rear window as the car following them kept their distance but always remained in the same lane as Steel, no matter how many times he switched. That didn’t last long, though. Kristen noticed the car speeding up rapidly as they approached a bridge. “They’re gaining on us!” she screamed.
Steel knew what was about to happen. The car following them had switched lanes and was attempting to pull up beside Steel. They intended to ram Steel and Kristen off the road.
“Hang on!” he yelled as he slammed on the gas, giving him the opportunity to get into the left lane and cut off whoever had been trailing them. He knew he might not stop them from getting into a wreck, but he was damned sure going to make sure it didn’t happen on a bridge.
The black car sped up as well and rammed Steel’s car, sending them off the road and into a tailspin. Thankfully, they had passed the bridge before getting struck. Steel tried to control the car as it spun out of control. Kristen wanted to scream, but she was too scared. She watched in horror as the car spun right towards a large tree. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact, but it never came. The car stopped, just two inches from hitting the tree.
“Don’t get out of the car!” Steel yelled as he saw the black car had pulled off the road and was behind them. Even if Kristen wanted to open her door, she couldn’t. It was blocked by the large tree.
Steel opened the glove box and reached for his gun. If someone wanted to kill him and Kristen, they were going to have to work for it.
As he readied himself for the confrontation, he heard sirens and looked back to see the black car driving off. He gave the description of the black car and what had happened to the police officers. An ambulance also showed up, but Steel said that both he and Kristen were fine.
He didn’t get Kristen back home until after sundown. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to stay here tonight,” he told her as they sat in her driveway.
“I’m not going to let them run me off from my home!” Kristen replied with a steely look in her eye.
“Please, for me, stay with me, so I know you’re safe,” Steel urged. “We’ll get this whole thing straightened out soon, but for now, we need to be smart.” Steel was asking her to come with him, but it wasn’t really a choice. If she said no, he would drag her kicking and screaming. He wasn’t about to let anything happen to her. While he knew that his place was not much safer for them, it would do for the night until he could make other arrangements.
Kristen agreed to stay with Steel, and as she packed a bag, he made a few phone calls to arrange something a little more permanent.
“Pack enough to tide you over for a week,” he yelled up to the second floor as he watched the street for anyone driving by.
Kristen packed frantically, throwing anything she thought she might need in the suitcase. Steel had warned her that they needed to be quick. After what had happened on the freeway, she knew he wasn’t kidding. She took his warnings seriously as she made sure to stay clear of the bedroom window. After grabbing some items from her bathroom, she was ready to go.
“Can you help me with this?” she asked from the top of the stairs. Her bag was too heavy for her to handle, and Steel quickly came to her rescue.
Just as they were about to load the bag into the trunk of the car, they saw headlights turning towards them. Steel readied himself with his gun and told Kristen to crouch behind a bush. The held their breath and watched as the car passed by without incident. It wasn’t the black car that had run them off the road. Still, Steel didn’t feel safe. They were vulnerable outside.
He closed the trunk and got Kristen into the car safely and then headed back to his place so that he could pack a bag as well. They were going to go where no one would be able to find them.
Steel Glances (Rocky Mountain Novella Series #1) Page 14