“Uh huh.” She put her head down on his shoulder again. “How about you?”
“Yeah, a little bit.” The emotional strain of feuding with Jonathan had left him weary.
Up ahead a green light abruptly turned yellow. Shifting in the driver’s seat, Jonathan hesitated, then punched the accelerator. The van shot forward, hurtling through the intersection and the glowing red light.
Chapter Eight: Chase!
A duffel bag perched on the van’s interior storage unit tumbled to the floor as the van lurched down the street. “Take it easy, Shultz!” Bucky snapped, rubbing his ankle where the rough canvas bag had hit him. “That sucker was red all the way.”
“Naah, it was still yellow.”
“No way. That was red before you even hit the gas,” Jill put in.
An eerie wail suddenly filled the air, sending a thrill of fear through Bucky. He jerked his head around and stared back through the dust - covered rear window. “Oh, no!” He twisted around on the seat to make sure. “Cops!”
In the driver’s seat, Jonathan glanced anxiously in both mirrors. The red glow from the police cruiser reflected ominously into his eyes. Pounding in anger on the steering wheel, he muttered an epithet.
“I told you it was red,” Bucky bit off the words, his voice rising.
“Shut up!” Looking into the mirror again, Jonathan smacked his right hand against the dashboard in anger. “Why me?”
“Well, pull over,” Tracy said. “May as well get it over with.”
“Crud!” Even from the back seat Bucky could see the red flush beginning to creep up Jonathan’s neck. “Man, this is gonna cost me a bundle and a half.”
“Well, just. . .” Bucky looked around as the siren wailed a second time. “Come on, pull over.”
Easing his foot off the accelerator, Jonathan began to pull the van over to the side of the road. Far down the road loomed the flicker of a green light and a warning signal for a set of railroad tracks. As the van and police car slowed to a near crawl, a huge eighteen-wheeler began to rumble past them on the left.
Bucky could see two policemen in the patrol car, one of them speaking into the radio mike. The menacing red light still flickered in the Oregon darkness.
Suddenly he heard a squeal of tires as the van shot forward. The engine roared in protest as Jonathan abruptly punched the accelerator to the floor. Darting ahead at high speed, the van cut between the front of the semi and a row of parked cars, missing the huge truck by inches.
“What are you doing?” Bucky’s startled shout cut through the renewed wail of the police car.
“I’m drivin’, baby.” Holding the gas pedal to the floor, Jonathan hurtled the van down the rough two - lane road, glancing frantically in the rearview mirror. The police cruiser, blocked momentarily by the parked cars, finally swung out from the other side of the slow - moving truck and began to give chase, but its glowing red lights were now several hundred yards behind them.
“You’re crazy! Pull over!” Bucky and Tracy both began to shout incoherently at the driver. A desperate sense of foreboding seized Bucky as he remembered his friend’s irrational behavior earlier at the restaurant. “Come on, Shultz! It’s just a traffic ticket!”
Two hundred yards ahead of them the railroad warning lights suddenly began to ding. “There we go!” Jonathan muttered, a strange note of exultation in his voice. Off to the left a train engine with three flatbed cars behind it began to approach the crossing. The engine’s whine grew as the van raced to beat the diesel locomotive to the intersection.
“Shultz! You’ll never make it!” Pushing Tracy away, Bucky stumbled to the front of the van and tugged at Jonathan’s sleeve. In the right - hand seat Jill sat paralyzed in white - faced anxiety.
“Shut up!” His face tight with determination, the heavy - set boy took one more glance in the rearview mirror. “Come on, baby.” With one final burst of speed, the van shot across the railroad tracks a scant forty feet in front of the train.
“Yeah!” Not letting up on the gas pedal, Jonathan glanced behind him again. The patrol car had squealed to an angry stop on the other side of the tracks.
“You’re an idiot!” Angry beyond words Bucky pounded his fist against the side of Jill’s seat. “What’s the matter with you, Shultz?”
His eyes still flashing, Jonathan turned his head for just a moment. “Are you forgetting about the gun we got sittin’ in here with us?” He took a breath. “You think I wanna get stuck with that thing in my pocket?”
Bucky shook his head in angry disbelief. “They wouldn’t have searched the van just for you runnin’ a red light.”
“Well, they would now.”
“Those cops just went off to the left,” Tracy announced, her voice still shaking. “Wait! There’s a cross street down there. Here they come again! They’re over there on that block.”
Slamming his fist down on the steering wheel again, Jonathan bellowed another epithet. In the distance they could hear the familiar wail of the siren.
“Just stop! Stop right now,” Bucky pleaded. “We keep going, it’s just going to get worse.”
“No way.” Jonathan scanned the horizon. “Right up there we’re downtown.”
“So?” Jill spoke for the first time, her voice tight with fear.
“Just wait, babies.” Jonathan spat out the last word as his eyes darted from side to side.
Still traveling at high speed the vehicle approached the edges of the business part of town. Almost 9:00 now, traffic was relatively light as they rushed past a photo shop and a cluster of convenience stores. One block away a yellow light flickered to red.
Jonathan didn’t hesitate. Speeding up again he roared through the intersection, narrowly missing a car going through the other way.
“Cut it out! You’re going to kill us!” Bucky shouted. Off to the left and still well behind them, the patrol cat was clearly visible now as it picked up speed. Jonathan accelerated to pass a slow - moving taxicab as the next intersection loomed ahead.
Abruptly the van squealed to a slow as it veered into the right lane, narrowly missing a motorcycle parked next to the curb. Just as the light turned red, Jonathan made a hard right turn, bouncing up over the curb as he maneuvered into the cross street and barreled down the road.
“What are you doing?” Jill, clutching at the door handle with both hands, jerked her gaze around in desperation.
“There ain’t no place to run here,” Jonathan snapped. “This place is empty! Where am I gonna go to get away?”
“Just pull over,” Bucky pleaded once again. “Please, Jonathan!”
“Forget it!” Swerving sharply to the left, the van cut across the pathway of oncoming traffic at the next cross street and accelerated through a yellow light into the main road. The patrol car was now a bare four blocks back.
Muttering inaudibly to himself, Jonathan scanned both sides of the road. About three blocks ahead was a huge parking lot filled with cars. A blinking movie marquee announced the titles of four current features.
“There we go!” he said hoarsely as he pushed the gas pedal to the floor. Rumbling noisily down the street, the van veered to the right and into the parking lot just seconds before the police car pulled into view on the main road.
The shock absorbers on the van squealed in protest as the vehicle bounced painfully up and down on the lot entrance at high speed. Jonathan looked from left to right for an empty stall.
“There!” Jill, despite her fear, pointed out a spot.
“Yeah!” It was just next to one occupied by a second van. Whipping the wheel to the right, Jonathan lurched the vehicle to a stop and shut off the lights and engine. “Get down, you guys!”
Awkwardly pulling his ample frame into the small area of space between the driver’s seat and the right - hand passenger area, Jonathan risked a peek out the window. The police car, traveling slower now, was just going past the theater parking lot.
“I think we ditched ‘em!” Pumping his fist
in exultation, he looked over at Jill, who was huddled against the door, exhausted fear on her face. “Them suckers just went right by.”
“This is the worst . . .” From the back seat, Tracy’s voice trailed off. She looked up at Bucky, who was still on the seat in an upright position.
“Man, Stone, what is the matter with you? I said to get down!” Jonathan bristled.
“No.” Bucky remained where he was, his heart slowly returning to normal. He stared evenly at the stocky driver, his temper barely in control.
“Are you crazy?”
Bucky licked his lips. “Somebody else’s going to have to decide who’s crazy around here. But I ain’t moving.”
Jonathan growled another curse to himself as he poked his head up to glance out the window again. “All quiet out there. Man, I wonder if we really did get away with it.”
“I’m sure they got your license plate,” Jill retorted, still in her crouched position.
“That’s right.” Bucky had to struggle to choke back his anger.
“I don’t know.” Jonathan avoided his friend’s smoldering gaze and addressed himself to the two girls. “We were just about stopped, an’ maybe they hadn’t written it down yet.”
Tracy heaved a sarcastic little sigh. “Whoopie. So what are we gonna do?”
Jonathan twisted around and climbed into the area between the front and back seats. “We sit tight until the movie gets out,” he told them. “Then when these two hundred cars head out, we roll right out with ‘em.”
Chapter Nine: Hiding Out in the Parking Lot
The minutes passed by in silence. A sick feeling washing over him, Bucky fully expected any minute to hear the harsh staccato of a police loudspeaker interrupt the uneasy quiet.
“No kidding, this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever gotten into,” he muttered to Tracy. She responded with a blank, fatigued look.
One of the movie features let out, but only a few patrons headed for their cars. The streets lining the huge parking lot were nearly deserted now, illuminated by the fuzzy orange glow of the street lights.
“How long are we going to sit here?” Jill asked.
Jonathan didn’t answer for a moment, his owlish face a study in frustration. At last he glanced at his watch. “Seems to me like most of these cars are probably here to see that big 3D Super - what’s - his - name film. So when they head out, we’ll go too.”
“Then what?” Tracy wanted to know.
The stocky junior shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe we should just go straight to the freeway and bomb out of here. Get to Portland quick.”
Bucky wet his lips, wanting to speak but not wishing to further antagonize him. “Boy, I don’t know . . .”
“What?” Jonathan’s retort revealed his lingering irritation.
Taking a breath, Bucky said, “Look, man, I still think we ought to, you know, give it up.” His voice betrayed uncertainty.
“What?”
“Look, we ran a red light and then panicked. But nobody’s hurt, we didn’t run over anybody. Why don’t we just . . .”
“Drive up to police headquarters and say, ‘We give up’? You want to surrender?”
Bucky nodded. “Why not?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Jonathan half-raised himself to a sitting position and glared at Bucky.
“First off, it ain’t you who ran a red light or zoomed through town on a cops - and - robbers ride. It ain’t you with a gun in the glove box. Sounds like you’re just real happy to sell me out.”
“We’ll all do it together,” Bucky said.
“Oh, right.” Jonathan shook his head. “Look, the cops pull somebody over, he gets away on a lucky fluke like we did, those guys just shrug and say, ‘Well, goody for him. We’ll get the next fool who rolls into town.’ I’ll bet those cops are already home in bed.”
“Then what are we sitting here sweating for,” Bucky retorted.
“Just insurance.” Jonathan rubbed at something in his eyes, which were starting to redden with the strain. “I want to make sure they get good and bored and sleepy before we pull out.”
Tracy abruptly pulled on her jacket. “Well, I’m gonna go find out when that movie ends. If I sit in here any longer, I’m going to puke.”
“I’m going with you.” Bucky gave Jonathan a long look before reaching for his own jacket.
“I . . .” For a moment Jonathan seemed to want to protest. Sitting up in the van, he scanned the area around the parking lot, but the entire town of Eugene seemed to have gone to bed. “Shoot, I guess it don’t matter. Nobody’s going to know who you are or anything. Go ahead.”
“Gee, thanks.” Bucky didn’t try to mask his sarcasm. Opening the sliding door, he let Tracy out and then stepped out into the cold April air. Little gusts of vapor appeared with every breath as he wordlessly slid the door closed.
Tracy took his hand as they walked toward the theater entrance where a single employee sat inside the ticket booth. “Whooh, what a night,” she muttered.
“What do you think?” Bucky shivered inside the thin jacket. “Think he’s going to get away with it?”
“Probably,” Tracy scowled. “He’s probably right. Cops just figure, ‘Oh, well.’”
‘I don’t know,” he observed with a wince. “Seems to me after chasing some nut all through town like that, they take it kind of personal.” He paused. “I just hope whatever happens, the rest of us don’t get stuck.”
The little redhead nodded. “Uh huh. One van, four jail cells.”
Bucky felt a fresh stab of fear. Should he call the police himself and try to explain? He pushed the thought away.
When they reached the ticket window, the attendant cocked her head at the pair. Examining the sign, Bucky noticed that one film had a final 10:30 showing. He shook his head as the girl made a motion as if to ask them what they wanted.
“11:40. That’s when that other film gets out.” Bucky pointed. “But that animated feature ends in twenty minutes. Maybe some of these cars are here for that one.”
“Yeah.” Tracy’s hand tightened in his. “You want to walk around a little bit?”
“OK.” The couple did a long tour around the far edge of the parking lot, wordlessly avoiding the litter of soda cups and candy wrappers. Bucky’s mind was a jumbled blur of Lisa, his precarious situation, and the girl who was now clutching his hand in thoughtful silence.
“Whatcha thinking about?” she abruptly asked, her voice low.
He hesitated. “Just worried about all this stuff.”
“It’ll be OK,” she shrugged.
Bucky nodded slowly. “Yeah, maybe.” He thought for a moment as they began the slow walk back to the van. “But, you know, for me . . .” He paused. “Being a Christian and everything, I . . .”
Tracy waited expectantly. “I mean, just getting away with it isn’t the big thing. I want to do what’s right for God.”
Tracy digested his words. “You weren’t driving.” She cocked an eyebrow at him.
“Yeah, but . . .” The thoughts deep within his mind threatened to push their way to the surface. Being on a guy-girl trip when his parents thought he was with three other guys . . . juggling romance with both Lisa and this little redhead, it was more than he could even think about, let alone try to explain.
They climbed back into the van and told the others when the various films ended. “If very many people come out after this Disney film, maybe we could go then,” Tracy concluded. “Otherwise we gotta wait here another whole hour.”
Jonathan nodded, his resentment somewhat cooled. “Yeah, we’ll see.”
The next ten minutes passed by in fitful silence. At last a number of patrons exited and began walking to their cars. The low rumble of post - movie conversations filtered in through the windows of the Chevy van.
“What do you think?” Bucky asked.
Jonathan nodded. “Looks like about half the place is going right now. Guess this is as good a chance as any.”
“Are you g
oing to head to the freeway?” Jill asked.
“I don’t know.” Jonathan climbed back into the driver’s seat. “Play it by ear.”
A moment later a tall teenager and his girlfriend climbed into the van right next to Jonathan’s. “Here we go, you guys.” Jonathan revved his engine and pulled into line right behind the other van. A string of about six cars began to slowly make its way down the street where a string of frosty green traffic lights beckoned.
They drove several blocks hiding in the relative anonymity of the little string of cars. At the last light, two cars continued to go straight, but the car in front of Jonathan slowly turned to the right. After a moment’s hesitation he followed, staying a careful distance behind the other car.
“Now what?” Tracy asked.
“Just hang on.” Jonathan swiped impatiently at a thin sheen of fog that was beginning to build up on the windshield. “Hey, there’s a motel down here.”
“You want to just stop?”
Jonathan slowed to a crawl as they passed the small lodging establishment. “Yeah, maybe.” He turned to face the others. “The freeway’s clear on the other side of town, and we’re still a long ways from Portland.” A moment later he appeared to make up his mind.
“This is it, then?” Bucky asked.
“Yeah.” He drove a block further down the road as if looking for a place to turn around. But a moment later he wheeled carefully to the left and down a small side street. Several old vehicles lined it.
“What are you doing?” Bucky wondered.
“Gonna park here. Just in case.”
Bucky was too weary to argue with his friend’s logic any longer. Jonathan eased the big van into position between two sagging station wagons and turned off the key. For a moment the boy sat in the darkness, thinking.
“Let’s go then.” Tracy picked up her small duffel bag and moved toward the door.
Locking the van carefully, Jonathan followed the others toward the motel. As they got closer he fell into step beside Bucky. “Maybe you better do the talking here. Just in case . . .” His voice trailed off. “I can wait outside.”
Bucky Stone: The Complete Adventure (Volumes 1-10) Page 68