“Pull over, bitch,” Ray yelled, growing impatient.
“Fuck off,” she yelled back, giving him the middle finger.
“You’ll pay for that,” Ray screamed, his face turning purple with rage.
He swerved at her again, cutting it much closer this time.
Dylan jerked the wheel to the side. Her front tire hit a patch of gravel and skidded off the road. The car zigzagged wildly, bouncing over tussocks of grass and stones the size of her fists. A cloud of dust enveloped her and Ray’s truck, obscuring the way ahead.
Dylan fought with the wheel, trying to get back onto the road. She narrowly missed hitting a tree, skidding sideways on the loose sand. She managed to regain control and jammed her foot onto the accelerator. The engine whined as she shot ahead of Ray and back onto the tar.
He followed, filling her rear window with the hulking silhouette of his truck. Dylan cried out when he nudged her with his bumper. The car jolted forward and almost careened into a deep ditch formed by run-off from the rains.
He came at her again, intent on ramming her. She swung to the opposite side of the road, narrowly escaping getting clipped. Ray increased his speed, once more drawing level with her. His friends hooted at her through their open window, and one let off a wild shot that narrowly missed.
Dylan was fast running out of options when she spotted a bend in the road ahead. A plan formed in her mind, and she prayed it would work. If it didn’t, she was doomed. Honking the horn, she sought to grab the attention of all three her attackers.
Their heads turned toward her as one, eyebrows raised, and she yelled as loudly as she could. “Come and get me, you pieces of shit. I dare you!”
Ray’s eyes narrowed to slits. “If you say so, bitch!”
For the third time, he came at her, yanking the wheel to the side. At the same time, Dylan slammed her foot on the brakes as hard as she could. The tires screamed, and the smell of burning rubber filled the air as the car squealed to a stop. Her body flew forward with the momentum, and her forehead connected with the steering wheel. Stars filled her eyes, and she blinked furiously to clear her vision.
Ray’s truck shot past her and swung into the space where she used to be. Taken by surprise, he lost control, weaving drunkenly from side to side. Within seconds, they’d reached the bend. Unable to turn in time, Ray’s truck shot straight across and into a clump of thick vegetation on the other side.
With a loud crash, the truck’s nose hit a tree dead-on. The screech of twisting metal and shattering glass filled the air as the engine and radiator imploded. A cloud of dust enveloped the scene, and steam rose from the hood, curling upwards in lazy swirls.
Dylan stared at the scene. One hand felt for the gun on the seat next to her. It was gone. It shot forward when she slammed on the brakes. She searched for it with frantic haste. She doubted the accident had taken care of Ray and his buddies for good. That lucky she hadn’t been in a long time.
She spotted the weapon in the footwell and scooped it up before jumping out of the car. Her head swam, and her ears buzzed, but she forced herself to walk toward Ray’s truck. With the gun at her side, and one hand pressed to her throbbing forehead, she stumbled forward. As she drew closer, the passenger side door opened, and one of Ray’s friends fell out of the cab. He landed with a grunt, clearly disorientated.
Dylan squared her feet and raised the gun. This was her chance to even the odds. She squeezed off two shots but missed. “Damn it!”
She tried and missed again, her vision wavering. A sob escaped her lips, but she refused to give up. One more bullet. That was all she had left. Better make it count, Dylan.
She focused on her target and gripped the gun with both hands to steady her aim. Blowing out a slow breath, she pulled the trigger. This time, she didn’t miss. Ray’s friend, whoever he was, slumped to the ground with only half a skull. “Yes!”
Dylan bared her teeth in a grin of triumph. Her blood was up, and rage flowed through her veins igniting every cell in her body. Feverish heat flushed her cheeks, and she strode forward with renewed strength. It didn’t matter that she was out of bullets. She didn’t care. All she cared about was killing.
She reached the truck and stared at the body on the ground without remorse. “You got what you deserved, asshole.”
Dylan stepped over the corpse and peered inside the cab still holding the Glock in her right hand. Ray was unconscious and lay slumped over the wheel, his limbs slack. It looked like he was pinned in place by crumpled metal, his legs broken and bleeding. Discounting him for the moment, she turned her attention to his buddy.
Ray’s friend was groaning with both hands pressed to a gash on his scalp. It bled profusely like head wounds tended to do, and the metallic taste of blood coated the inside of her mouth. Her nostrils flared as she relished the aroma, and her stomach clenched with sudden hunger.
Her vision darkened around the edges, and the world appeared washed in crimson. Before she could stop to think, Dylan dropped her gun and grabbed him with both hands. “Not so cocky now, are we?”
“Let go, you crazy bitch,” he mumbled, swatting at her with his fists
She didn’t feel a thing, his blows no more than the buzzing of insects. Her focus narrowed onto his face, and she sneered. “I thought you wanted to have a little bit of fun. Aren’t we
