“I don’t know.” The niggling doubts had already started working their way into his psyche.
“I hate the thought of not seeing you again after all this, but I don’t want to be a hypocrite. I feel like people are always going to do what they’re going to do. Like me. I’ve done stupid things. Reckless things, and no-one was ever going to talk me out of them.” There wasn’t even a hint of judgement in her voice. “I wish you wouldn’t though. Just want you to know that.” They sat in the car in silence for a minute. It wasn’t awkward, but it wasn’t comfortable either—just limbo.
Josie leaned across, resting her head on Michael’s shoulder while he watched the road ahead, glancing behind him every now and then. Maybe Samuel was injured and lying in the forest somewhere, bleeding out—one could only hope. She placed her hand on his chest, and he became increasingly aware of his heart pounding—a tight ball of adrenaline and tension thumping under his ribcage. He wondered if she could feel it too. He could see the movement of her chest rising and falling from the corner of his eye, and she looked directly into his eyes. It was a moment he recognised, that moment just before, when both of you know what’s going to happen, that micro-second that feels like it goes on for minutes.
Their lips met instinctively, lightly at first, and then firmer and more urgently. They pressed up against each other and he put his hand through her hair, and rested it behind her head, his other hand against her back. This was insane, Michael thought. Samuel could be there any minute and shoot them dead in a heart-beat, yet he couldn’t stop himself. In that moment, this was all that mattered. Her hands wandered under his shirt, touching his bare skin. It felt so good being close to someone, like everything else could go to hell around them and it wouldn’t matter. Josie let out a moan and their movements became frenzied. Maybe Samuel had been right about death and sex. Every touch felt heightened with crazed hormones racing through them.
Something didn’t feel right. He pulled away.
“What’s wrong?” A look of concern spread across her flushed face.
“Shit.” He pushed Josie down as he saw a figure in front of the car. “Where’s the gun?”
“I don’t know.” She scrabbled about, frantically trying to locate where she had put the gun. The side window shattered and a deafening noise rang in his ears. He hunched over, holding his arms over his head, as glass fragments fell from his back.
“Get out the car.” Samuel shouted from the broken side window. Michael berated himself for allowing himself to get distracted. He tentatively opened the door and inched out slowly, avoiding making any sudden movements. “Now pass me that gun, Josie. Trust me —before you could fire a shot —Michael’s brains will be splattered all over this car.”
She complied straight away. Michael wanted to yell at her just to shoot Samuel. It didn’t matter what happened to him. Giving his life to end Samuel’s seemed like a good trade. Josie would be safe, and he would be at peace. It was a win-win. He couldn’t get a word out, as everything seemed to happen so fast.
“Get in the back,” Samuel demanded and watched Michael open the door, keeping his gun on him. Michael wondered if Josie would have time to start up the engine and drive off before Samuel managed to get in the car—he doubted it.
“Where is Miguel?” he shouted as he got in the front passenger seat.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know. He just told us to wait here and went looking for you,” Michael said, vaguely comforted by the knowledge that at least Miguel was still alive.
“I’ll have to deal with him later. It’s not like he’s going to the police. Now drive.” He turned to Josie and pointed his gun close to her face.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
“Well, I need to know where I’m going if you want me to drive there,” she snapped. Michael cringed, expecting Samuel to explode in a rage, but he couldn’t help but get some satisfaction from her talking to him like that.
“Straight ahead.” He waved his gun, gesturing for her to go forward.
Josie pulled away from the roadside and started driving. The car jolted a couple of times as she stalled, trying to get used to the unfamiliar vehicle.
“Woman drivers, am I right?” Samuel joked, but his face was dead-pan. “Slow down when I tell you.”
With it being so late and being in the middle of nowhere, they did not pass another car for the short journey. Samuel asked Josie to start slowing down until they reached a tiny gap in the trees at the side of the road and he asked her to pull over.
Chapter Thirty Two
They entered the small path in-between the trees which had barely been visible from the roadside—Samuel must have known what he was looking for. Branches scratched their bare arms as they progressed through the undergrowth. A sudden light barely illuminated the narrow path as Samuel lit a small torch that he must have had stashed in his pocket. . It was a small trail that looked like it had been forged with a machete, and it only got denser as they made their way through as ferns curled around their legs and tree roots snagged their feet as they walked.
It wasn’t long until they reached a clearing. Now it was only this one man against the two of them. Sure he had a gun, but if Michael struck when he least expected it, surely it wouldn’t take much to catch him
