By H. Copella
�Oh, my God, that�s Judy,� Kate said softly out loud.
She pulled over to the side of the road just before the parked car. A man got out of the car and ran up along side her car in the pouring rain. Kate lowered her window and looked out to the man.
�We have a flat and ran into that ditch,� the man informed her above the loud rain.
�I work with Judy,� Kate announced. �Would you guys like a lift to town?�
�That�d be great,� the man replied then motioned toward the car behind her.
A woman, Judy, got out of the car and ran up to the car. Judy climbed into the back and the man got into the passenger side. Both were completely soaked from the few minutes in the pouring rain.
�Kate,� Judy gasped while breathing heavy from her short dash, �I�m so glad you happened along.�
�You�re lucky�on a night like tonight,� Kate informed her.
Kate returned her car to the road and continued at her slow pace.
�Have you ever met my boyfriend?� Judy asked curiously while leaning forward in the back seat.
�No, I don�t believe I have,� Kate replied and looked briefly to the wet man in the passenger seat.
�Randy, this is Kate, a friend from work,� Judy announced cheerfully.
Kate and Randy exchanged pleasantries. �Is there someplace in town I could take you. I don�t think there�ll be any garages opened this time of night.�
�My brother has a garage on the corner of Main Street,� Judy replied. �He lives upstairs. He can tow my car back to town tonight.�
�Great,� Kate said with a tiny smile. �At least things are looking up�considering all that�s happened to you tonight.�
�It�s been one hell of a night,� Judy said and collapsed against the back seat. �I got into a fight with my mother, and she threw me out.�
Kate appeared surprised. �Oh, that�s terrible. Will you be able to stay with your brother?�
�Randy and I decided it was a good time to look for a place of our own,� Judy announced simply. �We were actually on our way to Montana. Randy has some friends who live out there.�
�Looks like our plans were ruined by that piece of shit car of yours,� Randy remarked lowly.
�My brother will have it up and running by tomorrow afternoon,� Judy informed him simply. �Montana�s not going anywhere.�
�I don�t want to stay another night in this area,� Randy snapped. �If I have to hear from your mother one more time, I�ll kill her.�
Judy looked out the back window and ignored the comment. Kate continued to concentrate on the barely visible road ahead, but she glanced at Randy after the comment. They rode in silence for several minutes. Kate appeared more uneasy with the silence. Randy stared out the side window and watched the darkness of the woods. He straightened in the passenger seat and looked sharply to Kate.
�Stop here,� he announced firmly.
Kate glanced at Randy with a puzzled look. �What? Why?� she asked curiously.
Randy pulled a gun from his pocket and aimed it at her. Kate looked from the gun to Randy with a look of shock. Randy�s expression was hard and cold.
�Because I said so,� Randy growled lowly.
Judy quickly sat up in the back seat and stared at Randy with a look of amazement. �Randy�what are you doing?�
�We�re getting out of here�tonight,� Randy snapped without looking back at her. �And we�re taking this car.� His eyes burned through Kate. �Now stop the car!�
Kate quickly looked back to the barely visible road. Her body trembled as she looked to the dark and eerie back road. What did he intend to do with her? She knew who they were and where they were going? Judy sat forward from the back seat and smacked Randy on the shoulder.
�Put that thing away! I know her!� Judy cried out in fear and anger.
Kate looked from them to the road before her. Randy began yelling at Judy. Kate saw the road wind up ahead.
�Your mother will have the police on us before we can even get back to the car,� Randy lashed out. �Don�t think she wouldn�t hesitate pressing charges against you as well!�
�Kate,� Judy announced more softly. �He won�t hurt you. Pull over. I promise he won�t hurt you.�
Kate glanced back at Judy through the rearview mirror. She no longer saw the young girl she worked with, she saw a desperate woman who�d done something irreversible. It occurred to Kate at that moment, despite what Judy said, Randy was going to kill her. Kate pressed her foot down on the accelerator as she went into the sharp, steep curve.
�Pull over!� Randy shouted in anger, while waving the gun. �Pull over or I�ll shoot you right now!�
Her fears were verified. The car took the curve at fifty miles an hour. The car slid around the curve on the wet road, barely keeping the tires on the pavement. Both Randy and Judy were tossed around the seat.
�What are you doing!� Randy yelled in anger.
Kate looked sharply at Randy with no emotion in her eyes. �Driver�s side airbag,� she replied curtly.
The car slammed head on into a tree. There was a tremendous crack. Kate was thrown back against the seat as the airbag blew out. Randy flew forward and struck the windshield then was thrown back. He was momentarily stunned. Judy was thrown across the back seat. Kate gasped after the initial shock. Randy touched his bleeding head, but he still clung onto the gun. He looked at her with a slightly dazed expression and lifted the gun. Kate gasped and opened the door. She fell from the driver�s seat and onto the muddy ground near the woods. A gunshot echoed. Kate scrambled to her feet and ran into the woods.
�You bitch,� Randy could be heard screaming. �I�ll kill you!�
Kate ran through the darkened woods, sliding in muddy ground, and tripping over rocks. Randy�s yelling became more faint. She slowed down to a fast walk and looked behind her. The rain continued to pour down. No one appeared to be following her. She continued further into the woods, attempting to figure out where she was. The ground suddenly gave out beneath her. Kate slipped down the three-foot bank and landed into a heavily flowing stream. She quickly jumped to her feet in the waist deep water and looked around while removing her wet hair from her face. Downstream seemed the most logical direction. It had to lead somewhere. She crossed the stream and crawled up the muddy bank to the opposite side.
