‘He’s passing,’ Reggie says, almost whimpering.
But I keep watching. When the Land Cruiser slows, eases to the road shoulder, leaving enough room to turn around, I voice what Reggie and I are both thinking. ‘Shit. He’s coming back around. He’s seen us.’
I should be shaking in my boots but I’ve moved beyond that now. I’m so scared, my brain has switched into some sort of self-protective SuperCalm mode, and I think I’ve figured something out. In fact, I’m sure of it.
I clasp both hands on the wheel in a ten-to-two position, just like Dad taught me, and keep my foot steady on the accelerator. ‘Reggie, get ready. You’re getting out of the car.’
‘What?’
‘I’m going to swing around near those sheds, like I’m trying to get away. And when I slow down, while we’re facing the other direction and you’re shielded from sight, you’re going to slip out of the car. Okay?’
Reggie looks at me like he thinks I’ve gone mad. ‘Uh, okay?’
‘Take this.’ I loosen one hand, pass him my phone again.
Reggie’s face is frozen. ‘What, you want me to –’
‘It’s not locked. Once you’re clear, call my dad. Tell him exactly what’s happened –’
‘He’s not gonna listen tome!’
‘He will if you’ve got my phone,’ I explain firmly. ‘Then get to someplace safe. If you don’t have a place to go, find your way to Tenth Street and go to Moira’s Corner Cuts beauty salon and speak to Roberta Geraldi. Tell her I sent you.’
I make him repeat Robbie’s name, and the name of the salon.
‘Okay, you’ve got it.’ The Land Cruiser is at the junction, and the sheds on the right are coming up fast. ‘Are you ready?’
‘This is a bad idea,’ Reggie says darkly.
‘I know!’ I surprise myself by laughing. It’s a sobbing laugh. ‘Oh god, I know… But it’s the best way I can think of to find Harris fast.’
‘By letting Ando catch you.’ Reggie shakes his head. ‘Jesus, Amie, you are one gutsy chick.’
‘Get ready,’ I say in reply, then we’re passing the sheds and I’m swinging the car in a wide slow U-turn.
There’s no other traffic on this road, so I have plenty of space to turn. At the arc’s furthest point, Reggie pops the door handle and scuttles out of the car. He’s done it perfectly, concealing himself in a patch of shade behind some tangled shrubs near the shed entrance. I lean across and tug the door closed as unobtrusively as I can without slowing the car’s momentum. Then I pull away fast.
The rear-view mirror shows no Reggie in sight, and far back behind me, the world’s most enormous Land Cruiser. Right – I’m being tailed by Optimus Prime. A giggle escapes me: I rein it in. I don’t know where all this inappropriate humour is coming from.
Wind tears through the open window of the car with a sound like snapping flags. I plant my foot on the Pitbull’s accelerator, watch in the rear-view as the Land Cruiser rapidly gains speed. I hear an engine rev loud, then Ando’s car is behind me. Level with me on the right. Passing me. It pulls ahead with a powerful chugging surge, makes distance –
Then it’s angling, boxing me onto the road shoulder. I hit the brake hard as the Land Cruiser screeches to a halt, blocking the Pitbull in front like something out of ‘World’s Wildest Police Videos’. The driver’s door on the far side of the Land Cruiser flings opens and I see Marcus Anderson’s hulking form emerge. He stalks towards me amidst a cloud of dust.
My whole body is shaking. I clench my fingers around the steering wheel and wait.
