Ambush

Jumping into his cab, the man starts his truck. He glances at his passenger to find a crazed look on her face. An empty, soulless gaze that murderers get when they snap.

"Let's go, let's go," she orders, motioning with his gun.

He glances into the side mirror and sees a hoard of officers surrounding the place. She is running from the cops. A second thought suddenly comes to mind. If I help her escape, I'll be a fugitive too. He looks over at Janet, still holding the gun at his head, and then behind him again. I either help her or die.

Janet shoves the cold metal against Sam's head. "I said go, now." She then adds with a growl, "Try anything heroic, and I'll splatter your brains across this cab."

"Run now and ditch the loon later, he thinks. Throwing the truck into gear, he pulls away.

They're a short distance down the road when he looks over to find her nervously watching behind them, the gun still pressed against his head like a pro. This isn't her first run-in with the law. He looked behind him, hoping to see a cop, but found a sports car and a minivan instead. Guess I have to figure a way out of this on my own. He glances at the loaded gun in his passenger's hand and gulps. But how?

A voice echoes across the radio, causing his passenger to jump. Who was that?" she asks, glancing over her shoulder toward the sleeper cab.

It's my CB. " He points to a small box mounted under the dash. " It's how we stay updated on speed traps, wrecks, and things like that."

Janet turns to face him. "So you'd know about any roadblocks the cops set up?" She asks hopefully.

"If someone came from that way and decided to share."

Janet nods. "Good to know."

He eyes the box again. That could be my ticket out. But how am I going to let them know without Jackie catching on? He glances over again. Is that even her real name? He studies her for a second. She's probably too young to know CB slang. He reaches for the mic.

Janet grabs it from his hand. "I don't think so, she says, unplugging the mouthpiece from the box.

"I just wanted to see if the cops set up any roadblocks yet."

"I know what you were trying to do. You were trying to call for help. So let's get something clear right here, right now. You get me far away from here, and you live. If you try something stupid, you die, understand?"

He glances at the gun again. Jackie has already killed one man tonight, so what's one more to her? The man nods, "Yes, yes, I understand. How, how far do you want to go?"

"I don't know yet. I've been too busy keeping you from trying to play hero to devise a plan."

"You don't have to worry about me no more. Now we have things set straight, the man says, painting a fake smile on his face."

"It better stay that way."

They drove a distance in silence. Sam would start to say something and then stop, afraid what he'd say would upset her somehow, and he didn't want to take the chance of her going nuts in his cab.

Janet was thinking about her past. How happy she and Bill were when they first met. Their elegant Saturday night dinners at the finest restaurants in town, how they'd spend weeknight cuddled on the couch.

"You deserve only the best."He'd say, presenting her with another expensive gift. It was a dream come true, So Janet thought.

Things quickly changed after she said I do. Her elegant dinner's out were once a month at best and fancy gifts were reserved for birthdays and Christmas. Bill started coming home drunk more often than not, taking his anger out on her. His once passionate sex turned brutal, almost sadistic. She told the cops she wanted to stick it out, but only because Janet knew Bill would kill her or have her killed if she tried to escape. Someone did me a favor, gave me a way out. Now I need to get set up and bring Timmy home. She glances over to find the trucker staring at her. "Whatcha up to over there?"

" Who me? Nothing, nothing at all." He nervously shifts his weight.

"Then why are you staring?"

"I'm just trying to figure you out. You're crying about your dying sister one minute and running from the law the next."

"You want to know why I ran back there? Is that it?"

" I'd kind of like to know what I've gotten myself into, yeah." He nervously replies.

" I'm running from the cops because my lying, cheating, abusive bastard of a husband is dead, and the cops think I killed him."

"You're saying you didn't?" He asks, eyeing her blood-stained dress.

"I thought about it a few times but never went through with it." Janet thought about killing Bill nearly every night as she lays on the floor, barely able to move or breathe. Then she thought about the consequences her son would have to face. "He's an asshole to me but a good father to our son. Timmy worshiped his dad."

"Then how did you get all that blood on you?" He glances at the gun, gulps, and adds," If you don't mind me asking,"

Janet studies her red-stained sun dress. "I found him lying in a puddle of blood, breathing but unresponsive. So I did what any good wife would do. I tried to save his stinking ass."

"You tried to save him after he nearly beat you to a pulp?" he asks, pointing to her arms and then her battered face.

"I thought that if he knew what I did, he'd see me differently, and things would change."

" Did you explain this to the cops?"

I tried to believe me, I did, but they saw it as an open and shut case. Claiming they understood and would back me up if I said it was in self-defense. After a half hour of pointless arguing, I said screw it and took off."

"So, they were the ones you were running from when I picked you up."

Janet nods. "The canines were following my trail when I jumped in."

"The cops must have a good reason not to believe your story besides the blood on your dress."

"Timmy and I were the only others in the house, and Timmy is only 5, so he obviously couldn't do it, which leaves me."

"So if you or Timmy didn't kill him, how do you think he ended up dead?"

" Best I can figure, someone snuck in, killed Bill, and left. He's made a lot of enemies these past few years doing what he does, loansharking and all."

"Did you hear anyone?"

Janet shakes her head." I was in the kitchen making his dinner. "

" Where was Timmy during all of this?"

"Asleep in his room, but the front door was open, so anyone could've slipped in and out without being seen."

"Your neighbors didn't see anyone?"

"Doubtful since the old bats go to bed around five." She thinks a second and then adds, "The neighbors across the street are seldom home."

He looks over to find her peeling her dress from her chest. "I have some of my ex's clothes in the back if you want to change. Figure someone should get some use out of them since she doesn't need them anymore." He pictures her in his mind, pauses for a second, smiles, and adds, "The bitch got what she deserved for doing what she did."