Page 37 of Jolene's Justice

Finch pressed down on the gas, speeding up just a bit to put some distance between them. The other driver matched his speed. Noting a long stretch of open road in front of him, he slowed and pulled slightly to the side, hoping the guy would get the hint and pass them.

He didn’t. The massive truck stayed with them. While Finch contemplated whether to pull over and stop completely, the truck backed off. He drove at a regular pace, his attention divided between the road ahead and the rear-view mirror.

Just as he was about to enter a section of road that had narrow curves, the truck sped up again, this time not stopping when it reached them.

“Shit. Hold on,” he yelled to Jolene, just as the truck hit their back bumper. The jolt rattled them, but he maintained control of the SUV.

Jolene grabbed the oh-shit handle and tried to peer back at the other vehicle. “What does this guy think he’s doing?”

“I don’t know. But I’m not sticking around to find out.” He pressed down harder on the accelerator, pushing the SUV to dangerous speeds as he approached the curves. The truck stayed plastered to their back bumper. The first curve lay ahead, and he knew he’d have to reduce his speed to safely traverse it. He lifted his foot off the gas pedal just as the truck swerved and clipped them on the rear driver’s side bumper.

Jolene squealed, and Finch gritted his teeth as he fought to keep them on the road. He noted the severe drop-off out of his side window. If the guy hit them at the right angle, they could veer off the road and tumble down the steep drop.

“Call the police,” Finch cried when the truck hit them a third time.

Jolene scrambled for her phone, and he could hear the edge of panic in her voice as she talked to the 911 operator. They were making their way through the next curve when the truck clipped them again on the rear driver’s side. It was a big enough hit that the SUV’s back end slid off the road on Jolene’s side. At the speed they were going, it took everything in Finch to bring them back on the road. The driver in the truck took advantage and smashed into them again, sending them across the road and perilously close to that steep ravine.

Finch overcompensated, and the SUV started to spin. With a final clip from the truck’s massive front grill, they were plummeting backward over the drop-off. Finch was powerless as Jolene’s screams echoed around them, unable to do anything to stop their descent.

Something stopped their freefall with a jolt. The sudden impact caused Finch’s head to collide with the window, leaving him momentarily dazed and disoriented. Something warm trickled into his eye as he struggled to figure out what had just happened. In a flash, it came rushing back. Jolene.

He sat up quickly and looked over at her. “Jolie?” he asked, his voice barely audible as it shook with fear. She wasn’t moving, but her eyes were open. One hand still gripped the overhead handle, the other was braced on the dashboard in front of her. He could see the rapid movement of her chest as she breathed.

With clumsy fingers, he unfastened his seat belt and turned to her. He placed a hand on her stiff arm, startling her. “Are you okay?” he asked, raking his gaze over her for any sign of injury.

It took her a moment to reply, and during that pause, she took a deep breath. With a hesitant tone and a slow blink, she responded. “I-I think so.” She turned to face him and gasped. “You’re bleeding.” She reached over and touched his cheek near the gash on his temple. He caught her hand before she could get blood on it and kissed her palm.

“I’m okay. Hit my head when we stopped. We need to get out of the SUV.” He looked up the incline, suddenly worried whoever had run them off the road may be waiting up top to finish them off another way. “On second thought, let’s stay here until the police arrive.”

“The police!” Jolene lunged for something between her feet. She came back up, grimacing, with her cell phone in her hand. He noticed her wince as she rubbed her chest where the seat belt had been strapped. He probably had matching bruises on his chest.

“Hello? Ma’am? Are you still there?” the 911 operator was saying.

“Yes, I’m here. We got run off the road.”

“The police are nearly there. Is anyone hurt? Do you need an ambulance?”

“Yes.” She answered at the same time he said, “No.”

Jolene sent him a glare that told him she wasn’t messing around.

The sirens grew louder until it sounded like they were right on top of them. Soon, there was a responder tapping on Jolene’s window.

“Everyone all right in here?” he asked, shining a flashlight through the window at them.

“He’s hurt,” Jolene insisted.

“I’m fine,” he mumbled in return. “Just get her out and up top, please.”

They easily opened her door and helped her out. She was a little shaky as she stood next to the SUV, but that was to be expected after the adrenaline dump. Finch, however, was not getting out of the vehicle on his side. The tree that halted their progress had also smashed the door. He gritted his teeth, preparing to climb over the console. He could already feel the aches and pains from the numerous jolts they’d sustained.

The psychedelic strobe effect of lights from all the emergency vehicles up on the road was dizzying, and his head pounded as he followed Jolene up the ravine.

“Grady?” Jolene’s shocked voice caught his attention. She was staring at the asshole from the bar. The one who’d been Jolene’s first kiss. He hated the guy on that pretext alone. But then he’d been a dick that night in the bar. Finch was surprised to see the badge on his chest. “You’re a police officer?”

“I’m afraid it’s worse than that,” he replied a bit sheepishly.

“How is it worse?”

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