Crossing Paths

Swearing under her breath, Audie glanced in the mirrors at the cars converging on them, then up ahead to the curve that Rachael was negotiating. She had enough experience with the top-heavy vans to know that she would have to slow down considerably to make the turn, and that that would give the cars chasing them (for it was now evident that that was the case) a chance to catch up to them, and there was no way the lumbering ambulance would outrun them.

There was only one option...making things happen on her terms. "Hang on tight!" she called to the girl beside her, then she braced herself and slammed on the brakes. The van skidded to a stop, the anti-lock brakes helping to maintain control as they careened into the bushes and trees at the end of the curve.

Once they stopped, Audie was on the move, leaning back to the opening between the cab and compartment. There was a cabinet there, and she yanked this open, then tossed out the contents. "Get in there!" she ordered the girl, who, smug look gone, nodded mutely and did as asked. Audie slammed the cabinet closed, then gripped her pistol and scrambled into the patient compartment, hoping that the thugs would check the cab first.

Hunkering down between the jumpseat and the gurney, she gripped the pistol and prayed...

Huddled in the confines of the cabinet, Arnie was beginning to think that she would have been better off staying at the hospital with all the dead people. At least they didn't chase after you and try to kill you!

While she would have preferred to run, she was stuck here now, hoping that whoever was chasing them was more interested in who was in the ambulance than what was in it.

Sarah rubbed the back of her neck to keep herself awake. The driving was tiring, especially after the long drive south that had taken her here. There was no point trying to stay wake listening to the radio - there was nothing but silence on the airways. No stations were broadcasting, at least none that she could pick up. Civilisation was on its way out ...

She corrected the steering as the icy roads caused the car to skid. The whiteness surrounding them was causing her eyes to ache, and the sooner they found refuge, the better.

"Woo hoo!" Angel cheered as the ambulance careened off the road, then glanced at Rave, grinning. "Got 'em!"

"Looks that way." Rave was concentrating on his driving, quickly closing the gap between them and the ambulance. "Remember, we're not supposed to kill anyone...yet." His grin was feral. Another few seconds and they'd be on their prey. It was up to Sharpe to decide if he wanted to keep after the truck or come back in hopes that the occupants of the truck would come back for their friends...

Sharpe watched as the Ambulance careened off the road, he picked up the mic and called his drivers, "Let the truck get back to the ambulance, then take them down."

He placed the mic back into its cradle, got back into his car. This should become even more entertaining.

***************
Rachel noticed that Audie wasn't coming around the corner, after her, she moved to put the truck into gear and it stalled out. Mentally she cursed herself for not having paced with Audie.

She pumped the gas, twisted the key, to send a spark back to the plugs to get the truck started once more. It hesitated, not wanting to start, the grinding sound of the crankshaft trying to engage.Whir, whir.. then nothing.

She hit the steering wheel out of frustration, then turned the ignition once more. To her relief the engine roared to life but smelling slightly rich, of the engine almost flooding.

"I'm coming back for you, Audie" she said outloud. "Sorry to have left you behind." Rachel proceeded back the way she came to catch up with Audie and Arnie.

"Not what I planned for my future." He paused. "But this is what we've got for now, bleak as it may seem."

Glancing over at him, Skye smiled. "Well, I'm glad that you came through when you did. I don't think that things back home are getting any better and I'd hate to be there alone...or on the road alone." Slumping a little in the seat, she added, "Papa would be grateful to you." She laughed and shook her head. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he arranged this." While she hadn't known Jack well, she did know that he was a good man, honest and reliable, someone she could trust.

"Funny, you know, sometimes I've thought how things ‘seemed' to be arranged." Jack replied glancing over quickly, then back to an uncertain road ahead of them. "Whatever it was that happened to this country, or at least what we've seen of it, was orchestrated. A heinous terrorist act against the people. By who and why, well, out of my paygrade that's for sure." He paused for another glance. "We'll just make sure we take care to make it out of here in one piece. God willing."

Rave slid the sedan sideways, stopping a few feet behind the ambulance, that was now sitting at an angle, partly in a ditch, darkened. "We've got him here," he radioed to Sharpe. "He tires to get away, we'll take care if him!" He laughed, glancing at Angel, then slipped out of the car. "Let's go see what we got." Gripping his pistol, he headed around the driver's side of the van, then squatted behind the door, while Angel did the same on the other side, waiting for Sharpe.

"Funny, you know, sometimes I've thought how things ‘seemed' to be arranged." Jack replied glancing over quickly, then back to an uncertain road ahead of them. "Whatever it was that happened to this country, or at least what we've seen of it, was orchestrated. A heinous terrorist act against the people. By who and why, well, out of my paygrade that's for sure." He paused for another glance. "We'll just make sure we take care to make it out of here in one piece. God willing."

Skye smiled a little and nodded. "We made it this far, right?" She straightened as headlights rounded a corner some distance ahead of them, then the driver did a U-turn, leaving darkness ahead of Max again. "That was odd," she muttered, watching as Max briefly braked, then accelerated again.

"We'll just make sure we take care to make it out of here in one piece. God willing."

Skye smiled a little and nodded. "We made it this far, right?" She straightened as headlights rounded a corner some distance ahead of them, then the driver did a U-turn, leaving darkness ahead of Max again. "That was odd," she muttered, watching as Max briefly braked, then accelerated again.

Seeing Rachael make a u turn Jack said; "Now what the hell is that all about?" He muttered, applying the brake gently. The temperature was dropping and that meant ice on the roads. "Something's not right, but we need to take care, I don't want to slide off the road. Maybe you better have a gun ready, I mean, just in case." Jack didn't want to alarm Skye, but, precaution was better than surprise. He made sure his automatic was close to hand, and slowly accelerated again.

Sharpe drove up and parked his car just a little bit a ways from Rave and Angel's car, radioed to the others, "Move on in" then walked quietly over towards them. He noticed the headlights of the truck that Rachel was in, coming closer.

"Just like I figured."he said quietly to Rave and Angel."Be ready to move." He pulled out his rifle, and took aim...

Rachel slowed, seeing that there were two cars near the ambulance, her heart started pounding, was Audie alright? She stopped the truck, its engine idling... She didn't see anyone yet turning off the engine but not the lights. She got hold of her shotgun opening the door and stepped out That was when Sharpe shot, missing Rachel but hit the door, Several more shots followed after.

Rachel gave out a yell, dropping to the ground and rolling under the truck to escape. Looking around to see who was firing and to return fire she fired in the general direction of where the shots were fired, causing Sharpe to duck.

While shots were being fired, there were those on foot, after getting out of an old jeep, sneaking towards where the truck was at. Their plan, to catch the other driver, pinning him down....Both carrying firearms...one of them a shotgun.

Audie cringed and hunkered down as the shooting started, holding her breath and hoping for the best. There was movement outside, and shadows flickered past the windows, but her plan, such as it was, worked for the moment...

Rave and Angel grinned as the truck returned, letting the others take care of it. Their main concern was the ambulance. Moving up the on either side of the cab, then yanked the doors open, ready to shoot. But they got a surprise when they found themselves looking at each other across the empty seats.

"What th' hell?" Rave frowned, then nodded his head toward the back and started that way.

Listening, Audie took a chance that they had moved, and now crawled back into the cab, whispering to Arnie as she passed the storage cabinet, "Just hang on, it'll be fine..." If they didn't die!

Seeing Rachael make a u turn Jack said; "Now what the hell is that all about?" He muttered, applying the brake gently. The temperature was dropping and that meant ice on the roads.

"Don't know." Skye shrugged, alert now. "Maybe they didn't want to get near us?"

"Something's not right, but we need to take care, I don't want to slide off the road. Maybe you better have a gun ready, I mean, just in case." Jack didn't want to alarm Skye, but, precaution was better than surprise. He made sure his automatic was close to hand, and slowly accelerated again.

"Sure, all right." She grabbed the pistol from the console and gripped it tightly, careful to keep her finger off the trigger...for now.

A moment later, the tail lights on Max's truck disappeared around the corner and she tensed. It was only another few seconds before they turned the corner as well, headed into chaos!

Max's truck was off the road at an odd angle, partly in a ditch, and just ahead of that was another truck, its doors open. Flashes of light, accompanied by sharp cracks indicated shooting, and before she hunkered down in the seat, Skye noticed several other vehicles, including an ambulance...

"Sure, all right." She grabbed the pistol from the console and gripped it tightly, careful to keep her finger off the trigger...for now.

A moment later, the tail lights on Max's truck disappeared around the corner and she tensed. It was only another few seconds before they turned the corner as well, headed into chaos!

"Aw hell! This isn't good!" Jack said as he let off the gas to avoid the same fate as Max, and, to be able to stop without losing control.

[/i]Max's truck was off the road at an odd angle, partly in a ditch, and just ahead of that was another truck, its doors open. Flashes of light, accompanied by sharp cracks indicated shooting, and before she hunkered down in the seat, Skye noticed several other vehicles, including an ambulance...[/i]

Jack managed to stop the truck without losing control on the slick pavement, killing the headlights. "Well, we're gonna have to lend support. Damn, I knew this was coming but not so fast." Leaning between the seats, he grabbed the M-4 and a bandolier of magazines. He paused looking at Skye. "Can you do this?" He paused. "Look, we have to support the others these are the bad guys and the want whatever we have. Not gonna be pleasant!" He reached up and popped the cover on his dome light as two bullets struck the front of the truck in succession. "Out!" He ordered as the bulb came free. He opened his door and rolled out.

The screeching of tires, the sight of a truck going into the ditch. Rachel felt her heart leap into her throat. What else is going to happen, she wished she hadn't thought that as others came in to open fire. Their attention was taken by the arrival of another vehicle, opening fire on them. Rachel took the chance to roll out from under the truck,crawling forward then going up to one knee firing several more rounds towards Sharpe.

Sharpe ducked down, moving away from the ambulance, wanting to get a better shot at the woman who was in the truck. He crouched low crossing in front of the ambulance, he will leave Rave and Angel to deal with the driver of the Ambulance. He was right at the passenger side, popping up and taking a shot at Rachel. There was flash of flame when the rifle fired. At the same time another shot was fired towards Rachel catching her in a crossfire. Rachel felt something pluck at the sleeve of her coat, she gasped out, dropping back to the ground and rolling to another position. The ground was icy cold, she could see her breath in the faint light cast by the headlights of the truck. She was regreting having left the truck lights on, they were both beneficial but also a hinderance too.

A puff of dirt hit close to Rachel then another one and she had to keep rolling away from the truck, with bullets just barely missing her. One was rather close sending up a smattering of dirt which got into her eyes. Rachel's eyes watered, she had to stop to wipe the dirt out of her eyes. She heard the crunch of gravel next to her, "Hold still..." was the next thing she heard. She did the opposite rolling towards the person instead of away, the shot hitting a scant inch from her.She had left the shotgun behind, wiping the dirt out of her eyes. Pop pop pop three more barely missing her, she stopped her roll against the leg of her assailant.

Ol' Durham thought he had the woman right where he wanted,he had control of the situation. He moved his angle to where he'd have a direct bead on her...

Jack managed to stop the truck without losing control on the slick pavement, killing the headlights. "Well, we're gonna have to lend support. Damn, I knew this was coming but not so fast." Leaning between the seats, he grabbed the M-4 and a bandolier of magazines.

"Support to who?" Skye asked, quickly snapping a leash on Chump's collar, then tying the dog to the seat so he wouldn't get out. She glanced out the window, feeling her heart skip at all the gunfire. How were they supposed to know who the 'good guys' were?

He paused looking at Skye. "Can you do this?" He paused.

"Yeah, I think so." She grabbed the pistol, clutching it tightly as she slid down in the seat, fighting back the fear that threatened to engulf her. Her mouth had gone dry and she could barely breathe.

"Look, we have to support the others these are the bad guys and the want whatever we have. Not gonna be pleasant!" He reached up and popped the cover on his dome light as two bullets struck the front of the truck in succession.

Skye shrieked and drew her knees up, sliding to the floor beside Chump. She couldn't do this...she was paralyzed with fear...

"Out!" He ordered as the bulb came free. He opened his door and rolled out.

Hesitating, Skye sucked in a sharp breath, willing herself to move, for all the good that did. But when a bullet smashed through the windshield, that clenched it for her and she popped open the door and rolled to the ground, then scrambled under the truck.