Chapter 22 #2
When we first parked the bike, I got this feeling like someone was watching. Waiting in the shadows of the trees. It’s a feeling I’ve had a lot more recently.
When I finish a late shift at work. When I get out of my car late at night at home. I thought I was just being paranoid because I’ve watched too many true crime documentaries.
But then I felt it again out in the woods with Isaac, and that doesn’t make sense. It didn’t feel right.
I almost mentioned it to Isaac, that someone else might be close by. Although, I feel like even if there was someone else around, that wouldn’t stop him from fucking me right there. The thought of someone catching us makes my heart flutter.
I’m starting to think I have some major issues.
Maybe it’s time I call my therapist up.
All of a sudden, I feel Isaac tapping me on my hands that are wrapped tightly around his waist and I hear his voice come over the earpiece in my helmet.
“Baby, it’s important that you listen to what I am about to tell you.” My heart sinks. His voice is steady, but it’s heavy with warning. “Tell me that you understand.”
“I understand.” I nod.
“We are not going to Jules’ right now.” Disappointment floods me instantly. “I am going to call her and have her meet us at our house.” I don’t miss how he says our house.
“Okay.” I draw out the word. “Can you at least tell me why?” I don’t want to sound bratty, but it is kind of annoying that he is making these decisions without me. I was really looking forward to spending some quality time with Jules tonight, and he just decides that it’s not going to happen.
And it isn’t exactly girl time with him in the same house.
“Because we are being followed and have been since we left the woods.” The disappointment is quickly replaced by fear. I was right.
My heart races, and I try to look behind me to see if I can figure out who is following us. I don’t see anyone that looks suspicious. Just a bunch of cars.
Isaac starts weaving in and out of traffic, passing cars with ease. I lean my head against his back trying to calm my nerves. “Won’t they just follow us to your house?”
Isaac looks over his shoulder before lane splitting through slower traffic.
That’s when I see the other bike. It’s completely blacked out and is trailing along the left side of us, just a car's length away. I see the rider, and although I can’t see their face, I get this guy feeling that I know them.
“Not if I lose them first.” Lose them? My hands tighten around his waist.
“Listen to me carefully. You must do exactly as I tell you.” I give him a silent nod.
“Good girl. Now take your hands and place them flat on the gas tank.” I unlink my hands from his waist, and I lay them flat in front of him.
“Now, I’m going to lean forward, and I need you to do the same.
Once I do that, I am going to speed up. The most important thing I need you to remember is to hold on to the bike and stay down, and do not try to resist when we turn corners. Can you do that for me?”
I swallow. My chest feels tight and my pulse quickens with every car that passes by.
“Serena!” Issac barks.
“Y-yes. I can do that.” I’m trembling.
“Okay Mi Vida, here we go. I’m going to cut coms for a little while so I can call Jules, then focus on getting us home.” I nod in understanding. Isaac leans forward and I follow his lead, and then it’s radio silence.
Suddenly I see Isaac pull on the throttle and I know we are going at least over 100 miles per hour. Cars fly by us in a blur, and all that’s left of them are their headlights behind us. The bike dips and bobs as Isaac zips in between them, inciting a few honks and curses from the drivers.
I start to feel sick, so I rest my helmet on his back and close my eyes. When I open them, I see the other biker speeding towards us.
Fuck! I don’t think Isaac is going to be able to outrun him. Every time I think we’ve lost him behind another vehicle, he pops out from behind a different one.
Wind whips around my legs and my hips are starting to ache from the crouch-like position I’m sitting in. Isaac veers to the right of the freeway towards an upcoming exit. Instead of slowing down, he speeds up and uses the shoulder to pass by the exiting cars.
I check behind us again and the mystery biker is still on our tail. Isaac slows down a little so that he can turn onto the Main Street, allowing the other biker to catch up to us. When they get within kicking distance, I see a glint of silver on his waistband.
A gun.
Panic fills my chest when he reaches into his holster. If he shoots us now, he’s not going to miss. We are too close. Isaac can’t get away either because he is stuck behind a gravel truck with nowhere to go.
Without much thought, I stick out my leg and kick towards the biker. I make contact with his hand, causing him to lose balance. He has to use his hand to steady the bike again.
While he is distracted, I see a gap big enough between the gravel truck and a Honda Civic. Tapping Isaac’s shoulder, I point towards it.
He nods and pats my leg with approval. Tapping my hands again, he signals for me to get back down. I lean down with him, and he takes off lane splitting down the street, running a red light and takes a quick turn down a side road.
I feel like I’m going to fall off the bike. Isaac said not to fight against the turns, but I don’t know how else to react. My body instinctively wants to lean up to prevent the bike from falling over.
“Lean into the turn Serena. If you don’t, it makes it harder for me and it can cause the bike to tip over.” Lean into it? Like lean towards the road?
I take a deep breath and then allow my body to relax and follow the motion of Isaac and the bike.
The road below us feels so close. I swear my knee is going to scrape the pavement, and we are going to crash. The concrete so close to my face, my helmet only inches from death.
We straighten out as quickly as we leaned over. Isaac weaves side to side down a dark road with switchbacks. With each curve, it gets easier and easier for me to go with the flow of the bike and his movements. Eventually, it feels like second nature.
Before I know it, we are deep in the woods, and I see Jules’ car in Isaac’s driveway. I let out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding when I realize that we are home. Safe.
Isaac helps me off the bike and I wrap my arms around him, clutching on for dear life. We escaped death tonight.
But will we be able to escape his clutches if he visits us again? I feel like my nine lives are running out, and I don’t know how much longer I am going to be able to survive the closer we get down to one.