Stolen In Paradise

Chapter 14: Gemma Jackman

"Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy fuck." Jackman said rapidly as she couldn't start her car fast enough. He was definitely on to her. That P.I. was definitely after her, that sly son of a bitch acting like he'd never met her before, what was his angle? 

Oh, sure just pop up when I get the evidence that could solve this case. NO! Its mine! Get your own!

Jackman couldn't have sped away from the cafe more illegally. She mounted the curb and flew down the next street at 70km/h. She slammed her hand onto the horn as she continued speeding across a pedestrian crossing full of innocent school kids, missing them by centimeters. She was glad she didn't hit any of the poor kids, but she was even gladder to see that the intersection she sped past was completely empty. She could've been cleaned up by a truck. She looked in her rear vision mirror to see a bumble-bee yellow Holden Barina giving chase. It flashed it's headlights a bunch of times and it was growing a lot bigger in her rear vision mirror.

"Hah!" Jackman laughed. "What a piece of shit!" That was the worst rental she had ever seen.

Jackman jerked on the wheel hard and stomped on the accelerator, making her slide around the next corner with ease.

"Advanced driving course, motherfucker!" Jackman shouted as she weaved her way in and out of traffic. She had just hit a real busy street. She overtook some old lady and snaked into the lane again just before a car in the opposite lane could clean her up. The poor guy slammed on the brakes and everything. She looked in her rear vision mirror and could still see the Barina giving chase. This Ryan guy was determined to catch up and dared to go into the oncoming lane to do so.

"Damn." Jackman cursed. She was going to have to try something else if she were to shake him so she overtook another car so she was ahead of the pack. The lights at the incoming intersection turned red and Jackman stepped on the accelerator.

"You'd have to be insane to try this." Jackman said more to herself than to her persuer. Her car went right up to 90 km/h by the time she hit the intersection. Cars from her left and right filled her vision and she could've sworn the entire world went into slow motion. The drivers on both sides screamed as they swerved and slammed on the brakes.

Smash!

The entire left side of Jackman's car was eviscerated as a speeding car T-boned her and sent her shitty little Focus spinning out of control before having the right indicator clipped by a truck that was just too slow to avoid her, jack-knifing the front end of the car and bending it into the shape of a mangled banana. Glass rained on Jackman's skin and ear-splitting steel-on-steel grinds deafened her as the world went spinning out of control. The car was still spinning and slammed into the side of a corner store, cracking the red brick wall something awful.

Jackman felt like she had just been eaten by a shark or something.

Her shoulder was so freakin' sore she was careful not to move it in case it was dis-located. She looked ahead of her, having her senses return to her all at once and she could see a lot of disgruntled drivers beeping their horns and cursing at each other in Fijian. They were all okay.

"Remind me never to do that again." Jackman said as she pulled up the laptop and saw that it thankfully wasn't too damaged, but an alarming scratch was etched into the lid. She hoped it still worked.

She opened the door and stepped out into the street and realised she had bruises and small cuts all over her. It made it really hard to move but she could see that Ryan guy exit his car and begin hurdling the traffic jam. He was still after her. Jackman really didn't want to run right now, but she found it within herself. It was probably the adrenalin pumping through her body. She quickly ducked into an alley and ran for it. Her bare feet took the harsh asphalt well as she pumped her legs as fast as they would carry her.

"Oh, advanced driving course my ass." Jackman groaned as she huffed and puffed. "Fitness assessment can go fuck itself too."

"Stop right there!" Ryan called out from the entrance to the alley, which made Jackman pick up the pace even more. She made it out into the street again and looked around. There was a crowd off to her left which was gathering to gawk at the collision, she could hide in there, but not for long so she ran the opposite way, which she felt was a mistake.

"Stop!" Ryan called out. Old fucker was fast. "I said stop!"

The sound of sirens became apparent and Jackman halted where she was. This Ryan guy was working with the police and she knew she was going to jail for sure now. What impression this guy had of her she didn't know, but without a badge and her passport sitting back in the Seashell in Momi Bay she would be seen as a fugitive or worse. She was done for. She looked behind her shoulder to see Ryan was walking and he was ready to take her in.