Chapter Four – Washing the Hummer

"No no no! Bad car!"

The Search and Rescue revved its engine defensively and backed up, bubbles dripping over its paintwork like snails over a leaf of cabbage. Cassie was trying hard not to laugh at its silly appearance and to keep her cool as it continued to refuse a rinse down. The teen stood a few metres away brandishing a hose, her patience draining out of her fast.

"The water is not THAT cold you big baby!" She exclaimed angrily. Pressing the nozzle hard, she blasted the metal with another bout of water and received a pathetic whine of protest for her trouble. The Hummer backed up again but stopped when it hit Will's fence, water dripping from the windscreen where she had hit it. Grinning with triumph, Cassie edged closer and began targeting the left wheel. With a loud growl and screech of its wheels, the Hummer shot back, taking the fence with it. Letting out a strangled gasp, Cassie's jaw dropped in shock. Eyes narrowing with a deadly vengeance, Cassie pulled at the hose and followed the uncooperative truck through the back garden. She found it trying to hide behind a rundown tractor, its huge bulk giving it away.

"This is ridiculous!"

The truck didn't seem to think so. In fact, as she tried to approach it from behind it drove away and Cassie ended up chasing the damn thing around the tractor, it somehow managing to avoid her and reversing whenever she changed direction. Growling angrily, Cassie quickly clambered up the side of the tractor and launched a surprise attack on one of its doors. She chuckled darkly when its engine rumbled in both surprise and annoyance but her victory was short lived when it rolled one of its wheels purposefully onto the end of the hosepipe, squelching it in the mud.

"No fair! That's cheating!" Cassie protested, tugging weakly at her only weapon that was now useless. Crouching next to it, Cassie tried to push the wheel and tug out the rubber wire at the same time. It did little good. The engine growled mockingly in a way Cassie interpreted it as 'So what?'

"So? You're a freaking three tonne possessed Hummer and I'm a six stone human! How the hell am I supposed to win? Give me the hose you twit!" She shouted, slapping the wheel repeatedly. The wheel suddenly turned, making the teen squeak with surprise and fall onto her behind. The truck began lurching towards her.

"Not good."

His friend with the Peterbilt was busy Will said. The Hummer was just as well behaved Will said. Yeah, you are such a liar Cassie thought viciously from her perch in the tree. Cassie was sitting on a thick branch on the right side of tree, peering down cautiously around her. Her hands were scratched by her hurried attempt to get to safety and her pride was damaged twice as bad. She had just got chased up a tree by a freaking truck.

On the ground twenty five feet below was the Search and Rescue Hummer, sitting perfectly still not two metres from the trunk. It was still a little foamy but most had been wiped away of had dripped off by the effort made to corner the human. Cursing like a trooper, Cassie fidgeted on her branch and looked around her. They were both on the opposite side of the house and unless Will or Sarah looked out the either the bathroom window or their bedroom window she was stuck.

Despite her experience with the Topkick and Will's warning about the Hummer being 'government property' and having 'glitches' similar to the one his truck had had, Cassie had treated it like a normal car. Washing it and not communicating to it as she had Ironhide, as Will called it. But it seemed the H2 Hummer hated being washed and rinsed with the hose. It had actually redirected the spray back onto Cassie when she had blasted one of the doors by opening it suddenly. Dripping wet and furious, Cassie had gaped at it in shock, irritation flaring in her eyes. She had tried again but with the excessive whining the engine was making, she felt as though she was torturing the stupid thing. She had spent ages chasing it around the Lennox's property, often hiding behind Ironhide and ambushing it that way. At one point it had actually bulldozed its way through the barn door and had only come out when Cassie had scrambled into the Topkick and kept low. Thinking she had given the Hummer had emerged only to receive a grill full of water from the merciless teen.

The teen's attention was caught as her hand brushed up against a bumpy surface. Looking to her left, Cassie grinned and grabbed it. It was a large pine cone and glancing around, the tree she was sitting in was covered in them. Trying to keep her balance, Cassie seized six more and spread them around her so she could reach for them easily.

"Hey! Up here ugly!"

A snarl of the engine told Cassie the truck had heard her.

"Take this you stupid bullying hunk of scrap!"

And with no warning, Cassie tossed a pine cone down the tree. It bounced off the bonnet harmlessly but she knew it had surprised the Hummer by the grunt it made.

"Ha!" She jeered and open fired. Pine cones rained down on the unprepared Autobot, pinging off his windscreen and hood with satisfying thuds. With a strangled yelp, the Hummer retreated quickly, zooming away in the direction of the driveway.

Cautious but also desperate to get out of the tree, Cassie clambered down, her legs feeling like jelly; she really hated heights. She crept across the lawn gingerly, whipping her head around at the slightest noise.

Cassie knew her experience with Ironhide had been strange. It had seemed alive. It had seemed like it had a mind of its own and that had amused her. But the damn thing had never run her up a tree or had her chase it around the yard like an unruly puppy at bath time.

A glorious sight met her eyes; the hose, unguarded, lying on the ground a few metres away. Her breath faltered and she quickened her pace, her eyes darting around her, not sure whether it was a trap or not.

The infuriating sound of a smug engine revving told her it was a trap.

Ignoring it although it was directly behind her, Cassie dove and rolled, snatched up the nozzle, pointed and blasted. Giving a girlish squeak of outrage the Hummer backed away, as the now cold water hit the grill and windscreen. Smiling with added mirth, Cassie got to her feet and herded the vehicle to the driveway and to where she had originally started washing it.

Although neither had tried to be quiet, their antics drew the attention of the Ironhide and he slowly made his way towards them. Cassie glanced at the Topkick nervously; two against one wasn't usually fair anyway. But the GMC had other ideas. It manoeuvred itself directly behind the Hummer and blocking all means of escape. If the Search and Rescue truck wish to get away it would have to ram over Will's truck... and by the looks of it a tank couldn't get passed it. Over the growl of protest from the Hummer Cassie heard a low rumble that probably came from the Topkick. If it had spoken English Cassie was sure it would have meant; 'get him good kid!'.

Laughing with delight, Cassie finally managed to give the Hummer a good rinse, careful not to splash the Topkick. Foam and bubbles swam down the metal fluidly and Cassie blasted the wheels clear of the mud they had picked up whilst chasing her. She also checked the hood for dents because of her pine cone rampage but it seemed fine and undamaged.

When she was done, Cassie wound up the hose and tapped the bonnet of the Hummer fondly.

"Sorry big guy," She giggled, plucking at her drenched top in mock annoyance. "But to be honest I think we're even."

The truck rumbled gently and its headlights flashed in agreement. The Topkick gave a soft sound like rolling thunder which reminded Cassie of the laugh the Peterbilt had and nodded her head at it in thanks. The GMC bumped into her legs softly with its grill like an old friend would pat her on the shoulder as it went past before settling back into its original position on the driveway. Shaking her head, Cassie made her way to the porch and with a final glance over her shoulder –eyes radiating amazement - the teen entered the house.