Grif didn't remember what the speed limit on the road from a highway into a highly populated but not very popular city was. As they sped into such a city, Grif realized he didn't remember a lot of things these days.
His mind reeled at the thought of this finally being over. Maybe, the police really had taken care of the situation. After all, both Donut and Grif had come through scrapes before, and the police didn't even have to be involved. He did worry about how the police would treat someone who's been in drug problem situations before, yet didn't call the police. He had to imagine there was protocol for something like that. But he couldn't imagine it would be quick or kind.
They rushed past the blur of a speed limit sign, and then another. Simmons fidgeted in his seat, and Tucker had grit his teeth while Carolina pressed hard on the gas pedal. They were nearing the station, and Grif's stomach was doing flips. Whether that was from the thought of everyone being out of danger or the car's speed was unclear. Simmons reached over to Grif, placed a light hand on his shoulder. He let himself smile softly, reassuring Simmons as much as he was reassuring him. Grif held tight to the door and kept his eyes on the road in front of him, but felt confident.
He couldn't understand how quickly things can take a turn for the worst.
The police could help. That's what they're there for, right? Doc repeated this question and variations of it in his mind as he drove down the street. The small amount of sleep aroused some function in his brain, and he remembered the backstreets behind his house that would lead them to the police station downtown. He only had to cut down a few back roads and onto the highway, and they could avoid whatever mess what no doubt barreling towards his house.
Donut, despite the bumps of the dirt road, was leaned forward. His hand covered his mouth, and his eyes seemed stuck in thought. Doc tried to keep his eyes on the road, but the suspicion he had before poked around in the back of his brain. He made a note to save doubting Donut until later. They had to trust each other if either of them was going to get out of this unscathed.
The highway approached quickly, and the road smoothed itself out underneath them. Trust. That was going to be hard for Doc, but he already knew that. Donut was still hunched forward, his forehead wrinkled in frustration. Without looking at him, Doc reached over and tried to place his hand on Donut's shoulder.
He missed, and his hand landed on Donut's knee. Donut's face changed, and he gave Doc a look that Doc refused to acknowledge out of embarrassment. "Ah, sorry. I was trying to be comforting." His hand didn't move. "Uhm, it's going to be okay, okay?" He stared at the highway, and Donut smiled at Doc.
"Thanks."
"Shit!" Tucker shouted, and everyone braced themselves. Carolina slammed the brakes a second later, and the car almost flipped over in the street. Grif hurled forward against the back of Tucker's seat. As he bit the back of a headrest, he heard other cars drive around the van.
"What's going on? Who is this?" Simmons asked. His voice was high pitched and shaky.
Grif threw himself back, and saw groups of people get out a dark car next to him. "Simmons, get down!" He pushed Simmons down towards the floor while Carolina lurched the car into reverse. It only moved several feet until another car blocked in the back.
Tucker pushed his own door open, knocking one guy out with it and swinging at another. Carolina was shouting something, but Grif couldn't focus on what was going on as he more of them crowd his door. Wait, why were they only coming on one side? Grif blinked, and Grif understood why. He got close to Simmons, and tried to speak past the shouting so he could be heard. "Stay here."
"What are you saying?" Simmons replied, confused.
"Listen, I'm going to do something very stupid, okay?" Simmons started to protest, but Grif stopped him. "Don't let them get the laptop." He paused. "Don't let them get you. I have an idea."
Before he could say anything else, he was yanked out of the car. As he was being pulled out, one of the cars that had surrounded them was shoved violently by another speeding car. The last thing that Grif would see before his vision went black was Carolina peeling out through the gap.
Pop Quiz! What do you do if you find yourself driving into an ambush that is most likely made specifically for you? Do you:
Give up (Congrats, you're Grif)
Try to back out, only to find a car already there, and curse the people who brought you into this world (You're Carolina)
Come out of the car, guns and fists blazing (You're either impervious to bullets or Tucker)
Well, if you're Doctor Frank DuFresne, you do none of these things. As soon as the cars started Doc, Donut froze in place. They were fast, and Doc whispered to Donut. "What do I do?" Once again, he didn't know what to do. Doc slowed the car, panic coursing through his veins. He thought about what it was like to get taken before. These weren't the same guys. They didn't even wear masks.
Like they knew it wouldn't matter if Doc saw their faces. One of them got out of the car, wearing a sadistically smug grin. Doc glanced at Donut, and saw pure panic and fear on his face. For once in his life, time slowed for Doc. He turned back to the road, hands still gripping the wheel. "Get in the back." Donut jumped into the backseat without question. Donut's terror filled eyes still fresh in his mind, Doc took a deep breath.
And floored the gas. It jumped forward, into the grinning man and his car. The impact was enough to push one of the cars and make an opening for Doc's car, and he rocketed through it. He drove past everything and everyone, including another pile-up of strange and dangerous black vehicles that Doc got a bit too close too. He swore he could feel the engine tearing itself apart as he held the pedal down, and sideswiped one of the cars, pushing an opening for someone very desperate for one.
Donut was still huddled in the bottom of the backseat, but climbed into it when he didn't hear gunshots. He looked out the back window for a moment, before the speed of the car told him that if he stayed like that he was going to smash his head on something if Doc braked. Doc wasn't able to see his face then, but if he had, he would have seen the face of a man who just witnessed his friend get kidnapped.
