Category: Gen
Setting: 1X13 "Black Jack"
Characters/Pairings: Jake Green, Johnston Green, Heather Lislinski, Dale Turner, Russell.
Rating/Warnings: T, hints at dark subject matter.

Note: Italicized quotes are from the episode "Black Jack."

Summary: The car would never make it through the Black Jack barricade, so why didn't he stop?

Disclaimer: Neither Jericho nor its characters belong to me.

Through the Barricade

Stop the car.

He could hear his dad's words, but he couldn't act on them. He saw the gate, the crane that was being lowered down, and he knew that the car couldn't fit. The Roadrunner was a good car, but it wasn't a tank. If he hit that gate they would be lucky to make it out without major injuries or loss of life. He knew they couldn't make it through that gate.

Jake, this car will not fit through that barricade.

He knew he should listen to his Dad—knew he should! In the rearview mirror he could see Heather looking out the back, fear on her face. Dale was pale, his eyes locked on the barricade that was forming and panic beginning to mount on his face. Johnston glanced over at his son, and Jake knew he was questioning his son's sanity. Heck, he was questioning his sanity. His dad was right. There was no way they could fit through that barricade.

Stop the car now.

But in his mind he couldn't get rid of the image of those bloody chains hanging in the back of the seller's tent. He couldn't forget the sight of the man strung up as a warning. And he knew that that was what would happen to them if they didn't make it through that barricade. Dale would be hung for a thief, and so would Jake and Johnston, if they weren't just killed outright. As for Heather… the image of those chains filled his mind once more.

Jake!

His body stiffened as the truck swung in front of them, Russell in the driver's seat. Jake swung the wheel and followed, the tension leaving as they burst through the trailer and made their escape. The sounds of gunshots rang out behind them, but none came close to them. Jake sighed, sinking slightly in his seat as they followed Russell away from Black Jack. He looked into the rear view mirror, noticing how Dale seemed to be frozen in shock. Heather met his eyes in the mirror, clearly worried but still trusting despite the stunt he had just pulled. Giving her a half-smile, he glanced over to his father, the smile falling the second he saw the disapproving look.

And you, you knew that this car was not going to fit through that gate.

He was surprised it had taken until they reached Jericho for Johnston to lecture him. It had been a long ride with most of it in silence. He had spent the whole ride imagining the conversation, worrying and fretting over what to say. He didn't want to disappoint his father, not again, but that seemed to be his lot in life didn't it.

I know. I heard you talking to me and I knew you were right.

There it was. That look of disappointment. He thought he would be used to it by now, but even after thirty-two years, it hurt just as deep as the first time. Jake sighed, knowing he had messed up. He should have listened to his father and stopped the car. They never would have made it through that barricade without Russell. But if they had stopped…

Why didn't you stop the car?

The image of that backroom full of bloody chains filled his mind once more.

I don't know.