The Ghosts in You (A Zak Bagans Fanfic)

Chapter 76

Dwayne kept his gun pointed at Sara while he maintained speeds in excess of ninety miles per hour. She tried to talk him down but that only seemed to agitate him more. Breathe, Sara, breathe.

And on the radio played "Every Breath You Take." Oh, great. Sometimes, Sara hated synchronicity.

Her stalker kept up a steady stream of conversation, but with someone other than Sara – someone or something other.

Who's he talking to? Sara wondered.

Dwayne's conversation teetered on the edge of argument, and it seemed he was on the losing end. *Kill her.* – No, I won't. – *Kill Saraaa. Now.* – No, I won't kill her. And then aloud, he shouted, "Shut up!"

Sara was certain she heard him mutter "kill her." She knew she had to interrupt and redirect his thought process. "Dwayne, you don't want to do this. You need to slow down. You need –"

"Shut up!" he yelled again, as much to her as to his mind's invisible passenger.

Shaking, Sara's thoughts turned to her parents. Mom, Dad, I'll see you in a few...

Her stalker screamed incoherently, gutturally.

Sara turned around to see several Highway Patrol cars now following them. Her stalker saw them too, and pushed the gas pedal to the floor.

Zak paced the floor of the police station lobby frantically while he and Aaron watched the chase unfold on TV. Zak had never felt so helpless.

Sara could see that the road ahead was empty. It's too early for there not to be any traffic on the Interstate. Maybe the Highway Patrol got ahead of us...

Zak checked his phone again for any sign that Sara had left another text message. Or better yet, a voice message to say she's safe. Nothing? How can there be nothing? Aaron tried his best to keep Zak calm: "She's going to be all right, man."

Sara could see lights ahead in the distance spanning the full width of the Interstate. As they closed in on the wall of cars, Sara could see that they were patrol cars, parked broadside, blocking their way. With the pedal already pressed to the floor, Dwayne steeled himself as he stared, focused, straight ahead. His internal argument heated up, with the occasional muttering issuing from his lips. Sara reached down beside her seat and grabbed ahold of her phone. She carefully slipped it into her sweatshirt pocket.

Zak and Aaron watched in horror as the car that was purported to have Sara inside approached the wall of cars without slowing down. Zak's thoughts were running rampant. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear someone on TV saying, "Zak Bagan's girlfriend..."

Sara knew that she wouldn't survive another collision. Not so soon. As the distance between the cars closed, Sara reached over and grabbed the wheel, pulling down hard. The car careened.

"No!" Zak screamed at the television as he watched the car swerve out of control.

The car hit one of the patrol cars side-on as it spun, dissipating much of the energy of the impact, but pinning the dazed driver against the patrol car. Sara, miraculously unhurt, took the opportunity to open her door, climb out and stumble, walk, then run away from the car. She ran toward a silhouette with outstretched arms. She supposed that it was one of the patrolmen but there was something familiar about it.

Zak watched as the car careened, coming to a stop as it broadsided one of the patrol cars, pinning the driver within the car. A woman climbed out of the car and ran towards the line of cars. Sara! Thank you, God! 

"I told you, man! I told you she would be all right!" Aaron put a reassuring hand on Zak's back.

Sara ran to the line of awaiting Highway Patrolmen. The silhouette with the outstretched arms came into focus – and for one second she saw him: Dad!

Zak slumped into a chair and frantically dug his cell phone out of his pocket to dial Sara. Come on baby, answer the phone... And, finally: "Sara!" Zak exclaimed.

Sara felt her phone vibrate. "Zak! I'm okay. I'm okay." Sara's voice broke. "I can't hear you over the Highway Patrol. I need to hang up but only for right now. I'm okay." Sara ended the call and looked up to find that the silhouette was no longer there.

Zak was overwhelmed. Already slouched in his seat, he wanted to melt into the floor. He clutched at his heart, racing harder and faster than he'd ever known. He willed it to slow down. He needed to stick around for Sara, to hold her in his arms. Aaron drummed his fists into Zak's shoulder repeatedly, relinquishing his own anxious tension, oblivious to Zak's state of mind.

The Highway Patrol instructed the driver to put down his weapon. He refused, though, screaming incoherently, and aimed his firearm directly at them, giving them but one terrifying choice. They began firing round after round into the car. Sara turned away from the scene. She couldn't witness her stalker come to that end, even if he had threatened her life.

Aaron and Zak stared at the screen, dumbfounded as bullets tore through the car Sara had been in only moments earlier. A reporter's voice yelled, "Pull back, pull back! We're sorry, folks – we didn't expect..."

But Zak had already stopped listening to the broadcast. Regaining some of his wits, he ambled over to see Officer LeBral. "Officer, what do we do now? What do you need from us? Do you know where we can go to meet up with Sara?"