Russell's heart was pounding, adrenaline coursed through his body, and he could hardly breathe. What had he done? Russell had killed Louise. No. Luke had killed her, and he tried to convince himself that was the case. Rage, anger, fury, motivated him now and stuffing Luke into the back of the Mini had been satisfying. He hated his former friend and looked forward to wiping that smug grin off from his face. The Mini Clubman had a surprisingly large boot space, and Russell had doubted that a tall man could fit into the rear space. With an awkward squeeze, Luke had tucked himself away, and the hatch had shut easily.
Russell pulled the Mini off the driveway and looked back at the apartment. He felt bad for leaving Louise behind, but what other choice did he have. The police would arrive, and they would never believe his side of story. He had the illegal gun, he had shot Louise, and his hands were covered in her blood. Russell would not go to prison.
'I'm sorry, Louise,' muttered Russell, backing onto the road.
The sirens blared louder, and the night sky filled with red and blue, as police cars rushed into the street. They were heading toward Louise's apartment just as Russell straightened up the car. He panicked, seeing the swarm of vehicles moving toward him. Russell had to get out of here, but it was too late. A police car quickly sped up behind him, and Russell pushed the accelerator down, and shot down the road, leaving a trail of rubber on the tarmac. His escape made him look guilty, and he had to get away. All logic and sensible thought had disappeared, and all Russell could think about was escaping. The police car wavered before turning and giving chase. This was it, thought Russell, time to drive like a maniac. What was he thinking? Worst of all, he did not know who he was anymore. For a split second, Russell wondered if he should give himself up, try to explain what had happened. Then he heard the banging coming from the back and remembered why he was doing this. He had to kill Luke. It was the only way. Russell pushed the Mini harder, listening as the engine roared louder, and he disappeared down the road.
The police car was in pursuit, its lights flashing, and the driver issuing commands into his radio. Russell kept his eyes on the flashing lights that were gaining. The Mini was fast, and he was able to turn tight corners without crashing the car. Russell had seen enough movies to know how to deal with a high-speed chase. Drive like you owned the road and try not to die. He had to go faster. He had to lose the police car. Russell changed gear, and watched the speedometer increase as he rushed down the street. He spun the wheel in a tight 90-degree turn, lightly touching the brake, and felt the car effortlessly slip down a narrow street. He put his foot down and sped forward. The evening traffic was light, and Russell was able to move down the road without meeting any slow drivers. He caught sight of the police car giving chase, and the driver was relentless, matching Russell's movements, and staying close to the black Mini. How was Russell going to lose him? This was a professional, and Russell was trying to drive like he was on a racetrack. Yet, fear and adrenaline can make you accomplish amazing things, and Russell felt exhilarated, pushing the car faster and faster, trying to out-maneuverer. He could do it.
The narrow road ended, and Russell could see the busy crossroad up ahead. There was no time to stop, and his only hope was to keep his speed up, and hope for the best. Russell wanted to close his eyes, and gripping the wheel tightly, he took a deep breath and shot across the lanes, hoping no other traffic would cross his path. He had been lucky, and launched across the road, missing a white van that would have driven into his side if he had been seconds later. The blue and red lights were still reflecting off his mirrors, and Russell glanced briefly behind him to see the police car dived out into the busy crossroad. The police officer was not as fortunate. Attempting to keep up with the Mini, the driver launched into the crossroad, hoping to miss any traffic, but was met by the white van. The police car swerved to avoid a collision, and the driver of the white van locked his brakes and fought to control his vehicle as he slid across the road. The police car skidded across the junction, losing precious speed, and frantically trying to keep the car steady. The white van slammed into the safety barrier, ripping apart the grey metal barricade, and came to a stop, smoke rushing out from the engine. The police officer had regained control of his car, and without waiting to investigate the crash, rushed after Russell.
Russell looked back into his mirror and smiled. He had been lucky and watching the scene unfold behind him allowed the Mini to speed forward, and he had been able to put some distance between himself and the police car. Russell now had a chance to lose the police officer. He took advantage of his distance by slipping down a one-way street. He shifted the gears down, turned the wheel quickly, and felt the tires gently slide on the tarmac, as he turned into a one-way street.
Up ahead, Russell noticed a car, slowly moving down the road. It was going too slowly and as Russell sped up behind the driver, he flashed his lights and sounded the horn. The slow driver ignored Russell and continued to leisurely drive. He thought about ramming the car and pulled up as close as possible behind the irritating driver.
'Get off the road,' Russell yelled to himself. 'Move it!'
Worst of all, the police car had noticed Russell's slip into the one-way street and turned in pursuit.
Russell cursed under his breath and wiped the sweat of his palms. He was going to get caught, and just as he was about to scream in rage, the slow driver pulled off and allowed the black Mini to pass. Russell did not waste time and pushed his foot down hard on the accelerator and felt the powerful engine come into life. The police car was gaining. Russell was running out of options. How long could he keep this up? He knew the answer and he had to be better. He had to out drive a professional police officer.
His mind now racing, and his heart rapidly beating, Russell saw his chance up ahead. The road veered off to the right, and if Russell were quick, he could turn into the road, and then double back on himself. The police car would think Russell had continued straight on and would follow an invisible target. If worked in the movies, and Russell knew nothing happened like that in real-life, but he was going to try. He had too.
Keeping his eyes on the road, Russell braced himself for a tight turn. He hoped the Mini would grip the road as he swung the vehicle round, swiftly spinning the wheel, feeling the tires momentarily slide across the tarmac. The car started to skid, and Russell could feel the steering wheel begin to wobble. He was losing control. Without letting go, Russell gripped tightly and willed the car to locked onto the road, and just as he was about to release the steering wheel, he felt the car turn and cling to road. He let out a sigh of relief and allowed the car to move naturally down the street. This was his chance. Turn again, and double back on himself. Looking into the rear-view mirror, Russell could hear the siren, but he could not see the police car. Perfect! He let his foot off the accelerator and turned down another side street. This one ran parallel with the one-way street, running in the opposite direction. If the officer failed to glance down the road, he would assume Russell had carried straight on. It should work. It had to work.
Russell managed the turn and continued to accelerate down the road, keeping his eyes fixed to the mirror, in case the officer was smarter than Russell gave him credit for. A red and blue glow filled the street as the officer turned into the road, and Russell prayed he would be missed. Then he remembered his lights, and quickly turned them off. It had been too late. The police car turned again, and sirens blaring, rushed toward the black Mini. He had been noticed because of his stupid. Despite his skilful driving, he had forgotten about his headlights until it was too late. He slammed his fist against the steering wheel and turned the headlights back on. Pushing his foot down hard on the pedal, he willed the car to disappear into the night. Then his heart sank by what he saw ahead. Another police car was heading towards him, lights flashing and sirens filling the night air with its loud wailing.
'No!' groaned Russell. He wanted to keep going, but in his mind, he knew it was over.
There was nothing Russell could do, except slow down, and face the consequences.
He touched his waistband, looking for the gun. What was he planning, to shoot his way out of this mess? It was foolish, then he realised he had left the gun at the apartment. His fingerprints would be all over the weapon, and the bullet would match the one that killed Louise. He would go to prison for a long time, and it was all because of Luke. He would never get a chance to make him pay for killing his beautiful wife, and now there was no point living. Russell looked at the police car driving toward him and knew what he had to do.
When the two cars collided, for a split second, nothing happened. It was as if the world had stopped, and the vehicles would pass through each other. Quickly, the sound of metal being torn apart instantly filled the air. The police car had anticipated the impact and quickly turned round, so that the passenger side would take the brunt of the crash. That had saved his life. When the black Mini slammed into the police car, Russell screamed and kept his foot hard pressed on the accelerator. The Mini ploughed into the metal panels of the police cruiser, crushing them inward and pushing the police car along the road. The Mini groaned having to deal with the weight and continued to push the police car along the road. The front buckled and collapsed, glass from the lights scattered, and the bumper bended under the strain. Russell refused to give up, and shoving the airbag aside, pushed and pushed, until the two cars were moving as one.
The two cars were severely damaged, but the Mini refused to give up, and continued its assault against the police car. Russell saw a glimmer of hope when it nearly broke through, and for a moment he saw his escape. The police car was moving aside, and if the Mini could push the battered car out of the way, Russell could move on down the street. It was working. His heart started to beat faster when he heard more sirens blaring behind him. He was trapped, and his only hope was to push to Mini through the barricade.
There was a loud pop and Russell felt the steering wheel wobble to the right. He fought to keep the car steady and heard rubber slapping against the tarmac. A tire had burst, and that meant one thing. Russell's hope of escape had vanished. With the loss of a tire, driving was near impossible and the momentum he had built up was gone. The Mini was locked into the police car as metal grinded and groaned under the strain. There was nothing Russell could do except wait for what was about to happen.
He sat back in the seat and shut his eyes. The banging from the rear had stopped and Russell wondered if Luke had been knocked unconscious from the impact. Then he heard car doors opening. The police were coming, and Russell would go to jail. He allowed his thoughts to drift to Debbie, and he pictured her face; her hair blowing in the wind, and he smiled. He missed her, and whatever happened to him, he would have these memories. His beautiful Debbie was alive in his head and no one could take that away.
He barely noticed when a police officer opened his door and started to drag him out of the vehicle. He had his eyes shut. Russell was with his wife. Someone yelled and Russell was instantly on the ground, his face kissing the tarmac, but he did not care. Cold metal handcuffs cut into his wrist, and Russell smiled.
'I love you, Debbie,' he whispered. 'I love you.'