ᴡᴏʀꜱʜɪᴘ ᴍᴇ (ᴇᴊ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ)

9: Death Deal

        Jack hadn't been thrilled to give you access to the phone again, but he eventually yielded after you told him he could hold it once you punched in the address. You quickly copied the address onto the little screen and it soon pulled up a map as well as an estimated time of arrival. You frowned at the numbers.

"It'll be a five-hour drive..." You said, looking over at Jack. Five hours trapped in a car with someone who wanted you dead. Great.

Jack sighed. "We'll stop somewhere for the night in a few hours." His words didn't make you feel much better, but you were glad you didn't have to drive for so long.

It was just past eight when you pulled out of the parking lot. As you turned right, you looked over at your apartment for what might be the last time. You were leaving behind any sense of the familiarity you'd gained from living here. No more job, no more therapist. You were leaving everyone and everything behind to dive headfirst into your past. Here you sat, with Jack, on your way back to the college town you'd ran away from in order to confront an ex-cult leader.

How did you even get here? You'd gone from a bright-eyed college student with big dreams to a glorified get-away driver. Your life had gone off the rails a long time ago, but now it was as if it'd taken a nosedive into a black hole. You had no plan or any idea of what to do. Right now you were transporting a serial killer to his next victim, and somehow you weren't all that choked up about it.

Trees and mountains blurred together as you neared the highway, Siri's monotone voice letting you know to take a left onto the ramp in a mile. The sky was nearly black with only a few wispy clouds breaking up the darkness. It was getting closer and closer to winter. More dead leaves and drier air. The mountains would be topped with snow again and tourists would flock to the area for skiing, not that you'd be around to see it.

You sighed as you finally approached the stoplight and soon turned onto the highway, pressing the gas until you were up to speed. Not too many cars were out tonight, making it seem even darker without their headlights. Thick rows of trees lined the road, and you could see muddied lights in the distance over a hill. There weren't a whole lot of streetlights in the area, and even then they were spread out with hundreds of feet between them. You never liked driving at night much, it was too dark, the lights were too bright, and other drivers made stupid decisions.

Hours flew by as you drove, and slowly your hands started to cramp and your eyes began to droop. Glancing at the clock, you saw it was almost ten. It was getting late, and you felt exhaustion start to creep in. You were finding it harder and harder to stay focused on driving. Aside from the music, there wasn't much to keep your brain occupied.

You'd glance at Jack from time to time, but he didn't move much. Most of the drive he'd remained with his elbow propped up against the window and his head resting in his palm. In his free hand, he still held your phone in what looked like a tight grip. The screen had gone black long ago but nonetheless, he never set it down.

You looked at him again just as a yawn left you. Jack's posture straightened and he suddenly turned to face you.

"Take the next exit and look for a motel." He broke the silence with an order.

You gave a nod and steered into the right lane. Breathing a sigh of relief, you came to an intersection and decided to turn left where lights from fast food joints illuminated the street. There were bound to be some motels around there.

"When we get there you'll set up the room and pay, but you will not leave my side. Is that clear?" Jack spoke up as you scanned the surrounding signs.