Bittersweet (Book Three of Oompa Loompa Takeover)

Chapter 9

Gerald fought to regain control of his car as it lurched and everyone cried out. He slammed on the brakes and skidded, tires squealing, as he slid into the oncoming traffic lane. Before he could correct his course, the car behind them rear ended them a second time.

"FUCKING A!" Gerald cried as he fought his vehicle again. It was obvious now that this was no accident. He switched his foot to the gas and floored it. "Hold on to your biscuits!" He yelled as the engine roared and their tires squealed again as the car shot off and back into the right lane. If they're trying to kill us it's only a matter of time before they start—

Ping—zwing—crash!

Urda screamed as the back window was shot out. Gerald chanced a look back at them and then realized they were fine because they were way too short to be in the line of fire. He however, had to hunker over the steering wheel as he slammed the accelerator. "Dante, help me out here!"

A moment later Dante was crawling over the center console and flopping into the passenger seat. "You got a gun on you, right?" Dante said with a panicked look.

"Oh my God, what is going on?!" Urda cried desperately.

Gerald ignored her. "Yeah, but I want you using what's in the glove box!" Gerald replied as he flicked his eyes to his rear-view mirror. The headlights of the offending car, crushed and only barely working on one side, were still persistently hounding them.

Gerald grabbed his radio. "All units! This is Detective Nikes! We are currently under fire, bearing down highway—"

Prrtt! Prrrt! Ping-zwing!

"—higway 69, requesting backup immediately!"

"What the crap?" Dante exclaimed from beside him.

Gerald looked over to see him marveling at the contents of his glove compartment. "I like explosives, so what? Grab one!" Another blast of bullets hit the vehicle and Gerald looked back to see Urda laying on her stomach across the back seat, her eyes in tears.

"Why are they trying to kill us?!" She demanded.

"Who the fuck knows?" Gerald replied. "Dante, you ready with that grenade?"

"Locked and loaded." Dante said. "What do you want me to do with it?"

"Throw it back at them. As long as you get it past us, that's all I need, it'll hopefully shock the hell out of them and send them careening into the side of the road."

Dante looked at the grenade and set his jaw. "Okay."

"Can you do it with your stubby arms?" Gerald suddenly asked, honestly worried.

Dante shot him a look. "Of course I can! Jesus!" And within that same moment he pulled the pin, leaned out the window, and lobbed it back at the car tailing them. "Eat this motherfuckers!"

Gerald counted his heartbeats until suddenly a giant fireball erupted behind them. To his horror and amazement, he turned and saw the explosion was going off right underneath the car behind them. It was lifted off the road and flipped over in a blaze of white hot flames.

"Jesus Christ, Dante!" He cried as it landed with a crunch and then was blown apart with a second explosion. Dante was turned around, peeking over the top of his seat, eyes wide in shock.

"What happened?" Urda squeaked from the back seat, her hands on top of her head, shards of glass from the back window all around her. Gerald slammed on the breaks and when the vehicle stopped, he jumped out to stare back at the fireball sitting on the highway, roaring with no signs of stopping. "Holy shit..." He whispered.