Running 15

Note: This story has some but very little sex. It is about merging two lives on the run from seemingly inescapable problems.

Running.

A novella by R.C.PeterGabriel, all rights reserved.

I was northbound with Colorado Springs up ahead. Seeing several signs with the familiar red and green list of depressingly large numbers, I decided that I'd hit the exit ramp a mile ahead. I didn't need fuel, but I was starting to feel a slight pressure on my bladder. That and I only had an hour and thirty-two minutes left on my drive logs before I'd be in violation. I figured I'd pee, get a bite to eat, and check Google Maps for a place to sleep. Knowing where you're going before you get there is always wise.

I could usually find a remote on-ramp to park on, but I never slept well if I did. Between the possibilities of road pirates and the occasional Sheriff looking for someone to hassle, it isn't worth it. Especially now that I had decided to retire.

Another couple of months and the weather would change to the point I'd need to chain up going over any mountains. The views are breathtaking, but the effort necessary for chaining and unchaining a semi every few miles greatly reduces the cost/benefit ratio. It was time. Not that I'm old. I've just done well for myself, at least money-wise anyway. At twenty I bought my first rig and haven't stopped running since.

In actuality, I would have preferred to stop for the night at the travel center up ahead. But I'd regret it tomorrow if I didn't use my full log time. I'd been at this stop many times and knew it had far more amenities than I would ever make use of. But it was always spotless and it buzzed with people coming and going. The energy always lifted my spirits from the drudgery of the open road.

Fifteen minutes later I had parked, planned a primary and secondary overnight parking spot, and was locking up my rig. A two-hundred-yard trek later I relieved my bladder before passing the rest of the way through the professional driver's side of the travel center. They offered everything a driver could need if you didn't mind convenience store pricing. The free showers with a fill-up were nice though.

Passing out of the CDL side, I paused to get my bearings. I glanced up and down the wide hall that reminded me of a shopping mall. Shops of all kinds lined the walls, selling all manner of touristy merchandise. I shook my head at the lawyer's kiosk positioned conveniently outside the entrance to the "Mile HIGH Club".

The kiosk advertised a specialty in helping drivers overcome DUI issues. The shop sells liquor and cannabis products. Who in their right mind would push drugs and alcohol at a travel center? My guess was some enterprising individual with no scruples. Just one more reason to get off the road.

I headed left as I spotted my destination at the far end of the hall. After passing several shops, a McDonald's, an Arby's, a Subway, and the archway leading into the non-CDL version of convince goods, I entered the center's restaurant. The hostess glanced up, paused briefly as she looked behind me, and then stated "Right this way."

We got to my table, with a window overlooking an expanse of cars and the city lights beyond. The view beyond the lot was decent enough that I paused several moments before sitting. That gave the hostess time to pick up two of the four menus and inform me that Shelly would be my waitress. Those same moments were also long enough for what I assumed was a lot lizard to slide past me into the booth.

She was attractive enough if you're into goth girls of questionable age. The nose, lip, and trio of eyebrow rings did nothing for me though. I must admit that the bright purple hair was unusual enough that I didn't instantly tell her she wasn't welcome. I'd never seen a goth that didn't have black or red hair before.

It was difficult to tell through all the makeup, but I thought that her facial structure and lips were appealing. Although, it was her eyes that froze me in place for a moment.

They were golden brown, almost amber, and shaped to hint at a Japanese descent. But they weren't the eyes of someone trying to seduce her next john. They were the eyes of a frightened young woman begging for help. That didn't keep me from letting her know I wasn't interested in paying for sex.

"I'm sorry I'm not looking for professional company."

"What? ... No, I'm not a hooker. I'm hiding from my ex. If he finds me he'll kill me. Just pretend we're together for a while and I won't bother you anymore."

I tried to sound more curt than I felt. If she was lying to me I wanted to cut ties as soon as possible. If she really did need help, well, I'm just not the type to ignore someone in need. "What makes you think I care what happens to you?"

The question deepened the anguish on her face, but she watched my eyes for any clues. Finally, she spoke into her hope. "Because you haven't sent me away yet."

I nodded and slid in across from her ... suspiciously, of course. "What makes you think he knows you're here?"

She gave a thumb gesture out the window. "Don't look too hard, but do you see the red Toyota out by the broken light pole? The one with the white fender?"

I glanced that way and spotted the car easily enough, even though it was at the far edge of the lot. "Yes."

"That's my car. I was stupid enough to think he wouldn't see it in the dark. I'm a long way from home and I didn't think anyone was following me. But he's sitting in the beat-up blue Chevy pick-up truck two rows closer to us."

It took me several moments to spot the truck because I couldn't see anyone in any trucks at first. Then I spotted the glow of a cigarette silhouetting his head in the otherwise dark cab. "Ah, yeah. I see him. Why are you hiding from him?"

She looked into my eyes for a few moments before shaking her head. "Sorry. I don't want to get into it. Let's just say that he's possessive, and I don't want to be owned."

I studied her for a few minutes, trying to decide if it was my business under the circumstances. "No," was the answer my conscience responded with, so I suggested she figure out what she wanted to order.

While we waited for our food I introduced myself, hoping to find out what to call my dinner companion. But when I told her my name was Jacob Thomas, she failed to offer hers in reply.

Several minutes went by before I asked her directly what I should call her. She studied me for a moment then said, "Call me ... ... Lilith."

I laughed when she suggested the obvious lie. "Forget your name or just decided to become goth on the spur of the moment?"

She paused, before sighing. "Look, you're being nice but you don't need to know my real name. I'll be out of your life in a few minutes."

We took our time eating with very little conversation. I did notice her glancing at my left hand more than once, trying to figure out if my wedding band was a good thing for her or not.

With dinner consumed, I told her I needed to move on. If I waited much longer my 14-hour maximum day would start pushing into the remainder of my 11 hours of drive time.

She didn't look happy but nodded understanding. I was about to offer to pay for her to use the showers. That would give her an hour or so of hiding out before management banged on the door. I never got the chance. We both watched as her ex got out of his truck and moved into the shadows near her car. He seemed to be taking his time but suddenly sprinted back to his truck, got in, and sped away.

We both stood to go our separate ways, but Lilith dropped back into her seat a second later when her car exploded. It took her several moments for the shock to settle before she exclaimed, "Oh fuck no! ... no, no, no, no," in a whisper. I didn't think she even realized she was saying it as her eyes darted around in a panic.

I grabbed her shoulders and started pulling Lilith from her chair when I saw her ex's truck make a U-turn near the Center's ramp leading directly to the highway. He parked farther away but where he could still watch anyone approach her car. Also where he could be gone in moments if someone saw who blew it up.

The terrified girl let me get her walking towards the check stand before the trembling started. The low keening started a few moments later.

The cashier had run to the windows with everyone else, allowing me to stick our tab and three twenties under the edge of the register and continue leading her out. The sixty bucks amounted to a thirty percent tip but I wasn't about to wait around for change.

The mall seemed to be emptying like water from a broken dam as almost everyone tried to get to where they could see what was going on. The explosion had rattled the windows in the restaurant and had probably been heard for a half mile at least. A few seconds later we heard a secondary explosion as one of the cars next to Lilith's suffered the same fate.

My companion's knees gave out and I had to practically carry her to a nearby bench. It took several minutes of simply holding her before she calmed enough to look at me. "I am so fucked! Everything I owned was in the car. And now, I'm positive that he will never stop hunting me!"

"I'm sure the police will show up with the fire department. They can protect you."

I was interrupted with an emphatic "No!" causing me to study the shaking young woman.

"Why not go to the police?"

"I just can't, okay." She paused and studied me back for several moments before sighing. "You're a trucker, right?"

I nodded.

"Could you give me a ride to wherever you're going? The farther away the better. After that, you can forget about me."

"Who says I want to get involved?"

Her shoulders instantly dropped along with her eyes as the obvious feeling of defeat washed over her. A moment later she looked up at me as a tear ran down her cheek. "No one, I guess." She got up and started to walk away.

It was risky, but I figured that if she wanted anything but a ride she would have reacted with further pleas. Impulsively, I grabbed her hand to keep her from leaving.

It was a mistake. She panicked and yanked her hand away, taking a quick jump back. Her frightened eyes reminded me of a cornered animal, so I raised my hands in a surrender pose.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'll give you the ride."

She backed up a few more steps, but stopped, looking around before returning her eyes to me. She studied me for what seemed like several minutes and then resigned herself to whatever fate I was offering and nodded.

"Thanks," was softly stated as I slowly stood in hopes of avoiding a second startle effect.

As we made our way through the CDL side, I asked, "Do you normally dress that way?"

She glanced at me and for the first time offered a half smile. "No," was the simple reply.

Seeing her face relax, at least a little, I couldn't help but smile back. If she lost the makeup and face jewelry, she might be attractive but I was suddenly worried about her age. "Please tell me you aren't fifteen."

Her smile grew a little more. "I'm twenty-four."

She didn't look anywhere close to that old but she was wearing a lot of makeup. "I probably should have asked you that before I agreed to give you a ride."

"Worried about transporting a minor across state lines? I raised an eyebrow as her smile grew into a grin.

"Careful, 'Lilith' you'll ruin your disguise. Goths never smile."

"Common misconception, Grandpa."

"Ouch," I replied but didn't offer my age. If she wanted to know she'd have to ask me directly. Besides, I couldn't be her 'grandpa' even if she had been fifteen.

We made the hike across acres of blacktop to my rig without speaking again. Once I opened the door, I made the mistake of checking out my passenger. Before, I'd been concentrating on her face. But with her climbing into the cab, I had a close-up view of her body. The midriff top and short skirt made it hard not to notice. She was certainly nubile with a well-formed chest, sized to fit proudly on her petit frame, a tight stomach, and a round bubble butt that begged to be assisted up the next step.

Her tight body wasn't what drew my attention though. There were a half dozen bruises in several locations. Most were healing into a light yellowish-green tinge, but one was fresh and deep purple. At least I knew why she wanted to make a run for it. Now I just needed to know why she didn't want to get the police involved. The thought had me wondering if I would regret my good deed.

She scooted past the driver's seat and stood looking into my bunk room as I hit the secret power bus that reconnected the main batteries to the business end of things. Then I cranked the engine over.

I chuckled as she squeaked in surprise at the sudden noise and vibration. She grabbed the headrest of both seats before looking at me with big eyes. When she saw me smiling at her she relaxed a little.

"First time in a semi?"

I could see her fear drain away as the majority of the vibrations settled to near non-existence, before offering me a self-deprecating smile. "What gave me away?"

"Just a guess. Please don't touch anything. I'll be right back."

The fear in her eyes instantly returned. "Where are you going?"

"I have to check my lights and make sure nobody messed with my fifth wheel. I'll make sure you can watch me in the mirrors most of the time, but I need to duck under and behind the trailer for a few seconds at a time. I promise I'm not leaving you."

Lilith's eyes settled again, and she gave me a nod as I snagged my flashlight from the pouch on the side of my seat and then closed her in. Admittedly, I rushed my external pre-trip a little and exaggerated my use of the flashlight along the side of the trailer so that she could follow my movements. Once I was sure the fifth wheel was securely locked, the lights were all functional, and the tires were all full, I returned to the cab and joined my passenger.

As I buckled in I asked, "Has your ex seen your new look?"

"No. Why?"

"Not even the hair?"

"No, not even the hair." She was looking at me suspiciously again, causing me to sigh.

"If not, you need to sit up front. It's safer with a seatbelt. Plus, if I get stopped you'll draw a lot of attention just being a ride-along. Doubly so if you're hiding in the back without a CDL.

"I assume you're car was registered to you. And since you're not standing next to it making yourself known, the cops will be looking for you once they run the VIN. I don't need my rig impounded until they figure out why you're running."

She took the passenger seat and buckled in. "It ... was, yes. Registered to me, I mean. I ..."

Her downcast eyes told me she was trying to figure out what to say. She had to know I was sticking my neck out for her. I gave her time to think as I checked all my gauges. I knew my brakes were sound because I'd just had them serviced six thousand miles back. I just needed to make sure the air pressure was holding before pushing in the red and yellow stop valves that would allow air to force the brakes open. I checked my mirrors and started rolling forward.

Lilith's eyes widened again at the throaty growl pushing almost 2000 pounds of torque to the driveshaft. I had to give her credit though as they settled just as quickly when she looked at me.

I kept her in my periphery but was more concerned with maneuvering in the crowded parking lot. I had no trouble knowing what to avoid. The orange glow from the car fires and the flashing lights from the arrival of a dozen emergency vehicles could be seen reflecting off of trees and the high-rise signage. The large building wasn't doing a good job of hiding the fire's location.

The traffic was inching along and since she had been parked twenty yards from the street entrance we were being crowded to the highway ramp along with everyone else. Anyone wanting to exit onto a surface street needed to either wait or loop back at the next highway exit.

I risked a glance at my passenger and saw her studying me. I could tell she was getting more and more nervous as we neared the ramp. We had no choice but to pass right in front of her ex. All I'd have to do is stop and she'd be caught.

I almost smiled as she let out the breath she had been holding once we passed him. I gave her a sympathetic look. I couldn't guess why she was afraid but that didn't mean the fear wasn't genuine.

"I really appreciate this. Everything I owned was in that car. I have about forty-five dollars in my phone case and that's it. You're welcome to it."

I didn't respond until I had fully merged onto the highway and was up to speed, then glanced at her again. She was still studying me. I just shook my head before saying, "Thank you for the offer. But, I couldn't possibly take your money. Call whatever food you eat an entertainment fee.

"Other than my parents, I haven't spent more than ten minutes talking to any one person in the last sixteen years. Usually, it's some distributor or dispatcher. Occasionally a waitress will strike up a conversation if no one else is around. But they're either desperate to find out about what's beyond the county line or hoping for a bigger tip. Your company will be a welcome change."

The look she gave me didn't seem particularly relieved. I had no doubt she was trying to figure out what my angle was. And when she glanced into the bunk room, I had a feeling she assumed I was going to want to take things out in trade.

I didn't try to reassure her. My words would be meaningless anyway. I'd show her my lack of intentions when we stopped.

It was about ten minutes later that I noticed a dark beat-up Chevy pick-up keeping pace with me. Since I was doing the limit, that wasn't much of a coincidence so I thumbed my cruise control and dropped down a single mile an hour. It took a mile, but his following distance started to drop enough that I could tell the truck was blue.

I thumbed my cruise control again and sped back up to one mile over the limit. I was hoping he wouldn't notice the increasing gap. There was a weigh station about five miles ahead and if we could reach it without him passing us, the ex still wouldn't know what Lilith's new look was.

I have a PrePass transponder, and unless I was very close to being overweight, the roll-over scales embedded in the road would signal me to bypass the station. And since I'd already passed two other scales without being pulled over, I knew I wouldn't be required to stop. That didn't mean I couldn't pull in voluntarily.

I kept an eye on my tail and as soon as I hit my turn signal, the driver of the pickup stood on the gas. He was closing fast and I knew I wouldn't get off the road in time. Moments later, Lilith's ex blew past me and swerved into my lane, no doubt getting a good look at my passenger in his mirror. I thought about laying on the air horn to alert the Highway Patrol, but that would just guarantee Lilith would get questioned.

Lilith was clearly upset when she spotted her ex and looked nothing short of terrified. I told her not to worry pointing to the weigh station. When she realized where I was headed she freaked even more. She started crying and begging me not to stop because the cops couldn't help and would just make it easier for her ex.

I took the ramp anyway, knowing it was the only place in a hundred miles that the ex couldn't follow. What my passenger didn't know was that almost every scale has a few overnight parking slots. I chose one in the middle and shut down before trying to explain how I was going to fix things. And yes, I was shorting myself thirty-one minutes of drive time. I figured it would be well worth it to keep us safe.

"There's only one way your Ex was able to know where you are and that's your phone. I'll download your pictures and anything else you want to keep. Then I'll see if we can get rid of him once and for all."