Rupert steered his electric car onto the freeway. He set the auto pilot and relaxed as the car found its slot in the fast lane. There wasn't much traffic. He made good time along the Jefferson Davis Freeway. Soon he was on the narrow roads that led to his house.
The car rounded a bend and Rupert noticed a chain gang planting small trees in a park. There were several convicts standing near a large puddle at the edge of the road. On a whim Rupert steered towards them and sprayed three large men with muddy water. Rupert laughed as he watched their angry gesticulation in the rear view.
While his attention was distracted he failed to notice a second, larger puddle in front of the car. He drove straight through it. It was much deeper than the other puddle. The front wheels of the vehicle lost traction and the car slid sideways. Rupert hit the brakes and the car stopped. He tried to drive forward but the car was bogged. The wheels spun uselessly as Rupert cursed his stupidity.
Rupert kept spinning the wheels for few minutes but then gave up. The car's batteries were running low. The sun was setting. Rupert didn't know how long it would take Roadside Assistance to find him. He reached for his mobile phone. It wasn't in his pocket. He cursed again when he realised that he had left on his desk.
After about half an hour Rupert realised that four of the Convicts were standing near the car. They were laughing at him. He wound the window down. He saw the electronic control bracelets on their ankles and knew that their overseer must be close. Rupert asked them if they could push the car back onto a dry piece of road. They laughed. He offered money and they stopped laughing.
It took a few minutes but the deal was done. The four men, all young and muscular, started pushing the car. It was soon out of the puddle. Rupert reached into his wallet and fished out several large notes. He put his hand out through the window.
The largest of the men grabbed his arm. Rupert screamed. The man's hand was soon on his face, forcing his mouth to close. In a moment Rupert had been dragged from the car and flung on the muddy ground. Another man used his foot to force Rupert's face into the mud. The four men stood over him as they worked out what to do.
