Free RoadBlock by Amelia Bishop Page B

never saw it before.”
    “Shut-up, man. Just don’t.” Wade squirmed out of Dagger’s arms, but stayed close.
    Dagger shook his head, ignoring his friend’s protest. “No. I should have noticed. Is that why…why you stopped hanging out with me?” The pain he’d felt from his old friend in the circle today had shocked him, but it wasn’t until he came here and noticed how overly affectionate Barbara was to him, and how cold she was to Wade, that he put it together.
    Wade looked down, avoiding Dagger’s eyes. “It’s part of it.”
    Dagger nodded, and embraced him again. “I love you, Wade. You’re like my brother. Don’t ever forget that.” Wade wrapped his arms around Dagger then, and whispered, “I love you, too, Dag.”
    Wade’s eyes were shining, but his mother didn’t notice, instead looking at Dagger and saying, “Just some church-crazies, harmless. Come on, I’ll walk you all out.”
    Cal sprinted ahead, flinging open the door and jogging down the steps, but he only saw the backs of the two men as they walked briskly around the corner of the block. “Cal, what? You think that was them?”
    Barbara looked confused. “Who? The Theodosians? No, that was just a couple of Mormons, they had the matching suits and backpacks…or is that the Jehovah’s Witnesses? Anyway, the Theodosians don’t go door-to-door.”
    “Ma, what if they knew we were here? Shit, Cal, do you think my mom is in danger here?”
    “No, I don’t think so. I think they want us out. We should leave, now. Thank you again, for everything, Barbara.”
    “O-okay. Be careful, all of you.” Her voice had taken on a worried tone, and she gave both Dagger and Wade strong hugs before they left.
    Cal was on alert, and kept checking the rearview mirror as they pulled out of Barbara’s neighborhood. Dagger felt his worry, and drove faster than normal towards the other side of town.
    Halfway home, Cal looked in the mirror again and muttered, “Shit.”
    “What?” Wade turned in his seat, and saw the small blue Fiat, much too close behind them. The two passengers were men, dressed in identical suits. Dagger drove faster, approaching the winding cliff road, but had to slow down for the first turn. When he hit the brakes lightly, the car tailing them hit their bumper, almost skidding them off the road. Dagger recovered the jeep, barely, and Betony squeaked, burying her face in her hands and crouching down into her seat.
    Dagger drove as fast as he could, focusing on staying on the road, and keeping ahead of the car behind him. They approached the last straightaway before their cul-de-sac, and Dagger looked to Wade, unsure what to do. The last turn off was just ahead. “What should I do? If I go home, they’ll follow us there! Should I turn off?”
    Wade started to say yes, but Cal interrupted. “No. Keep going, we’ll be safe there.”
    Dagger wasn’t so sure, but he had no time to think about it as the last possible turn whipped past them. He gritted his teeth and kept driving, hoping Cal was right about the safety of their houses. Cal was half turned in his seat, watching their pursuers. Wade had his arms around Betony, trying to calm her panic. Dagger split his attention between the road ahead and the rear-view mirror.
    Dagger went as quickly as he dared, but he knew if he went into the next curve too fast he risked losing control of the jeep on the sandy road. All three men watched as the car behind them built up speed on the short section of straight road, and all three braced for an impact as the car behind them sped closer and closer. Barely ten feet separated the two cars, and Cal could see the expressions on the men’s faces, their cold smirks and narrowed eyes promising a fight. Suddenly, the front end of the Fiat crumpled, as if it hit an invisible wall, sending the back end up into the air. The men’s faces twisted from malice to surprise and fear, and the car flipped up, turning in mid-air and landing with a loud