Redline by Alex Van Tol Read Free Book Online Page A

at me. His mouth is turned up at one corner. His voice is soft. My stomach twists. I don’t like it when he talks this way. Usually it means something is about to happen. Last week he talked like this just before he pushed me. It wouldn’t have been a big deal, except I was standing on the edge of the shoulder, where the ditch dropped off behind me. So when he shoved me, I lost my balance and fell backward and hit my head. It wasn’t so bad. I only got a couple of scratches from the rocks. And my goose egg was mostly gone by the next morning. It took me a second to get up after he’d pushed me though, and I could see that made him angrier. It took a bit of work to chill him out again.
    He’s been in a good space for most of the night tonight. I don’t want to mess it up by arguing.
    So I nod. “No police?” I fake a smile. “Then you’re on, big guy.”
    Danger .
    As I get behind the wheel, I send up a silent prayer. I kick off my flip-flops and throw them into the backseat. Cody pulls up to the line beside me. Revs his engine. He grins at me, and I force another smile. Bibs gives the signal, and we take off, squealing and roaring. As soon as the car’s in motion, I relax. This isn’t so bad, after all. Alcohol or no, I know what I’m doing. I’ll never win against Cody, but that’s no reason I can’t give him a run for his money.
    When I hit third gear, I look over to find him grinning. I stick my tongue out at him and punch it, jumping forward and putting a car length between us. Then more.
    I glance in the rearview mirror to check Cody’s position. My heart drops.
    Flashing red and blue. Where did they come from? What the hell was the lookout doing?
    I watch in horror as the police cruiser roars up and out of the ditch in a spray of rocks, dirt…and branches. Camouflage. They were waiting for this.
    Instinctively, I downshift and jam the pedal to the floor.
    I’m no lightweight.
    I laugh crazily. I glance in the mirror again, terrorized and yet supercharged. Sharpened.
    But I feel sick at what I see next. Cody’s dropped back. Way back. I watch, unbelieving, as he kills his lights and turns around so he’s heading the other way. Back in the direction we came from. My breath sticks in my throat.
    The prick’s leaving me out here to deal with this on my own.
    I hammer. I’ve never driven so fast in my life. But I’ve never been chased. either. If I was thinking straight, I’d have stopped as soon as I saw the cop car and taken the rap. But I’m not thinking straight. And it’s too late to stop now.
    I don’t know where I’m going. I just need to get away.
    My pulse races as I fly down the empty highway. The cop’s turned on his siren now. I can hear it over the wind and the engine. It fills my ears and pumps my body full of adrenaline. My hands are slick on the wheel. I want to look and see how fast I’m going, but I don’t dare take my eyes off the road. If I get caught, I’m done. Not only am I speeding, but I’ve been drinking. And I’m only sixteen.
    My father will kill me. He’ll take my car away.
    Then I’ll die for sure.
    Exit signs whip past. I make a split-second decision, tearing off the main highway and onto a ramp. I let off the gas and downshift before I hit the curve, forcing the engine to slow the wheels. My tires shriek as we squall around the corner. I fishtail coming out of the turn. I let off the gas for a second to get the tires back under me.
    There’s another exit up ahead, and I gun for it. The cops are still behind me, but the ramp slowed them down. I charge toward the next set of ramps and peel myself off onto a smaller road. Yellow dotted lines flash past.
    Juice it, baby. Go.
    The car responds, growling as I punch through the gears, trying to put as much distance as I can between me and the squad car.
    I don’t know how long I drive like this.