Read Nothing Short of Dying for Free Online Page B

through the side mirror. “Are you going to let them pull you over so you can beat them up?” she asked. I couldn’t tell whether she was serious or not.
    â€œNot a good strategy,” I said.
    She smiled. “So there are other skills in your repertoire. Good to know.”
    As we turned right onto another two-lane road marked “Forest Access,” both Tahoes followed conspicuously behind. Allie looked over at me, slurping a soda. “Have you actually done this before, or do you just watch a lot of movies?”
    â€œThere haven’t been a lot of movies where I’ve been the past few years. I read a lot of books, though.”
    â€œSo you learned how to shake a tail from a book?”
    â€œBooks. And experience, unfortunately. I’ve been chased a few times.”
    Soon we were clear of houses, passing a reservoir, a fish hatchery, and a campground. The Tahoes were still the only vehicles behind us. “You’re not very good at this,” Allie said.
    â€œI know what I’m doing, trust me. The pavement ends soon and we’ll lose them.”
    â€œHow do you know?” she asked, swallowing the last of her burger.
    â€œThat mountain ahead?” I pointed to the large mesa in front of us. “I’ve camped there a couple times.”
    Her face remained blank but in her eyes I could see the wheels turning. What have I signed up for? they seemed to say.
    As the canyon narrowed even further, with cliffs on both sides, a creek meandered back and forth. We crossed it several times, splashing and bobbing, bursting out to dry land, then splashing back again. There were very few trees down along the creek—there wasn’t enough light—but the few that grew there grabbed at the sides of the truck, branches screeching along the paint, occasionally smacking the side mirrors. I pushed the reluctant truck up to fifty. We leaped over every bump and bottomed out in every little dip.
    For a few seconds it looked like we were going to be boxed in. There were cliffs on both sides of the road, and the bulk of the mountain loomed in front of us. “Barr, are we lost?” Allie asked.
    â€œNo. Look up. There’s a cut in the hillside, up in those trees. This road climbs out.” And it would eventually, but it switchbacked the whole way. It was a south-facing slope, inthe spring, so it would be muddy and icy, and in the shadows snow-packed.
    I slowed, then ground the transfer case into four-wheel drive, turning left and pointing the nose of the truck seemingly straight up. As we slopped and slewed our way up the first pitch, mud spun off the front tires and plastered the side windows.
    â€œThey still behind us?” I asked. I kept my focus on the road, both hands tight on the wheel, forearms popping, trying to stay straight and moving.
    â€œI think so. They’re headed up the first part of the hill. No . . . now they’re not. One of them is sideways in the road, blocking it. Four guys are getting out and walking around. I think they’re stuck.”
    â€œGonna get their suits dirty,” I said.
    It was a fight for both the machine and me to make it up the next couple of turns. The road alternated between mud, ice, and snow, but finally we roared over the top and leveled out in a small clearing surrounded by tall green pines. The grass was short, barely visible between the mounds of pine needles. There were small patches of snow in the shade and large icy drifts against some of the trees.
    I pulled to the side of the road and got out. I grabbed the binoculars from the seat and walked to the edge. The Feds had a towrope out, the Tahoe in the rear trying to wrestle the other back down the road. Welcome to the mountains, boys. I walked back to the truck and climbed in.
    â€œJesus,” Allie said.
    â€œYeah.” We drove on, further into the forest.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    â€œC an I get that burger now?” I asked, holding my hand