Chapter 32
The little Bug was no match for the big V8 of the Buick. Then he remembered the keys that were lying on the desk. He rushed over and picked them up. He quickly found what he was looking for. The Cadillac emblem was on the rounded trunk and squared ignition keys. Now, he had some horsepower to work with. A wave of nausea caught Shawn momentarily, yet he managed to fight it off and ran for the Caddy.
After slipping into the driver's seat, Shawn started the big block engine. It instantly roared to life, and the chase was on. He slammed it into reverse and put his foot to the floor. Without looking, he spun the Caddy into the street and cranked the wheel hard to bring the front end around. Then he dropped the shifting gear into drive, barely taking his foot off the gas in the process. He was sure Jack would head for the trailer.
Nevertheless, it was just a guess, and he had no other options. If he was smart, he would hide out somewhere with a friend if he had any. But Shawn knew from past experience that Jack wasn't that bright. He was limited to one option without any idea where Jack was headed. Shawn just hoped that Jack would head back to his trailer to pick up his beauty queen.
He headed back to the trailer park, ignoring any and all stop signs and, when possible, traffic lights. At times, he exceeded the speed limit by twenty to forty miles per hour. He had just blown through a red traffic light when a police cruiser spotted the big Caddy breaking several traffic laws. The cruiser flipped on its lights and siren and shot after the fleeing offender.
Two blocks ahead, Shawn was sure he spotted the Buick at a stop light, waiting for the light to change. The mid-morning traffic was heavy, with commuters going to work on this beautiful summer day. Shawn cursed his luck when he saw the police cruiser a block and a half behind him. The black and white was gaining on him at an alarming rate while drivers pulled over to let the cruiser pass. Shawn tromped the accelerator pedal to the floor and held on.
*****
Jack saw the twin red lights of the police cruiser coming his way in his rearview mirror, but more alarming was his 1965 Caddy in front of it, and both were coming very fast. Jack was blocked by the car in front of him, but he had no one behind him. He jammed the shifter in reverse, backed up, and swung the front end of the Buick out and around the line of cars that were stopped at the light and hit the gas. Jack was lucky for once; when he was just a few yards from the intersection, the light turned green. Cars were honking at him as he dove by them, traveling in the wrong lane and direction. Jack thought he was clear as he swung the Buick back into the eastbound lanes when, out of the blue, a VW Microbus trying to make the tail end of the green light was right in front of him. The young driver’s eyes were as wide with fright as he saw the big Buick bearing down on him. Jack hit the brakes and crammed the wheel hard to the right, hoping to miss the Microbus, but to no avail. The Buick’s left front fender just caught the back end of the VW, sending the top-heavy vehicle out of control. Jack quickly recovered, but the VW wasn’t as lucky. The Microbus spun sideways, and the momentum brought it up on two wheels, where it lingered there for just a moment before crashing down on its side in the middle of the intersection.
Along with the police siren, more car horns started blaring at Jack, who just ignored them and drove on.
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*****
Shawn saw the Buick back up and maneuver around the cars waiting at the light. He knew that if Jack got around the traffic and the light changed, he would be stuck in traffic, and the cop would have him. Then Shawn saw the VW bus enter the intersection from the south, and he knew that Jack would hit it. He could see the smoke pour off the tires of Jack’s Buick as he slammed on his brakes. Seconds later, he saw the VW go sideways and then up on two wheels before gravity took over and crashed on its side. To his amazement, the traffic didn’t advance when the light turned green. The VW bus was lying on its side, blocking traffic in both directions. Undaunted, Shawn followed Jack’s lead and went around the mesmerized drivers. He passed the overturned bus and continued his pursuit while the police cruiser slowed and then stopped to assist the occupants of the overturned VW, thus giving Shawn a free shot at Jack.ch
After three more green traffic lights, Shawn caught up with Jack again. The traffic light ahead of Jack turned red and the traffic was coming to a stop. Shawn had made up his mind to ram Jack from the side or behind, whatever he could do to try and stop him.
*****
Jack cursed when he saw the Caddy follow him. The little prick was more tenacious than a Pitbull, but he was not going to let the bastard catch up with him and drag the police in with him. There would be no jail for him. Not ever. Again, he put the Buick in reverse, but this time, he turned the Buick toward the Caddy coming at him. He put the gas pedal to the floor and shot back in the direction that he had just come from.
As he passed Shawn, Jack flipped him the bird and shouted, “Fuck you, sunny boy,” through the blown-out window.
By the time Shawn had time to react and turn around, the eastbound traffic started coming again, blocking his way. Shawn headed after Jack again, fighting his way into the oncoming traffic, knowing he would turn either north or south to avoid the accident ahead. As he weaved his way through the heavy traffic, he saw the Buick make a right turn one stoplight ahead. Shawn turned south and followed.
Jack was pissed when he saw the Caddy make the turn. Fuckin little prick was like a tick on a hound. Jack pushed the gas pedal to the floor and fought through the heavy traffic, sideswiping several cars in the process and swerving into oncoming traffic, heading in the opposite direction. Jack cursed when he saw the light ahead turn yellow. He wouldn’t make the light but needed to shake the leach off his tail.
Less than a quarter mile ahead, Shawn saw smoke and steam coming from the intersection. As he approached, he could see there'd been another accident. However, this time, Jack wasn't so lucky. He tried to run the red light and was struck broadside by a fast-moving delivery truck. Shawn went around the traffic and pulled up next to the Buick that was now just a twisted pile of junk. He got out and ran up to the Buick's front door. The car had been thrown from the point of impact and came to rest at the base of a traffic light.
The side of Jack's head had been caved in, and his body was slumped across the bench seat toward the passenger's side. Shawn shoved two people aside until he was finally looking into Jack's bloodied face. One look and Shawn knew that if Jack wasn't already dead, he would not be long for this life. Shawn reached into the caved-in side of the Buick and felt for a pulse on Jack's exposed neck. He found none. Then he noticed blood oozing from a small hole in his shoulder. The last slug from Jack's revolver must have found its mark.
Shawn slumped to the ground and quietly said, “Not the way I wanted it to end. But at last, I have justice.”
A middle-aged man came up beside Shawn and asked, “Are you okay, mister?”
Shawn turned to look at the man but didn’t reply. He didn’t feel like talking.
“You’re bleeding all over your shirt, and you have a nasty gash on the side of your head. You just rest; an ambulance should be here soon.”
As the rush from the chase started to subside, Shawn began to feel the pain in his chest, yet strangely, he welcomed it.