He expected Legend to burst out laughing, or call him crazy. Perhaps even accuse him of being on hard drugs like his ex-girlfriend. Instead, the man’s color drained from his face.
“I thought I was trippin’, man. I thought it was the late nights, some bad weed, and the alcohol… the stress I’m under.”
“Shit. You saw her, too?”
Legend hesitated, then nodded.
“Yes. I dreamt about her one night, too. She was in a big pink chair, dressed in all these bright colors… looked just like she did when we was kids, and she told me, ‘Legend, you aren’t living very legendary.’ She said I ain’t seeing the writing on the wall. She said I am blind, and refuse to see the truth, ‘See no Evil,’ and until I open my eyes and look at what is in front of me, really look at it, I’ll always be walking around here sightless. She told me the next time my phone rings, I need to answer it. ’Bout 1 minute later, my cellphone rang, man. Guess who was on the other end?”
“Me.”
“Fuckin’ bingo…”
Chapter Fourteen
Axel looked in his rear-view window and realized the black car with the tinted windows was still behind him. In an effort to test his hunch, he’d maneuvered many back roads, to try and see if the folks in the Buick would follow. As sure as shit stinks, the person driving that hunk of metal did, turn for turn. Only a local would have reasons for drifting up and down these back roads. Niko Moon’s, ‘Good Time’ played through the speakers of his truck at loud volume. When he reached for his gun in the glove compartment, his phone flashed on the dash. Daddy was calling. Perfect timing as usual. I’m being tailed by a jackass, and being called by one, too. He ignored the call, looked back out his rear-view window, and realized there may be two men in the car. It was hard to see, with the dark windows and all, but two faint body outlines were clear as mud. One in the driver’s seat, one in the back.
“Shit!”
Suddenly, the car swerved, and got on the side of him.
He hit the brakes hard, forcing them to skid on the dirt road. Then, he kicked his truck in reverse and gunned it, dust and debris forming a cloud behind him as he shot like an arrow in the opposite direction. Neck strained and eyes tingling with sweat trained on the road, he kept going until he heard the sound of gunfire. He slammed on the brakes once again, grabbed his gun from his waist, as well as the one from the glove compartment, rolled his window down halfway, and pulled that trigger a few good times. The Buick veered, almost flipping down into a gulley before the driver got a hold of the wheel.
Another car approached as Axel hit his vehicle in reverse once again, so he hit the brakes to avoid a collision, then gassed it, zooming forward and turning onto several sideroads. Zigzagging in the brush. It didn’t take long before the black car was again behind him. He could practically hear the bullets zooming past, some pelleting his truck. A hot adrenaline rush flowed through his blood, muscles, down to the damn bones, and it happened so fast, his face felt tight and about to burst, his skull throbbing beneath sweaty skin.
3…
2…
1…
He hit the sunroof and sat up a little, just enough to raise the gun through the opening.
POP! POP POP!
The car spun as he shot out both front tires, going around and around in a circle until it ended up flipped on its side. Closing the sunroof, he rolled real slow towards the carnage he’d left behind. He pulled up to the car and hopped out, his long hair in his eyes as he barreled closer. Sure enough, there were two men in the car, bloodied and bruised, staring up at him with life and death in the balance. The driver had a busted lip and nose, and was wrapped up tight, a tangled mess, in his seatbelt, while the one in the back attempted to exit the vehicle, crawling over broken glass to reach for his gun that now lay on the dirty path.
“Oh, you want the gun? I can give you a gun, but it just won’t be yours.”
BOOM!
“Ahhhh!”
The one in the back screamed when Axel shot him in the back. He then turned his attention to the driver.
“Why do y’all keep comin’ for me, huh? I sure as hell didn’t send for ya! Who gave you orders?!”
Violent coughing ensued. The one he’d shot was bleeding out badly, hacking something awful. He returned his gaze to the driver, a White guy in a denim jacket, jeans, and cowboy boots.
“I asked you a question, motherfucker.” Axel snatched the gun from the ground and slid it in his jacket, then cocked his own gun.