Escape: Day 13

Word Count: 78,015

Summary of Events:

After lunch Trace and Dallis went to a park to talk and Dallis snapped at Trace and then felt bad and ran away from him. Trace chased after her and they ended up heading toward the truck stop where half the gangsters were waiting and captured Dallis, although not without Trace in hot pursuit. Dallis fought the gangsters and managed to force them to pull over so she could get away. Trace pulled over behind them and then another trucker, hauling cattle, needed to take the exit they were pulled over on and ended up sideswiping one of the gangsters' cars, which the gangsters took offence to and started an altercation. Dallis tripped while running and was recaptured, but broke away again. Trace had seen her get captured and looked away at the altercation that was going nowhere . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

"Trace looked over at them and startled. Dallis was running full tilt toward him, with the gangsters running after her — and one of them was significantly lagging.

He should've been watching to see what'd happened, but unfortunately he hadn't, now Dallis was surprisingly close already, and gaining.

Unbuckling, Trace unlocked the passenger door and opened it slightly. He then sat back down, buckled up, started his truck, and slowly moved into reverse, watching his rearview mirrors vigilantly.

A few driver swerved violently and gave him unfriendly gestures, but it wasn't like he was going to be able to get out of the exit anyways, so no matter what he was going this way.

The gangsters who'd been focused on him turned away toward the altercation, their guns still out and trained.

Dallis was nearly at the ramp when the gunmen who'd been watching him turned toward her — Trace guessed one of the chasers had shouted — holstering their guns, and formed a small human wall between her and Trace's truck.

Trace swore under his breath, but watched as, without missing a beat, Dallis turned away and ran toward the other truck, scrambling up the slope and finally getting some serious traction on the pavement.

The four gangsters almost tripped over themselves starting after her as she ran past the other truck and across the bridge.

Trace watched as she stumbled, but managed to keep her feet as she ran to the guardrail and jumped over it. The jump messed up her stride and she tumbled down the steep slope head over heels.

At the bottom, however, she landed on her feet and kept running. Straight into traffic.

A shout split the air and it actually took Trace a moment before he realised that he was the one who'd uttered it.

Dallis ran across the eastbound traffic as one of the chasing gangsters hopped into the Mercedes, whipped it around, took the exit backwards, shot across traffic, and into the grass between the directions just as Dallis got there.

Jumping out of the car, he grabbed her. It looked like he had a nightstick in his hand, and moments later Dallis was hanging limp in is arms.

Trace felt sick. He slowly got to his feet, went over to the passenger door, and closed it.

Several shots sounded and Trace looked up to see the trucker on the pavement, the gangsters running for their car.

The other car jumped across the eastbound traffic, picked up the four gangsters who'd gone to chase Dallis, and shot off eastbound while the remaining five piled into their car, whipped past the truck, and took off."