The Hitchhiker
by Lumy
Chapter 3
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THE HITCHHIKER — CHAPTER THREE
Buffy got behind the wheel and started the engine as Willow climbed into the cab. The truck lurched backwards and skidded to a halt before tearing out of the motel car park on the wrong side of the road.
Willow sat in silence still dazed and questioning why on earth she got in the car with this mad woman.
"I'm sorry," Buffy breathed, as the pickup roared into the night. "I never meant to drag you into this."
"Dragged me into what?" Willow questioned. "Buffy, what's going on?"
"I thought they'd stopped looking for me." Buffy confessed.
"Who?" Willow asked, brow furrowed.
"I don't know who they are, possibly the military, but I'm not sure," Buffy sighed.
"What do they want?" Willow looked at Buffy's hand. "Does this have something to do with you healing so fast?"
"I'm not sure," Buffy shrugged. "I've never stuck around to ask them."
"How did you get away?" Willow's head was buzzing.
"Now that I can show you," Buffy slammed on the breaks of the pickup which skidded to halt at a cross road.
"Buffy, what are you..." Willow couldn't finish her question before a speeding van sailed through the junction. Buffy once again floored the accelerator tearing off down the road. "Did you see that???" Willow gasped.
"That's the second time actually," Buffy hesitated. "The first time was in my dream. Except in the dream, it hit us."
"I don't feel so good," Willow swallowed hard, the colour draining from her face. "I think I need to sit down."
"You are sitting down," Buffy pointed out.
"Oh," Willow blinked several times and stared out the passenger window.
Headlights appeared in the darkness behind them and seemed to be getting closer at an alarming rate.
"Uh, Buffy?" Willow turned to look out the back window. "I think we have company."
"Hold on," Buffy commanded, steadily increasing their speed.
The speeding van grew larger in the rear view mirror until it rammed the back of the pickup. Buffy and Willow both jerked forward with the impact. The pickup fishtailed but Buffy was able to keep it from spinning out.
The van pulled into the oncoming lane and started to draw along side. A gunshot blasted through the din of engine noise, as the van shot out the pickup's left front tyre. The van pulled back as the pickup lurched to the left uncontrollably. Approaching a bridge, Buffy couldn't keep the car on the road as it mounted the guard rail and flipped into the stream below.
"Buffy!" Willow screamed as the pickup flipped, before hitting her head on the roof as they crashed.
The water was deep and as the pickup sank to the bottom, the cabin started to flood rapidly. Buffy was dazed, but managed to get her seatbelt off before trying to help her passenger. Willow was out cold and her head was already under water as the overturned truck was engulfed by the stream. Buffy struggled with the buckle before pulling Willow free and getting her head above the water into the ever shrinking air pocket. Buffy kicked out the drivers' side window for their escape. Taking one last breath, she swam through the broken window pulling Willow behind her.
Buffy stayed under water and swam under the bridge and down stream, not wanting to surface in sight of their pursuers. Willow's limp body tugged heavily on her arm as she surfaced behind some shrubs on the bank. She swept the red heads wet hair from her face and started CPR.
"C'mon, Will," Buffy whispered, silently counting chest compressions. "Stay with me."
Willow's blue lips contrasted against her white skin even in the dark as Buffy breathed for her again.
"Don't die on me," Buffy pleaded, overwhelmed. "You have to stay, I can't lose you again."
Willow coughed and expelled the water from her lungs before gasping for air.
Tears glistened in Buffy's eyes as she squeezed Willow's hand tight. "You stayed."
"Buffy," Willow coughed, putting her hand to the bleeding cut on her head. "Ow," she pouted.
"We have to get out of here before they figure out we're not in the car," Buffy helped Willow to her feet.
The pair crept back towards the bridge using the shrubs as cover. Buffy could see the two men from the van wading into the water to check the car's interior.
Buffy motioned for Willow to follow as they crept alongside the van. Checking it was empty the pair hopped in, thankful to find they keys still in the ignition. The engine roared to life as they sped away before the men could even get out of the water.
"Check the glove compartment," Buffy suggested.
"For what exactly?" Willow asked, opening the door and looking inside.
"Maybe they left something useful in here," Buffy glanced at Willow's findings.
Willow emptied the items one by one. "Map, envelope, and... a gun," Willow frowned, deciding to leave the gun where it was.
"What's in the envelope?" Buffy quizzed.
Willow lifted the already broken seal. "Several hundred dollar bills and a Polaroid," Willow took it out for a better look. "It's a blonde girl," Willow squinted to try and see better in the poor lighting. "It kinda looks like," Willow snapped her head up to meet Buffy's gaze. "It is you."
Buffy snatched the photo to take a look. "Ugh, I look horrible in this," disgusted she tossed it back to Willow.
"I think you look nice," Willow studied the photo once more.
"How much money is there exactly?" Buffy waited for Willow to count the bills.
"Fourteen hundred dollars," Willow confirmed.
"Good," Buffy smiled. "We need to find some place to get cleaned up."
They rented a room in the next hotel they came across. They ditched the car down the road with a plan to acquire a new one in the morning. Exhausted, they limped into their room. Buffy showered first, then Willow. The warm water had re-opened the cut on Willow's head and it took a little while of applying pressure for it to stop.
"I'm cold," Willow declared, looking down at the towel around her body.
"Me too," Buffy admitted, looking at her own towel. "But our clothes are still wet, and we can't buy new ones till morning. Let's just try and sleep."
They both looked at the double bed and called sides simultaneously. Willow took the left and Buffy the right. They turned out the light before climbing under the sheets, both still wrapped in their towels.
"Promise you'll be here when I wake up?" Willow demanded, still shaken from the ordeal.
"I'll be here," Buffy tucked damp red hair behind Willow's ear. "I promise."
Willow closed her eyes and snuggled a little closer towards Buffy. Sunrise was only a couple of hours away.
TO BE CONTINUED...