Exit 27

Jeanie made the last 5 miles before the police barracks, doing 110mph in a 65mph zone. The highway was empty at 2 in the morning, which was great because she knew she might have killed someone otherwise. There were several bullet holes in her driver's side mirror and one had come close to her ear, just grazing the skin. She had never pushed her red semi faster than this before. The state police barracks was her only hope was to get the two girls with her to safety. The girls in the back of the cab held on to each other in terror. Although they spoke no English they knew what the situation was. They thought if the truck crashes they will die, if they get caught they will die. Between the two, they took their chances that the woman they just met will get them to safety. Jeanie was proud of her truck and her driving. Now it was all online to save a couple of strangers.

Her friend told her the job would be easy, pick up a few people being brought in from out of the country. All that had to be done was take them to another location and drop them off. Jeanie would get a grand and that was it.

She got to the truck stop around 11:30. Getting out of her truck looked up into the trees only to catch the eyes of a barn owl staring intently back at her. The owl looked at her as if he knew she was about to do something wrong.

Huh, he acts like he knows what's going on, she thought to herself.

Weird, she thought, who transports people in a semi? Sitting at a booth in the truck stop lounge she wondered if she should be doing this job at all. They have definitely got to be illegal immigrants, Jeanie thought. That didn’t bother her so much; they were everywhere. As far as she was concerned they had a right to a better life just like anyone else. The whole thing was so shady, the meeting was at midnight, pick the people up at the truck stop on rt 340, then a 300-mile drive overnight to some resort in the mountains.

A man in a dark suit walked up to her.

“ You the driver,” he asked

“Yeah, I’m the driver,” Jeanie answered.

Annoyed, Jeanie thought to herself, Who the hell did he think was the driver? No one else was there.

“Fine, we bring girls outside, you start driving.

“When girls are delivered, you get your pay.”

“Sure, whatever you gotta do,” she told the man

The man glared at her and walked back toward the parking lot.

Jeanie was more and more uncomfortable with the situation. Girls…, I didn’t know I was transporting girls. That can't be good, she thought. This whole thing was getting out of hand.

Outside, The man led two young girls to her semi. They looked maybe 16 years old, skinny, and terrified.

How the hell did I get myself into this? She thought. Jeanie tried to think about what to do? She couldn’t hand these girls over to some scum who planned to use them until nothing was left of them. What was she gonna do?

She knew she could not show what she was thinking.

“Alright girls, get in the truck,” she told them.

Before she climbed into the cab the man grabbed her by the shirt.

“ We will be watching, don't do anything dumb”

“ Right, I got you”, she told him

She thought it was too late for that, she was already dumb, now what to do about it.

After the girls were in the back of the semi Jeanie got in and started the truck.

She took a look back at them sitting in the back. She had a niece the same age, “What am I gonna do?” she couldn't stop thinking.

She eased her truck out of the parking lot and then the interstate.

Her mind was on how to get out of this situation.

Exit 27 is coming up, if I take it quickly I can lose at least one of them. Then 20 miles to the state police barracks.

A moment later she saw a car on her right side following closely.

It must be the ones watching them.

The sign for the exit came into view. She shifted gears and increased her speed.

How long before they figure out what she was doing?

Just before the road split at the exit she swerved, pulling the truck over to the off-ramp.

Jeanie heard shouting in the distance, they knew. The car following her made the off-ramp, clipping their driver's headlight in the process. Time to put on some speed, 80,90, then 120mph in a desperate attempt to a getaway.

That's when she heard the first bullets fly past her.

“Well they sure don't know how to shoot,” she said out loud. She put the semi in 4th gear and hit the gas.

She could see the sign for the trooper barracks ahead. Just a little further she thought.

Another bullet, this time they hit a tire, she felt the difference in how it handled. Jeanie made the turn, just making it into the parking lot. Her pursuers sped down the road and out of sight.

She pulled into State Troopers Barracks, blowing her horn. In seconds troopers came out of the building in a steady stream. Jeanie put the truck in park and put her hands in the air. She sighed.

I hoped you liked this story. Please check out my other stories on Vocal.