You Can't Run by Hope Davis (best way to read books .txt) 📗

bummed he had taken her shoes when he drugged her the night before as it didn’t quite have the impact she wanted.

He aimed another punch towards Naya’s head, but she was able to dodge and grab his arm, twisting it behind his back in the same way he had done to her. She kicked his feet out from under him, landing with one knee on his back and the other on his neck.

Naya was under no illusions, although she was a good fighter, she knew she was smaller and she could feel herself tiring, Trevor was definitely going to gain the upper hand and quick if she didn’t make a move. She frisked his pockets, trying to find the car keys.

“Ha, enjoy your last few moments being a cop.” Naya crushed her knee tighter into his neck. She had about three seconds to come up with a new plan. Trevor’s pockets were empty, the keys were probably in the truck.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye. The truck was a bit too far to make it on how tired her muscles already were, but she could go for it. Or she could try to make it to the street.

She made her decision. She quickly pressed her knee into the back of Trevor’s neck, feeling satisfied as he gasped for air. His arms started flailing but she didn’t let up. He was trying to roll over and Naya found her grip loosening, it was okay though. Her plan wasn’t to kill him. She Just needed to hopefully knock him unconscious or tire him enough to get a running start.

She couldn’t tell if he realized it or not, but at some point, he stopped struggling for just a moment and Naya used the opening to jump up and began running in the direction of the road.

Her feet immediately protested, not happy about being put to work again. This time she was almost certain she was headed in the direction of the road, and as she looked over her shoulder, she didn’t see Trevor pursuing, which made her feel like she had made the right choice.

For someone she had been chasing for weeks, Trevor was never someone she would have suspected, which made her think her and Atlas’ profile of the guy had been somewhat incorrect. But there was one thing she knew about this guy, and it was that running would never best him. She would have to outsmart him.

Please Atlas, she thought to herself, please send cops out east. She hoped that he was already on it and had made the connection that this was their perp. But she wasn’t holding her breath, it was quite the leap to make.

She noticed something peeking out from the grass up ahead. It was asphalt! Yes! She had made it. She quickly moved to the centerline and began running west. Please, someone be driving this way, she pleaded with the universe.

After what seemed like forever, she began to slow, her energy stores exhausted at the same time she heard the sound of an engine from behind her. She peeked over her shoulder to see a black truck coming straight for her.

Fuck!

She quickly jumped off the road. When she had made her run for the road, she hadn’t thought he would get to his truck that fast. And she had hoped she would see a car before he did. Dammit!

She pleaded with her feet and legs to keep going as she ran in the grass still west, but also heading slightly north to try and get away from the road a little, to make her harder to follow. She cursed this area of the state of Colorado for having nowhere to hide.

Suddenly, she heard something in the distance. Was that police sirens? Was she dreaming? Just the thought that she had heard police sirens spurned her legs to move faster. Then she heard an engine rev…

She looked behind her as he maneuvered the truck off the road. She needed to stay near enough to the road that if those were sirens, that they would see her. But getting him off the pavement had slowed him down considerably, and she needed any help she could get.

But not enough. He was still gaining on her. And her body was giving out.

She pushed herself harder than she ever had before, her legs moving almost mechanically. Off of what energy, she wasn’t sure.

It wasn’t enough. She heard the car squeal to a stop and soon enough he was behind her on foot again. And not far.

This time when he knocked her off her feet, she felt the cool metal of her own gun pressed to her temple.

“Get up. And no funny business this time. Or I will shoot you.”

She stood. “What do you want from me anyway?” Naya decided if she couldn’t fight, it was time to use the last tactic she knew of: conversation. “You know maybe we can help each other out if you tell me just what you plan to do with me.”

Trevor laughed maniacally. “Ha! You help me? I don’t think so.”

It was time to prove the theory which had been formulating in her head. Hopefully, it would be enough.

“Come on, I know those other girls weren’t what you wanted. Julia, Shanice, Alia. But I’m different.”

“That you are.” She could almost hear the cruel smile which must have spread across his face from where he stood behind her.

“So why don’t you see if I can help you?”

“The only way you can help me is by dying.”

Naya gulped. This had been what she was afraid of. Whatever he needed these women for, death was involved. “Are you going to perform science experiments on me?” She asked bravely.

“Just your blood.”

Naya felt her throat go dry, she really was just an unnecessary accessory to him.