Rebecca glanced over at Sam. "Hey, how're we doing, chief navigation officer?"

She could have poked around with the GPS herself, but used the excuse to engage with Sam a little bit.

Sam obliged her with a glance at the map, rather than bothering to zoom out on the GPS. "About halfway to Culpeper. Hey, do you mind if I put on some music?"

"Sure, go for it."

Sam probably glanced back at Landry too, because Rebecca saw him in the mirror as he waved amenably. She laughed to herself when he went back to looking out the far window, bobbing his head like he was already listening to his own tunes. Man, she wanted some of whatever he was drinking at breakfast time.

They'd been jamming along for a good five or six songs when Rebecca brought them around a curve and saw a Humvee parked across the road about a quarter mile ahead, another at the side of the road behind it. A pair of figures in uniform rose from the shade of a tree and moved towards the road and gestured for her to stop.

The blocking Humvee was occupying the opposite lane and about a foot of hers, so she slowed to a halt slightly askew from the center line. She saw two more men sitting in the front seats of the far Humvee as the pair from under the tree approached the side of the SUV, and she lowered the armored window as far as it would go — about 3/4 of the way down.

"Hey, how's it going guys." She figured they might as well start off friendly.

"Good afternoon miss." A soldier with tanned skin and pockmarked face approached, while his buddy stood casually several feet off to his side. She guessed these guys were having a pretty slow day. "Where're you heading today?"

"Up towards the Blue Ridges, trying to get to some family out that way."

"Uh-huh. Just the two vehicles in your group?"

"Yeah, in case one breaks down, y'know. What're you guys doing out here? It's good to see some friendlies."

The soldier talking to her looked over their vehicle, and then the other SUV for a moment. "Just security. Gotta check who might be coming into town and all that."

"Ah, cool."

He stepped closer to her window, shading his eyes to see inside better. "That's some pretty serious tactical gear you're wearing."

"Oh, uh... yeah. It's pretty gnarly back where we're from. Just gotta be safe. I swear we're not looking to bring any trouble into town, if it's really a problem, we can go around."

"No, I don't think you need to. Where are you coming from?"

Before she answered, Landry leaned forward between the two seats, a hand on one with his elbow in front to steady him. "Hey Corporal, how's it hanging." He lifted his hand to salute, which the corporal outside returned. Rebecca pondered for a minute how Ronnie would've had many opinions about how sloppy he was. Sure, he was returning a salute, which meant he was a higher rank, but c'mon dude, a little respect for your brothers in arms.

Landry leaned back into his seat, and the corporal started talking to her again. "What kind of weapons are you folks carrying in there?"

She wasn't sure what set it off, but a familiar prickle ran through the back of her neck. It was the same sensation when she checked over her shoulder when she was walking alone at night, or felt reluctant to take the drink some dude at a house party offered. "Just some light stuff, enough for personal defense, y'know. A rifle or two."

His reaction to that seemed pretty neutral. "Well, we're gonna have to search your vehicles before we let you into town. Can you step out of the car please?"

Landry shifting into view drew her eye to the rear view mirror, and she saw him very subtly shaking his head at her. She was getting a hinky feeling, and something in his exchange with the guy must have been off too.

"Eh... I'm not sure we can do that. What unit are you fellas with?"

"Lady, get out of the car!"

Lady... miss... not a single ma'am. Shitty salute, whatever Landry keyed in on, not using the Humvee as cover as a vehicle approached. Yeah, this was bullshit. She reached for the gearshift and window switch simultaneously.

When she did that, the guy outside lunged in aggressively, trying to grab for the gearshift or keys with one hand and her right wrist his other.

Pfft, good luck grabbing keys that aren't there, asshole! Rebecca leaned away, using her left forearm to shove his forward, bumping them over the top of the steering wheel as she did. She heard the sound of Sam picking up her gun and Landry moving in the back seat, either for another gun or to help her, but she didn't need to wait for either of them. In a smooth motion, Rebecca snatched her pistol from the familiar holster on her lower left , moved it back and above her left arm, and aimed it right at him.

"Back off!" She really didn't want to fire it inside the car, so close to her face, but was hoping his desire to avoid getting shot point-blank in his face would be greater.

She felt and heard the car clunk into gear and realized Sam must have shifted it for her. Attagirl. As the assailant withdrew, she kept the gun aimed at him, grabbed the wheel with her left hand, and stomped on the gas.

The engine roared, chirping the scrabbling tires as it strained to overcome the extra weight of the SUV's armor. Patrick was reassuringly fast off the line behind her as they dashed past the obstructing Humvee — maybe he saw the reverse lights flash as Sam shifted gears.

Once they were gaining momentum, the SUVs pulled strongly well up past 60 miles an hour. She knew only the newest Humvees could go much faster than that, so she eased off when they reached 70 to 75.

Only then did she take a moment to swear, check the pistol safety position by feel, and hand it over to Sam so she could get her second hand on the wheel. She glanced in the rear view mirrors twice to check on their friends and for any pursuers, but eventually focused on the road in front of her, figuring Landry was already staring out the rear windows. "Everybody okay?"

Sam answered first. "Jesus babe, we should be asking you that. Are you?"

"Yeah, good enough." Rebecca glanced in the center mirror. "Thanks for the confirmation that was squirrelly, man. What tipped you off?"

Landry was picking up his M4, but put it down and reached for her Tavor. "His sleeves didn't match the smaller stripes by his buttons. You mind if I borrow this? We're not out of the woods yet."

"Do what you gotta do, man. Sam, I need some options to ditch those bastards." Rebecca glanced in the side mirror again while she heard Sam rustling the maps. "Shit. Two pickups chasing us. They must've been hiding nearby."

The radio Epstein had installed in the vehicle crackled and Chrissie came on. "Hey, they're shooting at us. The glass is holding so far but Epstein says the rear windows don't roll down!"

Landry swore as he checked theirs and discovered the same thing. Crap, fixed windows must be easier when installing the bulletproof glass. No sunroof either.

Rebecca leaned harder on the gas, but it sounded like they were reaching the top of the engine's power curve. "Shit. Ideas?"

Sam spoke up. "The taser ball's in the back, but I've got no idea if it would survive landing... and it wouldn't catch up if we miss."

"Ugh. Dammit." She heard Landry unbuckling his seatbelt and glanced in the mirror. He'd moved across the seats and was wrapping the seatbelt behind her around one of his forearms, which were the size of her calves. "What're you up to, man?"

"Your fancy space gun is easy enough to handle I should be able to shoot one handed. I'm gonna push the door open and shoot through the crack."

"You're fucking crazy, but okay. Enjoy that 60 mag."

"You know it sister!"

Rebecca shook her head and briefly made note of which direction she'd have to turn the wheel to keep him in the vehicle if he lost his balance. Please don't let it come to that. "Sam, tell Chrissie to pass us." She eased off the gas as Sam relayed the instructions, and Patrick moved their SUV up and around them. Rebecca could see Chrissie and Epstein looking at them with concerned expressions, and then they were past.

She got back on the gas as soon as they were, but could tell the two pickups were already closer. It didn't look like they'd be able to outrun them with the armor weighing the SUVs down. Good thing they had a door gunner.

Rebecca heard Landry grunt against the door as he unlatched it, propping it open against the wind pressure just an inch while he picked her gun up from the seat in front of him. He held it to his shoulder, then shoved harder on the door and jammed the muzzle out. She supposed she could always get another flashlight if it got fucked up (and they got out of this situation).

She heard a quick experimental burst from Landry, then another, but he swore and she didn't see any effects in the rear view mirror. Incoming fire cracked the glass on the tailgate several times, making her and Sam cringe. She cast about for ideas in her head, and figured one was worth a try. "Hey Landry! I'm gonna try to line up your shots, stitch across their windshield!"

"Copy!" Landry's voice was muffled yelling back over her shoulder, but it was audible enough.

Rebecca eased across the center line, trying to lure the trucks behind her to follow suit. They didn't come as far as she'd like, but it was something... so she adjusted the wheel just enough to drift back to the right as smoothly as she could. She heard Landry firing several more times, but couldn't look back, too worried about keeping them on the road as they got closer and closer to the occasional roadside mailbox whizzing by. "Anything?"

"No joy, sister!"

Sam lifted her eyes from the map, turning to look out the back window. "He spooked them a little, few windshield hits, but that's it."

"Shit." Rebecca set her jaw and tried the same move again, without any better luck. She hoped the upcoming curve would give them a brief respite, but instead she just heard incoming rounds glance off the right flank of the SUV with pinging and cracking sounds.

On the opposite swing of the gentle switchback winding through low grassy hills, she tried turning in tight, trying to pan Landry's line of fire across their pursuers. Unfortunately, she had to chicken out when the steering wheel started to feel unsteady and an "ASC" light flashed on the dashboard. "Sure would be nice to have a fucking turret."

As she floored it away from the turn the SUV stabilized and she tried to clear her head of the panic encroaching her thoughts. She needed to get those assholes lined up off their left side for a few seconds — not dodging back and forth — and hope it was a big enough window for Landry to send some shots home. But these fuckers just didn't wanna cooperate. Fine. If she couldn't make them cooperate, she'd make them want to.

"Both of you, hold on!"

Rebecca drifted into the right half of the uncomfortably narrow two lane road they were racing along, watched her side mirror for the lead truck behind them to do the same... and stood on the brakes. Inertia drove her against her seatbelt and she heard Sam and Landry grunt over the protesting tires and antilock brakes thumping the pedal beneath her foot. Come on, you fuckers. Landry, time to earn your keep...

Her gambit worked as the pickup's driver swerved left in surprise. Landry had managed to stay upright — and present of mind — enough to exploit the moment of exposure, indulging in a long sustained volley through the crack in the door.

Rebecca could only see part of the pursuing truck past the edge of his door, but grinned viscerally at the sparkle reflecting from kernels of shedding safety glass. She let her foot off the brake and started accelerating again, trying to keep it smooth so Landry could correct his aim as he continued firing.

Then the truck disappeared from her limited view in the mirror as Landry shouted in triumph — and a flash of movement drew her eye back to the reflected sight of the truck, tumbling destructively behind them.

Landry collapsed back into the seat behind her, chuckling. "You drive like a madwoman, sister."

It took a few more relieved breaths before Rebecca replied. "Then they shouldn't have made me mad. Sam, escape route?"

Sam released her grip on the dashboard and handle above her door, reaching for the radio. "Chrissie, tell Pat to take the next right."

Rebecca glanced in the middle rear view mirror again. "Babe, they'll still see us."

"That's the point."