ELIJAH

I keep a firm grip on Jaina's leg as we watch in horror as the Camaro makes another turn and appears to be on track to running over his passenger. The crowd screaming isn't doing the job of warning him away, the driver is too in the moment as he burns through rubber, spinning towards his helpless body in the street. At the last second, the driver pulls out of the turn, narrowly missing the man in the intersection. Someone in the crowd throws a drink at the Camaro and many in the crowd run to the injured man while others race towards the Camaro.

I can't believe the cops aren't on scene yet, but they would have no way to get into this mess due to the rows of abandoned cars blocking the road. If this man needs an ambulance, his time might tick down before one can get to him.

"We should go," I tell Jaina.

She nods and without argument reaches for my hand so I can guide her back to my car. The spectators are going wild. We make it back just in time for multiple cop cars to arrive. The loud sirens and bright lights cause the crowd to disperse in all directions. We are stuck in the traffic for five minutes before a space opens big enough for me to get us out of there. As I drive down the wrong side of the road, I can feel Jaina watching me. I'll get us out of here, but it's not without risk.

An old pick up in front of us panics and tries to make a U-turn. His right front bumper collides with a parked car. The sound of crushed plastic and metal is loud and clear. He throws the truck in reverse and manages to also clip the bumper of the car behind him. The driver of that car starts to yell, and I know if I don't get us out of here, it's going to get dangerous fast.

I take the opportunity to skirt by him as he leans out to yell at the person he's backed into. The front of my mustang lifts as I floor it past the pile up. I take a quick left at the next intersection and follow the road until I can jump on the freeway. I don't care if there's another location tonight, I want to get her home safe. When we finally sail onto the freeway, I turn to check on Jaina. My attention until this point has been on the road ahead and the small gaps of space, I could slide into to get us out of that madness.

Jaina's gaze is fixed out the front window. Her eyes are wide, and her breathing is shallow. Her skin is shiny from a sheen of sweat. Her hands are covering her ears.

"Jaina, are you ok?" I ask.

The rumble of the tires over the freeway is an obnoxious background to the question I'm trying to get answered. The sounds of traffic and engines drowns out her soft voice.

"Jaina," I urge again.

She turns to me, her eyes full of fear.

"I'm ok," she says, but I don't believe it. I watch as she curls herself into a ball. Her head resting nearly on her lap. She takes a few big breaths.

"We're ok," I tell her. My hand rubbing her back as she calms down.

She nods. Her hands slowly lowering from her ears. She doesn't sit up. Her hands run along her pants.

"He could have died," she says.

I don't respond because there's really nothing to say. She's right.

"And that other guy...he just kept ramming his truck into cars," she tells me.

"I know. But he didn't die, and we didn't get hurt," I reassure her. "It could have been worse."

With one more deep, calming breath, she pulls herself together and leans back in her seat. I keep my eyes on the road ahead, sneaking glances at her occasionally. She stares out the window the rest of the trip home.

I feel like we need to talk before I drop her off, so I pull into a dark parking lot outside the mall.

"Take-overs get crazy," I tell her. It's dumb, she already knows that.

"I get it," she says. "I just wasn't ready for all the sounds."

I pull the keys from the ignition, and we sit in the dark for a while as she continues to calm down.

"I wouldn't have let you get hurt," I tell her.

"I believe you," she says. "But Nathan wouldn't have let me either. Sometimes it's out of our control."

"You're right. I hope that's all you needed to see," I say. And it's more like I pray or beg that's all she needed. The thought of her being in a situation like that without me makes my heart race.

"I'm going to find out who hit us," she states. It's not an argument, it's just a fact.

"I get it." I don't like that she's poking around in that world, but I know I can't stop her. My options are to help her in her quest or to let her go into the world on her own.

"How did you hurt your hand?" she asks.

"I was somewhere doing something I shouldn't have been doing," I tell her. I don't want to get into the details of it tonight.

She nods and if she isn't satisfied with the answer, she doesn't show it.

"Thanks for tonight," she says.

"You're welcome."