Revenge (or Why we don't go back to Alabama anymore)

[Zodiac]

(August 2007. 30 miles Southeast of Grove Hill, Alabama)



"That is half of what you promised us!" Shira screamed as she counted the money that had been handed to her.

"Well that's what the boss decided you was worth," the foreman glared at her. "Take it or leave it." Behind him, the stables sat clean and ready for their normal occupants.

"We spent 8 hours on all of this." the girl persisted. "And you can't say we didn't!"

"What are you going to do? Call the cops? Get your union rep out here?" the man laughed. "How about the pair of you just haul your asses out of here before I call the cops. You understand me?" Shira continued to glare at the man while the silent girl next to her pulled on her arm as if suggesting retreat. "That's right. Get outta here!"

The two girls walked away, occasionally giving cold looks over their shoulders. "******* asshole." Shira growled. "Mucked out both stables in under 8 hours, no breaks, and he screws us?"

The other girl just kept moving towards the gate of the property. "Angela, are you even listening to me?" Shira demanded. Angela just kept waving for her to follow and did not stop till they were off the ranch proper and heading away from it.

You not the only one getting tired of this Southern ****. she signed. But he is right. They live here, we don't, so the law is going to side with them.

"So what are we going to do?"

A little redneck vengeance. Follow me.

***

"You are crazy!" Shira laughed as she looked up at the 4X4 'monster' truck sitting inside the barn of a ranch a few miles away from the one they had left. Angela leaned out the window and replied.

How so? This guy chased us off his property with a gun. But over the last few days of working around this area I saw the pattern. This time of day, no one is here except the guard dog. She pointed to the large German Shepard who was consuming the scraps the girl had brought along in her pack. She's my buddy.

She vanished from sight as she twisted herself so her view was under the dashboard. Her makeshift key was jammed into the ignition waiting as she found the right wires to work with. Shira meanwhile climbed up into the cab and sat down next to her. "Your Grandpa show you this trick?" she asked. Angela peeked out again.

No. One of my mother's long line of boyfriends did. She reached up and turned the screwdriver in the key slot and began to tap the exposed wires together. A few seconds later, the behemoth roared into life. Shira cheered as Angela righted herself and got back into the drivers seat. One of them was good for something besides yelling at me. As the engine warmed up, the two girls used the gloves they had left over from their job at the ranch to wipe anything they had touched so far down for prints and got themselves settled.

"So where are we going?" Shira slipped on the gloves once finished.

Angela just grinned as she shifted into first and began to let the vehicle creep out of the barn into the open.

[Zodiac]

"I thought Billy worked on Tuesdays."

"Huh?" the foreman asked. "Billy? Yeah, he works all week at the factory. Why?"

"Cause I hear that truck of his." the other man pointed at the road just as the truck emerged into view. A few seconds later, it turned sharply to the right and crashed its way through the outer fence line. The horses scattered in panic at the sudden arrival of the mechanized beast but it was obvious the horses were not the target of the driver. The truck kept turning to avoid them as it continued to build momentum. The second fence was plowed through and now the machine began to wreck havoc on the property proper. The ranch hands were either trying to flag the truck down to stop or were too busy getting out of the way. The truck turned sharply and took aim at the back of one of the stables and charged. The wall caved in as the truck bulled its way into the building and came crashing out the other side. The truck began to spin around, kicking up dirt, mud, hay and horse apples in the process and spraying the mixture about before the tires caught again and sent the machine charging at the second stable. The results were the same. A few more laps around the ranch, doing as much damage as possible before it charged up the path back to the main road and took out the mailbox in passing.

"Somebody call the Sheriff!" the foreman shouted.

***

"Angela?" Shira began as she looked back at the chaos they had just created. "That was totally INSANE!" she squealed. The pair high fived as they continued along the road at a fast clip.

Well, we can't go to camp for a few days now. the driver signed with one hand.

"Yeah, I know. Need to find a spot to hide out for awhile." They both knew the drill that came with their lifestyle. Never bring unwanted attention back to 'home' and if you did, do not be there to be caught and get everyone else in trouble for it. "We need to ditch this bad boy and quickly."

Suggestions?

Taking the machine back to where they found it was out of the question. "I'm thinking."

Think faster. Angela turned the beast to the left and tore through another fence line as several cars with red and blue flashing lights on their roofs came charging in their direction on the road.

"Oh ****, Thelma!" Shira laughed.

Hang on, Louise. Angela punched it and tore off across the field. The police cars spread out and went in different directions while one stayed at the break in the fence.

"They know this area far better than we do." Shira sighed as she looked at the driver. Angela took her hand off the shifter long enough to give the one finger salute and kept driving. "Man, all we need is 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown' playing to make this scene perfect!"

***

And the race was on. The truck could go places the cars could not, but every time the truck emerged on a normal roadway it was forced back off the road by approaching police cars. "I hope you have a goal in mind" Shira shouted. Angela just nodded as she continued to keep the beast in motion. The truck bursted out through some bushes and turned left on a gravel trail. Now she accelerated into 4th while pointing at a connecting path to the right. The only problem was a cruiser was racing to block the entrance from the opposite direction.

'Aw, Hell's Teeth!" Angela screamed in her head as she urged the truck into the turn. The truck was half way in as the police car came screeching to halt in its path. The two girl's held on for dear life and the monster truck lived up to the reputation of it's more famous cousins and began to climb over the now trapped car's hood. The look on the deputy's face would have been comical if this had been planned as he bailed out of his car. With a final thump, the truck cleared the obstacle and continued up a mud road announced by a sign that said

Truck Path.
Use caution.
Dangerous road conditions possible.

"He's okay! He's okay!" Shira reassured Angela as she watched out the back window to see the deputy get back to his feet. As much as both of them hated the police, killing one of them was never on their list of things to do. The rear window shattered as the deputy fired at them as the truck scooted along the muddy path without a hint of sliding or slowing down. "So where does this go?"

Back to town Angela signed one handed as she fought to keep the beast on the slippery road. Last place they would expect us to go.

"Smart. I think."

Two ways for them to go. Follow us, or go around the entire mess. I found this on the second day we was here. Saves some walking but your shoes and clothes are toast when done. Angela answered between shifting. We be in town way before they will. Just need a place to park this thing and then run like hell.

"I know where!" Shira grinned.

[Zodiac]

(1 hour later)

The monster truck sat parked outside the back fence to the local police station. All evidence had been wiped clean or removed. It almost looked sad to Angela as she peeked out of the window of the abandoned house several doors down and across the street from the place. It was possibly the first time the truck had been more of what it was meant to be rather than a show off status symbol. Shira had mentioned the old house and it was the perfect hiding spot. Logic would suggest the thieves would be running out of town and putting as much distance between themselves and the law as they could, not hiding practically next door to the place.

A noise caught the girl's attention and she turned to find Shira entering the house with a couple bags from the local continence store in hand. The pair had traded clothes and hid Shira's hair under a cap they had found in the truck.

Any problems?

"The jerk at the counter was too busy staring at my tits to see my face." the girl laughed. Both of them knew how to avoid giving any surveillance cameras a good shot of their faces. Shira sat down their supplies for their extended exile. "You check the basement?"

Angela nodded yes.

"All good?"

A double thumbs up was the answer. The two checked again to be sure no eyes were on the place before retreating to the darkness below. A few bits of abandoned furniture blocked the door and one window gave them a view of the outside and a way to escape if discovered. They sat down on the remains of couch cushions and got comfortable as Shira began to pass out food and a bottle of water. They would be here for awhile.

***

(3 days later)

"Welcome back," Mary frowned as the two girls approached. "And was the fun worth having the law tear this place apart looking for the two of you?" she asked as she sat down the basket of clean laundry.

"Mary, shut the **** up. You ain't my mom!" Shira laughed.

"I don't have to be. I am sure she is in your trailer waiting for you. And as for you," she pointed at Angela. "Nana said she wants to talk to you."

The girl visibly shrunk down as if feeling a giant thumb suddenly pressing down on her. "So, I know what you two did. Care to fill me on the why of it?"

Shira began to explain what had happened while Angela interrupted occasionally with her own view points on the matter. The frown on Mary's face began to vanish finally.

What are we supposed to do? Just roll over and take it?

"No, of course not, but this..."

"Wasn't anything but Syzgany Pride in motion!" Shira announced as her and Angela high fived each other again.

"Someone could have been killed."

"But they weren't!"

"That's not the point."

They owed us money!

"So you think it's okay to trash half the countryside in retribution?"

They lost more than we did.

"You realize we almost left without you two?"

"No way!"

No way!

"We are packing up now. Thanks to you two, Alabama is not a happy place for us right now." Mary said. "I suggest the two of you head to your places and help with any last minute preparations."

"SHIRA CROSS!" The three girls jumped at the sound of the woman shouting from across the camp. The woman pointed at Shira and then pointed to the ground in front of her.

"Aw man," she whined.

"NOW!"

"Later, gang," Shira began to walk over to where her mother waited impatiently.

Well, I guess I should find Nana. Before mother finds me preferably.

"Yes, Nana would be the safer bet, I am sure. But first," Mary nudged the girl and looked her in the eye. "What was it like driving that monstrosity?"

Wicked!

"Then when you can, you need to tell me all about it. Now go find Nana before Amanda finds you. They both furious with you now." Mary watched the girl run off in the direction of her grandmother's trailer. She then grabbed her basket of clothes and headed to where her own mother was working. The tribe would work its way east and possibly camp near Troy for a week or so before crossing over in Georgia.



FIN