CHAPTER FOUR

ON TO CALIFORNIA

 

The black Chevrolet Caprice pulled over on the side of the highway. The driver’s door opened and Agent Higgins climbed out. He looked at the scene.  There before him stood a large red Kenworth conventional tow truck sitting backwards blocking one lane of the road. It was pulling out the Volvo out of the ditch. Two police cars blocked the highway with their lights flashing.

      

Higgins walked over to one of the officers. He pulled out his badge as he walked up. "Agent Higgins of the FBI. I’m conducting an investigation. Can you tell me what happened here?"

The officer looked at him ."It looks like a severe case of road rage and hit and run rolled together. They keep telling me a woman driving an old Kenworth cab over done this."

The other officer walked up "You can talk to the driver and his passenger of that truck. I’m surprised they lived through that wreck." The officer pointed at the police car. The men were sitting inside.

Higgins went over to the police car, opened one of the back doors and leaned in. "Can one of you guys tell me what happened?"

"Yeah, some woman with a red Kenworth with a white stripe down the middle. She ran us off the road." One man replied as he looked at Higgins.

Higgins shut the door and looked over at the tow truck. It drove away from the ditch slowly pulling the Volvo behind it. It stopped on the side of the highway.

      

Higgins walked up to the Volvo slowly. He looked at it as he walked up the driver’s side. He looked over the truck while he went to the front. The cab was crushed down on the passenger side, the passenger door was crushed and pointed outwards. The hood was gone and the engine was showing covered with dirt. One of the rear tires was missing and had the bent rim showing.  He walked around the truck looking it over.

       

The driver of the tow truck walked up to Agent Higgins. "This truck belong to you?"

Higgins looked at him "No, but I want the person who put this truck in the ditch."

Later on down the interstate.......

Darkness filled the two lane highway, the Kenworth drove on with its head lights blaring.  B.J. shifted gears on the truck. Jenna sat in the passenger seat looking reading a book. She reached up and turned off the light on her side above the door.

"Why did you get into trucking?" Jenna asked as she looked over at him.

"I got into trucking by choice. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do until one day when I seen this truck and oh man! The moment I started this truck I knew what I wanted." B.J. answered back. "I wasn’t sure if I was going to make the payments for the first year."

"Why did you give up trucking?" Jenna asked B.J.

"It wasn’t paying like it used to. I wished the economy would have stayed the same but times have changed." B.J. answered back.

"Didn’t you have any contracts to keep you going?" she quizzed.

"I did, I was hauling for this motorcycle stunt group called the Lady Killers. That contract ended as fast as I got it. My truck was highjacked and their equipment was stolen. That put them out of business. But fate gave them a second chance, I helped my friend with his trucking company and gave them jobs driving trucks." B.J. replied.

"What was the company called?" Jenna asked.

"Bear Enterprises. We were competing against Cal-Trans Trucking at the time when I was helping." B.J. explained.

"Why didn’t you sell your truck?" Jenna questioned more.

"I was going to sell my truck but I just kept it." B.J. explained then yawned. "If I would have sold my truck, we wouldn’t have never met."

"That’s true. It’s amazing how fate takes place." Jenna told him said. "Say we call it a night. There should be a rest stop along here somewhere."

"You got it." B.J. answered back.

The truck started to slow down when a rest stop came into view. B.J. downshifted through the gears on the truck. He turned the wheel to the right pulling off the road into a wide open paved rest stop. The truck rolled to a stop.  B.J. shut off the headlights and stretched in his seat. The engine idled quietly.  Jenna crawled into the sleeper and onto the bed.  B.J. sat back in his seat getting relaxed

"Hey, your not sleeping in that seat another night. This is a bed, we can share it. I don’t bite." Jenna said as she slid in under the blanket. "I just nibble."   She giggled quietly.

B.J. took off his cowboy boots, climbed up onto the console and onto the bed. He slid in under the blanket beside Jenna, lying down on his back.

Jenna shifted position and was lying on her side facing him. "Your back feel better?"

"Yes it does." He answered as he looked up at the roof of the sleeper. "Where you going after I deliver this load ?"

"I may fly back to New York and continue on with my life." Jenna responded.

"What were you doing?" B.J. questioned her.

"Following Johnny around like a lost puppy." she giggled. "What will you be doing after this is all over?"

"I may roll on down to Dallas and off to New Orleans who knows where I may go." B.J. said as he looked at Jenna.

Jenna smiled back.

"You have a beautiful smile." B.J. complimented to her.

Jenna blushed. "Thanks."

"May I ask you a personal question?" B.J. asked.

"Sure." she responded softly.

B.J. looked into her eyes. "Why aren’t you married or seeing someone."

"I’m single because I chose to be. I may settle down if I meet the right guy. I believe there is someone out there for everybody." she discussed with him.

"Ok, well it’s getting late and we have to get up in a few hours." B.J. rolled over facing the cab of the Kenworth.

Jenna turned and faced the back of the sleeper. "Good night and sweet dreams."

"Night, Jenna." B.J. said as he pulled some of the blanket over his shoulder.

They lay in bed listening to the hum of the Kenworth’s diesel engine as it idled under the cab.  They fell asleep.

The next morning......

The Kenworth started off leaving the rest stop. B.J. shifted through the gears building speed as the truck drove on down the highway.  Jenna lay in the bed sleeping when she woke up. She sat up, leaned over onto the console. "Morning. Billy Joe."

"Hey, did you sleep well?" B.J. asked as he shifted the shiftstick

"Pretty good myself." Jenna replied as she looked at B.J.

"That’s good, don’t forget to tip your bell boy when you leave this palace." B.J. returned

Jenna laughed as she climbed into the passenger seat.  The Kenworth sped along the highway when a black GMC suburban followed close behind. The GMC sped right up behind the trailer getting close to it.  The sunroof on the GMC opened and an Asian guy stood up holding a machine gun.  The Suburban drove out and sped up along the side of the truck. The Asian held the gun aiming at the trailer’s rear tires. He pulled the trigger. Bullets shot out and pelted the rims.  B.J. looked out the driver’s side window when he heard the noise. He turned the wheel over to the left. The truck swerved over at the GMC. The trailer’s rear tires scraped up against the suburban’s passenger side door throwing up a shower of sparks.   B.J. hauled the wheel back and the trailer swerved away.

"People must not have enough to do today, Jenna." B.J. explained as he shifted gears on the truck.

The GMC sped up beside the cab quickly. B.J. turned the wheel again to the left. The truck veered over at the suburban. The Kenworth’s front wheels hit the GMC’s passenger side door digging into it.  The wheel rubbed up against the door panel, gouging it.  The GMC sped passed the Kenworth picking up speed.   B.J. floored the accelerator on the Kenworth. The truck gained speed running into the back of the GMC. The front bumper crashed into the rear doors on the suburban denting them. The Kenworth pushed the GMC down the highway.  The GMC started to skid towards the side of the road. The GMC went into a skid as it curved out of the way of the Kenworth. The suburban went off the road as the Kenworth pushed it into its skid.  The GMC skidded out of the way of the speeding Kenworth. The GMC went off the shoulder in a cloud of dust. The tires dug into the shoulder as the GMC came to a stop.

B.J. glanced over at Jenna. "Where are these guys coming from?"

"I don’t have a clue. It seems like they are tracking us or something." Jenna responded.

"The next time we fuel up, I’m going to make a call to some old friends of mine." B.J. replied.

"Friends?" Jenna asked.

B.J. looked at Jenna. "Yes, the Seven Lady Truckers."

Chapter Five - The Asian Connection!!!!!

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