Failing Test: Book One of The Shadow Series Read online

  “Mom!”

  Maggie sat up onto her right elbow and looked to her son. Wincing in pain, she yelled back to him, “You have to go, Test; I’ll be okay! You have to go!”

  Reluctantly and with regret, he jumped into the passenger’s seat and yelled feverishly at Nicole. “Drive!”

  He looked back once more in Maggie’s direction, the guilt swelling inside. Realizing that the car was still stationary, he turned to Nicole and yelled once more. “What are you waiting on? Go!”

  “Test, the traffic!” yelled Nicole frantically in return.

  Test looked to his left and then to the right down the street. It was flooded with traffic in both directions. He raised his hands with palms facing away from each other, and in an instant, the lead vehicles abruptly stopped as if they had ran into an invisible wall. Car after car slammed into the car in front of it, causing a massive pile-up in both directions.

  “Okay, now drive!” shouted Test.

  She took off, taking the turn into the street with enough speed that the tires screeched from the rolling of the car. Weaving in and out of the piled up cars, she finally hit the open road. Looking straight ahead, she noticed a helicopter low in the sky hovering directly in front of them.

  “Test,” she said in a low voice, letting off the gas and tightening her grip on the steering wheel.

  “I see it. Just keep driving. Step on it!” he replied.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  Continually looking in every direction, he responded in frustration, “Just keep driving!”

  He wasn’t sure what to do. He could easily throw a punch and knock the helicopter out if it got close enough, but he didn’t want to hurt anyone. He suddenly became aware of where he was within the city and had an idea. With no time for sensitivity, he barked at Nicole, “Head for the hospital and get into the parking garage!”

  “What?” she asked, looking at him and scowling.

  “You have to trust me. Please just trust me,” he replied, laying a hand on her thigh.

  With pursed lips, she replied tensely, “I do.” She remained focused on the road and resisted the urge to look at him.

  Test was somewhat surprised that as he looked around them, he didn’t see any police chasing them on the ground. Maybe that last punch had made a point? he thought. It was clear, however, that the helicopter was in fact following them.

  Taking a corner at a speed much faster than the car was capable, Nicole slammed on the brakes to avoid loss of control. As she looked up, she spotted the hospital.

  Angry and impatient, Test screamed, “Go! Hurry up and get into that garage!”

  Nicole turned to him with a hateful look, her hair hanging recklessly in her face. “I am trying, Test! Now stop screaming at me!”

  Test turned and slid down in his seat, partly sulking and partly hiding. Nicole pushed the accelerator to the floor and went as fast as the six-cylinder engine under her hood would let her for the length of a block. As she turned into the garage, she paid no attention to her speed, entering at well above the posted five mph speed limit. She drove up two levels before Test spoke again.

  “Okay. Park here,” he said firmly.

  There was one empty stall amongst a hundred that were filled. She quickly pulled in, turned off the car, and sat motionless for a second or two, trying to grasp the fact that what she had just done was not a scene from a movie, but was actually her life. In a very controlled and purposeful manner, she pulled her hair back and tucked it behind her ears. Turning to Test, she spoke in a very cynical and agitated voice. “What are we going to do now?”

  “I need you to go into the hospital,” he replied.

  She closed her eyes, obviously displeased with his response. “What am I going to do in there?” she asked, still very calm.

  “Marcy works in the cafeteria. I need you to get her to drive us out of here.”

  “Test—”

  “It’s the only way,” he interrupted. “You have to hurry. The police will be here soon.”

  They got out of the car and met at the trunk. With the back of his hand, Test gently stroked her cheek. She stood stiff and cold, her blue eyes like ice.

  “I love you,” he said urgently, sensing a distance in her.

  Nicole nodded and turned to run into the hospital. As she jogged away, he walked towards the front of the car and sat on the ground with his back leaning against the front fender. In this spot, he was hidden from view. He took this time to reflect on all that had just happened.

  The police had shot at him. It was crushing to him that someone would be afraid of him to that degree. He hadn’t ever thought of that possibility. He worried about his mom and the fact that in his rage he had possibly injured her. Then there was Cliff, the old man who didn’t know him at all, but treated him like he had known him all of his life. He had just left him standing there by his car. Suddenly a deep sense of exhaustion came over him. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and attempted to savor the stillness. His peace was short-lived. In the distance, he heard sirens.

  “They’re coming,” he whispered to himself. “Come on, baby, you have to hurry.”

  Within a couple of minutes, the sirens were loud and then fell instantly silent. He got up onto his knees to look over the hood of Nicole’s car, but could see nothing as the vehicles on both sides of the car were too tall and blocked his view. Returning to his hands and knees, he crawled towards the rear of the car. As he approached the bumper, he heard footsteps and froze.

  “Oh, Test!” said Marcy, her voice full of pity.

  Test looked up to see Marcy and Nicole standing side by side. Marcy stood with her right hand covering her mouth.

  “Can you help us, Marcy?” asked Test from his knees. “The police are here. We have to hurry.”

  “They’re everywhere, Test,” replied Nicole, her face softer now than when she’d left.

  “Of course I’ll help,” answered Marcy.

  “Where’s your car?” he asked.

  “Up two more levels.”

  Nicole walked to Test and knelt down in front of him.

  “You doing okay?” she asked.

  Test nodded, the shame evident on his face. “How about you?” he asked.

  “I’m okay. Sorry about earlier.” She ran her hand through his hair, leaned into him, and kissed him softly. “I love you, too,” she whispered softly in his ear.

  As she pulled away, the smile on her face was weak, fearful, and unconvincing. In the distance, the rhythmic sound of a helicopter could be heard.

  “I hate to interrupt, guys, but we really need to get going,” said Marcy.

  Test and Nicole stood, and held hands as they turned to Marcy. Smiling, Marcy turned and ran to the stairs. “Let’s go!” she yelled, looking back to the others.

  The stairwell was lined with windows on the side that faced street side. As they ran up the stairs, they could see all of the commotion on the street below. Test couldn’t help but pause, staring in amazement out the window.

  “Stay as far away from the windows as you can!” yelled Nicole as she grabbed at his shirt.

  Quickly, they made it up the two flights of stairs and into the garage. Marcy’s car sat by itself amid a series of empty stalls, making Test feel uneasy that he was in such an open space. As they approached the back of the car, Marcy dug in her purse for her keys.

  “Put us in the trunk, Marcy, it’s the only way,” said Test, struggling between speech and a breath.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, still digging in her purse.

  “Just get out of town heading west and stop at the first rest stop,” he replied.

  Marcy inserted her keys into the trunk and opened it.

  “After you, beautiful,” said Test to Nicole with a halfhearted smile as he held out his hand to help her in.

  The trunk was small, but knowing that it was going to be a tight fit didn’t matter; they had to do it. Nicole tucked herself into the back of the trunk and
looked at Marcy with a blank face; her body began to twitch.

  “Thanks,” she said with her voice trembling.

  Scared to death, Marcy returned Nicole’s blank look and replied solemnly. “What are friends for, right?” She tried to appear relaxed but failed miserably.

  Next, Test climbed into the trunk. He wanted to let Nicole be as comfortable as possible, but there was neither room nor time for adjustments.

  “Go ahead and shut it, Marcy,” said Test with his eyes closed.

  She slowly lowered the lid, but before she could close it, all of the bracing on the underside hit on Test’s leg.

  “Just slam it, Marcy!” yelled Test, his eyes now open and glazed with frustration.

  “No, I can’t do—”

  “Just do it!” yelled Test.

  Marcy slammed the trunk shut, sending a blast of pain rocketing through Test’s leg. He didn’t make a sound, instead breathing slowly and deeply, attempting to block it out. All that he wanted for now was for Nicole to remain calm.

  The car came to life, and they felt it backing out of the parking stall. With a bit of a jolt, the car lurched forward. They were going down and could almost count at which level they were at by how many turns they had made. Finally, they were at what they thought was the ground floor and the car came to a stop.

  “The police are coming. Stay quiet,” said Marcy.

  Test and Nicole heard her muffled voice through the seating. Nicole didn’t want to breathe. Suddenly, they heard a man’s voice from outside the car.

  “Good afternoon, miss.”

  “Hello, officer. Did I do something wrong?” asked Marcy.

  “Have you seen this person?” asked the man’s voice.

  There was a brief pause.

  “No, I’m sorry I haven’t. I just got off work,” replied Marcy.

  “So you work at the hospital?” asked the man.

  “Yes, sir, in the cafeteria,” replied Marcy.

  There was a longer, more drawn-out pause.

  “Okay, miss, please be careful and go ahead. Thank you,” said the officer.

  “Good luck to you and have a good day,” replied Marcy with an overabundance of relief.

  The car turned and then picked up speed. Nicole was still unable to let herself breathe. The most that Test could hope for was that he would pass out. The pain in his leg, combined with his exhaustion and the claustrophobic surroundings, had him dangling on the edge of consciousness.

  After several turns, Marcy yelled, “We’re in the clear, guys! Hold on back there!”

  Chapter 17

  The Open Road

  Test had instructed her to drive west and stop at the first rest stop. She interpreted that as get on the interstate and get out of town. Marcy drove through town, seemingly hitting every red light possible, until she finally reached the interstate. Once on the entrance ramp, her speed increased dramatically. The last few days seemed like a complete and total blur. She was shocked at her rebellious actions of the last hour or so, but deep down she felt like she was doing the right thing. She reflected on the day in Nicole’s kitchen when Test’s powers were revealed to her. It was funny for her to think about how she felt about him in that first instance, and to realize that she was now risking her future to save his.

  After what seemed like an eternity, she had finally reached her destination. She quickly pulled off the interstate, jerking her steering wheel and applying the brakes heavily, and into the rest stop. The temperature had continued to rise, and she was worried about her friends in the trunk. She drove to the end of the rest area where there were no other cars and pulled into a stall. Once stopped, she turned off the ignition, threw open the door, and ran to the back of the car. Flustered and in a hurry, she couldn’t find the right key to get the trunk open.

  “Oh for God’s sake!” she yelled at herself.

  She stopped and took a deep breath. Going key by key, she finally found the right one and popped open the trunk. As it opened, she heard Nicole’s agitated voice.

  “It’s about time. How long have we been driving?” asked Nicole.

  “About an hour,” replied Marcy.

  Marcy looked at Test. His eyes were closed, and he lay motionless. Her heart sank. Frantically, she began shaking him.

  “Test!” she yelled.

  Violently, he flinched in fright. “What the?” he yelled back.

  He had fallen into a hard sleep. The night before hadn’t offered much rest, and the events of the last hour had tapped any energy reserve that he had built up. Squinting into the daylight, he felt a hard punch to his shoulder.

  “Damn it, Test! You scared the hell out of me!” screamed Marcy.

  “Shhhhhhhhh!” he replied urgently with his index finger to his lip. “I’m sorry! You have to remember that I’ve been getting shot at recently so pardon me for being a little jumpy!” said Test somewhat annoyed.

  He slowly climbed out of the trunk, feeling every muscle in his body ache and strain. His leg was sore from the trunk being slammed on it, and he was drenched in sweat.

  “Are you okay?” he asked Nicole as he now stood behind the car.

  “Yeah, I’m fine, but I think my legs are going to forever be stuck in this position,” she replied sarcastically.

  Test held out his hand. Nicole took it and gingerly climbed out of her torture chamber. She was covered in sweat as well. As warm and humid as the outside air had become, it still felt welcoming to her after the dead air she had been in for the last hour.

  “Well, I’d say it’s safe to assume that we weren’t followed. I’m sure we’d have a small army here by now,” said Nicole as she pulled her hair from her face. Her black hair was quick to absorb the heat of the sun.

  “What are you guys going to do?” asked Marcy.

  Nicole looked at Test. “What are we going to do?” she asked.

  Continually wiping the sweat off his forehead, he replied, “I know where we are going, but Marcy, I don’t think for your sake that you should know.”

  Marcy looked at him with a hurt look on her face. “What do you mean, for my sake?” she asked.

  “After today, I think there will be more people looking for me than just the police. Nicole’s small army comment might not be so far off. It might actually be the army,” replied Test matter-of-factly.

  Marcy wanted to ask the question, but repeatedly stopped herself. “What . . . how long . . .”

  “What, Marcy? Just say it,” said Test, clearly short of patience.

  “How long can you run? Are you really going to hide for the rest of your life?” she asked.

  Test looked at Nicole. She stared at him intently, waiting for his answer. He stood silently with his arms crossed and looked around, visibly upset. “I just need some time to think, okay? Just a day without chaos so I can figure things out. Is that too damned much to ask?” asked Test, raising his voice to Marcy.

  “Take it easy, Test,” said Nicole as she stroked the back of his head. “She’s just trying to help.”

  Test closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew he had snapped at someone who wasn’t deserving of it. His eyes opened and found Marcy’s pale and freckled face. She was almost in tears. Reaching his arms out toward her, he gave her a hug.

  “I’m sorry, Marcy. My mood swings have been a little rough lately, huh? I just need some time, that’s all.”

  Choking on her tears, Marcy replied, “I understand. I’m sorry, too.”

  Crossing her arms, Nicole interrupted, “I don’t mean to be the next one to point out problems, but if Marcy’s not taking us, then how are we going to get where we need to go?”

  “That part I haven’t figured out yet,” replied Test.

  Nicole, now clearly frustrated, turned her back to him and shook her head. It was all becoming too much to handle. Quickly, she turned back and stepped in front of him.

  “You don’t know?” asked Nicole angrily.

  “I’m sorry, Nicole, but I didn’t have a cha
nce to get that far with my thought process. I’ve had a few things going on you know,” replied Test regretfully and holding his hands palm up to his sides.

  “Are you serious?” replied Nicole as she turned once more and walked away. “I need to use the little girl’s room. I’ll be back.”

  “Hang on. I’ll go with you,” said Marcy.

  Without turning around, Nicole held up her hand and replied in a snippy voice, “No! I need a minute, okay?”

  “Yeah, sure, I guess,” replied Marcy, confused and a little put out.

  “I don’t know what to do, Marcy,” said Test quietly as Nicole walked away.

  “Take my car,” said Marcy softly as she stared at the ground.

  Stunned, Test replied, “No, I couldn’t.”

  “What other choice do you have? Steal a car?” she said jokingly.

  With a very serious look, he replied. “Why not? Am I going to get into any more trouble than I’m already in now?”

  Marcy looked at him with a scowl and replied, “No, but that’s not you. Do you remember when you showed me your powers? I was scared to death, and all of you guys told me not to be because you were still just Test. Well, you all were right. Just because you are in trouble now doesn’t mean that you’re the bad guy! They just don’t understand.”

  He silently absorbed Marcy’s words. He wiped the sweat from his face and leaned on the back of the car.

  “You’re right; and I know.” He paused for a moment. “I don’t know what to say, Marcy. I guess all that I can do is to say thank you.”