Interstate Blues

Chapter Two: White Noise

December 1st, 2019
Radcliffe Highway, Colorado

Jack felt the blood rushing to his ears and all he could hear was white noise. He thought for a second he'd dreamed the entire thing as he stared blankly at the seat in front of him. He didn't even notice Ash reaching around to give him a Charlie Horse until it was too late. "Ow! What the hell?" he hissed, rubbing at his thigh, while his older brother's hand snaked back to the steering wheel.

"I asked you the same question six times. You cool, Jacky?"

"Cool?" Jack sputtered indignantly. "How can I be cool, when you just told me someone's trying to kill you? Am I supposed to just shrug it off and be okay with this?" He tried as hard as he could to keep his voice down, but the volume steadily rose regardless.

Ash remained silent for a long time, gripping the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles had begun to turn white, and he concentrated too hard on the dark, winding road they were on. To an outsider, it was like one of those places they tried to depict in horror movies, a labyrinth of convoluted roads and confusing signs that made it hard to navigate. Getting lost and stranded had become an all too common occurrence. But locals, like the Slayer boys, could get lost a hundred times and always find their way back to Ashgrove. Native secrets.

"Look, I know it's not an ideal situation, but I... I didn't know what else to do. I mean, the last time I heard from Dad, he told me to lay low. That was six weeks ago." Ash trailed off, and Jack got the feeling his brother was saying more than he was supposed to. But it still wasn't enough.

"Dad?" he repeated, skeptically. "I thought Dad was in-"

"Italy. Yeah. He was. But, Jacky, we're tangled in some deep shit, kid." Ash sighed and scratched the back of his neck, something that sounded close to guilt, bleeding through his voice. "Dad's a pest exterminator, ya know. One of the best in the industry. And I've been helping him out for a while now. He had some guys after him a couple years back, competition, I guess – it's why he dumped his kid on Mom. And we thought we shook 'em. But... turns out they've been looking for me all this time."

"That's why you came back? 'Cause one of your scams went bad?" Jack accused bitterly when he put the pieces together. It didn't take him long. Ash was easier to figure out than anyone he'd ever met before. Or maybe it was just that they were closer than he was to Will or even Marley, despite the eight years between them. "You used Ashgrove to hide? Swell job you did. How is getting into fights and slinging dope staying under the radar?" he scoffed in utter disbelief. No wonder they'd found him.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Swell?" he repeated cheekily.

"Shut up, idiot," Jack muttered briskly. "So, now what? Are Will and I targets too? How the hell are we supposed to help anyway? Do we look like murderer deflectors to you?" Keala barked when he finished speaking as if in agreement.

Ash opened his mouth, a quick response on the tip of his tongue, when a groan sounded from the passenger seat. "Why're ya'll yelling...?" Will mumbled sleepily. "Why're you in my...?" Jack gulped, watching from behind as Will lurched in his seat, triggering the snap of his seatbelt lock and knocking the wind out of himself. "Where are we?" he gasped, looking around the Blazer with wide eyes. When he spotted Jack they narrowed in an instant. "What's going on?" Suspicion laced his voice and he glared directly at Jack. They both were well aware of their oldest brother's tendency to lie.

"Um... Road trip?" He decided to take a page out of Ash's book. "Surprise road trip," he amended more confidently. "But don't worry, we grabbed all your school shit. 'Cause you can do it online, right?" With every word that escaped Jack's mouth, Will's face seemed to grow more and more furious.