Chapter 85: The Driverless Truck

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: The Driverless Truck

Chapter 85: The Driverless Truck

Seth’s utility truck sped along the empty highway as the darkness outside deepened. After the adrenaline from running down the cloaked figure finally began to fade, Dr. Seth Brundle was the first to speak. "That impact felt satisfying, but there was something wrong with him. A normal person doesn’t take a hit like that and make the truck feel like it struck a concrete post."

Lionel Cosgrove looked through the rear window, but there was nothing behind them except darkness and the faint glow of distant road signs. "Axel, are we really just leaving him there? We’re not supposed to go back and make sure he’s down?" The question sounded less like concern for the stranger and more like Lionel remembering how many supposedly dead things had gotten back up around them lately.

"No," Axel Vance replied calmly as he leaned back against the passenger seat. "Seth already said the impact felt wrong, and Lionel couldn’t sense a normal living presence from him before we hit him. For all we know, that thing is already standing again."

Carrie sat pressed into the corner of the rear seat, still shaken by what had happened. She had spent most of her life being taught that disobedience and violence were terrifying sins, yet these three men had encountered something obviously unnatural in the road and responded with brutal efficiency. Feeling her eyes on him, Axel opened his own and glanced back.

"Something you want to ask?"

Carrie White immediately shook her head. Her instinct was still to withdraw whenever someone directly addressed her, but after several seconds she hesitated and finally forced herself to speak. "Mr. Vance... how am I supposed to learn to control what I can do?"

Axel thought about it before answering. "First, you need time somewhere that isn’t constantly pushing you into fear, shame, and panic. You spent years trapped between your mother’s punishments and people at school treating you like a target, so expecting perfect control immediately would be ridiculous."

Carrie’s expression tightened as memories of Margaret and her classmates returned. The emotional shift was small, but the supernatural effect followed instantly. An empty can beside Lionel suddenly tipped over with a metallic clank, even though nobody had touched it.

Axel noticed immediately. "Lionel, tell us a joke." He wanted Carrie thinking about literally anything except her past before the pressure built into another telekinetic surge.

Lionel stared at him. "A joke?"

"Yes."

Lionel opened his mouth, clearly having no preparation whatsoever. "Uh..."

Bright white light suddenly flooded the rearview mirrors and saved him from having to continue. Seth cursed and narrowed his eyes as a massive eighteen-wheeler rapidly approached from behind, its high beams glaring through the truck’s rear windows. "What’s this guy’s problem? Is he trying to see through our skulls?"

Seth eased slightly to one side to let the tractor-trailer pass. Instead of overtaking immediately, the truck remained close behind them for several minutes, maintaining an uncomfortable distance without falling back. Then its engine growled louder, and the enormous vehicle finally accelerated along their left side.

The tractor-trailer drew level with them.

Its cab towered over Seth’s battered utility truck, while the massive wheels seemed almost level with their windows. Irritated by the high beams, Seth turned his head to see what kind of idiot was driving.

His expression froze.

The driver’s seat was empty.

No one sat behind the wheel.

Yet the steering wheel slowly turned by itself.

Seth blinked hard and looked again. "Well, apparently Louisiana has driverless trucks now." His tone remained joking, but the uneasiness behind it was obvious.

Axel looked across and immediately frowned. The tractor-trailer was old and heavily rusted, with an animal skull mounted across the front like some grotesque highway ornament. Even without a driver, it moved with deliberate precision.

"Keep your distance from it," Axel said.

The warning came too late.

The eighteen-wheeler suddenly swerved sideways.

Bang!

Its enormous body slammed into Seth’s truck hard enough to throw everyone toward the opposite side of the cab. Metal screamed as the smaller vehicle was shoved toward the shoulder, and Seth cursed while fighting to keep the wheels pointed down the highway.

"What the hell!" Seth shouted.

He accelerated and tried to pull away, but the driverless truck matched them immediately. Its massive side remained pressed close, repeatedly crowding Seth’s vehicle and forcing him to correct the steering every few seconds.

Axel’s voice remained controlled despite the chaos. "Lionel, get one of the rifles."

Lionel steadied himself against the seat, reached into the stored gear, and pulled out one of the long guns they had brought from the New Mexico mission. He glanced toward Axel and immediately understood the idea. "You want me to try the tires?"

"See if they react."

Lionel lowered the rear window and fired several controlled bursts toward the enormous wheels beside them. Gunshots cracked across the empty highway while Carrie covered her ears and curled down in the seat. Sparks jumped from the truck’s tires, but the vehicle did not slow.

Lionel stopped firing.

He stared.

The tires had clearly been hit, yet they continued rotating at full speed without losing shape or pressure. Whatever they were made of—or whatever supernatural force held them together—the bullets had accomplished almost nothing.

Seth saw the result in the mirror. "You have got to be kidding me." He jerked the wheel as the driverless truck rammed them again, sending another metallic shriek through the body panels.

Axel’s eyes narrowed. "That thing isn’t normal."

The tractor-trailer struck them once more as though angered by the attack. Every impact crumpled more of Seth’s vehicle, and one side panel had already been shoved inward far enough to threaten the passenger compartment. Seth kept both hands locked on the steering wheel, fighting to keep the battered truck from spinning out.

Carrie had folded herself into the deepest corner of the rear seat. Her hands pressed over her ears, her face had gone completely pale, and the combination of gunfire, impacts, and supernatural danger was pushing her toward panic again. Axel turned toward her.

"Carrie! Buckle in tight, hold onto something solid, and keep your head protected!"

The sharp command cut through her fear. Carrie immediately grabbed the seat belt, secured herself, and curled forward with both arms protecting her head. Giving her something simple to focus on seemed to keep the telekinetic pressure from exploding again.

Axel turned back toward Lionel. "Pass me the heavy gun."

Lionel’s eyes widened slightly but he did not argue. He dug through the remaining equipment and dragged out the heavy belt-fed weapon they had kept from the New Mexico mission. "You’re seriously using this from inside the truck?"

"Not inside."

Lionel stared at him for half a second.

Then he understood.

Seth heard enough of the conversation to glance toward Axel. "Whatever you’re about to do, give me a warning before you destroy what’s left of my vehicle."

"Keep us steady for ten seconds."

Seth grinned despite the situation. "That I can do."

He suddenly adjusted their position and created a small gap between the two vehicles. The driverless truck immediately moved to close it again, but Seth matched its speed and kept just enough room for Axel to shift toward the damaged passenger-side window.

Lionel handed the weapon forward while managing the ammunition behind him. Axel forced the distorted window area farther open and braced himself against the frame, keeping as much of his body inside the vehicle as possible. Wind tore at his clothes as the enormous tractor-trailer rolled only a few feet away.

"Seth," Axel called.

"What?"

"Bring us closer."

Seth laughed. "You asked for it."

He accelerated and deliberately matched the eighteen-wheeler’s position until the two vehicles were nearly side by side again. The driverless truck responded by pushing toward them, and metal groaned as their battered utility vehicle shuddered under the pressure.

Lionel grabbed the seat frame to keep himself stable. Carrie remained curled safely behind him, eyes squeezed shut.

Axel raised the heavy weapon toward the supernatural truck.

He narrowed his eyes.

Then pulled the trigger.

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