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There was a Honda with its hood up and smoke pouring out of it. The owner, a man with long hair, a large mustache and a beat up leather jacket, had his arm extended with his thumb in the air. Matthew thought looked like he was in a hurry.
Matthew put his turn signal on and pulled over. The stranger jogged up and hopped into Matthew's truck. Before Matthew had the chance to ask where the guy was going, there was a revolver pressed into Matthews's chest. "Drive" the hitchiker had said in a low drawl. Matthew hit the gas. The man kept looking back like something was chasing them. "We aint stoppin and we aint slowin down for nuthin. Got it?" he asked. All Matthew coud do was continue to speed up the road towards the mountains and nod his head. "Much obbliged' the man said tipping his hat. He looked behind them again and started laughing.
'*This* is why mom said never to pick up hitchhikers' Matthew thought hysterically. His truck was shaking. He sped around the corner and almost hit the breaks. Every cop in the tri-county area was coming up towards them with lights and sirens blaring. Matthew took the next corner as fast as he dared in his beat up truck. The long line of blue lights and sirens followed them.
The radio was playing John Denver' newest song 'Thank God I'm a Country Boys. The man in the passenger seat was singing along as he reloaded his revolver. Still singing, he leaned out of the window to fire at the closest cop car that was gaining on them. "Life ain't nothin' but a funny funny riddle
Thank God I'm a country boy. Wooohoo"
There was some pings of bullets hittting the truck. Matthew let out a small groan. Sure his 1954 Ford was 20 years old but it was in decent working condition.
The sound of gunfire and sirens muffled parts of the emergency news broadcast that had disrupted the music. "... Kinsley, the notorious bank robber... armed and dangerous.. almost got away... found with his accomplice"
They weren't backing down. 'Fuck'. The road was closed ahead. Matthew could see the lights ahead. This was it.. The hitchhiker, Mr kinsley or whatever, saw it at the same time. He reached over, buckled Matthew's seat belt and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for the help darlin`. Hold on." he whispered before yanking the steering wheel. The truck went off the road and started flipping so many times that Matthew thought he was going to die. After that there was nothing.
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Matthew came awake slowly. He had had a bizzarre dream about a car chase and a handome bank robber with long hair and a car wreck. And sirens. So many sirens. Matthew moved his arm to stretch only to find he was handcuffed to a hospital bed.
'Oh. So not a dream' he thinks. There are two state troopers waiting to talk to him. Matthew answers the questions honestly. No, he wasn’t an acomplice. No, he had never met the man before. Matthew points out that the only reason he knew the man's name was the radio brodacst of the chase and even then he only heard his last name. The troopers don't seem satisfied with any of the answers Matthew has provided them with. After what felt like hours the state troopers leave.
Matthew throws his head agaisnt the pillow in frustration. Hes going to jail. He is going to jail because of a handsome bank robber. 'So much for the army' he thinks. 'My commanding officer is going to be pissed. Must be what mom ment when she said "no good deed goes unpunished".'
A quiet chuckle and the jangling of metal catches Matthews attention. He opens his eyes and sees the man from earlier standing at the foot of his hospital bed.
"Thought they'd never leave. Didn’t get the chance to properly introduce myself earlier. M'name's Amos." He said extending his hand. "Want some help with that jewlery?" Matthew nodded not expecting anything. To his surprise Amos sat down on the side of his bed and starteed picking the lock on the handcuffs. "much obliged" matthew said dryly. A few seconds later the handcuffs fell to the floor. Matthew stood and stretched properly.
"lets get out of here." Amos said jerking his head towards the door.
"with what car?" Matthew said slowly. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go with the other man. He was hot sure but where were they supposed to go. He had never considered running from the law before. Never even imagined a scenario when he would need to.
"One of those dumbasses left his keys in my room." Amos said grinning holding up a set of car keys.
In a feat of recklessness Matthew stepped toward Amos and kissed him. Amos opened his mouth and licked into Matthew's mouth. He broke the kiss sooner than he would have liked and whispered "Lets go". They ran out of the hospital hand in hand and jumped into the cop car parked out front. Amos was in the drivers seat. This time it was Matthews turn to look back and laugh as they sped down the road.
_____
*15 years later*
" So how did you two meet?" Miss Whitlock asked as they sat down in the Bella Union Saloon. They were waiting on Clayton to finish talking to Mr. Tolliver. He thought about a car chase and waking up handcuffed in a hospital bed. Matthew smiled and said "funny enough, I picked him up after his car broke down"
He doesn't mention the sirens.