Conspiracy. ch1 s1

(Title is subject to change)

"They're following me."
"What? Who is following you?"
"Some guys in sleek suits. They're very careful and don't want me to know they're watching, but they're everywhere."
"Some stalkers? I told you man, if you don't get a girlfriend soon you're going to be sending out some homosexual vibes. If that's all this is, we could've done this over the phone. It was a long drive. You better pick up the check when we're done."
"Shut up and listen to me. I think it's the government, they're after me. I needed to talk to you in person, they might be listening to my phone calls."
"Which government? And why would they be after you?"
"Not so loud! They might hear you. I don't know what government, but they're always there, they seem to be following me all the time. Act casual."
I wasn't sure what to think. Michael was acting stranger than usual and seemed very agitated. I started to slowly look around the room for anybody that looked suspiciou...
"No! What are you doing? Look at me! You can't let on that you know we're being watched. I don't know what they're capable of, and I don't want to find out."
"Ok. Tell me what this is all about. Why would they be interested in you?"
"I can't say. The less you know, the better off you'll be. But I need your help."
"Whatever. I'll help you out, but if I find out you're just messing with me, you'll owe me more than lunch. What do you need?"
"Your car and some cash. I need to disappear for a while. If I can lose them, maybe I have a chance."
"Are you insane? I'm not giving you my car. What's wrong with your car?"
"I think my car has been bugged and is being tracked. It's not safe anymore. We'll switch cars and you'll throw them off my trail. Since you don't know anything, maybe they won't do anything to you when they realize you're a decoy. By then I'll have a good head start."
"That's ridiculous. Your car is worthless to me. Where are you going? If you really don't want to drive your own car, you can drive mine. But I'm coming with you."
"No, it's not safe. I don't want to involve you in this, it's too dangerous. Just give me your car and some cash. I'll pay you back when I can."
Michael glanced past my shoulder and an intense look came over his face. It was panic.
"Listen to me and do exactly as I say. They're here. I think they're going to make a move."
"Why do you think that?"
"The guy behind you just pulled out a gun."
I instinctively jumped out of my chair and started running for the front door.
Michael yelled, "Idiot! I had a plan! Start the car!"
I ran into several people and knocked over a few chairs and tables. Everyone else in the restaurant started running out too. Whether it was because they saw a man with a gun, or because they saw us running, I don't know. Michael ran towards the back door. I made it to my car and got the engine going. I opened the passenger door for Michael, and could see him running from the back of the building. Nobody was chasing him. Luckily, his pursuer must have gotten stuck in the chaos. Michael jumped into the car.
"Charlie! Drive!"
"I'm going to kill you later for this!"
I drove out and rushed towards the nearest freeway. I didn't stop for any lights or signs, I just drove through everything I could. There were honks and screams from the cars behind us, but we didn't care. Better to have some strangers angry than to have us dead. When we went through a red on 22nd and Main, a car almost crashed into us. I sped up to avoid the impact, and the other car swerved to only graze our back bumper. The truck in the next lane ran into them, causing the whole intersection to be blocked with subsequent collisions.
"Good. That should slow them down."
"Ok Michael, we're about to get onto the freeway. It's time for you to explain why you got me into this."
"I told you, it's not safe for you to know. Just drive."
"The hell it isn't safe! I don't care what you say, I almost died back there and have no idea why! Tell me what's happening."
"Just trust me, it's not safe. After we drive a while, you can drop me off and I'll get a car. Then you can go home and forget about me."
"Fine, we'll do it your way. How far do you want to go?"
"I'm not sure, at least an hour or two after we lose the guy that's tailing us."
"The guy in the restaurant? We lost him back there, there was nobody behind you when you got in the car. And nobody could've gone through that intersection after us."
"Not him. The black car to the left lane, five vehicles behind us."
"What!? Why didn't you say something earlier?"
"I thought you knew."
I had calmed down from my initial panic, and had slowed down without realizing it. But now I sped up, taking my car to the limits of what it was capable of. The adrenaline was flowing through my body, and I was shaking hysterically. I couldn't understand why Michael would come to me for something like this. I am the worst person to have around in an emergency. I was probably the only person that might have let him use my car. Really should've just given him the car. Didn't think my life would be in danger back then. Now I'm stuck in the middle of his troubles, and he won't even tell me what I'm risking my life for. All I could think of was the events of the day, and it replayed in my mind over and over again.
"I can't see that black car anymore. I think we lost him."
"Hey Charlie, pull up next to that truck and open the window."
I slowed down to keep pace with the truck, and opened the window for Michael.
"Give me your cell phone."
I handed him my phone, and he threw it in the back of the truck along with his.
"What was that for?"
"They must have been tracking me by using my phone. That should throw them off for a while. I hope that truck is going somewhere far away."
"Why did you have to dump mine too?"
"If they saw your face, they might look for you to get to me. We don't know if they got a good look at you, but if they did, it's best to be cautious."
"Michael, if you drag me further into this, I'll kill you myself."
"That's fine with me. Take the next exit, we'll need more gas."
We filled up the gas without incident. Switched drivers because I was getting tired. It had already been two hours since we fled the restaurant, but it felt like we had been running for an entire day. I was physically exhausted and my head was spinning with everything that happened. I started to fall asleep as Michael drove. The sky was getting dark and night was falling. We didn't have a destination, just a lot of places where we didn't want to be. For now, we were safe. And with that thought of hope, I was able to fall asleep.
When I woke up, it was already morning, just a few hours before sunrise. Michael was still driving, and we were going fast. His body was rigid and his eyes were bloodshot and glazed over. He must have been driving for over nine hours straight.
"You ok? I think we can go somewhere and rest. We lost that black car a long time ago."
"We can't stop. They're everywhere. The dark blue car five cars back is following us."
"That's impossible. We lost them a long time ago, and we dumped our phones. They can't track us anymore. How long has the blue car been following us?"
"Since a few minutes ago. Before that, it was another car. They keep switching vehicles and drivers so that we don't suspect them. They want us to feel safe and stop. But they can't trick me like that."
I suddenly realized that Michael had gone crazy. And for a while, he had taken me with him. I had been acting according to his fears and got wrapped up in his panic. But there was the man in the restaurant that pulled out a gun. I can't ignore that.
"Michael, what kind of gun did the guy in the restaurant have?"
"I don't know, I didn't see it."
"Then how do you know he pulled it out?"
"He reached into his suit, and was holding something. He was starting to pull it out when we ran."
Yes. Definitely crazy. We caused a panic clearing everybody out of the restaurant, created a multiple car collision, and drove hundreds of miles towards the middle of nowhere. Now I was hours away from home, with a lunatic behind the wheel. I had to do something to make things right. But it was obvious that I couldn't restore his sanity myself. He was too far off the edge to be pulled back by me. I would need to take him to psychiatric professionals.
"Ok Michael, this is what we have to do. Switch over to the lane farthest to the left. Then when we near the next exit, cut across all the lanes, and take the exit. The car tailing us will either get stuck and miss the exit, or won't see us past all the other cars and will chase a ghost for several miles. We'll fill up more gas, and I'll take over driving so you can sleep."
"That's a good plan Charlie. Now you're thinking straight."
I don't know what got Michael so spooked that he's become like this, but I'll get him fixed. As soon as he falls asleep, I'll look for a psychiatric ward and have him committed. I need to solve this before he drags more people into his psychosis. I'll fix everything.

to be continued..