The War Cloud

17

Jennifer and a thousand other students exploded out the front doors to the pandemonium in the pick-up lanes. An army of Range Rovers, Mercedes and BMWs jammed the snow-plowed street in front of the entrance. Mothers and a few fathers were screaming for their children.

Jennifer slogged across the slushy parking lot as fast as she could. But now two Green Berets in field uniforms and M-16s were gaining on her, and a line of waiting cars stood in her way.

The touch of a hard combat glove on her back prompted her to scream and leap head first across the icy hood of a Mercedes, sliding off into the snow.

She barely had time to look up before she saw a Volvo careening toward her, brakes locked, skidding on the ice. She rolled away seconds before it crashed into the Mercedes.

Getting up, she looked back to see the Marines on the other side of the cars, pointing at her. They split and came at her from both sides, stymied by the panic in the streets.

She turned to run away when a silver minivan braked to a halt in front of her, stopping her cold. Jennifer held her breath as the door slid open automatically and the driver’s window rolled down at the same time.

Behind the wheel was her prom date, Robbie, who had given her the red thong for the dance. “Get in!” he shouted.

“What are you doing, Robbie?” she screamed. “You don’t have a license!”

Robbie looked panic-stricken. “Quick!”

Jennifer glanced back over her shoulder. The Marines had cleared the line of cars and were closing in fast. She opened the driver’s side door.

“Move over!” she ordered, climbing inside. “I’m driving.”

Robbie resisted. “What are you talking about?”

“Your feet barely reach the pedal,” she said. “Move! Now!”

She pushed Robbie into the passenger seat, closed her door, slipped behind the wheel and hit the accelerator.

The minivan lurched backward, knocking the front corner of a sedan and kicking up slush into the windshields of the cars behind it.

“Dang,” she said.

“Dang?!” Robbie repeated, apoplectic.

She checked the rearview mirror and saw one of the Marines aiming his M-16 at them.

“Holy shit!” Robbie shouted. “They’re going to shoot!”

Jennifer shifted into drive and they shot off.

She took the first corner too fast, and they slid across the ice, side-swiping a Jeep before gaining traction. Robbie slammed against the inside of the passenger d

“What the hell did your mom do?” Robbie cried out.

“I don’t know.” Jennifer looked up in her rearview mirror, worried that bullets would shatter the back windshield at any moment. “But I’m not gonna sit around to find out.”

She hit the accelerator again, and they sped off into the straightaway.