Since she had gotten what looked to be an indefinite amount of free days, Lyse decided to go and spend the time with Janine in order to check how she was doing. It was her first night being away from her abusive husband but it was also the first night she would spend in a strange environment, she would probably be thankful to see a familiar face.
She decided to go home first and get changed out of the stiff office clothes she had on into something more casual. When she got into the apartment she was grateful to see that James was not around. With some luck she would be able to avoid him until her eye was healed entirely because she did not want to have to be probed and questioned.
While changing into a pair of baggy pants and a lose crop top, Lyse made a snack for herself and packed an overnight bag before penning a note for James to see when he got back then she prepared to go back down.
Unknown to her there was a rusted truck which had once been colored fire red which had been sitting down the street since after she went to the office in the morning and it's occupant had been biding his time waiting for her to appear.
Unknown to him someone else had also been watching Lyse's progress and after she went up he made a phone call.
"She did not go to the hospital, she drove straight home and has not appeared since."
After some time looking around to be sure no one was around who could see him, the man in the rusted truck opened his door and was about to come down when he caught sight of Lyse coming down the stairs. He relaxed back in the car and watched what she did.
When she got into her car and drove past him, he turned on his car and started following her. Ensuring that he kept a respectable distance from her and allowed a couple of cars stay between him and her car. He also did not notice the car directly behind him.
Lyse gripped the steering wheel as she drove out of the city, the familiar skyline disappearing behind her, looking forward to spending time at the shelter with the women. It had been a long time since she had spent time volunteering there and she was looking forward to it.
Relief washed over her, but it was short-lived. As she drove along the highway, she caught sight of a familiar truck following her and her blood ran cold. Max had found her, he was following her and she was leading him straight to Janine and those other women.
She prepared to press her foot down on the gas pedal while her heart raced. She needed to get away but she needed to be careful, she glanced again at the rear view mirror at the empty road behind her.
As she turned onto a narrow, winding road,
'It can't be.' She prayed fervently and looked in the rear view mirror and breathed with a sigh of relief when she saw a different car turn around the bend.
She shook her head, dismissing the feeling as paranoia then she chuckled, she was beginning to see things that were not there.
There was no way that coward Max would be hanging around when he knew that the police were looking for him. He only had strength for defenseless women, no one else.
She continued to drive out of the city and through the quiet suburban streets while looking forward to playing games and just relaxing for a few days before resuming her new job.
She could not help thinking of her new boss. Even though his motivation for sending her away from the office had not been borne out of some altruistic sense, it was still nice that he did.
She wondered how working for him would be and she felt annoyed as she thought of having to deal with women like the one that had been at his office to visit him.
"Snap out of it!" She muttered to herself in annoyance, "if he decides to be a whore right at his office that is none of your business."
As she drove, a sense of unease crept over her and once again she glanced in the rearview mirror, but there was nothing there.
As she turned onto a quiet street, she caught a glimpse of the truck following her. Her heart pounded in her chest as she glanced in the rearview mirror again. The truck was still there, tailing her at a safe distance.
Lyse's mind raced. How had she not noticed that Max had been following her all that while?
She pressed down on the accelerator, weaving in and out of traffic. The truck followed right behind her, matching her every move. Lyse's hands were shaking as she gripped the steering wheel. She had to think quickly.
Suddenly, she saw a dirt road leading off to the side. She swerved off the main road and onto the dirt track, hoping to lose the car behind her. The car hesitated for a moment, then followed.
As Lyse drove deeper into the woods, the road became rougher and narrower. She knew she had to lose the car before it got too close. She spotted a small clearing ahead and turned the wheel sharply.
The car behind her swerved to avoid hitting a tree, but it skidded off the road and into a ditch. Lyse breathed a sigh of relief. She had lost him.
But just as she was about to celebrate her escape, she heard a strange sound. She looked up and saw a herd of wild goats charging towards her car. She swerved to avoid them, but the goats were faster. They rammed into the side of her car, sending it spinning off the road.
Lyse was thrown forward, her head hitting the windshield. She felt a sharp pain in her head and blacked out.