Take the Next Exit

Two guys in their early thirties: one white and skinny, one black and chubby. The thin man sat in front, the fat guy sat behind him.

Cowboy didn't like them. They were arrogant and rude. They spoke so loudly to hear each other above the freeway traffic that they were almost yelling. It was a ridiculous conversation about whether or not they both knew the same Marge. Why didn't they just sit next to each other in the back seat if they wanted to talk?

Suddenly the black man snapped out a command, "Take the next exit!"

"I thought you wanted the airport?" Cowboy said.

"I need to pick something up on the way."

"But there's nothing there but a dump."

"Sure there is - it's a shortcut to Brisbane."

Cowboy didn't like it but he remembered the shortcut ... or was that at the next exit?

"You're gonna miss the turn!" Skinny shouted.

Cowboy reflexively turned down the off-ramp.

"Take a right!" Fatty snapped.

Cowboy turned right and saw that the road dead ended in 100 feet.

"Give me the gun," the black man said as he reached back over the seat. He brought back a .38 and aimed it at Cowboy's head.

"When I tell you to do something you do it and do it now! I don't need no fucking arguments."

"Just shoot him! He's an asshole!"

The Fatty turned to look at his partner and then back at Cowboy. "Yeah, you're -"

Cowboy zapped him with a tazer. He dropped the gun on the seat and shook like he was having fit. Cowboy spun around toward the other man when the tip of a blade cut into his ribs though the back seat. Cowbody jerked away but the blade paralyzed him with agony as he tore his body away from the knife and wrapped himself over the wheel.

"Get the gun," Fatty said, unable to move.

As Skinny reached for it, Cowboy zapped him too. Feeling searing pain with every move, he grabbed the gun, rolled out of the car and scrambled into some nearby brush where he passed out from the pain.

When he woke up, the taxi was gone and he couldn't find the gun. He slowly crawled out to the edge of highway where he passed out again.

He was almost dead when the Highway Patrol found him. He spend 26 days in the hospital.

When he finally recovered, Cowboy drove cab for another 16 years. Wasn't much else he could do.