“What is your plan?”
“I can see Melanie, her hands are waving around. That man better not hurt her.” The words sounded like they’d been forced through clenched teeth. “Maybe she’s stalling, because she hasn’t made much progress getting the car out. She’s been shimmying it back and forth but she’s still at an angle in the narrow road. At least her captor would have to look over his shoulder now to see us.”
Chaisley felt their vehicle come to a slow stop.
Rick grabbed her shoulders and lifted her to sit up again. “We don’t have much time. I don’t think the Nazi knows we are here, which is a miracle.” He pulled her over to the driver’s seat and she felt him slide out.
“What are you doing? You do realize I don’t know how to drive, don’t you?”
“Yep. But you’re going to today. It’s only about 100 meters. If that.” His voice was a hushed whisper.
She heard the crank of the window and then the door softly clicked shut beside her. She could hear the other vehicle. The spinning of its tires. Over and over.
Rick’s warmth came through the open window. “Our only hope here is for me to disable the car. It can only go a foot or so forward or back until she gets it straightened out. This is our chance, so I need you to listen close. You can do this.”
She nodded. “Of course I can.” She straightened her shoulders. She could do anything with God’s help. Right? For Melanie and the children. To keep them from being taken.
“All you have to do is shift and work the pedals.”
She could handle piano pedals—it couldn’t be that much different, right? “Okay.”
“Place your foot on the left pedal—that’s the clutch. It has to be pressed all the way in to shift. Middle pedal is the brake. Righthand pedal is smaller—it’s the one that makes the car go.”
She found all three with her feet. “That’s not so hard.”
“Good. Now press in the clutch, and keep your left foot pressed in until I tell you to shift. When I tell you to go—” he moved her right hand and placed it on a handle—“crank this down a notch, press down on the right pedal, and ease up on the clutch. They have to work together, so feel the engine. You’ll probably be able to do it better than anyone else. But in case you stall, press the clutch back in—” he placed her right hand on the dash—“You have to push this button to start the vehicle again. It’s the ignition. Then shift and go. Got it?”
His confidence in her made her nervousness fade a little. “A blind woman driving, it makes complete sense. What are you going to do?” She gripped the steering wheel.
“Pray this works and very carefully shoot out a tire or two. It’s a good thing I’m an excellent shot. But I can’t drive and take careful aim at the same time. You’re the distraction. And if I miss, you’ll hopefully catch them and ram them. That’s plan B.”
“Let’s hope plan A works then.” She sat a little straighter.
“Once I’ve shot out a tire or two to disable their vehicle, I’ll shout—that’s your signal to hit the brakes and duck down onto the seat.” A metallic click followed his words.
God, please make his aim true.“Okay.” Her pulse throbbed in her temples. “Be careful.”
“You ready?”
She pressed in the left pedal. “Yes.” But it was amazing how the pictures of Father’s car from her childhood sprang to mind. She could see it. Feel it.
The other engine across the way roared, then sputtered.
“Perfect. They’ve stalled and she’s managed to get the back tire in a pretty good drift. As soon as Mel starts the car up again, I want you to go, all right? Just keep the steering wheel straight, don’t deviate.”
“All right.”
She held the gear shift in her right hand, the steering wheel in her left. Her left foot was pressed on the clutch as the engine purred, and her right foot stayed on the brake.
The other engine roared to life again.
A shot rang out.
“Go!”
Chaisley blew out her breath, shifted, and pressed into the right pedal while she lifted the left, feeling the engine engage. She gripped the steering wheel with both hands as the car moved forward.
Another shot rang out. Then another.
