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“Okay. You can tell me the rest later. Right now, we’ll assume they’re probably not in a negotiating mood. We already know we can’t outrun them, so our only option is to hide until they give up.” Luke accelerated again on a straight stretch, and the lights of the other vehicles dropped back as the drivers slowed in the treacherous curves.
That didn’t leave them any options. “If we can’t outrun them, how are we going to hide?” Sally’s breath was coming too fast, and her fear was threatening to swamp her.
Jen squirmed into a sitting position between them, and Sally quickly buckled her in the seat belt. “Like they did in that movie,Run for the Border.” Jen’s small voice garnered their attention. She looked excitedly between Luke and her mother, then rolled her eyes, apparently disgusted by the blank stares she received. “On the way to the lodge, there’s a big drop-off. Remember, Luke? You have to be real careful because the road’s so narrow.”
“I remember. It’s a dangerous spot.” Luke gave Jen a curious glance, and his gaze swept over her head to meet Sally’s.
“In the movie, some men were being chased. They got far enough ahead that the bad guys didn’t see them jump out of their car, and then they let it go over the edge. The bad men shot at the wrecked car until it exploded. It was okay, though, because the good guys were hiding in the trees.” Jen’s words tumbled out in a rush and she threw her hands in the air at the climax of her story.
Sally would have chuckled if their situation hadn’t been so dire. “Honey, we can’t expect Luke to run his pickup over a cliff.”
“Wait a minute. She might have something. We’re not far from the spot she’s talking about. If we can get ahead of these characters before we get there, I could let you two out, head for the cliff and jump out at the last minute. We could meet on Elk Mountain. They’d never find us up there.” Luke actually sounded as though the plan he and Jen presented was a viable solution.
Has the world gone mad?Sally forced her mouth closed rather than say something that might hurt her daughter’s feelings.But holy hell…“Luke, there has to be another way.”
He eyed her over her daughter’s head. “I wish we didn’t have to do this in front of Jen, but we don’t have a choice. If these are the same people who planted a bomb in your house, can we assume they’re following us now to finish the job?”
Jen squeezed Sally’s fingers in a gentle grip, and Sally was blown away by the fact that her nine-year-old daughter seemed to be dealing with all this better than she was. “Yes.” Her voice was just above a whisper.
“They’re not going to leave any witnesses, Sally.”
A cold chill wound around her heart as she jerked her gaze to meet Luke’s.He means Jen! Her baby would die too.Oh my God!
“Do you have a better idea?” His question was softly spoken and filled with understanding.
The seriousness of their position stole her voice momentarily.Herposition…yet Luke and Jen would suffer equally in her fate if Clive’s men managed to run them off the road. She grimaced and shook her head. “No, I don’t. I guess I’d better get behind Jen’s idea.” She forced a lightness into her voice she didn’t feel for her daughter’s benefit.
“It’ll work, Mom. Right, Luke?”
Sally met Luke’s eyes again and read the deep regret in his piercing gaze. And she knew—Jen’s plan was all they had. Luke wouldn’t say the words so Jen wouldn’t lose hope, but Sally saw it there in his bleak expression. If the vehicles got close enough to ram them again, now that the drivers knew what to expect from the curvy mountain road, Luke, Jen and she would be toast.
“We’re going to give it the old college try.” He glanced in the mirror. “That last hairpin turn must have gotten their attention. They slowed a bit. We’ve got some distance on them.” Luke ruffled Jen’s hair. “You ready?”
She nodded, and the force of Luke’s gaze drilled into Sally. “When we get through the next set of curves, if we’re in the clear, I’ll stop. Everything depends on you getting out as fast as possible and finding a place to hide before they come around the corner.” He glanced back to the road, stepping on the gas until the pickup surged forward. “After their vehicles go by and disappear, you and Jen cross the road. Head uphill toward the lodge. Ready?”
Sally felt his gaze on her again as the headlights revealed the curves ahead. For a moment, she thought she would choke on the fear in her throat.No, I’m not ready! I’ll never be ready.Mechanically, she released Jen’s seat belt. “What about you?”
He had the nerve to laugh. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got the easy part.” He nodded toward the front, the tension in his voice belying his humor. “Almost there.” He focused on the mirror as they entered the tight curves. A few seconds later, they caught a straight stretch again. “Let’s do it.”
The trees created a curtain, shielding them from the lights behind. Sally threw open the door as Luke slid to a stop. She practically fell onto the shoulder of the road, regaining her balance just in time to steady Jen as she leaped from the seat.
Luke leaned over and caught the door, ready to swing it shut behind them. “Get going. Remember, head uphill. I’ll find you.” His voice wasn’t nearly as confident as it had been a moment ago.
Jen tugged at her hand, and Sally tore her gaze from Luke’s. Without looking back, they sprinted for the tree line. She heard the pickup’s door close and the truck’s engine revved. Tires spun. Then he was racing away in one direction and she and Jen in another. The trees reared up in front of them, looking like skinny, twisted giants in the moonlight. Sally spotted a downed log and pulled Jen toward it, dropping down on the other side just as the first vehicle’s lights rounded the corner.
Sally hugged her daughter’s small body close, holding her breath as the two cars sped after Luke’s pickup. She waited a minute, and then another, before she peeked over the log. The road was empty and dark as far as she could see. Even the sound of Luke’s loud mufflers had been drowned out by the quiet of the forest.
“They’re gone. Luke said to cross the road. Ready, sweetie?” Sally brushed the hair from Jen’s face, spreading some moisture in the process. Tears. Her baby must be so scared and confused. Sally’s heart ached for her.
“Mom, who were those people? Why are they trying to hurt us?” Jen’s expression was sadder than Sally had ever seen.
“It’s a long story, honey. It started way before you were born. It’s time I told you, but not now. We have to do what Luke said and get someplace safe. Let’s go.”
“Okay.” She got to her feet. “Luke will be all right, you know.”
Sally smiled. She didn’t want to admit, even to herself, how concerned she was about Luke.
She held Jen’s hand as they stepped over the log and approached the roadway. After listening for a moment for any indication the vehicles might be returning, they jogged across the pavement, up the bank and into the cover of the trees.
