“Dear God, I can’t do this. I can’t do this.”
I heard a feeble voice say, “Yes, you can.”
I looked over at Dixie, who was barely conscious. I knew my friend was in serious trouble and needed medical attention. “Hang on, Dixie.” I pressed the gas harder and steered the RV down Lookout Mountain. Initially, I took the mountain at a slow pace. However, after a few blocks, I felt a jolt.
I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw a luxury SUV driven by a red-faced and furious Warren Keller ram into the back.
“Oh God, he’s trying to kill us.” I pressed down on the accelerator.
The road down the mountain was one lane of traffic in each direction. Those ascending were closest to the mountain, and the downhill travelers were in the outside lane. Fear made me drive as close to the mountain as possible until I was forced into the right lane by an approaching car. I gripped the steering wheel so hard my hands hurt. My heart raced, and I started to panic.
“Calm down, Lilly,” I said. “You can do this. You have to do this.”
Another jolt from Warren Keller from behind forced me to jerk the wheel to prevent us from careening over the side of the mountain. Terror at being killed by a maniac overrode my fear of driving down the mountain, and I pressed the pedal and sped up.
My hands were sweating, and that’s when I remembered the Bluetooth on Dixie’s RV. I pushed the button on the steering wheel. When I heard the familiar ding, I screamed, “Call Red Olson.”
The voice repeated the command and then dialed the number. Red picked up on the third ring. “Hey, beautifu—”
“It’s Warren Keller. He murdered Naomi and Dixon, and he’s trying to kill Dixie and me.”
Red flipped the switch that sent him into full-blown law-enforcement mode. “Where are you?”
“Driving Dixie’s RV down Lookout Mountain.”
Warren Keller drove alongside and made a sharp right turn to try and force the RV off the mountain.
I screamed.
“Lilly, hang on. I’m calling nine-one-one, and I’m on my way.”
“I can’t do this.”
“Yes, you can. You’re a strong woman, and you can do this. You’re an excellent driver. Where’s Dixie?”
I glanced over at my friend. “He drugged her.”
“Then you’re going to have to keep driving.”
I bit my lip and pressed the gas a bit more. “I’m so scared.”
“I know you’re scared, but you can do this. You have to get down that mountain. You can’t miss Stephanie and Joe’s wedding. Think about Stephanie.”
I could hear a car door slam and traffic noise and knew Red was on his way. “She said they want to move to Chattanooga. She wants to be close when they start their family.
“You don’t want to miss the birth of your grandchild. Now pull yourself together and drive.”
A picture of a chubby, curly-haired baby flashed into my mind, and I knew he was right. I had to do this. Suddenly, I was filled with rage. How dare he? In that instant, I knew I couldn’t let Warren Keller destroy my happiness. I looked ahead and caught sight of a small turnabout where hikers often parked to take one of the hiking trails. It was a small area, and there was one car parked there. I could hear sirens in the distance.
I checked the rearview mirror and saw Warren Keller’s SUV speeding up to ram me again. At the last moment, I swerved the RV and pulled aside. When Warren went to ram into the back of me, he missed and flew over the side of the mountain.
A few minutes later, a fireman banged on the side of the RV. “You okay?”
I was shaking so bad I couldn’t speak. Eventually, he opened the door and stepped inside. “Are you okay?”
I nodded.
Dixie moaned from the passenger seat. “Help my friend. She’s been drugged with diazepam.”
The EMTs pulled Dixie out of the RV and got her into an ambulance.
I was still unable to move. Red pushed his way into the vehicle. “Thank God.” He hugged me, but I was frozen. I couldn’t let go of the steering wheel. I sat there crying and gripping that wheel like a life preserver.
Red crouched down. “Lilly, let go of the wheel.”
I tried, but my brain couldn’t get my fingers to move.
Red tried to pry my fingers off the wheel, but they were locked. He stepped out of the vehicle to get help. That’s when Aggie walked up to my seat. She jumped up into my lap, stood on her hind legs, and licked my face.
After a few moments, I felt myself start to unfreeze, and I was able to release the steering wheel. I have no idea how long I sat there crying and hugging my dog, but it felt like years. Red returned and carried me out of the RV, though I was still clinging to Aggie.
He held me tight, and I could feel his body shake and the warm tears that flowed down his face.
He kissed my hair. “When this is over, I have a question I want to ask.”
“My answer is yes.”
He gazed into my eyes. “Are you sure?”
“When I was coming down that mountain and I thought of everything I’d miss if I . . . failed, I thought of my children and my future grandchildren, but mostly, I thought of you.”
He pulled me close and kissed me.
Aggie wiggled her body between us, and Rex climbed on my lap. I looked around and saw Chyna, Leia, and Lucky sniffing the ground nearby. I thought of how these animals had protected me, and for the first time in my life, I knew what true, unconditional love felt like. I turned to Red. “Can you help me up?”
He looked surprised, but he stood and reached down and helped me to my feet. “The EMTs need to check you out, and then I’ll follow you to the hospital.”
I shook my head. “I don’t need to go to the hospital.”
“You’re probably suffering from shock. You need to let the doctor decide if you’re okay or not.”
I sighed. “Okay, but you know what it will mean if I go to the hospital?”
He frowned. “What will it mean?”
“You’ll have to explain to your family why I’m canceling the housewarming.”