Chapter Twenty-Two

Kate tossed a handful of dried cat food in Ruffles’ dish, ran to her car, got in, slammed the door, and backed out of the driveway with a squeal of tires.

She raced through town, vaguely remembering where the cutoff was for Route 2. She slowed at several cross streets, straining to make out the signs in the dark, then finally found it about a mile east of Copper Mill.

She wound along the country road, through rolling hills. She had only one goal, and that was to get to Paul.

She was alone on the road. The rhythm of the wipers was oddly comforting, but as she climbed out of the valley, the rain began to pelt her windshield.

She knew the sound. It meant sleet, and she prayed it didn’t also mean ice or snow at the higher elevations.

She was still dealing with that unsettling thought when headlights appeared behind her. Approaching fast.

At first she was glad to know she wasn’t alone on the road, then the vehicle came up behind her. The height of the headlights told her this wasn’t an ordinary car. It was much bigger. An oversized SUV or Hummer.

“Oh, Lord,” she breathed. “Be with me. Help me.”

The hulk of a vehicle came closer, almost touching her bumper. She increased her speed.

So did the hulk.

The narrow road was winding up a steep hill now, gaining elevation with each mile. Kate had to slow because of the curves and switchbacks. With each turn of the car, her headlights beamed through the now-falling snow into a dark abyss. On the opposite side, the road hugged the mountain.

There was no place to turn around, even if she could get past the SUV.

Her greatest hope was to get to the accident site soon, or at least to meet the emergency vehicles on their way to Copper Mill.

The snow was falling faster now, and though Paul always kept good tires on her Honda, she could feel them skid on the corners.

She slowed to regain control.

That’s when the SUV hit her back bumper. She clutched the steering wheel with a death grip as the car careened wildly. She looked in her rearview mirror.

The occupants of the SUV were hidden in the darkness and snow, and by the tinted windows.

She clung to the steering wheel, bracing herself for the next nudge, and prayed they were just trying to frighten her, nothing more.

Then she remembered the accident in California.

Her heart hammered against her ribs, and she thought she might pass out. She wanted to get mad, which she thought might serve her better in a crisis. But she was too scared to muster up the smallest bit of anger.

The SUV lagged back, and she breathed a little easier. Then, horrified, she watched it speed toward her and hit her bumper with even greater force.

This time the Honda spun wildly out of control. No matter how she turned the wheel, it was as if the car had taken on a life of its own. She bounced against the side of the mountain, scraping against rocks, only to skid back across the highway, hit a guardrail, and bounce back again.

The car finally spun to a stop, crisscrossing the road.

All was quiet.

Kate prayed harder than she had ever prayed before. She didn’t pray for herself but for Paul, who needed her. She wasn’t going to make it to him.

She heard the SUV rev its engine. She braced herself, certain it was going to finish the deed, just as the WDR thugs had done to Charles Brandsmyth III.

She sat up and fumbled for the door handle. If the hulk pushed her car over the side, she wasn’t going to go with it.

She opened the door to get out. The SUV was backing up, probably to get up speed. She leaped from the car, sprinted to the far side of the highway, and crouched behind a boulder.

Kate held her breath. One flash of the headlights in her direction, and they would spot her hiding place.

Her heart beat so hard she could hear it in her ears.

The SUV revved its engine, the accelerator floorboarded.

Kate squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the crash of metal and glass as her Honda was pushed over the side.

But all was still.

The SUV had stopped. How close she didn’t know. She was afraid to look.

Then she heard the engine backing away from her.

She forced her eyes open and peered out from behind the boulder. The SUV was out of sight, probably on the other side of the curve. Still waiting. Still planning to come in for the kill.

She shivered.

A flash of headlights in the distance caught her attention. A car coming from the opposite direction.

For one wild moment, she considered that the SUV had found a shortcut and doubled back to hit her from the other side.

No. The occupants of the SUV had probably seen the headlights and hightailed it out of there.

The snow was falling steadily. And so were Kate’s tears. She stumbled back to the car, fell into the seat, started the engine, but was shaking too hard to press the accelerator. She turned off the ignition.

Then she bowed her head over the steering wheel.

The car she had seen earlier was closer now. She could hear the low hum of the engine, and from time to time, the flash of headlights shone through the trees.

She thought about waving down whoever it was for help. But she was certain that if she tried to exit the car again, her knees would buckle.

The vehicle stopped, and she heard the door open, then close. Footsteps approached.

She held her breath.