Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
It had been nice of Laurel to have officers watch her home at night. She had slept soundly and knew they’d be outside her place again tonight. Thank goodness.
As she drove out of the center of Genesis Valley, a truck roared up behind her, its headlights on high. There were so many idiots on the roads these days. She slowed down so he could pass her. He edged closer. Her heart started to beat faster, so she sped up. The truck kept pace, its headlights so bright, she couldn’t see the driver.
She slowed down again, and so did he. She looked around, but she’d already left the town behind, so she sped up and took a wild right onto a country road.
He followed her.
She fumbled for her phone and pressed speed dial.
“Hi, Mom,” Laurel said through the Bluetooth in the dash. “Huck and I are just leaving a restaurant. It’s freezing. How was the grocery store?”
“Somebody’s following me. They have big, bright lights,” she burst out, her hands shaking on the steering wheel.
Laurel’s voice remained calm. “Where are you?”
“I just turned off Larneys Road,” Deidre said. “I don’t know. There are trees everywhere. I don’t know where to go. What should I do? I sped up and he followed, and I slowed down and he did the same.”
“Take a deep breath,” Laurel said. “We’re headed out to the truck. I need to put you on hold just for a second, okay?”
“All right.” Deidre gripped the steering wheel tighter.
The truck behind her hit her back bumper. She screamed, but Laurel was already on hold. She would have to handle this.
There was another turnoff coming up, and she’d swerve suddenly. She waited until the last second and turned, going around a farm field. Damn it, why hadn’t she looked in her rearview when she’d been in town? Or had the truck come after town?
“All right, I’m back,” Laurel said. “I called the local police. They know your location and are headed toward you. Do not leave your car.”
“I know,” Deidre said, panicking.
The truck had caught up with her again and hit her once more. Her vehicle slid on the icy road. She screamed.
“What happened?” Laurel asked, wind whistling through the phone. “We’re coming. I promise, Mom.”
“He hit me twice,” Deidre said. “He’s trying to hit my back bumper.”
“I need you to stay on the best roads you can. If you take a right about two miles from where you are, it’ll bring you back to Birch Tree Road, okay?”
Tears filled Deidre’s eyes, and she blinked them away. “Is it the killer? Is it Jason Abbott? Is it Zeke Caine? What about your half sister? Or even a stranger who wants to rob me?” Horrific scenarios spun wildly through her head.
“It doesn’t matter who it is. What matters is that you’re in control and you’re driving safely, okay?”
Deidre held her breath. “All right.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” Laurel said.
Deidre sped up and looked in her rearview mirror. “Okay.” All she could see were lights.
“Tell me about the vehicle behind you,” Laurel said.
“I can’t see anything but big headlights,” Deidre gasped, in the grip of a panic attack.
“Focus, Mom. You’re okay.”
Deidre couldn’t breathe. Was she having a heart attack? “I see the turnoff.”
“Take it, but don’t go off the road.”
Deidre slowed down just enough and then turned. The truck immediately followed, sliding behind her.
“Now, I want you to press the gas pedal down. Hard,” Laurel said.
Deidre followed orders, speeding up as the vehicle behind her did the same. “It’s a big truck. The headlights are huge.”
“Keep going. Three miles ahead, you’ll be back on Birch Tree Road. I want you to take a left. Drive back toward town.”
“Okay,” Deidre said, and then yelped as the truck hit her again. Her SUV fishtailed wildly, but she’d grown up driving in the mountains of Washington State and she quickly corrected, hitting the gas. “I’m about to turn onto Birch Tree Road.”
Sirens echoed in the distance. She took a left and fishtailed, nearly going off the road, but she made it back on. At least this road had been graveled. She swallowed and could barely breathe. Her lungs weren’t working.
The sirens got louder. The truck spun around and drove in the other direction. She could see its taillights.
“They’re going the other way.” She let out a huge breath and her lungs stuttered.
“Keep driving. I’ve almost reached you, and the police should be there soon.”
Deidre squinted to see red-and-blue lights spiraling into the sky around the nearest bend. “I hear sirens and can see lights in the distance.”
“Don’t stop until you get to the police,” Laurel ordered.
“I won’t,” Deidre said, her body sagging. She couldn’t believe this. What was she going to do now? She’d never leave her house again.
* * *
Laurel and Huck had stayed with Deidre all night. She’d been shaken for a while but had later calmed down. There were officers searching for the truck, but Deidre hadn’t been able to give them much of a description.