We’ve been tracking the license plate on some sort of software, catching glimpses of the car on other video feeds. It was last spotted on I-5, heading north.
“I got it,” some young guy says as he runs into the room.
Dean rips a piece of paper from his hands. “Fuck, it turned off onto a residential road near Lake Isabella. Looks like there’s just one cabin back there.”
I grab the paper and memorize the address. “I’m going,” I say to Dean, not even thinking as I run to my car, hoping my engine work amounts to a fast-driving car.
“Fuck no, you aren’t,” Dean says as he jogs after me.
“You can’t stop me,” I seethe.
“You don’t even know what you’re up against.”
I hop in my car that I had picked up after we left the restaurant. “I don’t. But I’m about to find out. Send backup to that cabin,” I command like some badass that I’m not.
Dean pounds his fist on the hood of my car and curses as I pull out of the parking spot and head toward Lake Isabella. The LA traffic is light because of the time of day, and as soon as I clear the little bit of congestion around the city, my body immediately channels everything I ever learned about driving. I’m going to get them back. I put the address into my GPS and then downshift.
My car whines as I fly up the interstate. I glance down and see that I’m pushing six and a half RPMs. I know that my car can do it, but I also know that at this speed, one wrong move means I’m dead or someone else is. My brain tells me to slow down, to not risk lives, but I’m beyond the point of rational decision-making.
Visions of my father’s crash dance across my mind as I watch the dark road. I take the exit for Lake Isabella and pray to God that I’m not too late. The feel of the car under my touch is so familiar to me. It’s comforting, like coming home. I can feel the throttle as I shift. The roar of the engine. The feel of the force as I increase my speed. I can do this. I have to do this.
As I get closer to the lake, I check the time. I’ve managed to make it here in a little over an hour versus the normal drive time of almost three hours. I thank the gods that I wasn’t pulled over, although police would be helpful at this moment. I turn onto a dark gravel road, suddenly wishing I had backup. My GPS tells me to stay straight, but when I come to a small trail on my right, I see fresh tire tracks. I turn onto it and dim my headlights as I slowly follow the path.
Emma
So many things go through my head as Jason rattles on, I’m wondering what we are doing here. I swear I heard sirens a while ago but was too afraid to say anything. As I take in our surroundings, I can tell we’re in the woods on a small trail of some kind. Are we hiding here? Are we waiting for something?
“He’ll be here soon,” Jason says, breaking me from my thoughts.
I glance up at him as he leans over me. “We’ll need to move you.” He no sooner finishes the sentence when he reaches in and picks me up, grunting as he tosses me over his shoulder. I squirm the best I can.
“You’ll want to stay still and quiet, Emma,” he says in his sinister voice as he reaches into a pocket and pulls out an object. He holds it out for me to see, and I shudder as the knife’s metal reflects the moonlight before another cloud passes overhead, leaving us in darkness once more.
He walks over to some brush and tosses me down. “Can’t have you making yourself known, now can we?” he says as he pulls out a roll of tape from his jacket pocket and places it over my mouth. My eyes go wide as he lets me see the knife.
He pulls his phone out and looks at it. It’s some app, and I can see a map with a dot on it.
“My dear brother is very close. Too bad he’s going to kill his girlfriend and then himself. Such a shame,” he states as he stands and walks back to the car. I have no idea what he plans to do. I’m regretting not listening more closely to him, not asking about his plans. I was afraid to know but now not knowing feels even worse.
He stands by his car door, and after a few minutes, I can see lights through the woods. Then I can hear the sound of the car as it approaches. It’s muffled slightly by a waterfall nearby, but I know it’s Grady. My heart aches knowing he came for me. I try to make noise, but I doubt he can hear me as I’m now a good one hundred feet away.
Grady’s car comes to a stop, and he pops the door open. I can just barely see him from where I lie on the ground.
“Thank God! Are you OK?” he calls out to his brother. My whole body is electrified with fear and rage. I scream behind the tape covering my mouth. I see Grady scan the woods, but he goes back to looking at his brother.
“Where’s Emma? Are you OK?” His voice is laced with fear and concern as he looks around. I know he’s looking for me. Tears trickle down my cheeks as I continue to yell.
“They have her. They took off that way and said if I didn’t wait here, they’d kill her,” Jason lies. “But it’s been about fifteen minutes. I’m scared, but I was just about to get in the car and follow them.”
His explanation is pathetic and I’m hoping Grady will see it for what it is, a ploy to get him to follow his psychopath brother.
“What? Which way?” he asks, again looking around frantically.
“No!” I scream in my head to no avail. I can barely make him out now through the tears in my eyes. I feel around for anything I can find to make noise. I grab a stick and bang it against the ground, but the sound is muffled by the crunch of Grady’s feet on the pebbles of the trail and the rushing water nearby. I kick my legs and curse because in making noise, I’ve missed what Grady has said as he gets in his car as does Jason. The two take off at top speed, my screams are guttural as I sob and kick at the ground. I’ve lost him. I’ve lost it all, and when Jason inevitably comes back, I’ll lose my life, too.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Grady
Something doesn’t seem right, but my adrenaline is now so revved that I can hardly think as I fly through the woods on a small trail right behind Jason. There’s a sharp curve up ahead. I slow down, not sure of the direction of the road. I see Jason’s car slow as well. I swear I hear something else, but I stay focused on the road. As I turn the car, I can make out a clearing in the path ahead. Jason’s car barrels along. I follow him, downshifting as I approach the clearing. His car doesn’t slow. It barrels toward the opening, and as I approach it, I watch in absolute horror as it disappears in front of me. I slam on my brakes, the car fishtailing as I jerk the wheel to the left. My heart thunders in my chest as the car slides closer and closer to what I now can tell is a cliffy ledge. I hear a monstrous explosion and see smoke as my car comes to a halt with one tire dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.
Throwing up the emergency parking brake, I leap out of my car and run to the edge of the cliff. In the darkness, with the clouds now covering the moonlight, all I can see is a fire at the bottom of the cliff. I fall to my knees overcome with emotions for a half brother that I barely knew. All the anxiety of the stalker and the fear of what was to come next melts away into despair at my loss. I let myself feel the pain for a brief moment before I wipe the tears from my face and stand up, looking around at the empty forest.