So, while Sarah was away, I’d called Vivian
while writing the note to Jessica.
Facing death brings a strange clarity,
enabling you to do things you never thought
possible.
Seeing Vivian, the dam of my emotions burst.
I wiped away tears as she hugged me tightly.
We didn’t speak, mindful of the listening
device.
Vivian handed me a sturdy rubber bar. I
wedged it against the steering wheel.
Then, I used a bungee cord to secure a rock
next to the gas pedal.
Vivian had found the perfect size and weight.
My racing heart calmed slightly.
Jessica, true to her upbringing, handled the
crisis with grace.
Without prompting, she’d taken the water
bottle with her, now half–empty, looking as if
she’d drunk it.
I threaded the bungee cord through the open
window. It was time.
Jessica and I leaned into the car, making
small talk. I clicked my seatbelt, started the
engine, and shifted into drive.
Closing the door, I released the cord. The
rock fell, depressing the gas pedal.
The car lurched forward.
Vivian and Jessica stood by the roadside. I
ran to them, grabbing Jessica’s hand. “Thank
you for trusting me.
وو
Jessica managed a weak smile. “I guess it’s
the mom in me.”
I hopped onto Vivian’s scooter, Jessica
behind me.
Vivian sniffed. “Lisa, I’m here. Don’t be
scared.”
I nodded. “I know.”
I twisted the throttle and we sped after the
<
test arive car.
7
Minutes later, a semi–truck emerged from the
construction site. The road was deserted, yet
it barreled straight towards the car.
Less than a minute later, metal shrieked
against metal.
Even having lived through it once, I was
frozen with terror. I stopped the scooter.
Jessica clung to my waist, her lip bleeding.
If we’d been in that car…
Flashbacks assaulted me. The looming grill of
the truck, my inability to focus, the locked
steering wheel, the screech of tires, our
screams…
The metallic taste of blood filled my throat. I
wanted to run, to hide.
But then, Lily’s sweet voice echoed in my
mind: “Mommy!”
Her soft cheek against mine. “Mommy, magic
<
I choked back a sob, pinching myself hard,
regaining control. I restarted the scooter.
Like last time, the truck driver fled
immediately. The police had searched for him,
but he’d vanished.
He hadn’t even checked on us before running.
He’d just abandoned the truck.
Another piece of their plan.
But his flight worked in my favor.
I ditched the scooter in the bushes, telling
Jessica to take her time. I sprinted towards
the wreckage.
The scene was horrific. The semi was
relatively intact, but the car’s front end was
crushed, the cabin mangled.
I retrieved the bar and bungee cord. The rock
was wedged underneath, irretrievable.
I smeared dirt on my face and grabbed a
shard of glass. Jessica arrived.
“Ms. Miller.” I said, “showtime.”
<
Gritting my teeth, I sliced my arm and leg with
the glass.
Blood spurted. The pain almost knocked me
out. Jessica, despite her composure, was
stunned.
“Hurry!” I gasped.
Snapping out of it, she smeared my blood on
herself, then rolled on the ground.
She lay on her back. I created drag marks, as
if pulling her from the passenger seat.
Finally, with trembling hands, I called Mark,
crying out, “Honey!”
