Sanctuary by David Lewis Read Free Book Online Page A

fight.
    Daddy’s girl to the bitter end….
    She refused to let herself unravel. “Please, God, help me,” she murmured, wondering now, as she drove pell-mell, if God cared at all. “If you’re really out there somewhere, help me.”
    The sound of the Buick bumping her car made her scream. Melissa stomped on the accelerator, flooring it, exceeding the speed limit. This was life or death. Her car roared out ahead, momentarily leaving him in the dust. But she knew the Buick had more power than her car.
    Sure enough, seconds later, he was within yards again. Only now they were speeding nearly out of control.
    This is crazy , she thought. We’re both going to lose it . She spied the cell phone. She’d been warned not to use it, but she had no choice. She had to get help.
    Wham! The Buick bumped her again, just as she reached for the phone. The jolt stunned her, lurching her dangerously to the right. She grabbed the wheel with both hands, turned hard to the left, narrowly missing the ditch, but she’d over-corrected and the car began to spin.
    Melissa slammed on the brakes, creating a squealing sound, knowing in seconds the Buick would ram her. But she had no choice. It was either stop or flip over.
    Her car careened violently, completing nearly a full circle. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Buick swerve into the ditch to avoid a collision. The man fought to control his vehicle, flying past her. He gunned the engine, and the Buick leaped from the ditch in front of her.
    The sound of an explosion jolted her to full alert. The gray sedan jerked and leaned stiffly, pitching back into the shallow ditch. At a dead stop now, dazed and confused, she stared at the listless car. What … what now? And then she knew. He’d blown a tire!
    Struggling through her tears, she slammed her foot on the accelerator and passed the Buick just as the man opened his door. Instead of an angry face, he leered at her, grinning widely, as if taunting her.
    It didn’t matter. She was safe … for now.
    Miles later, still shaking, Melissa made the turnoff to Highway 202. Even if the man changed his tire speedily, he would never find her on this road, never guess where she was headed. To Amish Country—the land that time forgot.
    Heading into Lancaster on Route 30, she spotted some restaurants—Miller’s Smorgasbord and several others—still open, serving hungry tourists. Motels were plentiful on either side of the highway. Limp and exhausted, Melissa was briefly tempted by a vacancy sign in front of the Steamboat Inn. Not remote enough , she thought.
    The pressure was beginning to lift. The clench of her jaw had begun to lessen; her shoulders ached but were not nearly as tense as before. She was going to survive. At least, for today.
    At the junction of Routes 30 and 222, she followed the road leading north, toward Eden. Sounds like a pleasant place , she thought, wondering where all the Plain folk lived. Were they scattered around the county … where?
    Stopping at a fast-food place, she took a chance and went inside to stretch her tingling legs and to purchase a sandwich and a cup of coffee, inquiring of the clerk about lodging. “Do you know of any inns or B&Bs off the beaten track?”
    “Plenty of places to stay around here,” the young woman said, smiling. “What exactly are you looking for?”
    “Something quiet, away from the noise.”
    The clerk nodded. “Well, since you’re already headed this way, why don’t you drive along Hunsecker Road, just up the way apiece. You’ll see the sign where to turn. I think you’ll find a good many places to stay. Even some private homes with rooms for rent.”
    “By the week or the day?”
    “Whatever you’d like, I suppose. It’s coming up on the end of the summer, so you shouldn’t have a bit of trouble finding something.”
    She thanked the woman and hurried back to the car, food in hand.
    Wooden boards rumbled as she slowed the car and drove over the Conestoga River via a