Search and Rescue by Gail Anderson-Dargatz Read Free Book Online Page B

right. Just calm down.”
    I struggled to lift Amber from the van. I put a shoulder under her arm and hauled her to the car. Then I slid her into the backseat of my Honda, clicking her seat belt in place.
    Doug waved both Mom and me away with his gun, swaying as if he was having trouble standing. Then he got in my car and started it up.
    â€œDoug, please get Amber medical care,” I begged.
    â€œYou can’t leave us here,” said Mom. She pointed at my flimsy skirt. “We’ll freeze.”
    Doug didn’t reply. He slammed the car door shut and sped off past the van.
    Mom and I watched my car disappear around the next bend. Cushioned by snow, the forest was eerily quiet. We were alone on that logging road.
    â€œNo one knows we’re here, do they?” I asked Mom.
    Mom shook her head. She started to cry as the reality of situation sank in. “Oh my god,” she said. “What do we do now?”

ELEVEN
    I took Mom’s hand and strode with her to Doug’s van. “Come on,” I said. “I’ll tell you what we’re going to do.”
    I held the passenger door open for her. “I’m going to find a way to stop Doug before he kills both himself and Amber.”
    â€œHow are we going to do that?” Mom asked. “We can’t catch him on foot.”
    â€œFor starters, let’s see if we can get this piece of shit back on the road.”
    For once, Mom didn’t bother to correct my swearing. I got in the van. The keys were still in the ignition. I turned the key, and after the third try, the engine roared back to life. Within moments, heat poured from the vents.
    â€œHold on,” I told Mom. I put the van in reverse and floored it. We fishtailed back onto the snowy road.
    â€œOh, thank god!” Mom said. “Now we can go back to the search-and-rescue camp for help.”
    â€œNope,” I said. I turned the wheel and headed up the logging road, not to the camp.
    â€œNo? Claire, what are you thinking?”
    â€œAmber is in really bad shape,” I said. “Search-and-rescue crews may not get to her in time. Doug is so stoned, he’ll drive right off this road. We’ve got to stop him right now. I’m following him.”
    â€œHe has a gun. You can’t deal with him by yourself.”
    I peered at the road in front of me and gripped the wheel. “I have to,” I said. “There is no one else.” I glanced at Mom. “I’m sorry I dragged you into all this.”
    â€œHow are you going to stop him?” Mom asked.
    â€œI don’t know,” I said. “I’ll figure it out.”
    â€œYou can’t drive this fast in these conditions,” she said. “You can hardly see.”
    She was right. That shotgun blast had riddled the windshield with cracks. Only one wiper worked now. To make matters worse, the snow was really coming down.
    On one side of the road, there was a rock face and the forest above. On the other, there was a sheer drop-off. The road up this mountain was steep. If we started sliding, we’d slip right off that cliff.
    I felt the tires of the van skid as I turned a corner. I slowed briefly and shifted down to gain control. Then I sped up again on a straight stretch.
    Up ahead in the dusk I saw my own car bouncing from side to side. Doug was stoned and a less experienced driver than me. He was having trouble keeping my Honda on this slippery road. I quickly caught up with him. As soon as I did, he pressed his foot to the gas and took off.
    â€œThat kid is going to kill himself and Amber too,” Mom said. “Pull back so he’ll slow down.”
    I backed off a little, but Doug didn’t reduce his speed. He flew up the mountain ahead of us.
    â€œI’ve got to get in front of him,” I said. “Force him off the road.”
    Mom sat up, clutching the armrests in panic. “You can’t be serious!”
    I stepped on the gas again and