Haunted Waters (12 page)

Chapter 41

I whirled to see the thin man stagger through the door,
waving the long metal poker from the fireplace. I grabbed the computer, and we all jumped in the Land Cruiser, Dylan and me in the back.

By the time Sam got the key in the ignition, the guy was at the SUV, raising the poker over his head.

I pressed back in the seat, but in the next second I lurched forward as Sam started the engine, slammed the Land Cruiser in reverse, and floored it. The man fell.

Snow and mud flew from the tires as Sam spun backward toward the road, slipping and sliding down the driveway.

“The chain!” I said.

Sam slid to a stop and bolted from the SUV.

The man ran toward us, skidding along the path, still holding the poker.

I closed my eyes, hoping this was all a bad dream, but when I opened them, the guy was still coming.

Sam unlatched the chain and jumped back in the Land Cruiser, spinning around in the road before finally regaining control. “Ashley,” he said, “get Dylan in his car seat.”

We bounced around so much, it was all I could do to finally get Dylan buckled.

“Look,” Bryce said, pointing to a thicket of trees. A green car sat by the road. The man raced toward it. Sam drove fast, but the road was snow covered and slick.

We skidded around a corner. I could see jagged rocks below us. There was nothing between us and the cliff but trees that hugged the edge of the road.

“Why do they want that picture so much?” I said.

“Must have something to do with the gold,” Bryce said. “Think he’ll leave us alone if we give him the memory stick?”

“I’m not giving him anything,” Sam said.

Wind blasted through the broken window. I unbuckled and rooted around in the back until I found a blanket to drape over Dylan and me. My teeth were doing a tap dance because none of us had coats on. I found another blanket and tried to plug the open window, but it flew out.

We came to a fork in the road, and Sam turned left onto Gold Camp Road.

“They’ll expect us to go toward town where the police station is,” Sam said, “but we’re going home.”

Chapter 42

Gavin Winkler drove wildly.
No sign of the man and the kids. His head felt light from the conk the man had given him and he tasted blood. The guy knew what he was doing. Former military, Gavin guessed. He clicked on his handheld radio. “They got away. They’re heading down the mountain.”

“Did they see you?” the other man said angrily.

“Guy came out of nowhere. They could have gone through my wallet if they wanted to.”

Winkler came to a fork in the road and slowed.

“Take care of him,” the other man said over the radio.

“I don’t even know which way they went,” Winkler said.

“How about you, Travis? Where are you?”

“Other side of Gold Camp tunnel,” Travis said.

“Good. Gavin, stay on the main road. Travis will take Gold Camp. Don’t let them get away.”

Chapter 43

Why did I have to lock the keys in the SUV?
I’m always doing stupid things or saying stupid stuff.

“I almost got you killed,” I said.

Sam clapped a hand on my knee and seemed to force a smile. “We’re going to be okay.”

“I think we lost the guy,” Ashley said from the backseat.

“Who’s that?” Dylan said, pointing to the front.

A pickup truck barreled toward us and swerved into our lane.

Sam grimaced. “Oh no.” He jerked the Land Cruiser around the truck, but the driver pulled a U-turn and followed.

If only we hadn’t come up here. If only Ashley hadn’t taken that picture. If only I hadn’t gone to Boo’s school. If only Dad hadn’t gotten on that plane . . .

But there was nothing I could do to change any of that now. One of these days I would have to quit wishing away the “if only’s” and stand up to them.

The pickup following us made Boo’s threats seem like nothing. “Let’s get these guys, Sam,” I said.

Chapter 44

The truck gained on us.
I had my arm around Dylan’s car seat and hoped he didn’t know what was going on. My fingers trembled as I gave him his miner’s hat and helped him turn on the light.

I prayed silently.
Please, God, help us get out of this. You know how scared we are.

Then I prayed God would let the truck run off the road or crash into a tree. Before you decide that’s not a very nice thing to pray, you should look in the Psalms where David asks God to break his enemies’ teeth and kill them all. The Bible will surprise you.

I missed Mom. She was miles away and didn’t even know we were in trouble.

Sam handed me his cell phone and told me to dial 911. I wanted to call Mom, but I punched the three numbers. Nothing happened.

We went into a tunnel and everything went dark. When we came out, we hit a straight stretch and Sam floored it. Still the truck drew closer.

I hit Redial and the phone stayed dead. Finally it rang.

“911, this is McLarty. What is your emergency?”

“A truck’s chasing us and we need help! We’re on Gold Camp Road—”

“Sorry, ma’am, you’re breaking up. What’s the nature of your emergency?”

“Gold Camp Road!” I shouted. “We’re coming up on a reservoir.”

“Sorry, I didn’t hear that. What is your location?”

The phone cut out. I dialed again, but Sam said, “We’re in a dead spot.” I didn’t like the sound of that.

Most of the snow had melted from the road so we went faster. The truck was about a football field behind us. A sign showed a curve ahead with a suggested speed of 20 miles an hour. Sam yelled for us to hang on. We raced around the curve doing at least 60, and I thought the Land Cruiser was going to fly off the road. I prayed the truck would.

My mouth was dry as cotton. A funny feeling settled over me, and I blurted out, “My medicine!”

Bryce turned around. “What about it?”

“I forgot to take it. Last night and this morning.”

Sam banged the steering wheel. “I should have reminded you. Where is it?”

“Back at the cabin,” I said.

Chapter 45

Ashley looked pale,
and the memories flooded back of the night years before when Dad found her in my closet, staring at the ceiling, her eyes fixed on something none of us could see. She had thrown up by her bed and wandered into my room and just stood there like a zombie.

I remembered the ambulance and lots of crying and months of trying to forget that awful night. Before her EEGs—brain tests, they told me—she got to stay up late with Dad watching movies so she would sleep once she got to the doctor’s office. I was actually jealous of that part, but there was no way I wanted her problem and no way I could take the big pills she did.

They called what she had “complex partial seizures,” something about what happens in her brain while she sleeps. The doctor said it was like a computer giving wrong commands. He was trying to stop the bad stuff before her brain got used to it and it started happening while she was awake. Looking at her you wouldn’t know anything was wrong, but if she didn’t take her medicine, she could get the seizures again.

“Can you hang on, Ashley?” Sam said.

When she didn’t answer I turned again to look at her. Her lips trembled, and she was paler than ever. “You okay, Ash?”

“I don’t think so,” she whispered, her gaze darting around.

This was worse than being chased. And way worse than Boo Heckler. “Sam,” I said, “she needs that medicine.”

He flew around another curve, craning his neck and looking for something. He hit the brakes and swerved onto an old road that went straight up a hill. He turned left and crashed through some scrub oak at the side of the road. The SUV came to a rest and we all sat, listening. We couldn’t see the road from here, but when he rolled down his window, we heard the truck pass.

I gave Sam a thumbs-up, and he backed out of the oaks. I thought we were going to get stuck, but the four-wheel drive took over and we zipped out and back onto the road. We headed back the way we had come.

“We’ll get Ashley’s medicine, then go to the police station,” Sam said. He glanced in his rearview mirror. “Try 911 again.”

Ashley shakily handed me the phone and I dialed, but it was dead. Still, I was feeling a lot better about our chances.

My head jerked back as something slammed us from behind. Ashley screamed and Dylan burst into tears. Sam fought to keep control of the Land Cruiser.

I whirled around. The green car was on our tail.

“Seat belts tight!” Sam said.