“Are you new here?” he asked. “I’m new. Second week on the job. But I’ve tried everything on the menu. The sausage biscuits are good.”
“I’m sure they are, Willie. I’m just suddenly not hungry anymore.”
He frowned. “Thirsty? We got orange juice, coffee—”
“No, never mind. Sorry to bother you.”
He waved as I backed up toward the door. “No bother at all. Hope to see you around.”
The woman in the back was staring at me, and I didn’t like it.
Once outside, I glanced at a car in the drive-through and hurried toward the road. We needed to get the hell out of here. Especially since we were carrying special cargo. As I turned to head back, a silver truck pulled out of the gas station next door. When he turned left, it forced the oncoming car to hit the brakes.
I looked at the windshield of the car and froze.
Is that Carol?
Without thinking, I jogged into the road to get a better look. I fully expected it to be the sun playing tricks on me, but hell no, that was Carol sitting in the passenger seat. The driver’s eyes widened when he saw me staring daggers at him. When Carol shouted at him, he turned the wheel and almost ran me over as they steered into oncoming traffic. Luckily there was no traffic this early.
“Carol!” I ran toward the car and slapped the trunk as it sped off.
This was a hot mess. I had no time to dial Viktor or get Blue when we had a kidnapper on our hands.
“Feet don’t fail me now.” Taking a quick glance around for witnesses, I flashed after their car.
It didn’t take long before I reached the bumper. The driver steered around a curve, and instead of following, I cut straight across the grass to head them off. Without missing a step, I jumped onto the hood of the white car and nearly rolled off before gripping the windshield wiper. When it snapped, I tucked my fingers inside the top of the hood. A police station flew past my view.
“Stop the car!” I pounded on the windshield.
Since I was blocking his view, he leaned over to see around me.
Carol frantically grabbed his arm and tried to pry his hand off the steering wheel. Then she gripped her seat belt and screamed, her eyes as wide as saucers. The drive got a lot bumpier when the road abruptly ended and we sped onto the grass. My only goal at this point was to save my ass from sliding off and falling under the tires.
I ran over the roof, jumped on the back, and rolled safely to the ground.
A loud crash exploded behind me, and I staggered to my feet.
The car had smashed into a dense thicket of trees and bushes. Smoke hissed from the engine beneath the crumpled hood.
“Carol!” My heart lurched at the sight of it all.
I skidded down the hill to the driver’s side and yanked the door open. An involuntary shriek escaped my lips when a large mountain lion tackled me to the ground. I blasted him with energy seconds before he went for my throat.
I scuttled backward, pulled the dagger from inside my jeans, and unsheathed it. As I crawled on my knees toward the animal, Carol fought her way through the airbags.
No way in hell I was letting this bastard get away. I raised my arm to jam the blade into his heart.
“No!” Carol screamed, spilling out onto the grass. “Don’t hurt him!”
She shielded the mountain lion with her body, her thin arms wrapped around him and tears welling in her eyes.
I lowered my weapon.
She knew him.
This wasn’t a kidnapping by some crazed rogue. Carol knew this guy, and they must have been planning her escape.
Lights flashed behind us, accompanied by the intermittent sound of sirens wailing.
