She allowed a small nod.
“All right then, Ms. Kit, we can get to know each other better later, but the sun’s setting, and right now we got other problems.”
“The volcano,” she said absently.
“That’s way up there on the list. This road’s been red-zoned.”
“Red? When I left, emergency services said yellow everywhere except the northern side of the mountain.”WhenI left ... which was when,exactly?
“There’s been a lateral eruption on the flank. Earthquake swarms, the mountain’s continuing to bulge out, it all adds up to a mega eruption.”
She studied him, swallowing another wave of nausea. His chin was stubbled, face tanned.
He shifted. “To save time, can you tell me if anyone knows you’re here?”
“I probably talked to my office guy before I left.”For where?
“Probably?”
Her brain felt dazed, like a bird that hit the window glass midflight. “I don’t remember exactly.” It pained her to say so.
The crow’s feet deepened, bracketing his eyes, puckering the eyebrow scar. “Okay. Let’s backtrack. What do you remember? Your age? Address? Anything?”
Her chin went up. “Of course I know that. Kit Garrido, age thirty. I live in a trailer in Tulley Valley, where my trucking office is.” Instantly she regretted rattling off the information to a complete stranger. So much for playing it close to the vest. She really must have a concussion.
“What were you driving?”
“This.” She flapped a hand at her ruined vehicle, her life savings crumpled and wrecked. Tears blurred her vision. “A Freightliner Cascadia.” Her rig. Her everything.
The muscle in his jaw jumped. “I meant what cargo? Forwhom? Do you remember that part? Maybe they’ll alert someone when you don’t show up with the delivery.” Sweat trickled down his temple. Odd since she was so cold her toes had gone numb.
What was her cargo? And her destination? “I can’t recall at this moment.” And she wasn’t sure she should tell him anyway.
He peered around as if he could find someone else to answer his questions. “You’re sure you don’t have your phone on you? In a pocket or something?”
She gritted her teeth. “It was in the charger next to my seat.” At least, she figured it was since that was where she always kept it.
He was still scanning the horizon, lost in thought. His gaze wandered back over the contents of her cab, the wrecked steering wheel, the imploded glass. Eyes narrowing, he suddenly went still for a long moment before he let out a low whistle. “We’ve got more problems than a math textbook.”
She felt like laughing. “Besides the fact that I was in a crash and now we’re stranded somewhere in an evacuation area near a volcano that’s about to erupt?”
He scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Yeah, besides that.”
She tried for a calming breath, but it hurt coming in and going out. “Like what?”
He pointed. “Take a look for yourself.”
At first she could not understand the significance of the little round hole punched in the driver’s side window or the second one two inches below it. “Are those ...”
“Bullet holes. Yes, ma’am.”
She gaped. “Someone ... shot at me?”
“Appears that way. Could explain why you crashed.”
“Who would do that?”
“Great question. Carrying precious cargo?”
