He sighed, looking out his windshield.
The rain was coming down harder now, if that were possible.
In the last few hours, it had been torrential. It was almost impossible for his windshield wipers to keep up with the deluge.
He marveled at the way Petula seemed to be rock-steady, driving her van. She’d probably piloted it in much worse conditions, having delivered for UPS for so many years. She would have seen snow, ice, and all kinds of weather, but—Julian frowned—her route had been in town then, so he still worried about her.
They were currently in the back end of nowhere, traversing roads that even Julian didn’t know about. Which was saying a lot with him having grown up in the region. He eyed the ditch to the side of the road, which was now filled with rushing water, and hoped Petula wasn’t freaking out. They had yet to discuss how they’d move forward to try and mitigate her water fears, but Julian had tossed a few ideas around with his brothers, and they—with their wives—were coming up with a plan.
Mid-day came and went, with the skies unrelenting.
They eventually stopped at a small, mom and pop lunch joint, where they went in separately; Julian pulling the hood of his jacket low to obscure his face. They sat, two tables away from each other to eat, but as he kept watch, there didn’t seem to be anyone who was overly interested in either of them, for which he was equal parts thankful, and annoyingly frustrated.
Yeah. Frustrated.
Why wouldn’t the person stalking Petula show his face or make a move so they could take him out?
Stat and his crew had documented several sightings of the now infamous blue truck, and had even gotten a partial plate number. That, unfortunately hadn’t helped the police or Tex track it, because the majority of the numbers had been obscuredwith mud. And every time Mason or Kyle’s departments were called in for back-up, the vehicle had already disappeared.
Julian hadn’t had a single sighting today, which he put down to bad weather. Nobody wanted to be out in this unless they had to. Not even a stalker.
Lunch had been good, but getting back onto Petula’s route was a bummer.
The roads were awash with an inch of precipitation, and the long, dirt driveways Petula had to navigate were nothing more than slippery mud-pits. Every time the back end of Petula’s van slid out as Julian looked on from the main road, he held his breath.
Petula was a champ however. Always managing to correct for those skids.
Finally, with the light waning, they approached what Julian knew was Petula’s second-to-last stop.
He parked beside a full-to-the-brim reservoir he’d never seen before, and watched as Petula made her way up a driveway that was adjacent to the large body of water.
This time, thank god, the way in and out was paved, so he wasn’t afraid she’d slide off into the proximal drink.
As he watched Petula emerge from the porch of the house, get into her van, and put in in reverse, Julian let out about his fiftieth relieved breath of the day.
One more stop, and?—
A huge cracking noise up the hill to the right of the driveway caused him to glance curiously in that direction.
Every hair on his arms immediately stood at attention, and his body flooded with adrenaline.
Up the rise from where Petula was just now backing down the long egress, trees were falling like matchsticks.
As the annihilation moved closer, Julian scrambled up in his seat to see the cause, and when he did, every one of his muscles froze in horror.
Water, in great, unleashed torrents, was surging down the hill.
Headed right for Petula’s van.
CHAPTER 19
Uncaring about the weather,Julian wrenched open the door of his truck and sprinted toward the disaster he could see unfolding.
But….
Fuck.
No matter how fast he ran, he was going to be too late to do a damned thing to help Petula.
