Harper headed back the way she came. The two-lane roads were beginning to pond.
“Call Channy,” she said to her Bluetooth.
“Hey, where are you? I was writing you a note. I need to go into the restaurant. We have a chance to do a big wedding. It’ll makeSouthern Bride.” Harper could hear the excitement in her voice.
“I drove Opal home. I’m almost to the Crescent City Connection,” Harper said.
“Okay, I’ll see you tonight. With this crazy rain, I’m sure Moises will cover for me. I wanna hear about your night.”
“It was long,” Harper said.
“See you when I get home.” Chantal hung up.
The traffic was heavy from the rain. Her eyes did their best to stay fixed on the roadway in front of her. The Crescent City Connection, a cantilever bridge crossing the Mississippi River, was a split set of bridges. She was heading east leaving Avondale, staying on the main roadway since she no longer qualified for the HOV lane. Harper never noticed a car weaving in and out of traffic behind her.
Suddenly, she was hit from behind. There was no place for her to go. Then the car hit her again hard on the rear passenger tire, forcing her car airborne. Her car flew and lodged between the steel beams of the bridge, halfway down the span.
Glass imploded around her, and metal crunched as rain poured through the broken window. Harper choked on the airbag dust, and something was compressing her chest. It took her a few minutes to figure out what happened.
She tried to move, and the car shook. Fright wrapped around her. She crunched her brow, trying to think. She needed to call for help.
“Hello, Siri?” she called with no response. Her fingers felt blindly for her bag to no avail.Emergency button.She pushed the button on her steering wheel.
A disembodied voice said, “Chase Security Communications Number Four, what is your emergency?”
“I’m Harper Rousselle. I’ve had an accident. I think I’m on the Crescent City Connection Help me.” Her teeth began to chatter.
“We have your location. Help is on the way. I will stay on the line with you.”
* * *
He startledwhen he found Kyle crouched by his side. “Kip.”
“How long was I out?” Kip pushed up and wiped his eyes.
“It’s 1430. It’s probably nothing, but Chantal just called me. Harper never came home this morning. Last Tally spoke with her, she was on her way back from Avondale after taking a friend home. When Chantal got back from work, Harper wasn’t home. She waited to call, but now she’s panicked. Harper’s phone goes directly to voicemail.”
Kip smiled at “Tally,” Kyle’s affectionate nickname for Harper’s sister. “Maybe she got called in again.” A warning niggled in his chest. She would’ve called Chantal.
Elin opened the door. “Kip, I’ve got Communications 4 on line two. They want to know if you know a Harper Rousselle.”
Kip got up and grabbed the phone. “This is Kip Brennan; what do you have?” He hit speaker and walked around the desk to sit.
“Sir, she’s reporting an accident. We have the car on the Crescent City Connection,” the communications tech replied.
“Do you have her on the line?” Kip asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Put her through.” Kip chewed his lip.
“I’ll check fire-rescue,” Kyle said.
“Harper, I have Mr. Brennan on the line.”
“Hey, sweetheart.” He dug his toes into his shoes to stay calm.
“Kip,” she sniffled, “I’m so cold and tired. I can’t get out of the car. I’ve been here forever.”
