Her Blazer slid to the right again as she made it to the top, wincing as she scraped branches and trees, and she had to physically force her foot away from the brake. She used loose hands on the wheel to keep the teetering vehicle on the edge of control and was able to make the turn.
Angela brought it gently away from the steep side, proud of herself, and jumped when his thoughts came flying at her, "Gets bad from here. I'll tell you which way to aim for." She heard him clearly in her head, heard the worry but also the excitement, and was suddenly sure he would never let her go on alone. His sense of honor would be the excuse he gave himself, but it was really the connection between them, the old hunger and restless need. It would make him stand with her. Their lives, her life, had been in grave danger twice in the same eight hours, and the Brady she had known would never...
She stopped the old Angela, not ready for the pain that would come with completing the thought. That boy was likely gone. Better not to get her hopes up.
6
The twins had come up, then down, the steep miner's road much more slowly than Angela and Marc, their jeep barely able to make the muddy, hairpin turns. As they reached the summit of the last dark, treacherous hill, Dillan pointed at two sets of brake lights disappearing into the foggy valley below. They watched for a long moment, but saw nothing else.
"Still going west."
"Meeting someone?"
"Cesar, maybe, if she goes far enough. He's in that area by now."
"She wouldn't be able to handle all those men."
"Neither could we. Have to share."
"No."
"Exactly. We'll follow but hang back, let them think we died or gave up. Our chance will come."
Dean dug through his pack for two white capsules, glad to be traveling in the same vehicle together again. He'd missed his brother's heat. "Start out again at daylight?"
"Yeah. We know which direction she's headed. We'll camp high before dusk each night, and keep track by their lights. They'll relax, and we'll look for a shot at her alone, take her off guard."
"We'll need a stronger tranquilizer."
Dillan's dark face was full of bloodlust. "And, sharper knives. I want it to last."
7
Angela and Marc didn't stop until almost noon. They were both bleary-eyed and exhausted as they sat on opposite corners of their tailgates with the tuna sandwiches and coffee she had made.