by Jennie Marts
“Oh my Lord. That’s the name of the retired police officer that’s been nosing around the station this week.” Edna was already grabbing her purse and moving toward the front door. “We need to go. He called here a little while ago and said he had information on Warren Farris’ murder. He wanted me to meet him up at the Waffle Inn up on Highway 36. When you called, I said I would stay here, but John and Zoey are already headed up to meet him.”
“That waffle place closed last winter. It’s nothing but a deserted building now.”
Mac and Edna raced for the patrol car. Mac threw the car in gear and sped toward the highway. “Tell me everything you know.”
“I just did. I knew something fishy was going on. That this guy was trying to lure us out. But I never imagined it would be Weasel’s son. He must be the one who’s been threatening John. I wonder if he’s even a real police officer.”
“Royce said he was legit.”
“Donna’s dad was the chief of police. It would make sense that her son would follow in his footsteps and join the force. He would have access to all of the evidence and be able to use his resources to track John. If he thought John was responsible for his dad’s death, he could’ve been hunting him for years.”
“Most likely his whole adult life.” Mac weaved his way through the cars on the street then turned to head up the highway. The steep road twisted and curved up the mountain and he had to slow a little to make the sharp curves.
“I’m going to try to call Zoey and warn her.” Edna dug in her purse for her phone. She touched the keypad and put the phone on speaker, trying to stay calm as she waited for Zoey to answer.
The ring seemed deafeningly loud in the car, and Edna cried with relief when Zoey answered the phone with her normal “Hi, Gram” greeting.
“Zoey, I’m so glad that you answered. Are you all right? Is John?”
“Of course. We’re actually headed back down the mountain already. We just passed that one house, the one with the big purple barn. This whole thing was a wild goose chase. That Waffle Inn was closed down. The place was deserted and empty. We got out and walked around for a few minutes, but the guy never even showed up.”
“That guy was Weasel’s son. I’m with Mac; we’re headed up the pass to check on you. We think he’s the one who’s been responsible for these threats.”
“The guy who was murdered? It’s his son?”
“Yes, and we think he may have been searching for John this whole time.”
Zoey’s voice took on a note of alarm, and Edna could hear her speaking to someone else. “John, what’s wrong? Keep trying them. Gram, there’s something wrong with the car. We’re coming down the mountain, and the brakes aren’t working.”
Mac accelerated the car, hugging the curves of the mountain road. He yelled into the phone. “I know where you are. We’re only minutes away. Try to find someplace to turn off. And have him try the emergency brake.”
“There are no turns. There’s only the guardrail and the drop-off. John, he says to try the emergency brake.”
“Hold on, Zoey. We’re almost to you.” Edna scanned the highway ahead of them, looking for the blue sedan.
Edna’s heart stopped as she heard her granddaughter’s voice cry out in alarm. “Watch out! We’re gonna hit it!”
Then the line went dead.
Chapter Twenty
“Hold on, Zoey! I’m going to try the emergency brake.” John’s heart was racing, and his palms were damp as he clutched the steering wheel.
The car had been steadily gaining speed as they wound their way down the steep mountain road. He scanned the highway for any place to turn off or anything that would slow the car down, but this section of road only had steep drop-offs on either side.
Zoey clung to her seatbelt. “Do it! We have to try something.”
John eyed the road and saw no other cars near them. He pulled on the emergency brake lever. At first nothing happened, then the brake caught and the car went into a spin. Bile rose in his throat as the car completed a full 180-degree turn.
He stamped on the brakes, his brain telling him it would do no good, but his body reacted in panic. Stay calm, John! Think.
The car completed the spin, now facing up the mountain as it crashed into the guard rail. The force of the impact had the driver’s side of the car crumpling into the railing as the tires of the other side lifted off the ground.
The screech of metal on metal was deafening, and John heard Zoey scream as the car rolled over the rail.
He reached out, automatically holding his arm in front of her. His efforts were useless against the force of the crash. Mindless of himself, his only thoughts focused on protecting his granddaughter.
Something on the car caught on the railing, and it stopped before it plunged completely over the side. The car hung upside down. It clung to the railing, teetering precariously.
A hush filled the air after the deafening noise of screeching metal. The only sound in the car was their labored breathing as they clung to the safety of their seatbelts. Zoey hung completely upside down and John was scrunched against the door, his leg bent at an unnatural angle.
Zoey turned her face slightly, her eyes wide in terror. The slightest movement on her part could counterbalance the weight of the car and send them plunging over the edge. “John,” she gasped. “Are you okay?”
He looked at her, this beautiful young woman. His granddaughter. A purple knot was forming on the side of her forehead. He could see blood oozing from a long scrape on her forearm, the red color bright against her pale skin. That blood was his. She was his family, and his blood was trickling from her body.
In this moment, he didn’t care about himself. He had lived a good life but she still had hers ahead of her. He would gladly sacrifice his body to save her. “Hold on, honey. I’m gonna get you out of here.”
His head throbbed. The effort of forming words contributing to the pain. A warm flow of blood crossed his forehead and he lifted his hand to swipe at the liquid before it dripped into his eye. The small movement sent waves of pain through his body. It didn’t matter. The only thing he cared about was getting Zoey safely out of this car. “We’re okay for the moment. Try not to move. I can see you hit your head. Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“I don’t think so. But I’m pretty sure that your leg is broken. At least I’ve never seen it bent that direction before.”
John laughed. A small, dry huff of sound. This girl had inherited her grandmother’s sense of humor. And her beauty. His heart filled with the love he felt after spending only a few days with her. She was bright, and funny, and shy. And beautiful.
He would not let her die in this car. “Zoey, listen to me. In a minute, we’re going to release your seatbelt and you’re going to have to aim your fall towards me. We have to get the majority of the weight on this side of the vehicle so it doesn’t topple over the other side.”
His body was pressed against the driver’s-side door, and he moved his hand gently to the door rest. He felt for the buttons and pushed the one on the left. The glass of the door glided down with a soft hum, and John had to shift slightly to keep his head from falling out the window.
A screech of metal sounded as the car shifted slightly. John froze. The warm summer air filled the car, drying the perspiration on his forehead. “Zoey, this has to be fast. When your seatbelt releases, you need to thrust your body this direction. I want you to crawl across me and out this window.”
Zoey’s eyes filled with fear. “I’m not crawling across you to escape. Let’s just wait. Gram knows we’re here. I’m sure Mac has already radioed for help. They’ll be here any minute, and we’ll both get out.”
John steadied his breathing and lowered his voice, taking on an air of authority. “Zoey, we don’t have time to wait. Any sudden movement could cause this car to go over. My leg is broken. I am not crawling out of this window. And I refuse to let you die.”
He slowly reached his hand forward to rest on the
seatbelt fastener. “I’m going to count to three, then I’m pushing this button. You move fast. I will help as much as I can. Now, do as I say.”
Zoey nodded. A small slight bob of her head. Tears streamed from her eyes and her teeth began to chatter.
She was going into shock. He needed to hurry. “One, two, three!” He hit the button, and her body collapsed against his.
The car shifted, and she screamed in unison with the shriek of metal. Her legs churned as she crawled across him. Pain shot through his leg. Oblivious to his own torture, he used all of his strength to catapult her body across him and out the open window.
Zoey’s tennis shoe dug into his rib as she scrambled across his body. He propelled her legs forward and she pulled herself through the window. The car creaked and moaned as it tilted sideways with the weight shift.
Straining against the pain in his muscles, John gave a final push to her legs. He heard her cry out as she hit the pavement below.
With her weight lifted, the car shifted again and tipped further over the side of the cliff. Although bent at an awkward angle, John was still strapped in his seatbelt. Blurs of black haze clouded the edges of his vision as he fought to stay conscious. He heard Zoey at the window and felt her arms reaching in to pull at his seatbelt.
A loud shriek of metal was followed by a terror-filled scream from Zoey, then the car slid sideways. There were no extra pounds to counterbalance the weight. With a final tip, the vehicle fell forward, careening down the side of the mountain.
John slammed into the door with the motion of the vehicle. His body banged against the underside of the dashboard and sharp jolts of pain shot up his broken leg. He screamed in anguish.
The front windshield shattered and chunks of glass rained down on his mangled body. He felt a crash and a jerk against his shoulder. Then the black haze closed in, winning the war on his consciousness, and everything went black.
##
“Hurry, Mac. Please!” Edna frantically scanned the highway in front of them. The patrol car sped around the corner, then the road opened up, allowing them to see further up the mountain. “There they are!”
A blue Ford swerved down the road toward them. It was still too far away to see the occupants, but Edna knew it had to be John’s car. She watched in horror as the car went into a spin, then hit the guardrail and rolled over.
Mac accelerated and grabbed for the patrol car’s radio. “Dispatch, this is Officer McCarthy. Car accident has occurred five hundred yards west of mile marker 16 on Highway 36. Blue Ford Taurus just went over the guardrail. Two people inside the vehicle. Dispatch fire and ambulance immediately.”
A crackle of the radio preceded the dispatcher’s response. “Ten-four. Dispatching emergency team now. Rescue on the way.”
“And Rosie, you better send a wrecker. This looks bad.”
“You got it, Mac. And I’m including some prayers.”
Edna screamed as she saw the car wobble on the railing. It was upside down and seemed to be teetering on the edge of rolling over.
Seconds felt like hours as they drew closer to the accident. Her heart pounded against her chest as she fervently prayed for the safety of John and her granddaughter. “Mac, look. Zoey’s climbing out of the window.”
She watched Zoey scramble out of the window and fall to the blacktop.
Gravel flew as Mac veered on to the shoulder and skidded to a stop. Edna was out of the car and racing across the road before he had turned off the engine. A horn blared as a car swerved around Edna’s petite frame. Oblivious to the traffic, she shouted Zoey’s name.
Seeing a break in the cars, Mac sprinted across the highway. He saw Zoey get up and reach into the car window. The screech of metal tore through the air as the car tipped. Edna screamed, and Zoey fell backward as the car toppled over the side of the highway.
“Johnny!” Edna’s tortured cry rent the air as the car disappeared over the embankment. She reached her granddaughter and fell to her knees, weeping as she wrapped Zoey in her arms.
Mac raced to the side of the road and peered over the edge. “I can’t believe it.”
The car was wedged between the embankment and a tall pine tree. It was about twenty feet below the road and completely vertical. Branches of the tree stuck through the shattered windshield.
It looked as if the slightest breeze could dislodge the car and send it plummeting down the mountain. “John! Can you hear me?”
“I can see him,” Edna said. She was laying on the road, hanging over the edge, trying to see inside the vehicle. “He’s not moving, and his eyes are closed. Please Lord, let him just be unconscious.”
Edna scanned the side of the embankment, looking for a way to crawl down to get to the car. Not necessarily for her to crawl down, but for Mac. Oh, who was she kidding? If there was a way to save John, she would crawl through cut glass. “Can you get down to the car from over there?”
“No, the bank is too steep. I’m afraid if I start down it, I’ll just slide down the cliff.”
“There’s got to be something we can do,” Zoey cried. “He just saved my life. We’ve got to get him out of there.”
The sound of sirens echoed up the highway. Help was on the way. Edna leaned forward, just another inch, and called down to the car. “Johnny. Are you all right?”
John’s eyes fluttered open, and Edna cried out in relief. “He’s alive. His eyes are open.”
Mac called down to the car. “John, I need you to hold perfectly still. The vehicle you’re in is wedged between a tree and the embankment. Any sudden movement could dislodge the car. Blink if you can hear me and understand what I’m telling you.”
Edna watched, holding her breath, then saw John’s eyes close twice in rapid succession. “He blinked! He heard you, Mac.”
The noise of the sirens grew louder and an ambulance and a red fire engine rounded the curve. Zoey waved her arms, directing them to pull on to the shoulder of the highway near the ruined guardrail.
Two yellow-coated men jumped down from the truck and hurried toward Mac.
The ambulance had pulled in behind the fire truck, two EMTs inside. A young black paramedic got out and headed directly for Zoey. He flashed her a gorgeous grin. “Looks like you’re pretty lucky if you survived a car crash and are out walking around.” He gingerly lifted her blood-stained arm. “Why don’t you let me take a look at this cut?”
The ambulance driver, a heavy set woman in her late forties, got out and approached the edge of the highway. She peered over the side, keeping her body well back, as if she were afraid of heights. “How the hell did he get down there?”
“That doesn’t matter,” Mac said, his voice all authority. “What matters is how we’re going to get him out.” He pointed to the car. “I’ve been studying how the vehicle is wedged in there, and the slightest movement could knock the car loose. I’m not sure how badly he’s hurt, but we need to move quickly.”
“I’m sure his leg is broken,” Zoey said over her shoulder as the EMT led her to the back of the ambulance to treat her arm. “It’s bent at a funny angle. And he has a cut on his head that’s bleeding pretty badly. He’s still wearing his seatbelt.”
“Good. That may be what’s holding him in place and kept him still when he was unconscious.”
Edna was staring at the fire engine and the long white ladder affixed to its roof. Anyone who knew her would recognize the gleam in her eyes and know that she was formulating a plan. “Hey, Mac. I think I may have an idea.”
She called the firemen over and gave them a quick once-over. Both men were in excellent shape, their muscles evident through their open coats. One seemed quite young, in his early twenties, while the other appeared to be in his mid-thirties.
Edna pointed to the ladder on top of the truck. “I saw them do this on television once.”
“Ma’am, I appreciate your effort,” the thirty-something fireman began. “But we don’t have time for any hare-brained ideas you may have seen on TV. Half of that
stuff is staged anyway. We have a real rescue we need to take care of here.”
A flare of temper shot through Edna. Who was he calling hare-brained?
Mac held out an arm between Edna and the fireman. “Listen, I know Ms. Allen. Why don’t we at least listen to her idea?”
The fireman rolled his eyes. “Go ahead. You have thirty seconds.”
Breathe. This was for Johnny. She could knock this arrogant guy in the head with an oxygen tank later. “I think we could extend the ladder out over the ledge, and if you hooked into a harness, one of you could lower yourself down and pull John up through the window without dislodging the car.”
The younger firefighter looked from Edna to the ladder to the ledge, a thoughtful expression on his face. “You know, I think that just might work. I’ve done quite a bit of rock climbing and rappelling. I think I could drop down from the ladder and pull him up.” He winked at Edna and the fire of her temper diminished slightly. “Good idea.”
The older fireman grudgingly nodded. “It’s worth a shot.”
Within a few minutes, they had the truck turned around and the ladder extended across the wide expanse of open air. The top of the pine tree that the car was lodged against almost touched the edge of the ladder.
Mac, Zoey, and Edna stood on the edge of the road. Edna clutched her granddaughter’s hand as they prayed for John’s safe rescue.
A fresh white bandage was now wrapped around Zoey’s forearm. The knot on her head was purple and bruised, but the EMT said he didn’t think she had a concussion. She’d let him give her some aspirin for the pain then told him she needed to be with her grandma.
The younger fireman, who introduced himself as Guy, had stripped down to his jeans and a white undershirt. He’d buckled himself into an elaborate safety harness and was crawling across the ladder. He stopped when he was above the driver’s-side door.
With his blond hair and muscular physique, Edna couldn’t help but be reminded of Johnny in his youth. She realized she never knew him in any stage other than young or old. She never saw his middle years when his blonde hair became sprinkled with gray and fine lines appeared around his eyes and mouth.
