Chapter 23 #2
The seat belt still hooked across her chest kept her from tumbling toward Ben. She tried the handle. The door didn’t budge. Frustrated tears filled her eyes. She slammed her shoulder against the hard barrier over and over.
“No,” she said under breath. “I can’t be stuck. I have to get out.”
Remembering her phone, she reached down to the footwell. Her fingers brushed against the hard pink case.
The door flung open, and bits of dirt and rock rained down on her. She covered her face with her arms.
“Are you okay?” a familiar voice asked.
Lowering her arms, she blinked against the grainy bits of mud in her eyes and spotted Ethan. Relief blossomed in her chest.
“Vanessa? Is that you? You need to get out of the truck, okay? Nice and slow.” Ethan extended a hand, like a lifeline.
Her phone rang at her feet. She made a move to grab it, and Ethan squeezed her hand.
“I already called for help,” he said. “And I don’t want to alarm you, but the truck isn’t in the safest position. Any sudden movements could end badly.”
She swallowed the terror inching up her body and fit her hand in his. “What about Ben?”
“Let’s get you out first then I’ll worry about him.”
She clung to the steady calmness of his voice as she unhooked her seat belt. Ethan cupped a palm under her elbow as he helped maneuver her from her seat. She climbed through the open door, and the truck teetered under her. Stopping, she held her breath until the movement stopped.
“Almost there,” Ethan said. “Just keep moving. Nice and steady.” He hooked an arm around her waist and kept her upright.
Her feet hit the ground, and she released a shuddering breath that had been trapped in her throat. Shock tightened her muscles. Thick mud covered the forest floor, the ground sloping down toward a jagged ravine. A towering pine tree blocked the back of the truck from plummeting over the edge.
“Oh my God, we have to get Ben out. He was knocked unconscious. We’ll have to drag him out before the tree falls over or the truck shifts.”
Ethan hauled a hand through his hair. “I’m not sure how to get to him. His door is blocked by the ground and hauling him out through the passenger door poses a lot of issues. Emergency responders should be here soon. They’ll know how to rescue him.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. Adrenaline shot through her veins and the urge to act had her ducking her head for a better view of Ben. “I can climb in and unbuckle him. If we both grab an arm, we can pull him out.”
The thick tree trunk groaned, and a branch snapped as if in protest to her plan.
“It’s too risky. I have some rope in my truck. I’d feel better if I go in after him. You can stand up at the road and flag down help. I told the responders our location, but it’s a real mess out there. I don’t want them to miss us.” He started jogging up the hill.
Indecision bounced inside her like a ping-pong ball.
They were far enough down the side of the mountain that it could be easy to overlook them.
And what Ethan said made sense. Ben was a big man, and it would be near impossible to drag his deadweight to safety.
If Ethan had a plan, far be it for her to argue.
Ethan stopped and turned to face her. “Come on. We can’t waste time. His life depends on it.”
The terrifying reminder snapped her into motion. She ignored all her aches and pains as she followed him up the incline. Mud swallowed her feet and tried to keep her stuck to the earth. Each step was harder than the last, the edge of the road farther than she’d expected.
Ethan reached the top and stared down at her. “Almost there. I’ll grab the rope.”
Gratitude washed over her like the drops of cool rain falling from the sky. She fought the fatigue dragging her down and pushed forward to the top of the hill. Muck coated the road, but it wasn’t as thick where she emerged.
“Are you okay?” Ethan asked.
“I will be once we get Ben out.” She glanced down the road. “How much longer before the rescue team arrives? I don’t even hear any sirens.”
“Should be any minute, as long as there weren’t other accidents and the roads are clear. Let’s grab that rope.”
She jogged to catch up to him, when the sight of his black truck stopped her in her tracks. A large dent folded in the passenger side and scratches ran from the headlight to the cab. Her heart caught in her throat. “What happened to your truck?”
“I ran into a little trouble as well. The same landslide caught me off guard, but I was able to get away from it before it took me out. Lucky for you, huh?”
“I’m surprised you were up here at all,” she said. “Not much around.”
He stopped beside the hood and shrugged. “Best hiking spots are up this mountain. You should wait in the truck, get out of this weather, while I get your friend.”
“Can I use your phone to call Dax? He’ll be worried and I want to let him know what happened.”
“Sure.” He grabbed his phone and held it forward.
Swallowing the fear climbing up her throat, she reached for it. Her finger curled around the phone just as he clamped his hand around her wrist.
“Get in the truck. Now.”
Instinct had her yanking away, but she couldn’t escape the hard grip on her arm. “Let me go. What are you doing?”
“No more games. I won’t tell you again. Get in the truck before you make me do something we’ll both regret.” Still clasping her wrist, he glanced down the edge of the mountain. “I’d hate to hurt your friend more than he already is.”
Terror drizzled through her system, drowning her from the inside out. Ben was already in a precarious situation. She couldn’t make it worse and had no idea what Ethan was capable of.
“Fine,” she said, lifting her chin. “I’ll go with you. Just leave Ben alone.”
“Good girl.” He pulled her toward the truck, waiting until she was in the passenger seat to lift the flap of his jacket to expose a gun. “Don’t do anything stupid. I’d hate to use this on your pretty face.”
Her brain went into overdrive as he rounded the hood, his eyes on her the whole time, and climbed in behind the wheel.
As he drove away, she glanced over her shoulder.
Headlights shone through the sheet of rain.
Hopefully whoever had stumbled upon this disaster could get Ben the help he needed before it was too late.
But now she had an even bigger problem—she had to escape Ethan before he finished what he’d started.