Page 18 of Lethal Game

"Thank you, Jason. Is it okay if I call you that?"

He probably should have told her to call him Agent Colter to keep some barrier between them, but he couldn't bring himself to do that. "It's fine. Let's do this."

He slid behind the wheel as she moved around the car and got into the passenger seat. Before starting the car, he sent Savannah a quick text of explanation and told her to start without him if the attorney got there before he returned.

Alisa fastened her seat belt, and he pulled out of the parking spot. Her Toyota was at least ten years old and not a car someone would steal if they had other options. Since she'd been the only one in the garage at the time of the carjacking, he had to assume she had been the target and not the car.

He drove up the ramp to the main level and then exited the garage. The medical center and several adjacent buildings were on the top of a hill next to the 405 Freeway, and the only way in and out of the area was a two-lane road that wound down the hillside for about two miles before reaching a busy intersection where the Wexford University campus was located. From there, one could head in a variety of directions: Westwood, Santa Monica, or Culver City.

He'd lived in Los Angeles for four years now, but he still wasn't used to the urban sprawl and the variety of cities and neighborhoods that ran into each other.

Alisa cracked her window, taking several deep breaths. She was clearly happy to be out of the parking garage.

As he started down the hill, he tapped the brakes, but they didn't immediately respond. He tried again, pressing the pedal to the floor.Nothing!

His heart sped up as his brain computed the problem.

"You're going too fast," Alisa said, giving him a frightened look. "Please, slow down, Jason."

"I can't." His voice tightened as he pressed the brake pedal again. Nothing. His pulse spiked. "The brakes aren’t working." He downshifted, his hands gripping the wheel tighter, but the car surged forward.

"Oh, my God!" Alisa gasped, her eyes wide with fear. "Jason, we’re not going to stop, are we?"

He didn't have time to answer her. He couldn't deal with her fear and the problem at hand. In about five minutes, this road was going to take them straight into an intersection filled with cars and people. He had to make a move before then, but there was nothing on either side of the road but rocky hillsides filled with trees and brush. He was going to have to find something to soften their landing.

"Hang on," he told her.

"I can't die in this car, Jason. I have to be there for my mom."

"We're not going to die," he vowed. But he had no idea how he was going to keep that promise.

As they flew down the steep road, Jason searched for a place to turn off, something that might provide a slowdown but not kill them. There weren't any good choices and as their speed increased, he no longer worried about the intersection down below because he wasn't sure they could make the next turn. They'd only passed one car coming up, but that could change at any moment.

This was his opportunity. It wasn't good, but he had run out of options.

He swung the wheel to the left, crossing the lane next to him and flying through a wood barrier that barely slowed their speed. The car bounced off rocks and bushes, the windows shattering, dirt spattering the windows.

Alisa cried out in terror. But he couldn't look at her or comfort her. He was trying to steer the vehicle away from a patch of trees coming up, but his vision was almost gone.

A lot of things ran through his head, his thoughts going as fast as the car. But only one jumped out at him.He didn't want to die, either.

He clung to the wheel, trying to keep them upright. But his control was just an illusion, and suddenly they were both thrown forward, the airbags deploying as the car slammed into what felt like a brick wall but were probably the trees he'd been trying to avoid. The car screamed as loudly as Alisa as it crumpled and broke apart.

He hit the airbag hard, feeling the wheel behind it as his head crashed forward, and everything went black.

Alisa's heart was beating out of her chest, her screams finally ending as she realized that they'd come to a stop, and she was still alive. She was still breathing. She could hardly believe it.

She shoved at the airbag, her breath coming in sharp gasps as she struggled to sit up. Her seat was crushed forward, but when she wiggled her toes, relief coursed through her—she could still feel her legs.The pain was there, dull and throbbing, but not debilitating. She was alive.

As she turned her head toward the left, her heart jumped at the sight of Jason slumped over the wheel. There was blood dripping down his face, and his eyes were closed.

Oh, God!

"Jason," she said, her voice hoarse from the screaming.

He didn't move.

She shifted in her seat as best she could, putting her hand on his shoulder. She was afraid to shake him in case he had a neck or back injury. She moved a little closer and put her fingers on his neck, praying for a pulse.

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