Page 27 of Line of Resistance

Eloise wormed her way fully upright, fighting free from the layers of blanket and sleeping bag so she could swipe one hand across the condensation fogging the back window.

Sure enough, a blurry set of lights illuminated the night.

Eloise kicked the blankets and bag away, ready to get the heck out of there. At the last second, it dawned on her there was a slim possibility the person in the oncoming vehicle could be a serial killer, so she grabbed the folding knife from her bag, keeping it tucked in her palm as she reached for the back door. Right as she pulled the handle, a large, shadowy figure stepped into the road, blocking out some of the light.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She jumped out of the car, losing a little of her common sense as she lobbed what was left of her dinner at the mother flipping moose determined to ruin what was left of her evening. “Get out of the road you big—”

But it was too late. For the second time tonight, the giant moose managed to scare the shit out of an oncoming driver, sending them skidding to the side. Eloise yelped as the larger SUV slid across the snowy road, clearly out of control.

She tumbled back into the only protective space she had, pulling the door closed behind her just as the Jeep slid past her. She gripped the back of the front seats, heart in her throat as she watched it continue skidding down the road. Maybe it would stay on the road. Maybe it would get traction. Maybe—

The Jeep reached the sloping shoulder and continued moving over the incline, practically rocking onto its side before finally coming to a stop. The wheels were still spinning but it was clear there was no way it would be able to get her, or whoever was inside it, out of here.

Hopefully her fears about the other driver being a serial killer were unfounded because it looked like they were now stuck together.

Eloise shoved the door back open, pushing her way out into snow that now nearly reached her kneecaps, spilling over the top ledge of her boots and sinking into the thick weave of her tights. The new arrival had certainly had a rougher landing than she did, so there was a chance whoever was inside could be injured and in need of help.

She was about to close the door when the driver’s side of the Jeep popped up, flinging a few inches open before slamming back down. Since the vehicle was on its side, whoever was coming out had to physically lift the weight of the door, making escape less than ideal. A second later it shoved up again, this time staying propped up a few inches.

“Hang on. I’ll come help you.” Eloise called out to the person inside. It would be way easier for them to get out if she was able to help hold the weight of the door, but she only made it a step before an answer came back.

“Eloise, get your ass back in the car.”

Her racing heart skidded to a stop.

No. It couldn’t be.

She watched in horror as the door lurched higher, wedged ajar by a broad palm connected to a long, well-muscled arm.

She held out hope a second longer, unable to peel her eyes from the man hauling himself free. Maybe it was someone else who knew her. Maybe the voice was just distorted because her ears were so cold.

But then Nate’s head popped out, expression twisted into a scowl as he glared her way. “I said, get back inside.”

“I was coming to help you, jerk face. There’s no way you’re going to—”

“Eloise.” Nate’s tone had a hard edge. “I’m not being an ass. I need you to get back in your car and close the door. Now.” His eyes flicked over her shoulder as he suddenly lunged, practically leaping free of the sideways vehicle.

A loud crunch behind her sent a chill racing down her spine.

She forgot about the moose.

Most people didn’t realize how dangerous the animals were. They were unpredictable and easily provoked. Capable of killing just about anything they crossed paths with.

And right now one was crossing paths with her.

Her whole body started to shake as adrenaline dumped into her veins, making the next few seconds feel like forever. Time seemed to slow down even more as the steady crunch of steps sped up, getting louder and closer with each beat of her heart. She fell onto the collapsed seat, yanking the door closed just as the animal made contact, ramming the side of her crossover with enough force to rock it in place.

Eloise scrambled across the SUV, putting herself as far from where the moose was gearing up to hit again as possible. The second ram was even harder than the first and for a minute she was worried her vehicle would suffer the same fate as Nate’s. That it would roll even farther down the steep incline and she would end up dead in spite of everything.

You couldn’t prepare your way out of being turned into a human pinball machine.

She braced, grabbing her bag full of food and water, holding it tight as she waited for the next impact. But before the moose could cause any more damage, a series of sharp whistling sounds cut through the air outside the window. Eloise watched through the foggy glass as the large animal stumbled, wavering on its feet for a second before dropping to the snow.

She slowly crept across the folded down seats to get a closer look. Had it given itself some sort of concussion? Maybe damaged its spinal cord using its head like a battering ram?

Eloise used the sleeve of her coat to rub away some of the fog clouding her view. The animal lay completely still in the middle of the road, body completely unmoving as the snow beside its neck took on a dark shadowy tone.

What in the world—

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