Page 37 of Survive the Night

He doesn’t acknowledge it when Charlie makes another check of the speedometer and sees they haven’t slowed. He hasn’t shown any interest in her at all since the state trooper appeared behind them. Yet he’s watching her all the same. Charlie can feel it. A prickle of heat coming from the driver’s side as he navigates another curve. As they speed through the bend, the pine air freshener swings from the rearview mirror like a corpse on the gallows.

Charlie tightens her grip on the door handle, partly to steady herself as the Grand Am careens through another hairpin curve and partly in case she decides to risk it and jump anyway, even though that would be tantamount to suicide. The mountainside is so close to the car—a presence as unnerving as Josh and likely more dangerous. Chunks of stone litter the road’s narrow shoulder.The remains of boulders that have fallen from the hillside and crashed to earth.

That’s what her skull would look like if she jumped.

Broken bits of bone strewn among the rocks.

Within seconds, they’ve reached the bridge that spans the Delaware River, and leaping onto the side of the road isn’t even an option. There’s no side of the road to jump to. Just a thin strip of gravel-studded blacktop and concrete bridge railing. Beyond that, dozens of feet below, is dark water.

Jumping nowwouldbe suicide.

But there’s light ahead. A beacon Charlie had completely forgotten about until this moment.

A toll plaza.

Six lanes of booths blocking the entire westbound highway just on the other side of the bridge.

Josh will have no choice but to slow down.

And when he does, Charlie will make her move.

As the Grand Am continues across the bridge and the toll plaza lights get brighter, Charlie runs through the motions in her head. An action movie of her making.

Wait for Josh to slow the car.

Fling the door open before he brings it to a complete stop.

Then run.

Out of the car.

Into the next toll lane.

Then the next and the next and the next.

She’ll run screaming and not cease until another car stops for her or a tollbooth operator grabs her or she reaches some place that’s safe. There are other roads nearby. Ones with houses and businesses and onlookers who’ll hopefully come to her rescue.

The toll plaza is closer now, their lane crossed by one of those flimsy wooden gates that serve as symbols more than anythingelse. A car could smash right through it, something Charlie fears Josh might try to do. But then he taps the brakes and the speedometer plummets from sixty-five to forty-five to twenty-five.

Charlie squeezes the door handle.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting as the car slows to fifteen, ten, five.

Now, a voice in Charlie’s head shouts. It might be her mother’s voice. It might be Maddy’s. Most likely it’s a combination of the two, their message loud and clear.Run now.

Charlie’s body tightens. Getting ready. Preparing for the sprint.

Run!Maddy and her mother keep screaming in her skull.Now!

Another voice joins them.

Josh.

Speaking calmly from the driver’s seat.

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