Page 35 of Unexpected Danger
The vehicle was now just a few feet behind her, its bright and higher lights further indicative of a truck. “Pass me,” she said aloud.
But the truck remained on her tail.
Please, Lord, don’t let there be any deer on the road today.But even as she said it, Londyn knew this was a common area for herds of both deer and antelope to congregate. Didn’t help that ample vegetation provided ample food for them, especially in the spring when they traveled from the mountains to the valley below.
A nudge on the cargo trailer bumper thrust her forward, and her head hit the seat. She struggled to maintain control of the SUV. Was the driver texting or otherwise being inattentive? Or was it the wind? There was no way to know for sure with the poor visibility.
Another nudge. Was it intentional? Her speedometer showed forty mph, far from being considered too slow for the forty-five mph limit.
Thank goodness it hadn’t happened on the freeway with faster speeds.
When the truck began to pass her, she released the breath she’d been holding. “Good, get ahead of me.”
But the driver didn’t pull in front of her. He instead stayed beside her.
A car coming from the opposite direction flashed its lights, and the truck again pulled in behind her. It was then she noticed something disturbing.
It was Dustin.
Or maybe it just looked like Dustin’s truck. Dizziness clouded her mind. If it was him…Lord, please let it be anyone else. Just not him.
If it was him—why would he do this?
Surely not deliberate. Surely.
The truck pulled beside her again. The hail increased to the size of a quarter, the thump-thumping on the roof likely causing dents.
Londyn hazarded a glance out her side window. Raindrops and her rapid breathing obstructed her vision.
She cranked up the defroster and tore her eyes away from him and back to the road just as he sideswiped her SUV. The trailer swung to the side, causing her to nearly lose control.
He repeated the hit, and Londyn veered off onto the shoulder before reacting with an overcorrection that slammed her back into Dustin’s truck. She slowed the SUV, hoping he’d get far enough ahead of her.
But he decelerated as well. The front end of his truck swerved into her front fender so hard that it shook her car. She lost control and drove off the road and into the borrow pit.
Everything went black.
Chapter 10
Brodie turned onto the shortcut on Highway Three on his way to the ranch for an early dinner. After a hectic day, it would be good to connect with his family and eat a delicious meal. Just when he thought the day’s craziness was over, a call came in over his radio.
“Accident on Highway Three, milepost nineteen.”
Brodie’s windshield wipers failed to keep up with the heavy rain that alternated with bouts of hail, but he knew from driving this stretch so many times that he was near that milepost. He reached for the radio. “Brodie here. I’m in the vicinity and can take it.”
“Thank you, Sheriff. An ambulance and fire truck are on the way.”
Brodie continued down the highway, the lights of an occasional oncoming vehicle making it even harder to see on the rainy afternoon.
A truck had pulled over with lights flashing. Brodie did the same, ensuring he was far enough over to avoid causing a trafficobstruction. He backed up and reparked so his truck’s bright lights were angled perfectly on the vehicle in the borrow pit. From what he could see, it was an SUV pulling a small cargo trailer. He put the hood of his coat on his head, grabbed a flashlight from the glove compartment, and exited the truck.
The rain pummeled him the second he left the shelter of the truck.
“Can’t tell if the driver is okay or not,” said an older man who emerged from the other truck and shuffled Brodie’s way.
“Are you the one who called it in?”
“Yes, sir. Was driving along and thought I saw something in the borrow pit. Turns out I was right. I’ve been up here praying for the driver.”
