Page 166 of Christmas Kisses

“What’s that, Corona?” Wheatly asked.

“Nothing. Just redirect the troops and I’ll keep you posted as to where he’s heading.”

“Already done. I’m sending a separate team to the motel. We’ll let you know what we find.”

God, he thought desperately, please don’t let it be what he most feared. Don’t let it be Kara’s lifeless body.

The Ford turned off the well-traveled route and onto a side road. “Damn,” Jim said into the telephone. “He’s onto me. He’s turning left onto—” he scanned the roadside for a sign, spotted one half concealed by a tree limb “—Hawthorn Road. Sign’s barely visible.”

“Got it. I’ll advise dispatch. Better stay on the line.”

“Will do.”

He kept the line open but set the phone down, better to maneuver the car. Vinnie was driving wildly, fishtailing around corners and throwing up dust. The road wound and twisted. A tinny voice came from his phone and he picked it up again. “Sorry, I missed that. Say again.”

“Be advised, Corona, that road heads into rough country.”

“I can see that. Wait, he’s turning again. Hell, this time it’s a right onto a dirt road. No street sign.” He scanned the horizon for a landmark. “There’s a broken-down old barn a quarter mile from the turn.”

“Got it.”

Jim stayed on the car and when it turned again, he thought Vinnie might flip it right over, but he managed to hold it. Jim took the turn nearly as fast, the pickup rocking onto two wheels.

When he got it under control, he grabbed the phone again. “He turned again. Chief. This time it’s barely a dirt track.”

He listened for the chief’s reply, but there was nothing.

“Chief?” Jim pulled the phone away from his ear and examined its face. The wordsNo Signalglowed in green from the panel. Hell. He’d lost the signal. He had no way to direct the cavalry in. Looked as if he was going to have to do this himself.

He opened his glove compartment, took out his sidearm and knew without checking that it was loaded and ready.

* * *

Kara felt around inside the trunk, whenever her body stopped bouncing off the sides long enough, searching for a latch. Didn’t some cars have trunk-release buttons inside the trunks to prevent someone getting trapped?

Hell, if a guy like this had one on his car, he’d probably have had it removed.

The roads were getting bumpier, the turns sharper, and her body was being pummeled as if she was riding inside a paint shaker. The beating she took was nearly as bad as the one Vinnie had delivered. And she hurt so much she began to wonder if she was going to survive this.

She closed her eyes. “Tyler survived it. That’s what counts.” She consoled herself with the image of Tyler safe in his father’s arms. Tyler having a long and happy life.

They hit another bump and Angela’s body was jostled even closer against her. Kara pushed it away, wincing at how cool it felt now. It was unnatural. A reminder that she lay there beside death and might soon join Angela in its cold embrace.

The car skidded to a stop. The trunk popped open, clouds of dust rising around it.

Kara didn’t wait to see what would happen next. She sprang out of the trunk and hit the ground running despite that every part of her hurt with every footfall. Vinnie must have hit the trunk release from inside the car, she thought, her mind racing. She’d glimpsed him hurrying around the car when she’d landed, but she hadn’t looked back. She’d just run.

He was chasing her. She heard his pursuit without looking, felt him close to her and veered off the road into the woods. She couldn’t hope to outrun the man, as battered as she was. Her only chance was to lose him in the forest.

* * *

Jim’s truck skidded to a halt behind Vinnie’s car, which stood cockeyed on the dirt road, the driver’s door and the trunk standing open. He dived from his truck, gun in his hand, every instinct alert as he went to the car, circling it, peering inside. No one. Then he moved around behind it, wary that the open trunk could be hiding Vinnie. The bastard could be aiming a weapon at him even now. He took a quick peek around the open trunk, ducking back instantly.

But what he’d glimpsed in that darting glance made his blood run cold. There was a woman in the trunk lying very still.

No sign of Vinnie.

He moved around again, fully this time, praying he wasn’t about to find Kara’s broken body.

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