But, as I lay in the trunk of the stationary car, no cool air coming into it and the hot Florida sun hammering down on us, I started to feel like I was underwater again. This time with no way to break the surface to get air.
Marni had been dropped off where she said she’d put the ATV she’d used earlier. We’d driven for a while before the car had started making funny noises and jerking a while ago—without my watch, I wouldn’t be able to even give a guesstimate of the time frame—and the driver had pulled over to the side of the road, yelling the whole time.
I hadn’t heard him since, but I also hadn’t heard a bear, an escapee from Jurassic Park, or a Yeti crashing through the trees and his screams as they ate him whole, so who knew where he was.
“Ew,” I panted, feeling another drop of sweat slide down my temples into my hair. At this point, I had no doubt it looked like I’d just had a shower, which was a disgusting thought. However, it was better than remembering I had dirty car shit in it, too.
When I’d moved my left leg earlier, it’d stuck slightly to the carpet, making me gag, but my right leg hadn’t touched the area the left was in, so I kept it bent and ready to kick if the trunk was opened.
Hearing an engine pass me, I kicked frantically on the sides and roof of the trunk.
“Help me!” I screamed as loud as I could, then gasped in what felt like thick air. “Help!”
There was no sound of wheels on gravel. No engine idling near me. No footsteps on the dirt at the side of the road where I assumed we were.
All me screaming and kicking had achieved was me struggling to breathe even more, my foot hurting like I’d broken a toe, and more sweat pouring off my body.
And the more I struggled to breathe, the faster the panic attack hit me. Or at least I thought it was a panic attack. It could just have been oxygen deprivation finally kicking in.
Still, the next time I heard an engine, I did the same thing. This time, though, my screaming was weaker and almost inaudible inside the car, let alone outside.
That’s the way it went until I passed out.
Marcus
Pulling over to the side of the road, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. It’d been going off constantly since I’d started riding, but for the last two miles, it’d been a literal constant buzz against my ass.
Looking at the screen, I saw notifications for all of the text messages between my brothers and Remy, but I also saw nineteen missed calls from Jackson. I was just about to call him back when a message from Remy popped up, and the preview read:
Remy: On my way. Elijah, look out for the owner walking along the road and keep your eyes on the trees to see
My eyebrows had been pinched in a permanent frown since this had all started, but I swear I could feel them touching as I hit the chat to see what he was talking about. Jackson called again just as I touched it, so my finger answered it without even meaning to.
“I need you to do the location thing on my phone,” he shouted, sounding out of breath. “I don’t know where the fuck to describe where I am because it all looks the same.”
“What’s going on?”
“Found a car exactly like the one your neighbor saw earlier, but no one’s inside it. Just as I went to call the police and report it, a guy appeared and started running into the trees.” Each word was punctuated by a gasp of breath, like he was running as he spoke. “I’m going after him.”
Putting it on speakerphone, I went to the app that traced our locations for each other and saw he was only three minutes away from where I was.
“Did you check the trunk?” I clipped, pulling my AirPods out of my pocket and putting them in my ears so I could drive and talk. If my brain had been properly engaged when I’d left Mrs. V’s place earlier, I would have done the same thing, but it wasn’t, and I’d kick my own ass for that later.
“Fuck,” Jackson hissed. “No, I didn’t think to do that. Jesus Christ.”
Breaking the speed limit, I drove in the direction of his location. “I’m almost there. You got him?”
Whatever he was going to say was lost as the AirPods lost their charge, not surprising given that I was shit at remembering to do it. I’d only just gotten used to putting my damn watch onto charge at night, but one day I’d remember about the AirPods, and I reckon this would be the best reminder possible.