Libby nodded.
I started up the car again and drove back out onto the road. I believed there was a motel or something just a little way down the road, at least I’d seen something on the map about it, or it might have been a road sign at the last town. We just needed a place to rest and get cleaned up, maybe get some proper food in us. It would be better now.
My heart went out to all of the men and women who had lost their lives during this insipid power struggle. I was right when I told Libby it wasn’t her fault. I knew she would blame herself forever, but it wasn’t her fault at all. This was bound to happen eventually. This was just the small spark that had engulfed a room full of gas. It was really just a matter of time.
I could almost see the hotel up ahead when I heard the engine roaring behind me. There was no time to react.
Suddenly, we were hit from behind.
The car jerked towards the side of the road as I tried to hold onto the steering wheel, which turned and twisted in my hand, effectively burning my flesh in the process.
The car was spinning out of control. The right side wheels began to lift up off the road, and then slammed back down as we were hit once more, this time the entire car flipped around and I could see for the smallest second the other car that was ramming us intentionally before my SUV flipped over and rolled down the embankment several feet, coming to a stop as it collided with a tree at the bottom of the small hill.
And then all was silent. My head was ringing. I was wearing my seatbelt, but I had hit something. My head… oh, my eyes… fluid… was something in my eye. It was warm and sticky.
Blood…? Yeah… it had to be blood.
I tried to move, but every single bone and muscle in my body hurt. What was happening to me? Was this the end of the line? Was I about to die?
The car… the one that rammed us… it was coming back, wasn’t it? I knew it would. They weren’t done with us. Somehow they’d found us. We couldn’t escape, no matter how much we tried. We were done for.
We…?
Toby? Libby?
“Toby…” I groaned. “Libby…”
My voice sounded like echoes from far away. It didn’t even sound like my own voice making any sounds. My head was splitting open from it all.
“I’m here.”
Libby’s voice. She sounded strong. She was ok.
“Toby?”
“Daddy…”
Toby was behind me. He was still alive.
CHAPTER 30
Libby
I could hear Mason’s voice. He was calling for me. I wanted to answer him right away, but I felt like my throat had a fist clenched around it. My body was in shambles, but I didn’t think anything was broken—it just felt like it.
As I started to writhe out from underneath the seat belt, the sharp side of the belt began to dig into my neck. I groaned slightly, but I was trying to stay as quiet as possible. I had no idea who was close to me, just waiting to pick me off and end my life. I wanted to let Mason know I was ok, though.
I reached up and moved the belt away from my neck with one hand and with the other I found the latch and unbuckled it. Luckily, it came unfastened. I was free of the seatbelt. My body screamed in agony as I forced it to move. My already tender ankle was throbbing non-stop. I wondered if it was fully broken now.
Looking to my left I could see Toby. He was moving slightly, but he appeared very dazed. From what I could see I did not see any real, visible injuries on him, other than maybe some bruises and a few scrapes. He appeared to be ok.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I had to get to him.
I reached behind the seat, trying to move away from the belt and get to Toby. My legs were both throbbing up and down inside the bones, but I could move them so I didn’t figure the injuries were that serious. I was lucky. But I might have had a concussion. There was extreme pain in the back of my skull and I did feel a bit dizzy and nauseous.
I had to keep moving.
“Toby,” I whispered. “Are you ok?”
I heard Mason yelling for us again.
“I’m ok,” I said. “Toby is too.”
Mason groaned in relief. “Keep quiet!” I hissed at him.
I had no idea how hurt he was or what I could do for him. He may have been trapped. I had to get Toby out first. I knew Mason would want that, too. Toby was always the priority.
“Toby, are you ok?” I asked when I got to him.