If I Should Die_ A Novel of Suspense - Allison Brennan [160]
Steve said, “Get on the back. You have ten seconds or I’m leaving without you.”
Lucy had no choice—Steve was distraught and determined. She jumped on the seat behind him. He started off so fast she nearly fell off, so she grabbed him around the waist, holding tight. He drove the snowmobile much faster than she did, but he had more experience and knew where he was going.
He swerved, then sped up, driving far faster than could possibly be safe. Lucy closed her eyes and held on tight, fearing that this was it. Steve would crash into a tree and she’d be dead.
When he slowed about five minutes later, Lucy opened her eyes and saw they were approaching a road. To her left she saw Patrick’s truck coming down the mountain. Patrick was right behind it on the snowmobile.
At their trajectory, they’d hit the truck when they reached the road.
“Jump!” Steve shouted.
Lucy feared she knew exactly what Steve was planning.
“No, Steve!”
“Jump, dammit, I’m going to stop her.”
“Don’t—”
“Do it!” He slowed a fraction, grabbed her wrist that was still tight around him, and twisted it until she cried out and let go. She fell off the back and hit the snow, stunned. But nothing felt broken.
She watched in stark terror as Steve sped up and made a beeline for the road. This was suicide! She couldn’t stop him. She scrambled up, but the snow was so deep she sunk in past her knees.
Steve timed the collision perfectly, jumping off the snowmobile at the last minute. Grace swerved to avoid crashing but fishtailed and slid on the icy road, losing control. The truck slid past the snowmobile and into the embankment.
Lucy reached the road as Steve opened the passenger door, because the driver’s side was pressed firmly against the mountainside. He grabbed Grace and pulled her from the seat. Patrick stopped behind the truck and shouted, “Let her go! Steve, the police are coming. Let her go.”
“You killed my dad!” Steve screamed and slammed Grace against the hood of the truck. “Why?”
Grace didn’t answer. Instead, she kicked Steve in the knee. He lost his footing on the icy ground and let go of her. She took two steps away and pulled a gun from her pocket. She pointed it at Steve and shouted at Patrick, “Step away from the snowmobile. I’m taking it.”
Patrick slowly moved away. “The police are on their way. You’re not getting off the mountain.”
“Move faster!” she ordered.
“We know your aliases.”
“I doubt you know all of them,” Grace snapped back.
“Why did you stay so long?” Lucy asked. “Why didn’t you just take the money and run? Why’d you have to kill Leo?”
She laughed. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She jumped onto the snowmobile.
Grace started down the road. Lucy couldn’t let her get away.
As soon as Grace passed her, Lucy retrieved Patrick’s gun from the holster and, just like Jack had trained her, took aim and fired. Three bullets right in the back of the snowmobile. She didn’t know where it was most vulnerable, and she didn’t want to shoot Grace, but she hit the engine. It began to smoke, and the snowmobile wobbled. Grace’s pant leg caught fire and she swerved and jumped off, rolling in the snow.
Patrick was fast and jumped on Grace before she had a chance to retrieve her gun. Lucy held the gun on her while Patrick disarmed her and turned her facedown into the snow. Grace cried out in pain, but Patrick didn’t take her bait.
Lucy told Steve, “Patrick has handcuffs in his glove box.”
He didn’t move. “Give me the gun, Lucy.”
“No.”
He moved toward her and Lucy turned the gun on him. “Steve, I don’t want to shoot you.”
“Just give me the gun. I need to do this.”
He was wild-eyed with grief.
“No.”
Steve stepped forward and Patrick shouted, “Stop!” He had Grace’s gun aimed at Steve. “We have her, Steve. She’s going to prison for the rest of her life.”
Tears spilled from his red eyes. Steve sunk to his knees, releasing