coffee shop, but I think they’re closed now.”
She squinted at the rain, now sluicing down her windshield. “Would you mind coming by my house?” She didn’t want to go in and out in this rain.
“Not at all.”
Lily turned the key in the ignition and nothing happened. Her heart sank. Her eyes darted outside to the empty parking lot. “Wait a minute.” She touched the tip of her tongue to her upper lip. She turned the key again. Nothing. Not even a click-click signaling a dead battery. “Oh, great.”
“What’s wrong?”
“My car’s dead.” She gritted her teeth and wrapped her hand around the door handle.
“Are you in Medlink’s back parking lot?”
“Yes.”
“Hold on. I’m on my way. I’m not far.”
“Thanks.” She pressed End, then tossed her phone on the seat, annoyed with the delay. Leaning back against the headrest, she traced the automaker’s insignia on the center of the steering wheel over and over again until she felt the imprint in the tips of her fingers. She wasn’t used to sitting around doing nothing. She scooped up her phone, tapped a few apps, but quickly got bored. How did people waste so much time on these stupid things?
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow, a hint of something moving in the rainy night. Her head snapped up, wondering if James had gotten there already. Blinking, she tried to clear her eyes. She spun around, checking her surroundings. No sign of headlights from another car. Her hand slid over the armrest of her door and she flicked the lock control. Nothing happened. Panic sliced through her.
Right—no power.
She reached across and slammed down her lock and double-checked the other three locks, like a crazy woman in a horror movie. The steady beat of the rain plus the shaky sound of her breathing spooked her even more.
You’re imagining things.
She wrapped her fingers around the cell phone, her connection to help. She could have Medlink security out here in five seconds. With that thought, she slumped back in her seat and tried to relax. A second later, a loud crash sounded from behind her. She bolted upright and shifted in her seat. Her rear window was shattered. Instinctively, her hand went to the door handle. Her escape. She froze. No.
Someone was out there.
With trembling fingers she scrolled through her contact list, searching for Medlink security. Blinding headlights swept across her face. Tenting her hand over her eyes, she squinted. Her hammering heartbeat drowned out the sound of the driving rain. A blurry image moved outside her window. Someone was getting out of the vehicle. Lily stuffed her hand in her purse and found the leather case for her Mace. During her college days, she used to walk with it in her hand for safety on campus. She had thrown it in her bag after this weekend. Wrapping her fingers tightly around the cool leather, she realized now was not the time to wonder if it still had any efficacy.
The figure pounded on her door. She swallowed a yelp. James’s face poked out from under the hood of a rain slicker. A relieved breath came out in a whoosh. She fumbled for the lock, then found the handle and pushed open the door.
“Do you have an umbrella?” he yelled over a rumble of thunder.
She stepped out of the car and into the soaking rain. “Did you see anyone out there? Someone just broke my back window.” Her words tumbled out. She squinted toward the line of trees but couldn’t see anything beyond the artificial light cast by the lamppost some fifty feet away.
“You’re getting soaked.” He nudged her by the elbow toward her open car door. “Get back in the car. Let me check it out.”
“No.” She shook her head for emphasis. “I’m coming with you.” Rain dripped from her nose.
“You’re staying here, where I know you’re safe.” A gust of wind pushed back his hood. He didn’t seem to notice.
“Fine.” Her fear had morphed into anger. She climbed back into the car, not bothering to shut
She squinted at the rain, now sluicing down her windshield. “Would you mind coming by my house?” She didn’t want to go in and out in this rain.
“Not at all.”
Lily turned the key in the ignition and nothing happened. Her heart sank. Her eyes darted outside to the empty parking lot. “Wait a minute.” She touched the tip of her tongue to her upper lip. She turned the key again. Nothing. Not even a click-click signaling a dead battery. “Oh, great.”
“What’s wrong?”
“My car’s dead.” She gritted her teeth and wrapped her hand around the door handle.
“Are you in Medlink’s back parking lot?”
“Yes.”
“Hold on. I’m on my way. I’m not far.”
“Thanks.” She pressed End, then tossed her phone on the seat, annoyed with the delay. Leaning back against the headrest, she traced the automaker’s insignia on the center of the steering wheel over and over again until she felt the imprint in the tips of her fingers. She wasn’t used to sitting around doing nothing. She scooped up her phone, tapped a few apps, but quickly got bored. How did people waste so much time on these stupid things?
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow, a hint of something moving in the rainy night. Her head snapped up, wondering if James had gotten there already. Blinking, she tried to clear her eyes. She spun around, checking her surroundings. No sign of headlights from another car. Her hand slid over the armrest of her door and she flicked the lock control. Nothing happened. Panic sliced through her.
Right—no power.
She reached across and slammed down her lock and double-checked the other three locks, like a crazy woman in a horror movie. The steady beat of the rain plus the shaky sound of her breathing spooked her even more.
You’re imagining things.
She wrapped her fingers around the cell phone, her connection to help. She could have Medlink security out here in five seconds. With that thought, she slumped back in her seat and tried to relax. A second later, a loud crash sounded from behind her. She bolted upright and shifted in her seat. Her rear window was shattered. Instinctively, her hand went to the door handle. Her escape. She froze. No.
Someone was out there.
With trembling fingers she scrolled through her contact list, searching for Medlink security. Blinding headlights swept across her face. Tenting her hand over her eyes, she squinted. Her hammering heartbeat drowned out the sound of the driving rain. A blurry image moved outside her window. Someone was getting out of the vehicle. Lily stuffed her hand in her purse and found the leather case for her Mace. During her college days, she used to walk with it in her hand for safety on campus. She had thrown it in her bag after this weekend. Wrapping her fingers tightly around the cool leather, she realized now was not the time to wonder if it still had any efficacy.
The figure pounded on her door. She swallowed a yelp. James’s face poked out from under the hood of a rain slicker. A relieved breath came out in a whoosh. She fumbled for the lock, then found the handle and pushed open the door.
“Do you have an umbrella?” he yelled over a rumble of thunder.
She stepped out of the car and into the soaking rain. “Did you see anyone out there? Someone just broke my back window.” Her words tumbled out. She squinted toward the line of trees but couldn’t see anything beyond the artificial light cast by the lamppost some fifty feet away.
“You’re getting soaked.” He nudged her by the elbow toward her open car door. “Get back in the car. Let me check it out.”
“No.” She shook her head for emphasis. “I’m coming with you.” Rain dripped from her nose.
“You’re staying here, where I know you’re safe.” A gust of wind pushed back his hood. He didn’t seem to notice.
“Fine.” Her fear had morphed into anger. She climbed back into the car, not bothering to shut
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