Read Online Fractured Memory by Jordyn Redwood - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jordyn Redwood
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the distance quickly.
“Eli, seriously, what’s going on?” Jace asked. “I’m about ready to fire you as chauffer and take over.”
Even though Eli shrugged, the tense lines of worry that creased his forehead spoke more than his demeanor. “Something must be wrong with the car. Next town we’ll pull over and get it checked out. Should have stuck with the old, faithful Ford Granada.”
“Why didn’t we take that car anyway?” Jace asked.
What unnerved Julia was Eli’s silence.
* * *
There was something wrong with the SUV, and Eli couldn’t make sense of it. He’d requested this vehicle because it was the newest, safest model on the lot, and now he wished he had old reliable back. Even before the car swerved over the median line and had the unexpected deceleration that almost caused Will to rear-end them—other things had happened he couldn’t quite explain.
The radio and windshield wipers popped on without explanation. At first, Eli chalked up these minor happenstances to not being familiar with the vehicle.
Now he worried that all these things grouped together meant something more nefarious. The closest town was still twenty miles, and if something was happening that meant trouble, he didn’t want the group stopping in the middle of this canyon on a two-lane road. Eli reached for his phone—just as he feared—no signal.
Ben’s voice came over his earpiece. “You guys all right up there?”
How could he convey his worry to Ben without cluing Julia in that something more than mechanical difficulties were happening to the car? It was almost as if...no, he couldn’t even voice the thought in his head. It was too crazy. “Car’s acting up. Probably should get it checked in the next town.”
“Should we pull over now? Is it safe to keep driving?” Ben asked.
Eli felt his heart climb into his throat. “Not safe to stop where we are. Nothing I can’t handle.”
“All right. Murphy out.”
The road wound tighter with each passing mile. On Eli’s right was nothing but dark, striated canyon rock and Julia’s worried eyes. This road was built by detonating explosives. On his left, the rushing water swollen by the spring runoff.
The car sped up, and Eli lifted his foot off the accelerator. Fifty-five miles per hour creeped to sixty. How was this possible when they were climbing uphill, his foot completely off the gas?
Pulling over at this point was not an option. There was little shoulder on either side of the road. Eli pressed his foot into the brake pedal.
Nothing happened.
Eli spoke into his wrist mic. “Ben, next safe place to pull over we need to switch vehicles. We’ll change to your car to continue to the safe house and leave Jace behind with this car.”
“Got it.”
“Why do I have to stay behind? There’s a rainstorm coming.”
What Eli was tempted to do was verbally rip Jace’s head off. The younger agent showed little respect for Eli’s command over the situation and almost seemed fine with them being in this precarious position. Protection took sacrifice, and Jace didn’t seem up to the task.
“Jace, as soon as we can call out of here, we’ll send someone for you. It’s not like I’m asking you to stand outside in the pouring rain or leaving you stranded without a car.”
The vehicle’s speed crept up to seventy miles per hour. A hairpin turn was coming up on the left. Eli continued to tap on the brakes, and the car refused to respond to any command he attempted to get it back under his control.
Do I throw the emergency brake? Will that immediately roll us over the guardrail and into the river?
He yanked the wheel hard left to make the turn. Both Julia and Jace were thrown into their doors.
“Eli...” Julia’s voice—not commanding in nature, but riddled with fear. It was his job to protect her, and so far in his care his record was abysmal.
“We’re all right. It’s going to be fine.”
Even his words couldn’t convince his heart to stop skipping
“Eli, seriously, what’s going on?” Jace asked. “I’m about ready to fire you as chauffer and take over.”
Even though Eli shrugged, the tense lines of worry that creased his forehead spoke more than his demeanor. “Something must be wrong with the car. Next town we’ll pull over and get it checked out. Should have stuck with the old, faithful Ford Granada.”
“Why didn’t we take that car anyway?” Jace asked.
What unnerved Julia was Eli’s silence.
* * *
There was something wrong with the SUV, and Eli couldn’t make sense of it. He’d requested this vehicle because it was the newest, safest model on the lot, and now he wished he had old reliable back. Even before the car swerved over the median line and had the unexpected deceleration that almost caused Will to rear-end them—other things had happened he couldn’t quite explain.
The radio and windshield wipers popped on without explanation. At first, Eli chalked up these minor happenstances to not being familiar with the vehicle.
Now he worried that all these things grouped together meant something more nefarious. The closest town was still twenty miles, and if something was happening that meant trouble, he didn’t want the group stopping in the middle of this canyon on a two-lane road. Eli reached for his phone—just as he feared—no signal.
Ben’s voice came over his earpiece. “You guys all right up there?”
How could he convey his worry to Ben without cluing Julia in that something more than mechanical difficulties were happening to the car? It was almost as if...no, he couldn’t even voice the thought in his head. It was too crazy. “Car’s acting up. Probably should get it checked in the next town.”
“Should we pull over now? Is it safe to keep driving?” Ben asked.
Eli felt his heart climb into his throat. “Not safe to stop where we are. Nothing I can’t handle.”
“All right. Murphy out.”
The road wound tighter with each passing mile. On Eli’s right was nothing but dark, striated canyon rock and Julia’s worried eyes. This road was built by detonating explosives. On his left, the rushing water swollen by the spring runoff.
The car sped up, and Eli lifted his foot off the accelerator. Fifty-five miles per hour creeped to sixty. How was this possible when they were climbing uphill, his foot completely off the gas?
Pulling over at this point was not an option. There was little shoulder on either side of the road. Eli pressed his foot into the brake pedal.
Nothing happened.
Eli spoke into his wrist mic. “Ben, next safe place to pull over we need to switch vehicles. We’ll change to your car to continue to the safe house and leave Jace behind with this car.”
“Got it.”
“Why do I have to stay behind? There’s a rainstorm coming.”
What Eli was tempted to do was verbally rip Jace’s head off. The younger agent showed little respect for Eli’s command over the situation and almost seemed fine with them being in this precarious position. Protection took sacrifice, and Jace didn’t seem up to the task.
“Jace, as soon as we can call out of here, we’ll send someone for you. It’s not like I’m asking you to stand outside in the pouring rain or leaving you stranded without a car.”
The vehicle’s speed crept up to seventy miles per hour. A hairpin turn was coming up on the left. Eli continued to tap on the brakes, and the car refused to respond to any command he attempted to get it back under his control.
Do I throw the emergency brake? Will that immediately roll us over the guardrail and into the river?
He yanked the wheel hard left to make the turn. Both Julia and Jace were thrown into their doors.
“Eli...” Julia’s voice—not commanding in nature, but riddled with fear. It was his job to protect her, and so far in his care his record was abysmal.
“We’re all right. It’s going to be fine.”
Even his words couldn’t convince his heart to stop skipping
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