bit, and then they were in a grassy meadow. Without the tree foliage to block the moonlight, they had better visibility.
They continued their hunched walk until they reached a chain linked fence.
“Is it electrified?” asked Sara.
Jaci grabbed a stick and threw it at the fence. It bounced off. “I don’t think so.”
“I’ll go through,” said Amanda. She reached out a finger and poked at the fence. When nothing happened, she put her hands on it and climbed up. She winced as she dropped to the other side. “I’m over.”
Jaci hurried after her, with Sara right behind. “Welcome to the road,” she said.
In front of them was a black top road. A few yards ahead, the road split into a fork, the left side curving around the hill they had just descended, and the right side leading away.
“Get across the street and into the grass on the right side of that fork as quickly as possible,” said Jaci. “Put distance between us and this mountain.”
“Let’s go,” Amanda said. “Speed walk pace.”
“The road should lead to a city. We find help and get home.” Invigorating energy pumped through Jaci’s limbs. We did it. We got away! “Walk in the tall grass. If you hear any cars, duck. And hope they don’t see us.”
Chapter 10
The early morning sunlight bathed the tall grass in an earthy orange glow. Jaci dragged her feet, eyes burning every time she blinked. She half slept as she stumbled through the grass.
Sara grabbed Jaci’s arm, digging in her fingernails. “Car,” she breathed.
The fog cleared from Jaci’s mind. “Hit the grass. Fast!”
In an instant, the three girls flew forward, falling flat on their bellies. The red sports car came to a sudden, sputtering stop next to them.
“We’ve been spotted,” said Amanda.
“Not yet.” Jaci tensed, peering through the thin reeds and pulling her elbows and knees up under her. “Get ready to run.”
The driver’s side door opened, and someone got out. Jaci watched in breathless anxiety as the person came around the front of the car.
“ Super, ” a woman said in angry exasperation. “ Au juste de ce que j’ai besoin. Un plat.”
It was just a girl, in her early twenties, with short blond hair cut in a bob. She spoke French in a lilting and pleasant voice and was dressed in a stylish, tight red top and black, stretchy capris.
She knelt down to examine her tire, then went to the back of the car and opened the trunk.
“Anyone speak French?” Jaci mouthed at her friends. She received helpless looks and head shakings in response.
“Juste ma chance—et naturellement Chris a mon téléphone portable.” She tugged on the spare tire, talking to herself.
“S’il juste—” she grunted as she succeeded in removing the spare— “achèterait une nouvelle batterie, il n’aurait pas besoin de mon telephone.”
She dropped the tire on the road. “Je ne sais pas changer un pneu.” She threw her arms up as she grumbled to herself, coming back around to stare at the tire.
Jaci might not understand the words, but she knew the meaning. On impulse, she stood up. “I can help you with that,” she said very slowly, pointing from herself to the tire and back again.
With a gasp and a shriek, the woman jumped back, her hand going to her throat. “What on earth—were you hiding there?” she asked in clear, accented English.
“Oh, you speak English.”
“Of course I do.” She sounded insulted. “I am educated. Did you sleep there? There are leaves in your hair.”
“Actually, there are three of us. And if you’ll give us a ride into town, I’ll change your tire for you.”
The woman stepped closer to Jaci, cocking her head. “Wait a minute.”
She peered behind Jaci at the other two still hiding in the bushes. “Something’s going on here. You’re in some sort of trouble, aren’t you?”
“No, no trouble,” Jaci said, shaking her head. “We haven’t done anything wrong.” That part was true, at least.
The woman
They continued their hunched walk until they reached a chain linked fence.
“Is it electrified?” asked Sara.
Jaci grabbed a stick and threw it at the fence. It bounced off. “I don’t think so.”
“I’ll go through,” said Amanda. She reached out a finger and poked at the fence. When nothing happened, she put her hands on it and climbed up. She winced as she dropped to the other side. “I’m over.”
Jaci hurried after her, with Sara right behind. “Welcome to the road,” she said.
In front of them was a black top road. A few yards ahead, the road split into a fork, the left side curving around the hill they had just descended, and the right side leading away.
“Get across the street and into the grass on the right side of that fork as quickly as possible,” said Jaci. “Put distance between us and this mountain.”
“Let’s go,” Amanda said. “Speed walk pace.”
“The road should lead to a city. We find help and get home.” Invigorating energy pumped through Jaci’s limbs. We did it. We got away! “Walk in the tall grass. If you hear any cars, duck. And hope they don’t see us.”
Chapter 10
The early morning sunlight bathed the tall grass in an earthy orange glow. Jaci dragged her feet, eyes burning every time she blinked. She half slept as she stumbled through the grass.
Sara grabbed Jaci’s arm, digging in her fingernails. “Car,” she breathed.
The fog cleared from Jaci’s mind. “Hit the grass. Fast!”
In an instant, the three girls flew forward, falling flat on their bellies. The red sports car came to a sudden, sputtering stop next to them.
“We’ve been spotted,” said Amanda.
“Not yet.” Jaci tensed, peering through the thin reeds and pulling her elbows and knees up under her. “Get ready to run.”
The driver’s side door opened, and someone got out. Jaci watched in breathless anxiety as the person came around the front of the car.
“ Super, ” a woman said in angry exasperation. “ Au juste de ce que j’ai besoin. Un plat.”
It was just a girl, in her early twenties, with short blond hair cut in a bob. She spoke French in a lilting and pleasant voice and was dressed in a stylish, tight red top and black, stretchy capris.
She knelt down to examine her tire, then went to the back of the car and opened the trunk.
“Anyone speak French?” Jaci mouthed at her friends. She received helpless looks and head shakings in response.
“Juste ma chance—et naturellement Chris a mon téléphone portable.” She tugged on the spare tire, talking to herself.
“S’il juste—” she grunted as she succeeded in removing the spare— “achèterait une nouvelle batterie, il n’aurait pas besoin de mon telephone.”
She dropped the tire on the road. “Je ne sais pas changer un pneu.” She threw her arms up as she grumbled to herself, coming back around to stare at the tire.
Jaci might not understand the words, but she knew the meaning. On impulse, she stood up. “I can help you with that,” she said very slowly, pointing from herself to the tire and back again.
With a gasp and a shriek, the woman jumped back, her hand going to her throat. “What on earth—were you hiding there?” she asked in clear, accented English.
“Oh, you speak English.”
“Of course I do.” She sounded insulted. “I am educated. Did you sleep there? There are leaves in your hair.”
“Actually, there are three of us. And if you’ll give us a ride into town, I’ll change your tire for you.”
The woman stepped closer to Jaci, cocking her head. “Wait a minute.”
She peered behind Jaci at the other two still hiding in the bushes. “Something’s going on here. You’re in some sort of trouble, aren’t you?”
“No, no trouble,” Jaci said, shaking her head. “We haven’t done anything wrong.” That part was true, at least.
The woman
Similar Books
