Iris Johansen - Eight Days To Live

“How did you learn about the road?” Jane asked.

“I don’t like not to have options. It makes me nervous. I went to the government highway planning office and did some research when I moved into the cottage. It was built by the Swiss government along with several other roads during World War II and leads directly to the highway. Switzerland was neutral but evidently they don’t like not to have options either. They conveniently forgot to list the road when they put out the new maps the Germans requested. It stayed forgotten after the war.” She pointed to the right. “There. Quick. I think I hear their car.” Her lips tightened. “ My car. Bastards.”

Jane could hear it, too. Were they that close, or was the air so thin that sound traveled with extra clarity?

Then they were in the lay-by, pushing through the overgrown shrubbery. The BMW jounced wildly over the rocky ground, and branches hit the windshield.

“You’re sure we’re not heading for the cliff?” Jock said. “I can’t see a thing.”

“Cut the lights,” Lina said. “They’ll see us when they come around that curve.”

“Great.” Jock turned off the lights. “Now I’m sure that I won’t know when we reach the edge of the cliff.”

“I will. The road is gravel. As soon as you reach it and feel the crunch, turn left immediately and hug the left side of the road.”

Darkness.

They were surrounded by trees and brush and couldn’t see two feet in front of them.

Jane’s heart was beating hard, her chest was tight.

They had to be heading straight for the cliff. How did they even know that the road still existed? Maybe it had washed away or something.

Crunch.

“Turn left.” Lina said sharply. “Quick.”

Jock jerked the wheel. Gravel flew as the BMW moved onto the gravel road.

“Now slow,” Lina said. “Very slow. The cliff winds a bit here, and we’re right on the edge.”

A beam of light speared the darkness above them.

“They just turned the curve,” Caleb murmured. “At least I think they did. All I can see is that blur of a headlight through the trees.”

“Then they shouldn’t be able to see us at all.” Jane said. Lord, she wished they were off this road. It was like walking a tightrope blindfolded.

As long as she could hear the crunch of the gravel on all four tires, then they were safely on the road.

Just listen for the crunch of the gravel.

The lights above them had disappeared. They must have gone ahead. Perhaps it would be safe to go back on the main road.

“They could come back,” Caleb said as if reading her thoughts. “When they find out they’ve lost us, they’re going to wonder why.”

“Or they might decide that we made it through the pass to the highway,” Jock said. “But I’m going to give it five more minutes, then make an executive decision. I’m going to turn on the headlights. I don’t like this option you found for us, Lina.”

“It works,” Lina said curtly. “Don’t argue.”

“If I can keep this car from going over the cliff,” Jock murmured.

The BMW suddenly teetered uncertainly.

No crunch under the right-side tires.

Jock cursed and jerked the wheel to the left.

“I told you the cliff curved around,” Lina said.

Gravel under all four tires again.

Jane breathed a sigh of relief and tried to catch her breath. “Jock, that executive decision? Implement it now, please.”

“Right.” Jock flicked on the headlights. “I’ll keep them on dim.”

Even with the lights on, there was little to see but brush, tall grass, and trees encroaching on the narrow road. But at least they could see the direction of the gravel stretching ahead.

“How much farther, Lina?” Caleb asked.

“Fifteen minutes. We would have been at the highway by now if we’d kept on the main road.”

“Which means that Millet has already reached the highway,” Jane said. “The question is whether he’ll assume we’re still ahead of him or cruise back to see if we’re behind him?”

“We’ll see in fifteen minutes, won’t we?” Caleb said.

IN SIXTEEN MINUTES, THEY made the turn that left the edge of the cliff and wandered up through a forest of evergreens. Two minutes later they were gazing down at the traffic racing on the four-lane highway.

“Civilization,” Caleb murmured. “Or what passes for it.”

“There’s nothing civilized about Millet,” Jane said. “And we’ve got to hope that he’s ahead of us still in chase mode and not waiting for us somewhere along the highway.”

“We’ll play it safe and get off at the first exit that has a good-sized town,” Jock said. “Thanks to Weismann, Millet probably has a description of the car and license plates. We’ve got to get out of this BMW. Can you take care of that, Caleb?”

“Not right away. I’ll have to work on it.”

“I’m disappointed,” Jock said as he entered the highway. “I was expecting you to meet our every need.”

“I’ll work on it,” Caleb repeated. “First, let’s get off the highway and find a hotel where we can stay for an hour or so and assess the situation. That will give me a chance to see what I can do about transportation.”

“Studgard,” Lina said. “Two exits down. There are three hotels in the town.” It was the first time she had spoken in the last twenty minutes. “The Merrier is a lower-income motel and would probably be less public.”

“Thank you,” Jock said. “The Merrier. You haven’t steered us wrong yet.”

“I don’t want to help you. I have to do it,” Lina said coldly. “You’re the lesser of two evils right now. And if I decide that I’d do better without you, then I’ll walk away. I’m just a little confused right now, and I need time to clear my thinking.”

Of course, she’s confused, Jane thought sympathetically. She watched the life she had so painstakingly built from disaster destroyed in the space of less than an hour. “I tried to bring some of your personal things when we left the cottage, but I didn’t know what you’d want. I cleaned out your desk drawers and grabbed some clothes. I looked for your photo albums, but I couldn’t find them.”

Lina frowned. “Photo albums?”

“It’s what I’d want to take with me if I was ever forced to leave a place. Memories.”

“I have no photo albums.” Lina looked out the window at the stream of passing cars. “I prefer to live in the present.”

Jane felt again that surge of pity. She had not lived an easy life, but she had good memories of good people. Lina had been brutalized and cut off from family and country. Jane could not imagine being stripped of her memories of Eve and Joe. “But the present is tomorrow’s memory. I guess we just have to make it as good as possible.”

“I did make it good,” Lina said. “And it just blew up in my face.”

“I’m sorry that we were involved. I can’t blame you for resenting us.”

Lina’s gaze shifted back to her. “I don’t know how I feel right now. I have to think about it. I know I resent you interfering with my free will. I do blame you for that.” She glanced at Caleb. “Or rather, I blame him.”

“No, blame me,” Jane said. “I’m not sure if I would have been desperate enough to give you a karate chop, but I suspect it might have come to that. I couldn’t have left you there. And when it all comes down to basics, I’m the one who this is all about. Jock and Caleb are only helping me, trying to keep me alive.”

“What a splendid whitewash,” Caleb said. “I feel like a knight in shining armor.”

Lina ignored him. “You don’t defend yourself?” She studied Jane’s face. “Curious. Everyone is sure that what they do is right even when it isn’t.”