Page 158 of Whispers and Wildfire
Why I found that so funny—considering I was still tied up and at the mercy of a murderer—I have no idea, but I almost laughed out loud. One little tantrum and he’d gone from offering me no-effort snack food to preparing a meal. A simple meal, to be sure, but it had worked.
I thought about asking him to free my hands so I could eat, but my instincts told me I should wait. The damsel would be sweet, compliant, and thankful. For now. I just needed a little more time, and I was pretty sure I could convince him to untie me.
The hint of campfire tickled my nose again, but I was too preoccupied with my makeshift plan—and staying in character—to pay attention to it.
As long as he didn’t try to move me too soon, I might have a chance to get away.
CHAPTER 39
Luke
I raceddown the highway in my Chevelle, heedless of the speed limit, taking every turn as fast as I dared. My ribs ached and my neck was knotted with tension, but I ignored them both. My discomfort didn’t matter. I just had to get to her.
The sun had long since risen over the mountain peaks, but the sky was thick with a dingy haze. Wildfire smoke. It got worse the farther south I went. I didn’t see the actual fire—it was too far east of the road—but I could tell I was getting closer.
My plan was to drive to Echo Creek and backtrack from there, finding the road that Kyle had taken after my crash. That would be faster than going all the way to the old racetrack and following the dirt road to the bridge. I didn’t want to waste a minute.
Echo Creek was about a thirty-minute drive from Tilikum—if you were going the speed limit. As long as I didn’t get pulled over, I was going to make it in a lot less than that. So far, luck had been on my side. I didn’t give a shit about a ticket, I just didn’t want to stop.
Ash swirled through the air, and I had to turn on thewindshield wipers a few times to deal with the buildup. Urgency flared in my gut. If the fire was bearing down on them, would he know? Would they have any warning?
I was approaching a sharp bend in the road, so despite my desire to keep it floored, I had to let off the gas. Blue flashes of light seemed to glint off the haze and I slowed down just in time. As I came around the corner, the road was blocked by a police car.
Slamming on the brakes, I came to a stop, hope and dread surging in equal measure. Had they found something?
Had they found her?
I rolled down my window as an Echo Creek police officer walked over to my car.
“Sorry, sir, the highway is closed.”
“Did you find her?” I asked.
His brow furrowed, like he had no idea what I was talking about. “Find who?”
“Melanie Andolini. She’s missing from Tilikum. The Whisper got her.”
“No. I’m just here to stop people from going through. Highway’s closed due to the fire.”
“It’s this close?”
“It hasn’t hit the highway yet, but the winds aren’t on our side. Echo Creek is under stage three evacuation.”
“Listen, I need to get by. I think I know where he took her.”
“Sorry, sir, I can’t let you do that.”
“Do you even know what I’m talking about? The Whisper, the guy who’s been abducting women? He has my girlfriend, and I think I know where they are.”
He glanced over his shoulder, like he wasn’t sure what to do. “I really can’t let anyone through. It’s for your safety.”
I was about to tell him to call Garrett, but I didn’t want to wait. And if the fire was that close, I might not be able to get through from that direction anyway.
“All right, I’ll turn around.” I rolled up my window and the cop backed away toward his vehicle.
Since there was no other traffic, I did a U-turn in the middle of the highway. Despite my deepening sense of urgency, I didn’t floor it. I needed to find a turn. Another road that would lead me in the direction I needed to go.
Toward the fire? Probably. Toward Melanie? I hoped so.
