Page 96 of Shadowed Witness

Allye slowed at the intersection, then turned.

“What are you doing?” Wesley yelled.

Allye jerked. “What you said.”

“I told you to go right.”

She blinked. Reimagined the intersection. She’d gone left. “I’m sorry. I got confused.”

“Turn around. Now.”

She pulled into a driveway and made a U-turn.

“Do not pull a stunt like that again.”

“It wasn’t a stunt. I’m not good with directions, and you holding that gun on me isn’t helping.”

He shifted the barrel slightly away from her. Not far enough.

A cop pulled off a side road and fell in behind her. Could she get his attention somehow?

“Don’t even think about it.”

She glanced in the rearview at her attacker.

“You get pulled over, I’ll shoot the cop. You don’t want blood on your hands.”

“Do what Bernie says, Allye.”

She looked at Wesley. Sweat dripped from his temple. He wasn’t as okay with this as he was pretending to be.Bernie.She filed the name away.

The patrol car turned off at the next intersection. They continued on for another mile before Wesley indicated a gravel drive barely visible among the trees and overgrown weeds. “Turn here.”

Allye took the turn and started down the drive. She tried not to panic as Wesley’s gun bounced with every bump.

What appeared to be a hunting cabin came into view, and Wesley directed her to pull up in front of it. As soon as she put the car in park, Bernie got out. She watched him head for the cabin door and enter a code. Should she take her chances with Wesley and try to make a run for it?

As soon as the thought entered her head, another vehicle barreled down the lane and pulled behind her, blocking her in. A man she didn’t recognize stepped out and lit a cigarette. Without sparing them a glance, he ambled toward a nearby shed and disappeared around the side.

She turned to Wesley, but before she could ask who the man was, her door flew open. Bernie grabbed her arm.

Allye yelped. “Let me get my seat belt off first.” She slowly reached for the buckle, sending a quick glance around for some type of weapon. The only thing she saw was her keys. She started to reach for them as the seat belt released, but she wasn’t fast enough. The man grabbed her arm again and hauled her out of the car and inside the cabin.

Once inside, he shoved her into a chair. “Don’t move.”

She rubbed her arm where he’d gripped it. She’d have a major bruise if she lived long enough for it to form.

Wesley dropped into a nearby chair and lowered his head into his hands. Should she try to get through to him? Though he seemed a willing participant in all this, he also didn’t appear to like it. Maybe there was a chance she could convince him to escape with her.

She glanced at Bernie. The tastefully decorated cabin was small, but he’d gone to a kitchenette at the opposite side of the room, pouring himself a tumbler of some type of alcohol. If she kept her voice low, she should be able to communicate with Wesley without being overheard. But she needed to get on it. She didn’t know what was going on, but she doubted she had much time.

Keeping her eyes on Bernie, she whispered, “Wesley.” He didn’t respond, so she tried again a little louder. “Wes.”

He shook his head. At least that let her know he could hear her.

“Wes, I don’t know how you got mixed up in all this or what’s going on, but it’s not too late to change your mind. We could use your gun to escape.”

He finally looked at her. Grief filled his eyes. “I can’t. I’m sorry, Allye, I really am. But I made some bad choices, and these guys have me over a barrel.”

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