Page 77 of The Deeper Game
I tried not to lose hope, but I had to face facts. I was alone now, and I needed to do something. Driving into a post was foolish, but I had the feeling that at the end of this drive, I might long desperately for one foolish option as opposed to five suicidal ones.
We were going beyond the suburbs and into the exurbs now. I gazed at the signs, ignoring the feeling of him monitoring my expression.
I hated it.
I hated him.
Chapter Eighteen
“Almost there,”creepy Manning said as we passed a sign for Holden Corners.
Holden Corners?
My mouth went dry.
Holden Quarry was in Holden Corners. The quarry was where Venus’s body had been found.
He smiled, knowing that I was putting it together, I suppose. “The good news is that your fellasareable to learn the lessons I offer them. First they learned the lesson of Venus: To refrain from compromising their excellence in service of their libido. She almost got them caught on the Keustonville job some years back. I knew then that I had to act. To show them not everyone has their strength.” He pointed. “Turn here.”
I turned onto a street where the streetlights rose up out of fat concrete bases; it was here I decided to go for foolish. I was part of a takeover bank robbery gang.
I could do it.
At a yellow light I gunned the engine and jerked the wheel, aiming for the nearest lamp base.
It was like a slow-motion dream, watching us careen toward it.
I could feel Manning’s shock as he grabbed the wheel, trying to wrest control, but I had two hands and he had just one, being that the other held a gun.
Suddenly he hit me in the chin with it.
The shattering pain so stunned me that I lost my edge—just enough for him to grab the wheel and avoid the crash.
Stars whirled around in front of my eyes.
I let up off the gas and the truck slowed. Cars behind us honked.
I was done driving right.
He pressed his gun to my belly. “You wanna drive shot? Is that what you want?”
I thought about it. Would he really do it? Something needed to interrupt this madness.
“My plan still works with you bleeding out. You think I can’t shoot you and take over? It’s not my favorite option, but I’ll do it.”
Was he bluffing? I didn’t want to find out.
I sped back up and drove normally. My chin throbbed. My lip burned.
“Kudos, however,” he said. “Few people can actually commit to a deliberate crash like you did—it goes against their self-preservation. Most people can’t bring themselves to do it.”
“Most people can’t bring themselves to do it?” I said. “And here I thought it was creepy when people knew too many facts about Smurf dolls.”
He gave me a hard look. “If you try it again, Iwillshoot you. If you move either of your hands from the steering wheel, that’s an instant shot, too. You understand? And FYI, I know what you’re packing.”
Damn.
Ten minutes later he was directing me into the quarry parking lot.
