“Oh, no!” Luc couldn’t believe what was happening. “They’re going to ram us!”
NINETEEN
Priscilla fastened her seat belt. Beside her, Mac conferred via cell phone with Myers and Jarvis, who were driving the other SUVs. She didn’t like being separated from Luc, although why that would bother her, she didn’t have time to contemplate.
Mac disconnected the call. “Let’s go.”
Aldrich started the engine. He began to pull away as three mud-covered pickup trucks with snowplows attached to the fronts barreled into the parking lot. “What are they doing?”
Priscilla twisted to see each truck aim for a different SUV. She screamed as one truck slammed into the back of their SUV, pushing it sideways. Aldrich struggled to keep control of the vehicle as the truck continued to push against their bumper, forcing the SUV away from the other two.
Beside her, Mac hit a button on his phone, putting the phone on speaker. “Laura, what’s happening?”
Whoomph.
“He’s running into us!” Laura barely got the words out before she screamed. Seconds later, an awful crunching sound echoed over the phone.
“Laura? Is everything okay?”
Silence on Laura’s end. Their SUV shook as the truck accelerated with more force, throwing Priscilla against her seat belt.
“He just...pushed...our vehicle...into the dumpster.” Laura’s voice hitched, and then the call dropped.
“The plow’s stuck under our back bumper!” Aldrich shouted, his shoulders straining as he fought to keep the wheel steady. “I can’t get enough traction on the back wheels to disengage.”
Another hit jolted her forward. Their SUV pressed closer to the edge of the parking lot and copse of trees.
She craned her neck to see the third SUV with Dr. Devins, Jarvis and Smith, but another bone-crunching hit whipped her head against the seat back as the SUV bucked closer to the tree line. “He’s pushing us into the trees!”
Mac braced his hands against the back of the front seat, his other hand working his phone. “This is US Marshal James MacIntire. We need assistance at the Sleepy Time Residence Inn pronto! Three pickup trucks are ramming our SUVs.”
Priscilla closed her eyes as the sound of an engine revving rent the air. Dear Lord, keep us safe. Her head hit the window while her seat belt tightened painfully across her lap and shoulders. The truck’s impact sent the SUV skittering across the pavement into the trees. The screech of metal crumpling rang off-key in her ears as the vehicle settled against a tree with a sickening crunch.
The air vibrated for a split second before an eerie silence descended as if a tarp had been tossed over the SUV. Priscilla opened her eyes and gasped for breath. The entire right side had folded in on itself. Beside her, the metal frame pressed around Mac’s still body.
“Mac?” Her voice came out at barely a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Mac?”
No response.
“Marshal Aldrich?” From her position behind the driver’s seat, she couldn’t clearly see the marshal. The airbag had deployed and his body slumped forward slightly. She called his name again, but he didn’t move. The only sound she heard was the roar of engines growing fainter—a sound she hoped indicated that the trucks had done their damage, then left.
With shaking hands, she unclipped her seat belt, her body falling forward as the belt released. A quick inspection revealed no broken bones or major lacerations. Her shoulder ached and her head hurt.
Just as she reached for Mac, her door creaked. Someone yanked it open. Her heart leaped with relief. Help had arrived.
“I can’t tell how bad they’re hurt.” She slid gingerly out of the vehicle to allow her rescuer access to the marshals. When her feet hit the uneven ground, she stumbled.
Someone reached out a gloved hand to steady her. For a long moment, she stared at the black leather-encased hand around her elbow. Then she raised her head to look straight into the face of Mason Culvert.
The coldness of his gray eyes galvanized her into action. With a jerk, she freed her arm from his grasp, then pivoted as she stepped closer to him to drive her elbow into his stomach—with any luck, her aim would hit him where he’d had surgery a few days ago. Her movement caught him off guard and he fell back, giving her just enough space to dart to the left.