Okay, maybe they were a bit off track. The GPS on the car's screen said they were on the right road, but Nicky was beginning to feel more nervous by the moment. She didn't like the idea of admitting Ken's hesitance had been right. But at the same time, she didn't want to get stuck in the swamplands.
"I think we should turn around," Nicky said, although she was still driving forward.
But it was too late--the car was already slowing down.
"What's going on, Lyons?" Ken asked.
A surge of panic hit Nicky's chest. She couldn't control the car. "I don't know!"
The car stopped with a jolt, and Nicky slammed her foot on the gas, but it was useless. The tires just spun in the mud.
"Shit," Ken said. Sweat creased his brow. "Okay. You keep trying to go forward. I'll go push and see if I can get us out."
The window looked out on a murky swamp below. The water was dark, and the trees were so close that their branches brushed against the glass. All around them, the swamp was filled with tall reeds and murky water. Nicky could see the mud and the muck on the bottom of the swamp. So much for the "road."
"Walker, you're going to get dirty as hell."
"What other choice do I have?" Ken said.
He got out of the car and went to the back of it. Nicky kept spinning the wheels. Through the rear-view mirror, Nicky saw Ken try to push the car, but the tires just kept spinning in place, sending mud flinging in all directions.
Nicky sighed, pressed her forehead to the steering wheel. This was just her luck.
But Ken wasn't giving up. She felt the car jolt. Ken shoved harder.
And all at once, the car lurched forward.
Nicky's head snapped up so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash.
Ken had stopped pushing and was now leaning back against the car's trunk. He was hunched over, his arms resting on his knees, his breathing ragged. His shirt was already covered in mud. He was so close. She could see the sweat on his forehead, the lines of strain around his eyes, and the way his chest heaved with each breath.
"What happened?" Nicky asked.
Ken shook his head. "I dunno, I pushed and the car just started moving forward." He wiped his brow. "You should be able to drive us out of here now."
"Just as long as we're not going backwards," Nicky said. "Guess we've gotta find another way out."
She put her foot on the gas and let the car roll forward. Through the rear-view mirror, she watched as the trees pressed against her car, the branches scraping at her windows.
As far as nightmares went, this was up there for Nicky. The deeper they got into the brush, the more trapped she felt.
It reminded her too much of that night, all those years ago, with Rosie, as the man had driven them to the lake house. Nicky stuffed the memory down. She couldn't afford a panic attack, not now.
After what felt like an eternity of driving, the swampy road cleared onto a more open dirt road. The air was thick with wet soil and mud, like a bog. Scents of decay and rot coated the air. Nicky saw that if they went right, it would take them down another road that could lead back to the highway. Left, and they'd hit Sarah Mills's trailer within minutes.
Nicky looked at Ken, who was glancing around the forest. "I wanna get out of here too," Nicky said, "but we might as well finish this."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, let's go talk to her husband."
Ken nodded, but his expression was grim. Nicky had a bad feeling too. But their job wasn't to run when things got hard. It was to keep pushing forward until justice was served.
They were both silent as they drove down the road. Nicky was grateful, because she was tired of trying to talk through the tension.
They reached a fork in the road, and Nicky turned left. The GPS said she had one more turn to make, and then they'd be at the address.
"You see that?" Ken said, pointing out the windshield.