This road was even narrower and soon began to
climb steadily. Fortunately for her already overstretched nerves,
the moon was on the opposite side of them from the bulk of the
hill. The pavement here bore no painted lines to help guide her,
but there was just enough light to let her see ahead. Beyond the
shoulder on the left side of the road, the land dropped off
steeply. Shards of pain dug deep into her brain.
Jason buzzed his cohorts on the cell phone
and relayed the turn and their current directions to them.
“They’re on the way,” he said, “But only a
few miles north of Asheville.”
Her own breathing sounded like thunder in her
ears, and her hands started to ache from the force of her grip on
the steering wheel. Although they traveled on the side closer to
the hillside, the d
