Sacred Ground. Alex Archer

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      Annja glanced in the mirror out of her window. “Holy crap, that’s a big truck.”

      Godwin glanced back. Behind them, a large rig was barreling down on them at a high speed.

      Godwin frowned. “He’s going way too fast. And with that much weight, he’s going to cause problems.”

      Annja’s stomach sunk. “Problems?”

      “Just hang on.” Godwin put his foot down on the gas pedal and the smaller truck shot forward across the ice road. But the giant truck didn’t fade into the distance. It kept coming.

      “He’s still coming for us,” Annja said. She glanced back at Derek. “Would this possibly fall into the category of ‘situations’?”

      “Possibly,” Derek said. He was staring out of the back of the truck. “Can we lose him, Godwin?”

      “Doubtful. It’s not like there are any side streets or alleys to duck down around these parts. And he’s coming much too fast for me to lose him even if I tried.”

      “He looks overloaded, even from this distance,” Derek said.

      Godwin nodded. “He’s got too much load on him. Way too much. I don’t understand it.”

      Annja glanced at him. “Unless someone wants that much weight around us.”

      “You think?”

      “I think,” Annja said, “that we need to find a way to get off of this road and soon. Otherwise that truck is going to steamroll us into oblivion.”

      Godwin nodded. “Hang on. I’m going to let him get closer.”

      “You’re what?”

      “Just wait and see.”

      Annja looked out the back window. The truck wasn’t even honking its horn at them. Whoever was behind the wheel didn’t seem to care that they were a few hundred feet from rolling right over the smaller truck.

      “Here he comes!” Annja shouted.

      6

      Godwin gripped the steering wheel with both hands as he tried to coax any last bit of power out of the SUV. The speedometer cranked slowly higher, but it wouldn’t be enough. He glanced at Annja and shook his head. “Any more and we’ll spin out and crash.”

      The front grille of the lumbering rig grew ever larger out of the back window. Annja thought the truck looked like a hungry shark bearing down on a wounded prey. She could hear the engine of the truck surging as it burned more gas and chewed up the ice as it sped toward them.

      “Can’t we do anything?” Derek asked.

      Godwin shrugged. “Like what? It’s not like you’ll find a cop waiting to bag you for speeding. No one drives this fast out here except for us.”

      “And him,” Annja said. “Except he’s driving even faster than we are. How is that possible?”

      “Bigger engine,” Godwin said. “Plus, he’s got cargo that gives him added weight and therefore force.”

      “Great,” Annja said. “And we aren’t big enough to slow down that force by much.”

      Godwin shook his head. “I’m trying to keep us ahead of him, but I think we’ve got about two minutes before he runs over us.”

      Derek had the map open on his lap, running his finger over the entire area. “There’s got to be something out here we can use.”

      “I’m open to suggestions, Mr. Wainman,” Godwin said.

      Annja stabbed at the map. “What’s that?”

      Derek peered closer. “Looks like a small turnoff, actually. Probably not much more than an uphill slope if these contour lines are accurate.”

      Annja nodded. “Should be about a mile from here.” She glanced at Godwin. “Can we make it?”

      “Don’t know. I’ll try.” The truck surged ahead again and Annja felt the whole thing slide for a moment before Godwin steered slightly left and regained control. Behind them, the truck continued to loom large.

      Through the bright sunlight, Annja could see the snow scattering in the slipstream of the truck as Godwin tried to pour on more speed. Annja stared out of the windshield, trying to spot the turnoff.

      Derek shook his head. “He’s gaining on us!”

      “We’re not going to make it,” Godwin said. “There’s not enough time.”

      “We’ll make it,” Annja said. And then she pointed. “Look!”

      A few hundred yards ahead, she could see the turnoff. It was a slope arcing up to the right off the ice road like some sort of higher bank on the frozen river. “Aim for it now, Godwin.”

      The distance shrank between the huge rig behind them and the back of the SUV they drove. Godwin grunted as the mighty giant brushed their back bumper and sent them zipping farther ahead.

      “Now!”

      Godwin jerked the steering wheel and the SUV fishtailed onto the slope, carrying them off the ice road onto the turnoff. He slammed on the brakes and the SUV came to a rest. Behind them, the giant rig let out an angry horn blast and thundered on past them, soon disappearing in the brilliant sunshine.

      Godwin took a deep breath and released his hold on the steering wheel. “Well, that was a bit too close for my liking.”

      Derek clapped him on the shoulder. “That was a great bit of driving, my friend. I’ll make sure you’re given your due when we get back.”

      “Thank you,” Godwin said. He glanced at Annja. “Are you all right?”

      Annja nodded. “I’ll be fine as soon as we get the hell off of this ice road and I’m somewhere where I can control my own destiny.” She almost chuckled aloud at that thought. She hadn’t felt in control of her destiny ever since she’d come into possession of Joan of Arc’s mystical sword. But no one else needed to know that.

      Derek looked out of the rear window. “The question is, did that big rig leave us or is it waiting somewhere farther down the ice road to ambush us?”

      Godwin took the map and studied it. “Well, unfortunately, we’re going to have to get back on the road and follow it until our turnoff. There’s just no other way to reach the dig site.” He glanced at Annja. “I know, I know, I’m not crazy about this, either, but there’s no alternative.”

      Annja nodded. “I know it.”

      Godwin slid the truck into gear and backed down the turnoff until they were once again on the road. Then he slid the truck into Drive and started off again. “If it makes you feel any better,” he said, “I don’t think we’ll see that guy again.”

      “Why СКАЧАТЬ