if the man had wanted to punch her. She just wasn't cut out for violence.
Still, she'd made it through the first three tasks, and now she was going to get proof that Gary was still alive.
( Please! )
She opened the trunk. At first she thought there was nothing in there except for a few random pieces of Gary's collected junk, but after a quick search she discovered an envelope taped to the inside of the lid. She tore it open and read the message inside.
So either you're cheating or you're doing well. If you're cheating, we already know about it and have splattered your hubby all over the ground, making a horrible mess that some unfortunate soul is going to have to clean up, unless Gary just soaks into the ground. If you're doing well, then it's time for a brief intermission, and we have a present for you. Drive down this road the way you came. In two miles you'll see a small dirt road, marked by a cross. Turn there, keep to the left, and when you get to the end, sit and wait .
Rebecca got back in the Chevy and drove away from the bar. Her hands were shaking, but her mood was brighter than it had been all morning. That wasn't saying much, and she didn't believe that they'd actually let her see Gary in person, but to simply know that he was still alive would be an unbelievable relief.
About two miles later, she saw a small wooden cross, and turned onto a bumpy dirt road that forced her to drive carefully to avoid scraping both sides of the car on outstretched tree branches. It split off three different times, and she took the left fork each time, adding another three miles to the odometer before she reached the end of the road. There was forest on all sides of her, but it was thin enough to let plenty of sunlight through.
She shut off the engine and waited.
For about five minutes she sat patiently. Then she started to get worried.
Would somebody attack her?
The note had said this was an intermission. Surely Gary, Scott, and Doug would have had absolutely no reason to go down this path, so this couldn't be part of the test, right?
Right. She was safe, for now.
She fidgeted nervously for another five minutes.
The note hadn't said she couldn't get out of the car and wander around the area, but she didn't think that was a good idea. Better to be restless inside the vehicle than accidentally bump into somebody who wasn't expecting to find her outside.
Another ten minutes passed.
Was she in the right spot?
Yes, of course she was in the right spot. The directions weren't complicated. She just needed to wait.
Maybe they were dragging Gary through the forest at this very moment.
Not likely.
Maybe they were dragging Gary's bloody corpse through the forest at this very moment.
Or half of it.
Stop it!
She tried to distract herself by counting out loud, slowly. One...two...three...four...
...eighty-seven...eighty-eight...eighty-nine...
A knife plunging into Gary's chest, again and again...
...ninety...ninety-one...ninety-two...
And then Alan emerged from the woods, a colorfully wrapped present tucked under his arm. He smiled and waved at her, then motioned for her to roll down her window.
"Nice to see you again!" he said, walking over to the car. "You're looking good since we were together last. Have you lost weight?"
"Where's Gary?" Rebecca asked.
"I don't know. Somewhere, I guess. I brought you a present." He rattled it and grinned. "You're gonna like it."
Rebecca looked at the package. It was decorated with bright pink and purple wrapping paper, with a huge white bow on top. It was about the size of...
A bowling ball. It was about the size of a bowling ball.
"It's freezing out here," said Alan. "Mind if I join you in the car?"
Rebecca shook her head and moved the grocery bags to the back seat. Alan opened the passenger-side door, got in, and slammed the door shut hard enough to rattle the automobile. He set the present on his lap then rubbed his hands together for warmth.
"Having fun?" he asked.
"What
Still, she'd made it through the first three tasks, and now she was going to get proof that Gary was still alive.
( Please! )
She opened the trunk. At first she thought there was nothing in there except for a few random pieces of Gary's collected junk, but after a quick search she discovered an envelope taped to the inside of the lid. She tore it open and read the message inside.
So either you're cheating or you're doing well. If you're cheating, we already know about it and have splattered your hubby all over the ground, making a horrible mess that some unfortunate soul is going to have to clean up, unless Gary just soaks into the ground. If you're doing well, then it's time for a brief intermission, and we have a present for you. Drive down this road the way you came. In two miles you'll see a small dirt road, marked by a cross. Turn there, keep to the left, and when you get to the end, sit and wait .
Rebecca got back in the Chevy and drove away from the bar. Her hands were shaking, but her mood was brighter than it had been all morning. That wasn't saying much, and she didn't believe that they'd actually let her see Gary in person, but to simply know that he was still alive would be an unbelievable relief.
About two miles later, she saw a small wooden cross, and turned onto a bumpy dirt road that forced her to drive carefully to avoid scraping both sides of the car on outstretched tree branches. It split off three different times, and she took the left fork each time, adding another three miles to the odometer before she reached the end of the road. There was forest on all sides of her, but it was thin enough to let plenty of sunlight through.
She shut off the engine and waited.
For about five minutes she sat patiently. Then she started to get worried.
Would somebody attack her?
The note had said this was an intermission. Surely Gary, Scott, and Doug would have had absolutely no reason to go down this path, so this couldn't be part of the test, right?
Right. She was safe, for now.
She fidgeted nervously for another five minutes.
The note hadn't said she couldn't get out of the car and wander around the area, but she didn't think that was a good idea. Better to be restless inside the vehicle than accidentally bump into somebody who wasn't expecting to find her outside.
Another ten minutes passed.
Was she in the right spot?
Yes, of course she was in the right spot. The directions weren't complicated. She just needed to wait.
Maybe they were dragging Gary through the forest at this very moment.
Not likely.
Maybe they were dragging Gary's bloody corpse through the forest at this very moment.
Or half of it.
Stop it!
She tried to distract herself by counting out loud, slowly. One...two...three...four...
...eighty-seven...eighty-eight...eighty-nine...
A knife plunging into Gary's chest, again and again...
...ninety...ninety-one...ninety-two...
And then Alan emerged from the woods, a colorfully wrapped present tucked under his arm. He smiled and waved at her, then motioned for her to roll down her window.
"Nice to see you again!" he said, walking over to the car. "You're looking good since we were together last. Have you lost weight?"
"Where's Gary?" Rebecca asked.
"I don't know. Somewhere, I guess. I brought you a present." He rattled it and grinned. "You're gonna like it."
Rebecca looked at the package. It was decorated with bright pink and purple wrapping paper, with a huge white bow on top. It was about the size of...
A bowling ball. It was about the size of a bowling ball.
"It's freezing out here," said Alan. "Mind if I join you in the car?"
Rebecca shook her head and moved the grocery bags to the back seat. Alan opened the passenger-side door, got in, and slammed the door shut hard enough to rattle the automobile. He set the present on his lap then rubbed his hands together for warmth.
"Having fun?" he asked.
"What
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