the beam of the headlights—the road and the dark chasm beside it.
Finally she began to shake off the paralyzing fear. Think. Think, she commanded herself shakily, getting a tenuous grip on her emotions. You've got to do something.
The brake. The emergency brake. It had to be there somewhere. Keeping her gaze fixed on the road, Erin groped along the floorboard with her left foot. Her heart leaped when her ankle struck the small pedal. There it was!
She stomped on the emergency brake with all her might and grappled with the steering wheel.
The car slowed but didn't stop. Erin down-shifted into second gear. The engine roared with the increased RPM, and her speed dropped still more.
"Stop. Stop, damn you," she commanded through clenched teeth.
But she was headed down an incline, and the car's momentum was stronger than the auxiliary brake.
Behind her, Max was honking like a madman.
"I'm trying! I'm trying, you idiot!" she screeched at him, one hand letting go of the wheel long enough to return the blast.
The road wiggled in a shallow S curve. Erin let out a choked scream and wrenched the wheel to the left, then back to the right. "God help me. Help me. Oh, please, please, help me," she chanted as she fought a desperate battle to avoid going over the edge. The car skidded around both curves with only inches to spare.
When at last she hit a stretch of straightaway, she swerved into the oncoming lane. Hugging the mountainside as closely as possible, she prayed she wouldn't meet another car.
Up ahead a road sign came into view, and Erin's heart jumped into her throat when she saw the inverted U-shaped arrow. "Oh, Lord no! No!"
Erin reacted instinctively. Putting her right foot on top of her left one, she arched her body like a taut bow and applied every ounce of her weight against the emergency brake pedal. At the same time she held her hand down on the horn.
The car's speed continued to drop slowly. Erin gritted her teeth and strained to keep the pressure on. The acrid smell of burning brakes filled the car.
In the beam of her headlights she could see where the road curved out of sight around the mountain, the black emptiness beyond. She kept her gaze fixed on the latter. "Stop. Oh, please stop."
The downgrade of the road increased, and the awful burning smell grew intolerable.
Helpless, Erin gripped the steering wheel, her eyes wide with horror as the car began to build up speed again and hurtle toward the abyss.
"Turn into the mountain! Turn!"
Having seen the blue Chevy reduce its speed with no brake lights, Max had figured out that Erin's brakes were gone, and he'd been shouting instructions at her ever since.
Terrified, he watched the small car slue around the double curve. Sweat popped out all over him on the first turn when the Chevy skidded dangerously close to the edge. By the time Erin had negotiated the second, his thundering heart was nearly suffocating him. For a moment he hadn't been able to breathe at all.
When she hit the straightaway Max groaned his relief. She'd made it by the skin of her teeth.
But he knew the next curve was a switchback, and there was no way in hell she'd get around it.
"Get over! Get over! Ram into the mountain!"
As though she'd heard him, Erin pulled into the inside lane. "Yeah! Yeah! That's it!" Max shouted, hope surging inside him. It fizzled a moment later when he realized that she was just avoiding the edge. "Dammit to hell!" he roared in frustration. "Can't you see you don't have any choice?" The telltale smell of burning brake shoes reached him as the two cars started down the incline toward the switchback. Cursing, Max stepped on the gas and pulled alongside the Chevy. With grim determination, he jerked the wheel a quarter turn to the left and slammed into the smaller car.
❧
The impact jolted through Erin and flung her against the door. The compact's left front fender scraped rock, sending out a shower of sparks. She screamed and wrested the wheel back to the
Finally she began to shake off the paralyzing fear. Think. Think, she commanded herself shakily, getting a tenuous grip on her emotions. You've got to do something.
The brake. The emergency brake. It had to be there somewhere. Keeping her gaze fixed on the road, Erin groped along the floorboard with her left foot. Her heart leaped when her ankle struck the small pedal. There it was!
She stomped on the emergency brake with all her might and grappled with the steering wheel.
The car slowed but didn't stop. Erin down-shifted into second gear. The engine roared with the increased RPM, and her speed dropped still more.
"Stop. Stop, damn you," she commanded through clenched teeth.
But she was headed down an incline, and the car's momentum was stronger than the auxiliary brake.
Behind her, Max was honking like a madman.
"I'm trying! I'm trying, you idiot!" she screeched at him, one hand letting go of the wheel long enough to return the blast.
The road wiggled in a shallow S curve. Erin let out a choked scream and wrenched the wheel to the left, then back to the right. "God help me. Help me. Oh, please, please, help me," she chanted as she fought a desperate battle to avoid going over the edge. The car skidded around both curves with only inches to spare.
When at last she hit a stretch of straightaway, she swerved into the oncoming lane. Hugging the mountainside as closely as possible, she prayed she wouldn't meet another car.
Up ahead a road sign came into view, and Erin's heart jumped into her throat when she saw the inverted U-shaped arrow. "Oh, Lord no! No!"
Erin reacted instinctively. Putting her right foot on top of her left one, she arched her body like a taut bow and applied every ounce of her weight against the emergency brake pedal. At the same time she held her hand down on the horn.
The car's speed continued to drop slowly. Erin gritted her teeth and strained to keep the pressure on. The acrid smell of burning brakes filled the car.
In the beam of her headlights she could see where the road curved out of sight around the mountain, the black emptiness beyond. She kept her gaze fixed on the latter. "Stop. Oh, please stop."
The downgrade of the road increased, and the awful burning smell grew intolerable.
Helpless, Erin gripped the steering wheel, her eyes wide with horror as the car began to build up speed again and hurtle toward the abyss.
"Turn into the mountain! Turn!"
Having seen the blue Chevy reduce its speed with no brake lights, Max had figured out that Erin's brakes were gone, and he'd been shouting instructions at her ever since.
Terrified, he watched the small car slue around the double curve. Sweat popped out all over him on the first turn when the Chevy skidded dangerously close to the edge. By the time Erin had negotiated the second, his thundering heart was nearly suffocating him. For a moment he hadn't been able to breathe at all.
When she hit the straightaway Max groaned his relief. She'd made it by the skin of her teeth.
But he knew the next curve was a switchback, and there was no way in hell she'd get around it.
"Get over! Get over! Ram into the mountain!"
As though she'd heard him, Erin pulled into the inside lane. "Yeah! Yeah! That's it!" Max shouted, hope surging inside him. It fizzled a moment later when he realized that she was just avoiding the edge. "Dammit to hell!" he roared in frustration. "Can't you see you don't have any choice?" The telltale smell of burning brake shoes reached him as the two cars started down the incline toward the switchback. Cursing, Max stepped on the gas and pulled alongside the Chevy. With grim determination, he jerked the wheel a quarter turn to the left and slammed into the smaller car.
❧
The impact jolted through Erin and flung her against the door. The compact's left front fender scraped rock, sending out a shower of sparks. She screamed and wrested the wheel back to the
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