looked so tiny…and innocent…and precious.
Her heart swelled with maternal instincts she hadn’t known she had. Having children had never entered her mind, certainly not in the years she’d worked to achieve her status as sheriff of Country Corners. She hit the transmit key on her radio and reported her ETA to the dispatcher.
The air rent with a crack followed by another. Before she could identify the sound, the vehicle shuddered violently and the steering wheel jumped out of her hands.
It took a second for her to react.
But a second was all it took to careen the patrol car out of control.
Liz grasped the wheel hard like it was the reins of a runaway horse. She tried to regain control but, traveling at more than fifty miles per hour, it was a lost cause. The car propelled toward the edge of an embankment. She knew if she continued in the direction of her skid, they would catapult into the air at the curve. She turned the wheel hard to the left, trying to compensate and grab hold of the road through the turn. The rear end continued to fishtail. At any other stretch of road, she might have been able to straighten out and regain control but not on this curve. It was just too sharp.
As the car went airborne, all Liz could do was yell, “Hold on!”
The road disappeared beneath her. Nothing but blue sky above and empty air surrounded them. Then the nose of the car dipped down, traveling at top speed back to earth. Seconds later the front grill hit the ground with a bone-jarring, crushing thud.
Upon impact, the air bags flew open and the force hit her chest and stole her breath away.
The car flipped upside down and continued to slide down the ravine on its roof, bumping…bucking…grinding over every stone, rut and pebble. The sound of tree branches scratching along the sides of the vehicle sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
Then absolute silence.
Liz didn’t move. She couldn’t. It took her a second or two to realize the crushing pressure on her chest was her seat belt holding her suspended in space and stealing whatever breath remained in her lungs.
Jeremy.
She pushed against the air bag and tried to find the release button on her seat belt.
“Jeremy.”
Liz twisted her head to the side, throwing her voice toward the backseat. She stifled a scream.
Adam’s face was mere inches from her own. He must have removed his seat belt so he could tend to Jeremy and had smashed against the wire barrier between the front and back seats. His eyes were closed and blood flowed down the left side of his face from a nasty-
looking cut on his forehead.
“Adam!”
She couldn’t move enough to see if he was still alive. She tried to turn her head far enough to see Jeremy. It was the deathly silence that frightened her. For once, she gladly would have opted for the sound of his earsplitting screams.
Something heavy pressed against her lower body. She couldn’t feel her legs. Panic washed over her. Why couldn’t she move her legs?
She slid her arm up and reached the radio microphone.
“This is Bravo 24. Come in.”
“This is Dispatch. Go ahead, Sheriff.”
“Officer down. Vehicular accident. Send bus. Over.”
“GPS location complete. Ambulance and backup en route.”
Liz released the button and turned her face back toward Adam. She pushed the air bag away enough to get her hand free. Pain shot through her shoulder but she didn’t stop. Once clear, she slid her fingers through the holes in the wire.
Please, God, let him be alive.
She poked the tips of her fingers through the mesh enough to feel his skin. It took several tries but she was finally able to press one of her fingertips against the carotid artery in his neck. His skin was warm and his pulse strong and steady. It was warm to the touch and Liz released a nervous laugh. He was alive.
Adam’s eyes flickered open at about the same time a scared, protesting wail sounded from Jeremy.
Liz smiled wide and welcomed her tears of relief.
Thank You,
Her heart swelled with maternal instincts she hadn’t known she had. Having children had never entered her mind, certainly not in the years she’d worked to achieve her status as sheriff of Country Corners. She hit the transmit key on her radio and reported her ETA to the dispatcher.
The air rent with a crack followed by another. Before she could identify the sound, the vehicle shuddered violently and the steering wheel jumped out of her hands.
It took a second for her to react.
But a second was all it took to careen the patrol car out of control.
Liz grasped the wheel hard like it was the reins of a runaway horse. She tried to regain control but, traveling at more than fifty miles per hour, it was a lost cause. The car propelled toward the edge of an embankment. She knew if she continued in the direction of her skid, they would catapult into the air at the curve. She turned the wheel hard to the left, trying to compensate and grab hold of the road through the turn. The rear end continued to fishtail. At any other stretch of road, she might have been able to straighten out and regain control but not on this curve. It was just too sharp.
As the car went airborne, all Liz could do was yell, “Hold on!”
The road disappeared beneath her. Nothing but blue sky above and empty air surrounded them. Then the nose of the car dipped down, traveling at top speed back to earth. Seconds later the front grill hit the ground with a bone-jarring, crushing thud.
Upon impact, the air bags flew open and the force hit her chest and stole her breath away.
The car flipped upside down and continued to slide down the ravine on its roof, bumping…bucking…grinding over every stone, rut and pebble. The sound of tree branches scratching along the sides of the vehicle sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
Then absolute silence.
Liz didn’t move. She couldn’t. It took her a second or two to realize the crushing pressure on her chest was her seat belt holding her suspended in space and stealing whatever breath remained in her lungs.
Jeremy.
She pushed against the air bag and tried to find the release button on her seat belt.
“Jeremy.”
Liz twisted her head to the side, throwing her voice toward the backseat. She stifled a scream.
Adam’s face was mere inches from her own. He must have removed his seat belt so he could tend to Jeremy and had smashed against the wire barrier between the front and back seats. His eyes were closed and blood flowed down the left side of his face from a nasty-
looking cut on his forehead.
“Adam!”
She couldn’t move enough to see if he was still alive. She tried to turn her head far enough to see Jeremy. It was the deathly silence that frightened her. For once, she gladly would have opted for the sound of his earsplitting screams.
Something heavy pressed against her lower body. She couldn’t feel her legs. Panic washed over her. Why couldn’t she move her legs?
She slid her arm up and reached the radio microphone.
“This is Bravo 24. Come in.”
“This is Dispatch. Go ahead, Sheriff.”
“Officer down. Vehicular accident. Send bus. Over.”
“GPS location complete. Ambulance and backup en route.”
Liz released the button and turned her face back toward Adam. She pushed the air bag away enough to get her hand free. Pain shot through her shoulder but she didn’t stop. Once clear, she slid her fingers through the holes in the wire.
Please, God, let him be alive.
She poked the tips of her fingers through the mesh enough to feel his skin. It took several tries but she was finally able to press one of her fingertips against the carotid artery in his neck. His skin was warm and his pulse strong and steady. It was warm to the touch and Liz released a nervous laugh. He was alive.
Adam’s eyes flickered open at about the same time a scared, protesting wail sounded from Jeremy.
Liz smiled wide and welcomed her tears of relief.
Thank You,
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