Identity Unknown by Terri Reed Page A

grinned at him. “I take this baby to the racetrack in Bangor during the summer.”
    For some reason he wasn’t surprised. She struck him as a woman who liked adventure. “That sounds fun.”
    â€œIt is.” She brought the car to a halt in front of a box of a house trimmed in twinkling blue and white lights. An inflatable snowman stood sentry on the front lawn, and behind the front window curtains was the outline of a Christmas tree.
    Deputy Dan Paulson hustled out of the house with a bag slung over his shoulder and carrying a thick jacket, which he thrust into John’s hand when John jumped out to push the backrest forward so Paulson could climb into the small backseat. It was a good thing it would only be the three of them, because no way could another person fit back there.
    â€œSheriff said we’re going out to Quoddy Head,” Paulson remarked as she gunned the engine and they took off.
    â€œYep. I know a safe place.” She turned onto the highway heading away from the ocean.
    â€œIs this where the captain lives?” John asked.
    She chuckled. “Not anymore. But fair warning, it’s rustic.”
    John studied her profile, liking the curves and angles of her face. “How rustic? As in no restrooms? No heat?”
    â€œNot that uncivilized. No internet, no cell service.”
    No biggie for him. He didn’t have a cell phone or a computer.
    Paulson nearly sputtered. “But what if we need help? How do we contact the sheriff?”
    â€œSatellite phone,” she replied. “Don’t worry, Paulson. There’s no way anyone will be able to find us out there.”
    â€œYeah, from your mouth to God’s ears,” the other deputy groused and sat back.
    â€œAmen to that,” John said. He sent up a quick prayer that whoever was after him didn’t know about this place. Audrey exited the highway onto a two-lane road that stretched out before them with dense woods on either side. Snow covered the forest floor. Occasionally John checked the side-view mirror to make sure there were no other cars traveling in the same direction. The longer they drove, the denser the foliage became.
    Suddenly beams of light appeared behind them.
    Adrenaline pumped through John’s veins. What were the chances that someone else would be out on this road at this time of night? How had they found them? “We’ve got company.”
    The lights gained on them. The hairs on the back of his neck jumped to attention. This was no casual driver out for an evening drive.
    â€œHang on,” Audrey warned. She cranked the wheel and sent the car into a spin. She straightened the wheel when they were facing the oncoming car.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” Paulson shouted. “Are you crazy? This isn’t a time to play chicken.”
    â€œI’m not,” she replied in a tight tone. “Normally we’d be dealing with a couple feet of snow at this time of year, but it’s late in coming. We have only a dusting to make things slick.”
    Facing the oncoming vehicle allowed John to determine the rapidly approaching car was an SUV. A monster of a thing with a large brush guard, looking a bit beat-up.
    â€œIt’s them,” Audrey said. “The men who are trying to kill you.”
    Grabbing onto the dash, John asked, “What are you doing?”
    â€œI told you this can outrun anything,” she said. “That beast of a machine won’t be able to turn around quickly enough to follow us. We’ll be taking a more scenic route.”
    The distance between them and the oncoming SUV lessened. John gritted his teeth. He had to trust Audrey. Trust that she knew what she was doing, because he and Paulson were at her mercy.
    Blinded by the SUV’s headlights, he braced himself for impact, but at the last second, Audrey swerved, roaring past the SUV. She floored the gas, and the Mustang raced away, the studded tires thumping on the