What exactly she was when it came to Alex, she hadn’t figured out. But she did know something about Alex. “Smart, getting this car.”

“Old. No tech to break into.”

“I like it.”

And she liked Alex. A little too much.

His stepfather had lowered the shotgun and opened the wide gate so Alex could exit. He saluted the man as they drove by, but it was clear no love was lost there. She’d have to get that story from him, like he’d gotten part of her story from her.

But right now, Nora was in trouble. Mackenzie texted her again.

Nora, we’re on the way.

Mackenzie stared at her phone, waiting for a response. She tried not to panic. Nora could have lost the signal. She could have escaped. Terra and “the gang” could be there now helping her. She tried calling instead, but only got Nora’s voice mail.

She squeezed her cell phone. They’d taken too long. “There’s no answer, Alex. I’m scared. Can we call your friends again?”

He handed over his cell. Mackenzie found the contacts and called Terra.

“Alex,” Terra answered.

“This is Mackenzie. We’re on the way. Have you found her?”

“No. She could be anywhere. There are a lot of forest roads between her house and Hanstech, and they encompass hundreds, if not thousands, of acres.”

Mackenzie’s hands shook.

“What’s going on, Mackenzie?” Terra asked.

“Someone hacked her car.”

“But what can the hacker really do?”

“Microprocessors control practically everything in modern vehicles. He could accelerate. He could disable the brakes. Use your imagination.”

“Oh . . . wait . . . I have an incoming call. Hold on.”

Mackenzie waited while Alex accelerated until they found the main road Nora said she was near.

“It’s not a self-driving car. So it’s not like he could take over her steering wheel, right?” Alex tried to sound reassuring.

“He could change the destination of the GPS and control the vehicle that way. So, yes, the vehicle would seem to have a life of its own.”

“Mackenzie!” Terra came back on the line, her voice excited.

“Jack found her car.”

“Oh, thank goodness! Where?”

“On Old Camp Road, almost a half a mile from the main road.” Mackenzie repeated the words so Alex could hear.

“But she’s not there.”

TWENTY-SEVEN

Alex was glad he’d contacted Terra immediately. Fortunately, he remembered where Old Camp Road was, and he accelerated.

Mackenzie groaned. “I lost the call. And she’s missing. They found the car, but she’s not in it.”

“I’m heading over to Old Camp Road.”

“You know it?”

“Yes.” He put more confidence into his words than he felt and steered the Mustang around the mountain road.

“Where could she have gone?” Mackenzie leaned toward the window.

Dread curdled in his gut. “Given the scenario . . .”

“You think he would actually take her?” She blew out a ragged breath.

“Don’t you?”