Then all at once, I thought the opposite. If I could force myself to do it—but I knew I had to. So I mashed the accelerator down and spun the steering wheel as sharply to the right as I could.

Bell screeched. “What the fuck are you doing? Stop the car. Stop!”

Three things happened, all at about the same time. Michael Bell’s gun went off; I felt a universe of pain explode in my right shoulder; and the car started to plummet—almost straight downhill.

Chapter 118

Chapter 118

SUDDENLY THE PAIN SEEMED TO BE EVERYWHERE in my body, and it was nothing if not extreme. I was only semiconscious of thick fir trees and underbrush giving way to the car as it rocked and rolled and caromed out of control, threatening to flip.

We probably fell for only four or five seconds. Still, the eventual impact was enough to jam my chest with incredible force against the steering wheel. The seat belt probably saved me from going through the windshield. I knew Bell hadn’t been wearing his, and could only hope that he was badly hurt. If I was lucky, maybe he was unconscious, or dead, in the backseat.

I already had my hand on the door handle, and I rolled out of the car as best and fast as I could manage.

My whole body throbbed with a numbing ache that made it hard to move quickly. My right arm hung useless at my side.

I saw James Truscott’s body, facedown and spread-eagle in the dirt. Apparently he’d been thrown loose in the crash.

Then Michael Bell moaned in the backseat. He was alive inside. Too bad. With a great mustering of resources, I managed to get up on one knee. Suddenly my shoulder screamed with pain; I knew it had to be broken.

I took a halting step forward, expecting flat ground—but there was an almost invisible bank of tangled brush.

I went down, landing in half a foot of water. I’d been totally unaware of the stream until now.

It was shallow here, but the water stretched out farther across than I could see in the dark. The icy water sent an electric current of shock right through me.

I hadn’t thought the pain could get worse, but I saw a wash of white before my sight partially returned.

Again, I started to push myself up, only to be knocked back down. This time, it was Bell. He pushed down on my neck and head, and he was strong as hell. Then I felt his foot pressing down on my back. Water rushed up into my nose and mouth.

“Where the fuck do you think —” he was yelling.