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Chapters (72)
  1. ALSO BY ROBIN COOK
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. COPYRIGHT
  4. DEDICATION
  5. CONTENTS
  6. PREFACE
  7. PROLOGUE
  8. Chapter 1
  9. Chapter 2
  10. Chapter 3
  11. Chapter 4
  12. Chapter 5
  13. Chapter 6
  14. Chapter 7
  15. Chapter 8
  16. Chapter 9
  17. Chapter 10
  18. Chapter 11
  19. Chapter 12
  20. Chapter 13
  21. Chapter 14
  22. Chapter 15
  23. Chapter 16
  24. Chapter 17
  25. Chapter 18
  26. Chapter 19
  27. Chapter 20
  28. Chapter 21
  29. Chapter 22
  30. Chapter 23
  31. Chapter 24
  32. Chapter 25
  33. Chapter 26
  34. Chapter 27
  35. Chapter 28
  36. Chapter 29
  37. Chapter 30
  38. Chapter 31
  39. Chapter 32
  40. Chapter 33
  41. Chapter 34
  42. Chapter 35
  43. Chapter 36
  44. Chapter 37
  45. Chapter 38
  46. Chapter 39
  47. Chapter 40
  48. Chapter 41
  49. Chapter 42
  50. Chapter 43
  51. Chapter 44
  52. Chapter 45
  53. Chapter 46
  54. Chapter 47
  55. Chapter 48
  56. Chapter 49
  57. Chapter 50
  58. Chapter 51
  59. Chapter 52
  60. Chapter 53
  61. Chapter 54
  62. Chapter 55
  63. Chapter 56
  64. Chapter 57
  65. Chapter 58
  66. Chapter 59
  67. Chapter 60
  68. Chapter 61
  69. Chapter 62
  70. Chapter 63
  71. Chapter 64
  72. EPILOGUE

Pia set off at a run, and much against his better judgment, Paul followed.

Chapter 31

31.

ROUTE 36, NORTH OF BOULDER, COLORADO

SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013, 10:50 A.M.

Paul had no time to argue with Pia’s decision to take her car; she ran out to the ER parking lot and jumped in the VW, barely waiting long enough for Paul to hop in and get his door closed. As he struggled to fasten his seat belt, she was already on the way.

“Pia, let’s think about this. What are we going to do, even if we see the right white van? And how will we know it is the right van? And you forgot your seat belt.”

Pia cast Paul a dirty look as if to say “you are not my keeper,” and accelerated out of the hospital lot. Aggressively she zigzagged through traffic on her way to the freeway, heading northwest.

“We’re going to find them, then improvise. If nothing else, we’ll follow them to Nano.”

“And then what?”

“I don’t know! What I do know is that we can’t sit around and wait for the police to go see the EMTs. I’m sure Mariel had some excuse . . . whoa! Look out!”

Pia swerved to avoid a car that was trying to execute a perfectly legal lane change with blinkers flashing. The driver didn’t see Pia coming up fast.

“Pia, we’re going to get into an accident, if not arrested.”

“No, we’re not! There’s the freeway ramp.”

Pia drove onto the highway, where her speed was less conspicuous. She pushed on, driving over eighty, till she slowed and took an exit.

“What are you doing?” Paul gripped what he could to keep himself righted.

“This is the fastest way to Nano, plus it intersects the road to Carter Lake Loop, which is coming up right now.” She rolled through a stop sign, then accelerated again. “This is actually the Carter Lake Loop road now. The Nano main entrance is coming up on the left in just a few minutes.”

“How are we going to recognize the van other than the fact that it’s white? A white van is not much of a description. Pia, this is crazy.” Paul’s knuckles were blanched holding on to the armrest.

“I’m going to drive right past Nano, and then we’ll follow the road north heading for Carter Lake Loop. There can’t be that many white vans around.”

They drove for a few minutes in a tense silence. Pia was hunched forward, holding the steering wheel tightly in both hands. She was on a mission.

Paul allowed himself to look out the window and recognized where they were. He saw the logic in Pia’s plan, but still wondered what they could do once they saw the van, provided they did see the van.