Pia drove quickly but attentively. She passed the turnoff to the Nano security gate on the left without slowing, and had to blare her horn to warn a black Suburban, which threatened to pull out in her way. She continued on, banking to her left, accelerating again.

“Okay, now what?” Paul questioned.

“We’re just going to head out toward Carter Lake Loop. I estimate we probably have ten minutes or so on them. I think it is better to drive out and intercept them. I have a suspicion there’s a separate entrance to Nano that I’d like to find. I don’t think they’ll use the main entrance.”

“Why don’t we just call the police and let them handle this?” said Paul. Pia’s determination and rashness were making him nervous.

“The police have already been called, and they’re up with the EMTs. Besides, I’m sure Mariel has some kind of watertight legal explanation for what’s going on, just like when she stormed into the ER to get the runner. The local police are not going to help with the situation.”

Pia continued the gradual left-hand turn following the road until it straightened out. They were now passing the Nano property on the left and a few of the Nano buildings could be seen poking up through the evergreens and aspens. To the right the road fell off into a gully containing a tree-lined mountain brook. She was traveling at more than fifty miles an hour.

Pia glanced over to Paul and was about to say something, but suddenly something caught her attention. Out of the corner of her left eye, Pia saw a shape in her side mirror bearing down on her car. Before she could even respond, she felt the shuddering impact as her VW was rammed hard across the rear on the left side. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep the car straight as the giant shape pushed and pushed, grinding her car toward the edge of the road. Pia may have screamed, but the sound was drowned out by the rending of metal as the car hit the soft gravel at the side of the road, followed by a second of silence as it flew off and down the embankment toward the tree line. Then she felt a sickening thud, accompanied by the smashing of glass, as the car rolled once, then twice, and perhaps again, but Pia couldn’t know how many times, because everything went black and was perfectly still and quiet.

Chapter 32

32.

BOULDER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, AURORA, COLORADO

THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013, 12:55 P.M. (FOUR DAYS LATER)