Prior Bad Acts

46

CAREY TRIED the phone again. Still nothing. She kept pressing buttons to keep the phone illuminated, and tried to use it as a flashlight. She’d found nothing in her reach to use as a weapon once her abductor stopped the car.

As she moved the cell phone to the right, the light reflected off something. The plastic cover of one interior trunk light.

She felt around the cover, trying to find a way to pry under it, to pull it loose. She dug at it, pulled at it, broke two fingernails.

Closing her eyes, she took her phone and used the end of it like a hammer, beating at the plastic until it cracked.

Pulling the shattered cover apart, she felt around inside. Her fingertips snagged on something.

Wires.

To the taillights? The turn signals? Many a criminal had ended his career with a traffic violation.

Carey pulled the wires loose and prayed for a ticket-happy cop.