Out For Justice

Before death, one’s entire life was supposed to flash before him. But all Wade could think about was failing in his promise to Andrew—that he’d failed to take care of Kelly McGovern.

The truck bounced hard. Rolled. Crunched. A vortex of metal spun them and then spit him out.

WADE DIDN’T REMEMBER the truck stopping. Why was he out of the truck when he’d been wearing his seat belt? He’d come to, flat on his back with the rain pelting his face. He had no idea how long he’d been unconscious, but he was soaked to the skin and shivering. The thunderstorm still raged full force, and the sky had darkened with the sun setting behind the clouds.

For a moment he was tempted to just lie there. But then the accident came rushing back. Kelly. He had to find her. She might need him.

He tasted blood, sat up and spit. Despite his seat belt, he’d been thrown out of the truck. Every muscle in his body roared in pain, but he forced himself to his feet, staggered to his truck.

His truck lay upside down, the cab crushed inward, the windshield a spiderweb of cracks on one side, the passenger’s window long gone. Bending and dreading what he would find, Wade peered inside. Between the rain and the fading light, he wondered if he could be hallucinating.

The truck was empty.

Just to make sure, he crawled inside, praying her body wasn’t wedged against the floorboards. His hand caught on the seat belt strap and tugged free. The end had clearly been slashed with a sharp object, probably leaving just a few frail threads intact, which had torn during the crash.

The chance of one seat belt failing had to be astronomically high. The chance of both of them failing at the same time meant that someone had wanted them dead.

A prickle of ice stabbed down his spine. Wade crawled deeper inside the cab. He felt around, ignoring the bits of glass that sliced his flesh.

Nada.

He wriggled back out, confused and breathing hard.

Think.

His cell phone had been crushed. Calling for help wasn’t an option.

The tow truck was nowhere to be seen. The highway stretched empty ahead and behind as far as he could see.

Perhaps Kelly had been thrown out of the vehicle like he’d been. She could be lying by the road hurt…or worse. Wade pried open his toolbox and retrieved his flashlight.

After a thorough search, he slumped next to his truck in despair.

No one had passed by in all that time, and he hadn’t found any sign of Kelly at all. She was gone.