River Road(62)
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz

Mason sat quietly for a time, contemplating the view through the windshield. Adrenaline flooded through him, temporarily clearing his thoughts. He eased the car onto the lay-by and shut down the engine.

The dazzling sunlight and the crystalline world blazed around him. He was once again lost in the wonder of it all. Where had he been going? Lucy. He was on his way to find Lucy. But for some reason he did not think it would be a good idea to drive any farther.

He took out his phone and looked at it for a while, admiring the illuminated screen. Who did he want to call?

Lucy.

With exquisite care he tapped the screen with her name on it. She answered on the first ring.

“Hi,” he said. “I want to make love to you, but I don’t know if there’s going to be time because I might die. So I called to say good-bye.”

“Mason. What’s wrong?”

“I was in this movie and the stuntman tried to force me off the road.”

“Good grief. You sound drunk.”

“Nope. Just had a cup of coffee is all.”

“Where are you?”

“River Road, I think. Let me check.” He surveyed his surroundings. “Everything is very sparkly, but I’m pretty sure it’s River Road.”

“Where on River Road?” She sounded tense but very patient, as if speaking to a child.

“Lookout Point,” he said. “You know, that place where the tourists pull over to take pictures of the river.”

“Lookout Point? You’re sure?”

“Pretty sure.” He heard a heavy engine revving in the distance. “Oops, gotta go. I think the stuntman is coming back.”

“What stuntman? Listen, don’t move. Do you understand? Stay right where you are. Deke and I are on our way.”

“Good-bye, Lucy.”

The big vehicle was coming closer now. The engine was slowing.

“I think I should get out of the car,” Mason said.

He cut the connection and fumbled with the seat belt. Another wave of adrenaline sluiced through him. He managed to get the gun out of the glove compartment and then proceeded to engage in close-quarter combat with the door until he got it open. He stumbled toward the trees, not sure why he needed to get out of sight but not questioning the instinct.

His head was spinning, but he made it into the woods. He hunkered down behind some rocks and waited, the gun clutched in both hands. There was a small pool of the liquid-gold sunshine nearby. He watched it, fascinated.

He heard the vehicle cruise slowly past the lay-by, but it did not stop. Mason remembered that he had left the driver’s-side door of the car open. He wondered what the person behind the wheel of the SUV made of that.

Probably thinks I jumped into the river. Joke’s on him.

He heard the big engine rev once more, an angry predator deprived of its prey. And then the SUV was gone.

Mason put the gun down very carefully on a rock and sat there, losing himself in the wonders of the crystalline landscape and thinking about Lucy until he heard another vehicle arrive. Tires squealed. Car doors slammed.

“Mason?”

Lucy’s voice pulled him to his feet. He collected the gun and worked his way back through the trees. He saw her standing at the guardrail, staring down at the river, anguish on her face. She was not alone. Deke was with her.

“Hi,” Mason said.

Lucy whirled around at the sound of his voice. So did Deke.

“Mason,” Lucy said. “Dear heaven. For a moment there we thought . . . Never mind.”

She rushed toward him.

“What the hell is going on?” Deke demanded, striding across the graveled lay-by. “Here, give me that gun. You’re in no condition to handle it.”

“I know,” Mason said. “Couldn’t think of anything else, though. Seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Another wave of dizziness swept over him. He gave the gun to Deke.

And then Lucy was in his arms and that was all that mattered. He stopped fighting the darkness and fell into the deep.

38

The movie continues . . .

CUT TO:

EMERGENCY ROOM

There is a team of medical personnel dressed in scrubs. Lucy is standing at the foot of the bed, anxious. Deke is behind her, one hand on her shoulder. He is grim-faced.

DOCTOR

No signs of trauma. Vitals normal.

Doctor checks patient’s arms and then moves to foot of bed, forcing Lucy to step back. Doctor examines patient between the toes.

DOCTOR

No needle tracks.

LUCY

Outraged.

Of course there are no needle tracks. Mason doesn’t do drugs.

DOCTOR

With AMS, we have to assume drugs are a possibility. We’ll know more when the labs come back.

PATIENT

I’m okay.

No one pays any attention. They haven’t heard him.

LUCY

What’s AMS?

DOCTOR

Altered mental status. You’re sure there’s no history of drug use?

DEKE

She’s right. A couple of beers or some wine in the evening. That’s it.

DOCTOR

Speaking to other members of

the medical staff.

Take him to X-ray. I want a CT scan of his head.

PATIENT

Louder this time.

I’m okay, damn it.

Everyone looks at patient. Lucy smiles, relieved.

LUCY

He’s okay.

PATIENT

Right. I’m okay. I want to go home.

DOCTOR

Gives patient a stern look.

Do you remember what you ate or drank before your wife and uncle brought you in here?

PATIENT

Looks at Lucy, winks and smiles.

Hi, wife.

Lucy frowns in warning. Patient gets the message. She and Deke lied about Lucy’s relationship to the patient in order to get Lucy into the exam room.

DOCTOR

Speaking firmly to patient.

Mr. Fletcher, do you remember what you ingested before you got here?

PATIENT

Concentrates hard.

Coffee. I think.

DOCTOR

Do you remember the hallucinations?

PATIENT

I think I was in a movie.

DOCTOR

Are you still in a movie?

PATIENT

Realizes there probably is a right answer and

a wrong answer. Takes a chance.

Nope. Movie’s over.

DOCTOR

Looking like he doesn’t believe patient.

Glad to hear it. But just to make sure the film has a happy ending, you’re going

to spend the night with us, Mr. Fletcher.

If your vitals remain stable and your neurological signs look good, you can

go home in the morning.

PATIENT

Shit.

39

Stop looking at me like that,” Mason said.