CHAPTER 8 - A BUMP IN THE ROAD
The rain was still coming down pretty hard, but at least Zane could see where he was going. The road was lined with a thick blanket of trees, so seeing the airport would have been impossible anyway.
The mud on the road was thick, and there were several times when Zane had to put the accelarator to the floor to get us going again. Lucky for us, we didn't have to get out and push. Because I was dead serious... I was not going to push.
We'd been moving for a half-hour, and still, no sign of the airport.
The truck was crawling, barely moving in the slick mud. It would take us forever to get there, even if we did find it.
An hour and a half, I thought to myself. Only an hour and a half. We're never going to make it.
Yeah, I said that to myself, but to Zane, I siad, "Naw, we'll make it in time. Just keep driving."
Soon enough, the trees thined on one side, but unfortunately, a hill replaced it. Or maybe it was a mountain. Anyway, the point was: We still couldn't see. How in the world were we supposed to find the airport?
"I thought you said we were going back the way we came," I questioned, glancing out my window.
Zane kept his eyes firmly on the road ahead. "We are."
It didn't seem like it to me, but he was the driver. I had to assume he knew that he was doing.
"Why?" he finally asked.
I shrugged. "Oh - I don't know. It's just that - well, do you remember so many trees? Or that mountain?"
Zane glanced out his window. "No, but - uh - maybe we just don't remember it."
I sighed. We were lost, again. How were we supposed to find the airport when we didn't even know where wer were? I mean, were we even in Verginia, or had we gone into some other state? I had no clue. All I knew was that this was not the way we'd come.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "Maybe."
Nearly twenty minutes later, the rain was starting to stop.
"Thank goodness," Zane said, speeding up a bit. "Now we'll get somewhere."
I glanced at the spedometer. "You should probably slow down."
Zane glanced at me in an I-know-more-than-you-so-be-quiet look. "The rain stopped, Payson. I can see now."
"I know," I said harshly, "but there's mud. You could go off the road or something."
Zane ignored me.
I turned my head toward the trees trying to see through them. Maybe I could pick out a plane or a building? No way. The brush was to thick to see anything.
We continued on, at a much higher speed than I would have liked. The road got curvier (if that's a word) up ahead, but Zane didn't slow down. I kept my mouth shut, but only for the sake of not wanting not be called a know-it-all again. But in my head, I was yelling, Slow down!
As we reached the bend, Zane turned the steering wheel and the car began to turn, but unfortunately, the mud was to thick, and the car began to slide.
"Zane!" I yelled, holding onto the handle for dear life.
"I'm trying!" he yelled back, turning the steering wheel and hitting the break.
The car kept sliding. Zane was struggling to get control, and finally... CRASH!
Carter and Mason sat in a small, stone cell. I could tell it was underground, but I couldn't tell where. There were no windows, and only one door, the way out. It seemed to be made of solide steele. There was a man lying in a cot in the corner, but he was sleeping.
