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Andy took over the driving, glanced at the gas gauge, and smiled. “It looks like he must have filled up before the blizzard hit, got stuck here, but at least he has a full gas tank.”

“Good. Something’s working for us for a change.”

“Hey! What the hell! You shot me, and now you’ve stolen my vehicle?” Harvey shouted from the back, struggling to get loose.

Andy and Monica could be in a real mess again if he broke free from his constraints.

8

Giving them both a little burst of adrenaline, the Yukon hit another patch of ice, and Andy maneuvered to get the vehicle back under control. At least when the winds had hit the Yukon, the vehicle wasn’t shoved off the road because it was top-heavy. She was also glad they had a full tank of gas.

“You tried to kill me! You can’t arrest me! You are a couple of crooked cops. I’m bleeding to death! I’m going to die! You’re going to be charged with my murder. I’ll make sure of it! You stole my vehicle! That’s more charges!” Harvey yelled from the hatchback.

Andy reached over and squeezed Monica’s hand. She smiled at him. She wasn’t worried about Harvey charging them with anything. She was more concerned about getting him medical attention, more than they could give him with their limited first aid supplies.

Then she thought she smelled drugs in the back seat of the Yukon. She lifted her nose, took a deep breath, and then released it.

“Do you smell them too?” Andy asked.

“Yeah. Heroin.”

Andy pulled the Yukon over, and Monica got out of the vehicle and checked the backseat. “Ahh, white powdered stuff in bricks under the front seats.”

Andy glanced over the back seat. “Definitely heroin.”

“You can’t search my vehicle! I didn’t give consent to search my Yukon! It’s illegal to search my vehicle without a search warrant. It’s an illegal search!” Harvey said.

“I liked him better when he was passed out.” Monica climbed back into the passenger’s seat and closed the door.

“Hell, a polar bear attacked me in the lobby of my motel,” Harvey suddenly said, as if the comment about him being passed out finally made him remember what had happened to him. “I was knocked out. I didn’t just…pass out. You must have hidden so the bear didn’t kill you.”

“A polar bear? Have you been taking drugs or drinking?” Monica asked.

“No, I didn’t take anything. You know that. And I didn’t have anything in my vehicle. You planted those. You saw the bear. He knocked me out.”

“You tripped on your own two feet after you tried to kill me and fell and hit your head,” Monica said. “Thankfully, or I would have had to shoot you again.”

“I would have gotten you first.”

He probably would have shot her if Andy hadn’t barged into the lobby to protect her and taken Harvey down.

“Yeah, then you would have been arrested for murder. As it is, we arrested you for attempted murder.” Andy was all growly.

“I’m dying back here! Get me out of here! I need help right now!”

They saw lights up ahead through the fog of snow, and their hopes were renewed that the road was clear ahead.

“Headlights,” Monica realized no one was coming toward them, which made no sense.

Then the disaster unfolded before them.

“Multiple car accidents ahead.” Andy slowed down.

The headlights were shining in all kinds of different directions. Two cars were still on the road, looking like they’d sustained minor damage. Three other cars had sailed off the road down the embankments.

They didn’t see emergency vehicles flashing colored lights or sirens, declaring help was coming. Monica tried her phone, but still had no signal to call anyone. The accident must have just happened.

Andy stopped the vehicle, and he and Monica exited the Yukon to check on everyone.