Page 40 of Fierce Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #3)

Jade’s pulse pounded heavily in her ears, matching the crunching of icy snow beneath her tires as she navigated the isolated mountain roads.

The headlights cut a narrow path through the darkness, illuminating walls of snow on either side that closed in with each passing mile.

Beside her, Sarah held her pistol steadily, its cold barrel occasionally brushing Jade’s side—a chilling reminder of the mortal danger they faced.

The heater hummed softly, contrasting sharply with the frigid night outside, yet Jade felt cold sweat trickling down her back, fear prickling her skin. Her knuckles had turned white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly.

“Take the next right,” Sarah instructed, her voice unnervingly calm. “Stay on this road.”

Jade obeyed, carefully turning onto an even narrower road that wound higher into the mountains. She’d been watching their route with growing dread. Instead of heading west toward the Sacramento area as Sarah had initially implied, they were traveling north, deeper into the remote wilderness.

A terrible certainty crystallized. Sarah was taking them deep into abandoned logging country, mile upon mile of isolated forest land where she could bury their bodies under feet of snow, where no one would think to look.

She pictured Sarah’s plan clearly now: kill them both, remove the identifying info from Jade’s car and abandon it in some crime-ridden neighborhood in the Bay Area where it would be quickly stripped for parts—erasing the evidence completely.

The perfect crime. No bodies. No car. No connection to Sarah.

Except the surveillance cams Deke had planted at Jade’s condo. He hadn’t removed them. A new glimmer of hope shot through her. If she could just keep DJ alive tonight, Deke would be on the way.

He and his team would figure this out.

But would they be too late?

In the rearview mirror, Jade caught a glimpse of DJ’s face. The teenager sat rigidly in the back seat, his eyes wide with fear but also alert and watchful. Just like his Dad.

The kid wasn’t giving up.

Drawing on buried memories from her life with her father, Jade consciously steadied her breathing. Con artists knew how to manipulate people, how to disarm them. She could use those skills now—not to deceive, but to survive.

“You really planned this out, Sarah,” Jade kept her voice casual, almost conversational, as if with each mile she was warming to things. “I have to hand it to you—you’re way smarter than Kent ever was.”

Sarah’s eyes flickered toward her, a hint of surprise in them. Despite her caution, Sarah couldn’t quite hide the pleased smirk that touched her lips.

“Kent was an idiot. I mean, he was hot and everything. And rich. But so stupid. How did he think he could just dump me and take the money?”

Jade nodded, as if they were just two colleagues discussing a mutual acquaintance. “That’s why you killed him?”

“I didn’t kill Kent,” Sarah reminded her sharply. “I mean, not technically.”

“And now you’re cleaning up loose ends. Very thorough.”

Sarah settled back slightly in her seat, the gun still aimed steadily but her posture marginally more relaxed. People like Sarah couldn’t resist having their intelligence acknowledged. Jade had seen her father use this tactic countless times—flattery was the quickest way to lower someone’s guard.

She needed to create a distraction, give them some opportunity—any opportunity.

Jade pictured Sarah’s designer tote bag sitting on the floor by DJ’s feet. Sarah had tossed it into the back seat when they’d first gotten into the car, too focused on keeping her gun trained on Jade to worry about her belongings.

Sarah’s phone .

Now, if she could figure out a way to alert DJ to her idea.

“Honestly, Sarah,” she continued, “I can’t believe you risked ruining your favorite designer bag in all this. I mean, fingerprints, phones, makeup—you’re going to have to toss it.”

She placed subtle emphasis on “phones,” holding DJ’s eyes briefly in the mirror, praying silently he understood her indirect instruction.

“So what?” Sarah rolled her eyes. “Kent gave it to me. And anyway, it’s just a bag. Not like I can’t buy a million of them if I want.”

Jade’s heart clenched painfully at the risk she was taking. What was she doing, putting this on a teenager? DJ deserved better. But an even stronger, instinctive certainty flooded her.

His skills were their only real chance. He was quick and clever. He just needed an opportunity.

But the passcode. She wanted to smack her forehead with her palm.

How could she have forgotten that? Still, he could use the phone to dial 911.

Sarah’s phone looked similar to her own.

Same brand. She had to hope he knew that holding the side key would bring up emergency services, even with the phone locked.

“So what’s the plan?” Jade asked, keeping Sarah’s attention focused forward. “Once we get to wherever we’re going?”

Sarah’s smile turned cold. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

From the back seat came a sudden groan. Jade tensed, her heart skipping a beat as DJ hunched forward.

“I don’t feel good,” he moaned, clutching his stomach. “I think I’m gonna hurl.”

Sarah whipped around, irritation flashing across her face. “Don’t you dare mess up this car. Sit back!”

“It’s the winding road,” Jade interjected quickly, drawing Sarah’s attention back. “Motion sickness. Remember when we drove to that conference in the mountains last year? Half the youth group got sick on those curves.”

Sarah’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, but Jade pressed on.

“I’ve always wondered, Sarah—how did you manage to fool everyone at church for so long? I mean, you’re the perfect Sunday school teacher. Even I believed it completely.”

The question hooked Sarah’s pride just as Jade had hoped. She straightened slightly, her expression turning smug.

“People see what they want to see,” Sarah replied. “Especially Christians. They’re so desperate to believe the best in everyone. Sad, but you know, it works for me.”

Jade deliberately focused her eyes forward, gripping the steering wheel tighter. She forced herself not to glance back again, refusing to risk alerting Sarah to any suspicious activity in the back seat.

Several tense minutes passed as they continued winding deeper into the mountains. Then, from the back seat, DJ suddenly sat up straighter.

“I’m feeling better now,” he announced, his voice steady despite the circumstances.

Jade’s heart leapt. Something in his tone—a subtle confidence that hadn’t been there before—sent a wave of hope through her.

Whatever he’d been trying to do in the back seat, that simple statement told her he’d succeeded.

It took every ounce of her self-control not to react, to maintain her expression of fearful attention.

“Take that turnoff up ahead,” Sarah instructed abruptly, pointing toward a barely-visible forest service road.

Jade obeyed, fighting to maintain control as the car bounced roughly over the uneven surface. The snow was deeper here, untouched by plows or other vehicles. Trees loomed closer on either side, their branches weighted with snow, silent sentinels to the grim scene unfolding.

Her emotional resolve sharpened fiercely. Even if this cost her life, she wouldn’t let Sarah harm DJ.

“That way.” Sarah said, pointing ahead. “Pull up to that building.”

In the headlights, Jade could make out the dark silhouette of what appeared to be an abandoned lumber mill.

The dilapidated structure stood like a skeletal reminder of more prosperous times, windows broken, roof partially collapsed under the weight of snow.

Sarah had chosen well—this was a place that hadn’t seen human activity in years.

One more decent snowstorm and the tracks from her car would be erased. Unless help came soon, no one would find them.

DJ’s signal had given her hope—but hope was a fragile thing in the face of Sarah’s gun and this desolate location. She had faith in DJ’s cleverness, but would it be enough? Would anyone find them in time?

The silence was thick, broken only by the low rumble of the car’s engine. For now, she could only pray.

Dear Lord, please … let Deke find us before it’s too late.