as he lowered the window. A gust of flakes swirled into the warm interior.
A cop walked over, bent down, a layer of snow thick on the peak of his hat. “Good morning, sir,” he said as he directed his flashlight at Luke, then panned over to Jessica.
Chapter 5
“Is there a problem, Officer?” Luke asked.
“We’re doing a vehicle check, sir, not permitting anyone through without proper snow tires and chains. There’s heavy weather ahead. Road north of Pemberton is closed due to an avalanche and we’re expecting worse over the next seventy-two hours.”
“We’re equipped.”
“Where are you headed, sir?”
Luke frowned inwardly. This wasn’t standard. “Only as far as Squamish,” he lied.
“Can I see your license, please?”
Luke offered one with an alias. The officer went back to his vehicle to check it.
Luke sat calmly. The false ID would hold, but he didn’t like the fact it was being checked at all. The cop returned, did a walk around the vehicle, noting tires.
“You carrying chains, sir?”
“Yes, like I said, we’re equipped.”
The cop handed the license back. “There’s no guarantee the road will stay open north of Squamish if the weather worsens.”
“As I said, officer, we’re not going that far.”
The cop nodded. “Have a good day, then, sir.” He stepped back and waved another car over behind them.
Luke edged his vehicle forward, tires slipping slightly.
“Thank God,” Jessica whispered as she sat up. “I thought they were hunting for us.”
“They are. They just haven’t connected the dots yet.”
Moisture filled her eyes and she looked away quickly. Luke’s heart punched. He placed his hand on her knee. “It’s okay, Jess. We’ll get you through this.”
He had no business making promises he might not be able to keep. But he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to try and make her feel better.
“Thank you,” she whispered, barely audibly, covering his hand lightly with hers. Electricity sparked through Luke’s arm at the contact. Shocked, he withdrew his hand instantly. His tires were slipping, he needed both hands on the wheel, full attention on the road ahead.
Dawn arrived in pale monochromatic grays, a diaphanous curtain of snowflakes separating from the dark underbellies of clouds that socked low over the mountains. All around them granite cliffs were fringed with ridges of conifers that speared aggressively into the sky.
Luke pulled off the highway and turned into the village of Squamish. “Breakfast?” he asked.
She blew out a lungful of air and smiled shakily. “You have absolutely no idea how good that sounds right now.”
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