* * *
Janet walked out of the tiny shack. She could tell that one or two people had been staying there, even though there wasn’t much in the way of personal belongings. Moving around to the back of the shack, she stopped abruptly. “A jeep,” she said and quickly looked around. It sat in a small cleared area, backed up to the shack. A few feet beyond was a narrow dirt road that had been carved out of the forest.
Looking around and listening, Janet peeked into the driver’s seat window then opened the door. Looking for a key, she found one under the floor matt. Without hesitation, she slid in behind the wheel and took a deep breath.
Just as she shoved the key into the ignition, she was startle by a loud explosion that echoed throughout the forest. Birds squawked and scattered overhead. Fearing the worst, she started the engine, put it in gear, and drove onto the dirt road, praying like crazy no one would try to stop her.