Second Chance Read Online Free PDF Page B

driver’s seat was a woman’s suit. Her shoes were on the floor. Atop the clothes were her glasses, necklace, earrings, and something that appeared to have fallen from her hair. As usual, Judd found dental fillings. On the floor, near the shoes, were the woman’s watch and rings.
    Judd smelled perfume. He held his breath. Not wanting to step on her belongings, he gathered them up and set them between the two front seats. On the passenger side, a man’s suit and his belongings were draped where he had sat. Judd glanced in the backseat, where two people who had been sitting close had left everything but flesh and bone.
    That gave Judd the willies, but he had to do what he had to do. He depressed the brake, shifted from drive into reverse, and backed the car out of the way.
    The next car had its formerly lone occupant’s clothes on the seat behind the wheel. Judd tossed these onto the passenger side and kicked the shoes out of the way. The car was in drive and the key was on, but it had run out of gas. “I’m gonna need your help here, Vicki,” he said. “I’m going to shift this into neutral, then I’m gonna need you to steer it while I try to push it back into those other ones.”
    â€œI really don’t want to be in that car with those clothes,” Vicki said. “Anyway, I’ve never driven.”
    â€œThis isn’t driving,” Judd said. “You’ll just be keeping it straight until it touches that car back there.”
    â€œPlease! I really don’t want to do this.”
    â€œWell, what do you suggest? How are we going to get out of here if you don’t help me?”
    â€œLet me push,” she said. “You steer.”
    â€œWe can try,” Judd said, “but I don’t think you realize how heavy this car is.”
    â€œI’m pretty strong.”
    â€œSuit yourself. Try it.”
    Judd put the car in neutral, and Vicki climbed atop the hood. She put her feet on the trunk of the car ahead and wedged herself between the two cars. She pushed with all her might, trying to roll the car backward. It wouldn’t budge. Judd opened the door andput his foot on the floor to help push that way. Nothing.
    â€œI’m bigger than you are, Vicki. Let me try pushing while you steer.”
    â€œI told you I’m not getting in that car, and I’m not. Think of something else.”
    â€œThere is nothing else. What are we supposed to do?”
    â€œJust make sure the wheels are straight, Judd. Then we can both push. So what if it hits those cars back there? It’s not going to move unless we both push it anyway.”
    Judd couldn’t argue with that. Without the engine running, the power steering did not work. Straightening the wheels of that car was like driving a truck with no power steering at all. It took all of Judd’s might to get the wheels to turn a couple of inches. He had to keep getting out to check whether they were lined up. When they were straight, he joined Vicki on the bumpers between the cars. With both of them putting their entire weight and muscle between the cars, the one finally began to slowly roll. Within seconds it had picked up a little speed, and Judd and Vicki dropped down from their perch on the second car. Judd ran to the driver’s side and whipped open the door, feeling the tremendous weight and momentum of the vehicle. As it neared the car behind it, Judd jumpedin. But before he could apply the brake or shift into park, the car smashed into the grille of the vehicle behind it.
    Now there was barely enough room left between that car and the one pressed up against the wall near Judd’s. What tricky problem might that offer?
    Judd noticed that the front tires of the last car were turned sharply to the left. There were no clothes on the seat. No keys in the ignition. And the doors were locked. “This was obviously being driven by someone who had just started to turn left