Four Warned (Quick Reads 2014) Read Free

to side. It nearly drove over the edge and into a ditch, but somehow managed to steady itself,
ending up a few yards behind her, its lights once again glaring through her rear windscreen.
    When she reached the top of the slip road, Diana turned left in the direction of the farm, frantically trying to work out what she should do next. The nearest town was about twelve miles away on
the main road, and the farm was only seven, but five of those miles were down a winding, unlit country lane. She checked her petrol meter. It was nearing empty, but there should still be enough in
the tank for her to consider either option. There was less than a mile to go before she reached the turning, so she had only a minute in which to make up her mind.
    With a hundred yards to go, she settled on the farm. Despite the unlit lane, she knew every twist and turn, and she felt confident that her pursuer wouldn’t. Once she reached the farm she
could be out of the car and inside the house long before he could catch her. In any case, once he saw the farmhouse, surely he would flee?
    The minute was up. Diana touched the brakes and skidded into a country road lit only by the moon.
    Diana banged the palms of her hands on the steering wheel. Had she made the wrong decision? She glanced up at her rear-view mirror. Had he given up? Of course he hadn’t. The back of a Land
Rover loomed up in front of her. Diana slowed down, waiting for a corner she knew well, where the road widened slightly. She held her breath, crashed into third gear, and overtook. Would a head-on
collision be preferable to a cut throat?
    She rounded the bend and saw an empty road ahead of her. Once again she pressed her foot down, this time managing to put a clear seventy, perhaps even a hundred, yards between her and her
pursuer, but this only offered her a few moments’ relief. Before long the familiar headlights came bearing down on her once again.
    With each bend Diana was able to gain a little time as the van continued to lurch from side to side, unfamiliar with the road. But she never managed a clear break of more than a few seconds. She
checked the mileometer. From the turn-off on the main road to the farm it was just over five miles, and she must have covered about two by now. She began to watch each tenth of a mile clicking up,
terrified at the thought of the van overtaking her and forcing her into the ditch. She stuck firmly to the centre of the road.
    Another mile passed, and still he clung on to her. Suddenly she saw a car coming towards her. She switched her headlights to full beam and pressed on the horn. The other car retaliated by
copying her actions, which caused her to slow down and brush against the hedgerow as they shot past each other. She checked the mileometer once again. Only two miles to go.
    Diana would slow down and then speed up at each familiar bend in the road, making sure the van was never given enough room to pull level with her. She tried to concentrate on what she should do
once the farmhouse came into sight. She reckoned that the drive leading up to the house must be about half a mile long. It was full of potholes and bumps which Daniel had often explained he
couldn’t afford to have repaired. But at least it was only wide enough for one car.
    The gate to the driveway was usually left open for her, though on the rare occasion Daniel had forgotten, and she’d had to get out of the car and open it for herself. She couldn’t
risk that tonight. If the gate was closed, she would have to travel on to the next town and stop outside the Crimson Kipper, which was always crowded at this time on a Friday night, or, if she
could find it, on the steps of the local police station. She checked her petrol gauge again. It was now touching red. ‘Oh my God,’ she said, realising she might not have enough petrol
to reach the town.
    She could only pray that Daniel had remembered to leave the gate open.
    She swerved out of the next bend and sped up,