Josh could faintly hear someone, probably Ron, giving Jed instructions from
the other end of the phone call. But he wasn't listening. He was too busy
worrying about what was going on inside their own car.
It was almost like a grotesque fair ride. The back tires were spinning wildly on the ice, the rear end swinging wide to the right, trying to pass the front, as the driver fought valiantly to regain control. Outside the windows, there was only a swirling blanket of snow. Even if they had been looking, they could no longer have seen the taillights of Jed's car. Behind them, the headlights of the following cars had dwindled down to nothing in the swirling cloud of snow. They were alone in the whiteness that had engulfed the world.
Inside, Leo had braced himself against the corner and was holding tight to the armrest. Toby had done the same in his own corner, pulling his seatbelt tighter in anticipation of the impact.
Opposite Leo and Toby, Josh was still holding the phone to his ear, more through force of habit and shock than through any conscious thought. With his other hand, he gripped his seatbelt. CJ was holding to the door so tightly that her knuckles were as white as her face. Sam, in the centre without anything to hold on to, had thrown a restraining arm across CJ's shoulders in a chivalrous attempt to protect her.
"If we don't swing back, when we hit the ditch we'll roll," Josh whispered beneath his breath. "Come on, swing." For another breathless moment, they continued in their path.
Then, suddenly, they were being pressed in the other direction, as they swung, uncontrolled, to the left. That skid seemed to last just as long as the first, but the third, as they swung back to the right, was noticeably shorter. The driver was slowly regaining control of the vehicle.
They stayed braced in position until the car came to a surprisingly gentle stop. The whirling snow cleared for a moment and they could see the rest of the motorcade scattered across the road as if they were toys abandoned by a child. Two of the escort vehicles had gone into the ditch, but all of the main vehicles had stayed on the road.
After a moment, when the realisation that they were truly stopped had sunk in, they unfroze. CJ started shaking. Toby passed a hand down over his head and face in relief. Josh, still unknowingly clasping the phone, spoke, "Is everyone all right?"
CJ, still pale and trembling, nodded. Toby's nod was terse. Leo motioned he was fine as well. "Sam?"
Sam's face was pale green, but he nodded slowly, swallowing hard. Then, after a moment, he hastily unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. He scrambled over CJ's knees and out of the car. "I think he's going to be sick," Toby observed dryly.
"What the hell is going on?" Jed asked for the third time. "Is everyone okay?"
"We didn't hit anything," Josh answered, amazed. It didn't seem possibly that not only had they not gone into the ditch, but that they hadn't hit anything or anyone.
Leo grabbed the phone from Josh's hand. "We're all fine, sir. And you?"
"Fine, fine. We didn't slide for nearly as long as you did." There was a pause. Then, Jed asked, "If you're all so perfectly alright, why is Sam out beside your limo sharing his lunch with the road?"
Leo turned his head to peer out the window. Sure enough, Sam was about six feet away from the car, throwing up. "He's a little shaken up. I think we all are." As he spoke, he stripped off his coat, passing it silently to the shaking CJ. She didn't reach out to take it, so Josh did instead, wrapping it securely around her shoulders.
"So, where do we go from here?"
"I don't know. But, this time, we listen to the drivers."
It was almost like a grotesque fair ride. The back tires were spinning wildly on the ice, the rear end swinging wide to the right, trying to pass the front, as the driver fought valiantly to regain control. Outside the windows, there was only a swirling blanket of snow. Even if they had been looking, they could no longer have seen the taillights of Jed's car. Behind them, the headlights of the following cars had dwindled down to nothing in the swirling cloud of snow. They were alone in the whiteness that had engulfed the world.
Inside, Leo had braced himself against the corner and was holding tight to the armrest. Toby had done the same in his own corner, pulling his seatbelt tighter in anticipation of the impact.
Opposite Leo and Toby, Josh was still holding the phone to his ear, more through force of habit and shock than through any conscious thought. With his other hand, he gripped his seatbelt. CJ was holding to the door so tightly that her knuckles were as white as her face. Sam, in the centre without anything to hold on to, had thrown a restraining arm across CJ's shoulders in a chivalrous attempt to protect her.
"If we don't swing back, when we hit the ditch we'll roll," Josh whispered beneath his breath. "Come on, swing." For another breathless moment, they continued in their path.
Then, suddenly, they were being pressed in the other direction, as they swung, uncontrolled, to the left. That skid seemed to last just as long as the first, but the third, as they swung back to the right, was noticeably shorter. The driver was slowly regaining control of the vehicle.
They stayed braced in position until the car came to a surprisingly gentle stop. The whirling snow cleared for a moment and they could see the rest of the motorcade scattered across the road as if they were toys abandoned by a child. Two of the escort vehicles had gone into the ditch, but all of the main vehicles had stayed on the road.
After a moment, when the realisation that they were truly stopped had sunk in, they unfroze. CJ started shaking. Toby passed a hand down over his head and face in relief. Josh, still unknowingly clasping the phone, spoke, "Is everyone all right?"
CJ, still pale and trembling, nodded. Toby's nod was terse. Leo motioned he was fine as well. "Sam?"
Sam's face was pale green, but he nodded slowly, swallowing hard. Then, after a moment, he hastily unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. He scrambled over CJ's knees and out of the car. "I think he's going to be sick," Toby observed dryly.
"What the hell is going on?" Jed asked for the third time. "Is everyone okay?"
"We didn't hit anything," Josh answered, amazed. It didn't seem possibly that not only had they not gone into the ditch, but that they hadn't hit anything or anyone.
Leo grabbed the phone from Josh's hand. "We're all fine, sir. And you?"
"Fine, fine. We didn't slide for nearly as long as you did." There was a pause. Then, Jed asked, "If you're all so perfectly alright, why is Sam out beside your limo sharing his lunch with the road?"
Leo turned his head to peer out the window. Sure enough, Sam was about six feet away from the car, throwing up. "He's a little shaken up. I think we all are." As he spoke, he stripped off his coat, passing it silently to the shaking CJ. She didn't reach out to take it, so Josh did instead, wrapping it securely around her shoulders.
"So, where do we go from here?"
"I don't know. But, this time, we listen to the drivers."