Free Choices by H.M. McQueen

Chapter One
     
    Atlanta holiday traffic was a killer. Rachel Andrews held her breath and floored the accelerator to get from in between two tractor-trailers.  Her cell phone chirped and she hit the answer key on her steering wheel while watching a car zigzag between two cars in an attempt to get to the nearest exit.
    "Hello."
    "Hey girl, did you make it out of town yet?"  Her best friend Deborah's voice came over the car speakers.  In the background she could hear the hum of voices and jazz. Her friend worked part time at a local club as a bartender on weekends.  It made Rachel smile to know the PhD liked to spend her days off pouring drinks. "Hellooo?" Deborah repeated.
    "Hell no I'm not out of town.  It's bumper-to-bumper traffic. I'm barely past Alpharetta. I figure another few miles and it will cut down drastically.  Not many people go to the wine country for the holidays.  It's cold and rainy."
    "I still can't believe you're going alone.  Why would you want to spend Thanksgiving by yourself in a cabin?  I'm so sorry I had to cancel, but with my parents visiting from Chicago..."
    "Stop apologizing.  I'm looking forward to a week in the mountains.  I plan to catch up on sleep and reading."
    "Sounds delightful."  There was wistfulness in Deborah's voice.  They talked for a few minutes and by the time her friend hung up traffic had lightened up considerably.
    The setting sun made it hard to see clearly.  Rachel dug in her purse with one hand then cursed when the bag fell off the seat and onto the floorboard all of the contents spilling.  Thankfully there was a wide shoulder so she pulled over
    Just as she bent to pick up her belongings someone knocked on the window.  Rachel jerked upward to see an attractive man standing back, his hands deep in his jeans pockets.  He gave her a crooked smile and shrugged as if apologizing for startling her.
    There hadn't been anyone walking on the roadside, she was sure of it.  She looked in her rearview mirror but didn't see a car parked behind her.  Her finger lingered over the window controller, but she figured cracking it a bit to talk to him wouldn't hurt.
    "Sorry to scare you.  I broke down and heading to the next exit for gas.  Could use a ride.  My girlfriend always leaves the car almost empty."
    Rachel looked to where the next exit sign showed that it was a mile further down the road.  Not too bad of a walk, but it was drizzling and forty degrees.  His hair was wet and his nose red from the cold.
    "Look don't worry about it.  I'll walk.  I totally understand you not feeling comfortable with it."  He turned and began walking, his back hunched.
    Rachel put the car in drive and pulled up alongside the poor guy.  "Come on.  I'll take you, it's just up the road."
    Once he settled into the seat, he turned to her and held out his hand.  "I'm Ryan."
    Something about his gaze made her blink and focus on him.  For an instant she'd thought to have seen a red rim around his irises.  Probably the setting sun.  Rachel looked to her side mirror to pull back onto the road when all of a sudden Ryan bent forward and groaned.
    "Are you all right?" Rachel touched his shoulder.  "Please don't tell me you're going to throw up in my car."
    "No.  I'm not going to do that.  But you might."
     
     
    Moments later as she faced certain death, two thoughts struck Rachel Andrews.  Her mother’s warning to never pick up hitchhikers and…well I’ll be damned, monsters really do exist.
    With amazing speed, razor sharp talons slashed through her seatbelt and the hellish creature dragged her between the seats toward the back seat. Rachel struggled to grip on to something, anything.
    But he was too strong.
    Her scream echoed in the car, yet she continued even though she knew with the windows up and barely any traffic passing them now, no one would hear her.  One thing was for certain. She didn't plan to die this day.  Rachel used every strike she'd learned in self-defense