Free Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie Page B

against the seat behind him.
    I felt my own head nodding.
    I was back on the beach. Alone. Scared. I reached therock where I had seen the flash of long black hair. No one was there. I turned round, suddenly full of panic. ‘Mommy,’ I wailed. ‘Mommeeeee. Where are you?’
    When I woke up it was dark outside. The car was humming along a deserted road. No street lights, but a white glow shone off the ground. I sat up, feeling groggy.
    Jam was still asleep.
    â€˜No.’ Suzanna’s voice was low and angry. It took me a second to realise she was speaking into her cellphone. ‘Don’t order me around, Taylor,’ she spat. ‘It’s your fault we’re in this mess. An’ yet look who’s the one clearing it up.’
    She threw the phone onto the passenger seat beside her.
    My head felt like a big cotton-wool ball. Taylor. There was something significant about that name. Something I should remember.
    â€˜Where are we?’ I rubbed my forehead.
    Suzanna rolled back her shoulders. ‘Nearly there,’ she said. ‘Hey, guess what? I was right – it did snow. You guys have been asleep for hours.’
    I shivered. There was something about the way Suzanna spoke – a hard edge to her voice – that hadn’t been there before. I reached for the phone in my jeans pocket.
    It wasn’t there.
    Maybe it had fallen on the floor. I reached down and groped along the floor of the car. As I reached where Jamwas sitting I tugged at his leg. ‘Jam, wake up. I can’t find my phone.’
    Jam yawned and stretched his arms.
    â€˜It’s not here,’ I said.
    â€˜Must be,’ Suzanna said from the front seat. She coughed. ‘We’re nearly at Logan. I’ll put the light on when we get there. We can have a proper look.’
    I sat back in my seat, feeling uneasy. I was sure my phone had been in my pocket before I went to sleep. How could it have just fallen out?
    Come to that, how could it be dark now? I checked my watch – 7 pm. I forced my fuggy brain to think. It couldn’t have been later than nine this morning that we left Bettina’s. How could we have been asleep for over ten hours? And surely we should have been in Boston long before now?
    I looked out of the window, straining to see a road sign.
    Nothing. Just snow and trees on either side. It didn’t even look as if we were on a proper, made-up road.
    I slid along the leatherette seat and leaned my head against Jam’s shoulder. His whole body tensed.
    I flicked my eyes over to the central mirror. Suzanna was staring at me. She raised her eyebrows, then looked back at the road ahead. I tilted my head upward, towards Jam’s neck.
    I could feel him pulling away from me. ‘What are you . . . ?’
    â€˜Sssh.’ My lips found Jam’s ear. ‘I think Suzanna took my phone,’ I whispered. ‘And I don’t think we’re anywhere near Logan Airport.’
    Jam’s breath was hot on my cheek. He drew back, fumbling in his own pocket. Then he leaned forward again and whispered. ‘Mine’s gone too. As soon as she stops the car, we get out, OK?’
    â€˜Hey, lovebirds, cut it out,’ Suzanna said. ‘I don’t wanna get pulled over.’ She gave a hollow laugh.
    I moved back to the other side of the back seat. But I reached out my fingers and found Jam’s hand. Our fingers twisted round each other. My heart was hammering against my throat.
    â€˜I don’t feel well,’ I said. ‘Can you stop the car?’
    Suzanna ignored me.
    Although the car was moving, it was slower now, rattling over the lumps and bumps of the unmade track. I reached for the door handle. I had some mad idea Jam and I could jump out of the car. But the door was locked. I could hear Jam fumbling with the handle on the other side.
    Suzanna twisted half round in her seat. ‘Cut it out.’
    â€˜What are you doing?’ My voice rose