Free Bloody Horowitz by Anthony Horowitz Page B

of any civilization. The woods were getting thicker and thicker.
    â€œFork—left—then—continue—straight—ahead.”
    The fork took them off the road and onto what was little more than a track. Jason could hear dead leaves squelching under the wheels. He wondered if they were even on tarmac.
    â€œYou sure this thing is working, Haz?” Jason asked.
    â€œWhat thing?”
    â€œYou know . . . the navigation.”
    â€œWhy wouldn’t it be working, Jace?” Harry snapped. He knew they were lost and that was making him angry.
    â€œWe didn’t come this way.”
    â€œWell, what do you suggest?”
    Jason looked out of the window. All he could see was leaves. The track they were on was so narrow that the branches of the trees were scraping the windshield. The BMW’s headlights lit up a tiny world, perhaps five yards ahead of them. Outside the beams of light, there was nothing. “Maybe we should turn around and go back the way we came.”
    â€œThere’s nowhere to turn around.”
    â€œAt—the—crossroads—continue—straight—over.”
    And that surely had to be a mistake. A fairly main road—at least it was definitely covered in tarmac with white lines dotted down the middle—crossed in front of them from left to right, promising perhaps a fast exit from the surrounding forest. Ahead of them was a rotting wooden gate hanging crookedly on one hinge. The gate was open and behind it there was a bumpy, muddy path—you couldn’t call it a track or a lane—barely wide enough for the BMW to pass along. It was pitted with potholes, some of them full of water. A rusty barbed-wire fence, broken in places, followed it on one side.
    â€œTake a right, Haz,” Jason said—and this time Harry did as he suggested, but he had no sooner completed the turn than the voice cut back in.
    â€œIf—possible—make—a—U—turn.”
    â€œYou want me to turn it off?” Jason asked.
    â€œNah.” Harry shook his head. “We might as well leave it on. We don’t have to do what it says.”
    â€œThat’s right.” Jason nodded. They had picked up a little speed, following the better road. “It must go somewhere.”
    â€œIf—possible—make—a—U—turn,” the navigation system tried again. The screen was showing an arrow bent in the shape of a U. Harry ignored it.
    The road led nowhere.
    About half a mile farther down, Harry had to brake hard and they came to a sudden, sliding halt. A huge branch had somehow splintered and fallen down, blocking the way. Leaving the engine ticking over, the two of them got out of the car. It was very cold in the wood, far colder than it had been when they’d left. There was no breeze, but the air was thick and damp. The mist had followed them in from the coast. They could see it curling slowly between the trees.
    â€œWhat now?” Jason asked. It was obvious that the branch was far too heavy to move.
    â€œWe keep driving,” Harry said. His voice was sounding a little bleak.
    â€œHave we got enough gas?”
    â€œWe got plenty of gas.”
    That at least was true. The BMW was still half full, and if they could only find their way out of the forest, they would have plenty enough fuel to get home. Almost reluctantly this time, they climbed back into the car. All the fun had gone out of their adventure. They just wanted to get out of this forest, to find themselves somewhere that they knew.
    There was barely enough space to turn around. Spinning the wheel, Harry managed to reverse into the stump of a tree. Jason heard the metalwork crumple, and for a few seconds the engine screamed out of control. Harry swore and changed gear. In a way, Jason was almost glad that the car had been damaged. The BMW had gotten them into the mess. It deserved all the punishment it could take.
    They had barely completed the turn