Chapter 8 - The Desperate Ploy
"Everyone stay in your seats!" the bus driver yelled, trying to restart the engine. But she knew those men weren't here to help. She unbuckled Lily and whispered, "We have to play a game, sweetie. We have to be very quiet." She moved to the emergency exit window on the side of the bus facing the mountain wall, away from the ravine and the headlights. With trembling hands, she pulled the red handle. The window popped out, letting in a blast of freezing wind. She slipped out, catching Lily as she lowered her to the snow-covered ground. They scrambled up the rocky embankment, hiding behind a cluster of thick pine trees. Below them, they watched the men board the bus. She heard shouts, the terrified screams of passengers, and then a heavy silence. One of the men stepped back out of the bus, holding up her green silk dress, which she had left on the seat as a decoy. The man pulled out a phone, dialed, and spoke loudly into the wind. "She's not on the bus, sir. But we found footprints leading into the woods."
