I kept rummaging along the floorboards, feeling for the outline of the flip phone until I heard Laura whisper, “Shit.” My brain spun through every worst-case scenario I’d ever imagined. Nothing like this had ever crossed my mind as something I might need to prepare for. I had absolutely no idea what to do next.

Run on Red by Noelle W Ihli - Fantastic Fiction

Whatever the episode did or didn’t show, it would end with our blood on the side of the narrow highway. I played the scene out like a movie in my mind, seeing how it would all happen with perfect clarity. Laura let go of the wheel with one hand to rap on the plastic of the dash. The sound stopped. “I think there might be something living in that hole, gnawing on the wires,” she said, then shrugged as if she’d just made a comment about the weather. “Sometimes I hear that same scurrying sound while I drive. Tish said she does too. It’s probably a mouse.” I sat up and whipped around to look behind us. Just before we rounded a curve, I caught a glimpse of headlights. The open passenger-side window suddenly felt less like an inconvenience and more like a chink in the Volvo’s armor.

Selected

Crossing would be easy enough for me. But Laura was another story. What if she slipped? It would be a disaster. It was so hyped up and drawn out on why they had kidnapped them, it was such a let down to find out why, I literally almost stopped reading it. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Narcissists think they’re smarter than everyone else. But that doesn’t mean they are. That’s how they get caught. They make mistakes. They underestimate the intelligence of police.” The wind whispered through the nearby trees again, and the voices drifted out of earshot. I looked at Laura, who nodded toward the river. “Let’s go,” she mouthed.

Run on Red by Noelle W. Ihli | 9798987845516 | Booktopia Run on Red by Noelle W. Ihli | 9798987845516 | Booktopia

Talk about a full on claustrophobic story,the action starts with the first word ending with the last and there really isen’t a let up throughout, this is a full on ‘being followed, captured and then trying to escape’ read, with bells on She hit the gas harder, and the Volvo flew faster down the dirt road. We were still miles from civilization, but we were headed in the right direction. “Do you hate me?” she asked after a moment. Your chances of surviving an assault at any given location are 97%. Your chances of survival, if you are taken to a second location, drop to 30%.” It was pretty predictable that you knew Tony was the other guy, I’m not sure if that was suppose to be the big twist or not but I knew it was him before it was even said.Are they serious right now?” Laura’s voice was high and incredulous as she yanked on the gearshift to put the Volvo into reverse. “Do you still have your cell phone?” Impossibly, the car kept sliding—either smashing across or through everything in its path like the tank it was. Laura,” I begged, not wanting Tish—who had agreed to ride solo in front of us—to hear me. “I can’t. I can’t do this. I’m sorry. I can’t. I shouldn’t have come.” The Volvo flew forward only a few feet before Laura slammed on the brakes and screamed. I opened my eyes to see that she’d let go of the steering wheel again. I could still hear the soft rumble of the engine. It wasn’t stalled, but we weren’t moving.

Run on Red | Noelle W. Ihli | 9781667572054 | NetGalley Run on Red | Noelle W. Ihli | 9781667572054 | NetGalley

Laura?” I whispered, my voice raw and unsteady. “Are you okay?” In the darkness beyond the narrow beam of light cast by the Volvo’s one surviving headlight, a bird shrieked in the night. I nodded, still half-listening for the mouse scurrying around in the dash, but Tish’s drama was a welcome distraction. Tish and I were friends—but we’d never been especially close. Not like me and Laura, who had been inseparable since the seventh grade. “I thought she was definitely coming tonight,” I pressed. “She even RSVPed on Facebook. Why did she stay home?” In addition, reading has been shown to have long-term benefits for mental health, including reducing the risk of cognitive decline and depression.At first, I couldn’t stop shaking and crying. I still wasn’t sure what we should do next, but I wasn’t alone anymore. And we had a phone with enough battery power if we could just get it to connect. Overall, reading is a valuable and enriching activity that can provide many benefits. Whether you read for pleasure, personal growth, or professional development, the time spent reading is never wasted. Red Mask grabbed the passenger door’s handle. He shook it roughly, but it didn’t budge. Despite my terror, I felt a surge of love for the Volvo. The passenger door handle had completely stopped working soon after Tish bought it from Tony’s friend. It didn’t open from the outside or the inside. You either had to crawl through the window or the driver’s side. The ending was fairly tight, was it a bit unrealistic - OF COURSE - but it wasn’t EXTRA. It was actually pretty satisfying but that’s just my opinion. Don’t take my word for it grab an advanced copy of NetGalley and give this one a go. 😉