"I hardly think that I’m the one who’s crazy, Mrs. Jacks." Sonny pressed the barrel of his handgun harder against her temple. "Now you, on the other hand…….well, I’m not too sure about how sane you are……"

"I’m not the one who’s threatening to kill someone!" Brenda’s voice rose a little despite her attempt to control her terror. She felt Jax move slightly and her attention was drawn to his head in her lap. "What did you do to Jax?" She stroked his golden blonde hair and felt a shudder go through his body. "Are you trying to kill us both?"

Brenda could feel the gun shaking in Sonny’s hand. "*I’m* the one asking the questions here, Brenda!" She jumped at his shout and tears ran down her cheeks. Sonny took a deep, shaky breath. "Now," he continued in a softer tone, "get out of the car."

"Why?" Brenda felt Jax stir. His hand gripped her leg tightly.

"Just get out of the car!" Sonny shouted again. "I told you, I ask the questions, and once we’re in the limo, you’ll be giving me answers!"

"OK, OK!" Brenda put up a hand, trying to stall Sonny. She felt him lower the gun and Jax’s body tensed. As she put her hand on the lever to open the passenger door, everything seemed to go into slow motion again.

"NOW, BRENDA!!" Jax sprang up from her lap and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. Brenda jerked the passenger door open, slamming it against Sonny’s body and throwing him off balance. She tried to pull it shut again and when she heard the click, she screamed something at Jax about hitting the road. The engine roared as Jax turned the key in the ignition.

But before Jax could get the SUV into gear, Sonny’s arm snaked in through the broken passenger window again. "DON’T DO IT, PRETTY BOY!" Sonny shouted at Jax. He wrapped his arm around Brenda’s neck and pressed the gun against her temple again. "I’LL PUT A BULLET IN HER BRAIN, I SWEAR IT!!" Despite the noise coming from the SUV’s engine, the click as he cocked the weapon echoed through the car like a cannon shot.

Jax stared at the twosome on the passenger side of the car. He was breathing hard, his face set with a combination of determination and fear for Brenda’s safety. He paused, but then lifted both hands off the steering wheel in surrender. "All right, man! You win! Just don’t hurt her!"

A smug smile blossomed on Sonny’s face. He tightened his grip around Brenda’s neck as Jax’s car door opened. When Jax glanced towards the door, he saw one of Sonny’s bodyguards standing there. He was holding a tire iron – probably what he used to break the window and knock Jax for a loop initially.

"Now," Sonny commanded, breaking into Jax’s concentration. "Let’s try that again. Both of you get out of the car – and no tricks this time."

Jax gave Brenda a quick nod when she questioned him with her eyes. "Do what he says, love."

Brenda slipped her hand down to open the passenger door gently. Sonny loosened his grip on her just long enough so that she could get out of the car. When Jax did the same on his side, the bodyguard pulled his right arm behind him at a painful angle and held the tire iron against his head. He forced Jax to walk around the front of the SUV to meet Sonny, Brenda, and the other bodyguard.

"Well," Sonny cackled, "now that everyone’s here, I think we should move to more comfortable quarters." He jerked the gun away from Brenda’s temple towards the right. "Let’s go." He directed his attention to the bodyguard. "You drive the SUV. Johnny will be with us."

The small party moved in the direction Sonny had indicated until Brenda could see the large black limo that they had used earlier in the day. "You followed us," she whimpered. Sonny was pushing her along, still holding the gun to her temple.

"D*mn right I did, Mrs. Jacks," Sonny swore. When they got to the limo, the bodyguard named Johnny opened the door. "Like I said earlier, I never got the answers to my questions, and …… what can I say?" He shrugged nonchalantly as he pushed Brenda into the limo after Jax. "I’m a curious kind of guy."

Jax was already waiting inside the limo when Brenda got in. She flew into his arms with a sob. "Jax! I’m so sorry……" He held her against his chest and tried to calm her while Sonny and Johnny got into the limo. "I should have told you the truth from the beginning……"

Sonny got into the limo and settled himself into the seat facing Jax and Brenda. He pointed the gun at her menacingly. "The truth. Yeah, now there’s something *I’d* be interested in hearing myself."

Brenda heard the SUV’s engine turn over again. When she felt the shudder in the limo as their own engine started, she glared at Sonny through her tears. "The truth?" she snarled at him. "You wouldn’t know what the truth was if it bit you on the butt, Sonny!"

Sonny laughed sarcastically as Jax tightened his arms around Brenda in a protective embrace. "Why don’t you try me then, Brenda? Why don’t you tell me why you were snooping around at Luke’s this morning, and why you went through my desk when I was in the kitchen tonight? Exactly what were you hunting for?"

"How do you know I went through your desk, Sonny?" Brenda’s chest heaved with emotion and her voice dripped with acid. "Did you have hidden cameras installed since the last time I found something in your desk?"

Sonny frowned. "What the h*ll’s that supposed to mean – the last time?"

"The last time." Jax felt the tension in Brenda’s body. "You remember, don’t you? The time when I found your precious little black book with Benny’s name in it? When you threw me out and said you never wanted to see me again?"

"I don’t know what the h*ll you’re talking about, lady." Sonny’s voice cracked. "I never met you until that dinner party for the docks project."

Jax felt Brenda’s shoulders shiver as she laughed sarcastically. "Brenda," he whispered, "do you think you should tell him?"

"Tell me what?" Sonny’s voice was crisp and firm again.

"Oh, definitely, Jax." Brenda nodded. Her eyes glittered with fire. "I was such a fool, Sonny. I was so devastated back then. I thought I’d *die* if you left me." She laughed again. "Funny thing was, we got back together, but I died anyway!!"

Sonny’s hand started trembling and he waved the gun at Jax. "What is she talking about? Is she on drugs or something?"

Brenda leaned forward and gave Sonny a smile that sent chills down his spine. "God knew it wasn’t my time to die yet when you sent momma and me off that cliff, Sonny. And that’s why She gave me a second chance." Sonny coughed in a strangled voice. "You see, Brenda Barrett and Mrs. Brenda Jacks died at the same instant that day. The difference is – when they managed to bring Brenda Jacks back to life, she had Brenda Barrett’s soul." Jax could see Sonny’s pallor, even in the dim light in the limousine. "That’s right, Sonny," Brenda hissed. "I’m Brenda Barrett."

"YOU CAN’T BE!!!" Sonny’s shout made Johnny turn around for just an instant. "She died, and you’re…….you’re married to Candy Boy here, for God’s sake!!"

"Now that’s the first true statement I’ve heard you make in a long time, Sonny," Brenda drawled. "It WAS for God’s sake that I came back as Jax’s wife. God wanted me to see what real love was, and I found out with Jax."

Sonny pushed his fingers through his hair and shook his head violently. "You can’t……you’re …….you’re……."

"You want proof, Sonny? Are you getting that panicky feeling again? Like when Deke used to lock you in the closet? And you’d pretend that Superman was coming to rescue you?"

Sonny’s chest heaved. "I…..I never told anyone about that……nobody except….."

"…..except Brenda Barrett – that time you had the panic attack when you took me on vacation to Montauk."

The heavy silence in the back of the limo was broken by Johnny’s voice. "We’re here, boss. Francis is right behind us in the SUV." Brenda felt the car roll to a gentle stop but with the darkened windows, she couldn’t tell where they were. "All right." Sonny seemed to have regained some of his composure. "End of the line. Everybody out."

Jax tried to stay with Brenda and help her out of the car but Johnny quickly prevented that. As Sonny pulled her out and wrapped an arm around Brenda’s throat again, she noticed Jax’s rented SUV pulling up behind where they had parked. She turned slightly. "The condo……"

Sonny jerked her tighter against his body as Francis got out of the SUV and walked up to join the group. "Let’s get ‘em inside before somebody looks outside to see what the ruckus is about," Sonny growled.

Jax tried to get as close to Brenda as he could. "Do you know where we are?"

She managed to nod as Sonny pushed her through the front door. "It’s a condo that Sonny owns on the outskirts of Port Charles. He used to bring me here sometimes when he wanted to get away from the hassles of his …… business." Brenda glared at Sonny furiously as he pulled her with him to the opposite side of the sparsely-furnished living room. "I guess that would be the business of killing people and ruining innocent lives through gambling and drugs……"

"I DON’T DEAL DRUGS!!" Sonny waved the gun angrily in the air at Brenda as Johnny and Francis restrained Jax. "You of all people should know that I always kept my distance from……" Sonny suddenly stopped and shook his head in confusion. "Geez…..you got me half nuts now, too! Listening to all that cr*p about coming back from the dead has got me talking like I believe it!!"

"It’s the truth, Sonny," Jax said in a low voice. "She may look like the woman I married, but on the inside she’s Brenda Barrett."

Sonny glowered sarcastically at Jax. "Well, that’s good for her, because she may have to pull that "coming-back-the-dead" thing again if she doesn’t tell me pretty soon where she put that little black book of mine." Brenda stiffened in his arms as Sonny started to open the buttons on her evening coat. "Maybe I should just check inside your coat….."

Brenda squirmed and whimpered in anguish as Sonny’s hand visibly roved beneath her coat. Jax lunged for them with a roar but Johnny and Francis were quick to hold him back. Sonny smiled triumphantly, and then withdrew his hand to hold the small, leather-bound book aloft. "Found it!"

Brenda wriggled in Sonny’s arms, still trying to get free. "OK, so you’ve got your book." Her voice lowered to a hiss. "I still know the information that’s in there, Sonny. You still won’t be able to stop us from putting you in prison for a long time……especially after this little stunt."

"That’s right, Corinthos." Jax hurled the accusation as Johnny and Francis kept hold of his arms. "I’ll have you sent up for kidnapping and assault for so long that you’ll be gray before you ever smell fresh air again."

Sonny shrugged. "Well, if I’m gonna get thrown in the slammer anyway……" He gave Brenda a malevolent smile. "……Tell me, babe – are you just as good in this body as you were in the other one……."

When Sonny lowered his face to bury it in Brenda’s neck, Jax lunged for him again violently. Johnny wasn’t able to keep hold of Jax’s right arm and Jax closed half the distance to his wife. But just as Jax locked eyes with Brenda, Johnny brought the tire iron crashing down on the back of Jax’s neck. Jax cried out in pain and crumbled to the floor in front of Brenda.

"JAX!!!!" She tried to bend down to him but Sonny kept hold of her. Brenda suddenly threw herself back, trying to turn around in his arms. Her hands were flailing wildly as she tried to scratch Sonny’s eyes out. "You killed him!!!"

Sonny grabbed for Brenda’s hands and got an assist when Francis came over. The beefy bodyguard lifted Brenda off the floor and threw her over his shoulder. "Take her and Candy Boy back to the mud room," Sonny instructed, his chest heaving with effort. He nodded at Johnny. "You know what to do."

Brenda was screaming at the top of her lungs and beating her fists on Francis’s back, but to no avail. He carried her back to a small room off the kitchen of the condo. Fluorescent lighting lent a garish quality to the room. A utility sink and some metal cabinets that held gardening tools were the predominant features. Francis took Brenda over to the sink and deposited her on the floor. She was crying so hard that he managed to snag some clothesline from a nearby box and tied her hands behind her. He extended the length of rope to wrap it around the pipes of the sink and then doubled it back to Brenda’s body, thus making sure that she couldn’t move far in the room.

A few minutes later, Johnny followed, dragging Jax’s limp body. Brenda sobbed Jax’s name when she saw him and was rewarded when his eyelids fluttered slightly. Johnny piled Jax next to Brenda and Francis helped him tie Jax in a similar fashion next to Brenda. As they both moved to tie Jax and Brenda’s feet, Sonny appeared in the doorway. "Everybody nice and comfy?"

"You’ll never get away with this, Sonny!" Brenda snarled. "Our staff must know that Jax came here after me! Somebody will find us!"

Sonny seemed un-phased by Brenda’s speech. "You know what I always loved most about this condo?" He gestured towards the outside. "It was always far enough away from the penthouse that I felt like I was getting away from all the hustle and bustle." He held up one finger. "Yet, it was close enough to the Port Charles city limits that we had all the amenities of civilized living. Electricity, telephone……" He paused and smiled. "……natural gas……"

Brenda’s face suddenly lost color and she sniffed the air. "Gas……I can smell it……"

Sonny nodded briskly to Johnny. "Go make sure the SUV is wiped clean of any prints." Johnny left the mud room. Then he turned to glance towards Francis. "Break the knob off the back door," he instructed. "I don’t want them to be able to get it open for fresh air." Sonny sighed. "With all the jets on the stove turned on plus the oven wide open, I figure this place shouldn’t take long to fill up."

Jax moaned softly as Brenda tugged at her bonds and screamed at Sonny. "You won’t get away with this, Sonny! Even if we die from asphyxiation, somebody’s going to start asking questions when they find us tied up back here like this!"

"Ahhhh, but all they’ll find, Brenda dear," Sonny crooned, "are your ashes." He slowly tugged on his gloves as he glanced back towards the kitchen. "You know, it’s funny how just the slightest spark will send a place like this up in flames in an instant."

"But what about Jax’s car?" Brenda sobbed. Jax was starting to move around a little on the floor next to her, and for that small fact she was thankful. "Somebody will wonder why it’s parked out there, or how we got here if you take it away!" she announced triumphantly. "And if you leave it here, they’ll wonder how the windows got knocked out!"

"Oh, it’ll stay parked right out in front," Sonny replied smoothly. "I’ll make sure that the right people know I loaned you and Jaaaaasper there the use of the condo for the weekend." He smiled smugly. "And with the force of the explosion……well, I won’t be a bit surprised if ALL the windows on that SUV get blown to smithereens."

Brenda cried aloud and pulled at the ropes holding her. "I HATE YOU, SONNY!" Her eyes took on a wild look. "God knows what kind of man you are, Sonny! If She sent me back once, She’ll send me back again, just to make sure you get what’s coming to you!!"

"Yeah, well you tell that God of yours that I’ll see *her,*" Sonny spat, "when *I’m* good and ready, and not before." He sighed. "I never got to tell you goodbye the first time, Brenda." He blew her a kiss in the air. "It’s been a great ride, kid."

With a casual wave of his hand, Sonny turned away from Brenda’s wretched sob. He made sure that Francis had done his job sabotaging the door that led to the back yard, and then motioned for his bodyguard to follow him through the door leading to the kitchen. Brenda watched as it closed almost completely, just leaving a crack so that the deadly gas could seep into the utility room.

Jax moaned again and Brenda tried to push at him with her knee. "Jax! Jax, you have to wake up! We have to get out of here!"

He slowly shook his head. "What happened?" Jax winced but when he tried to sit up, he discovered his bound hands. "Who did this?" His eyes became frantic. "Are you alright? Sonny didn’t do anything to you while I was……"

"No, no! I’m fine, Jax!" Brenda reassured him. "But we have to get out of here! Sonny turned on all the gas and we’re going to suffocate if we don’t manage to get free!"

Jax pulled himself to a sitting position. The ropes binding his wrists were also looped through the sink pipes. "Do you think it would work again, Brenda?"

Brenda was so busy trying to free her hands that she frowned in confusion. "Do I think WHAT would work again?"

Jax peered over his shoulder at his bound wrists. "That coming back from the dead thing. Do you think God gives third chances?"

"Don’t be a jerk, Jax!" She sniffed and rubbed her face on her shoulder to dry the tears. "I just can’t believe it would all end like this……after I finally got what I wanted in life!" Tears filled her eyes anew. "And Jon! What about my poor baby? He won’t have anybody to take care of him if something happens…….if we……."

Brenda was sobbing so loudly that Jax had to shout at her. "BRENDA!!!" She froze and was shocked when he smiled at her. "We won’t have to worry about Jon, and Trouble will have plenty more years of your shoes to digest." He held up the ropes that had bound his wrists. "Sonny may be a master criminal, but his bodyguards must have flunked Boy Scouts!"

"Well, don’t just sit there grinning like a fool, UNTIE ME!!" Brenda was squirming anxiously on the floor as Jax leaned forward to untie his ankles. She coughed loudly. "That gas is getting pretty strong……hurry!"

Jax managed to free himself and then crawled over to Brenda. "I just don’t get it," he coughed. "Something’s wrong….."

Brenda rubbed her wrists and covered her face with her hands, trying to take a clean, deep breath. "We don’t have time to analyze this, Jax." She looked around above her and then stumbled to get to her feet. She held her hand down to Jax. "Come on – let’s get out of here while we’ve still got the chance!"

Brenda pulled Jax to his feet but when she tried to lead him towards the kitchen, he held her back. "Not that way – the gas is likely to be thicker in there. Let’s go out the back door."

Brenda covered her mouth and coughed again. "We can’t. Sonny took care of that little detail and broke the knob. He wanted to make sure we have to go through the kitchen – probably so we’d pass out for sure with all that gas coming from the stove……"

Jax nodded and the two stumbled their way towards the door leading to the kitchen, which was still ajar the way Sonny had left it. As Brenda reached out to put her hand on the doorknob, Jax tripped over a hose that lay across the floor. He fell to his knees as another coughing fit overcame him. "Jax! Come on!" Brenda urged. "We’re almost there."

"I know……" He gasped for air but then looked up at the kitchen door with narrowed eyes. "But something…….I just still feel like something’s just not right." Brenda coughed and let go of Jax’s hand, reaching out for the doorknob again. As she closed her fingers over it, Jax’s head suddenly came up, his eyes wide. "BRENDA!!!!! DON’T TOUCH IT!!!!"

Brenda froze in place. She slowly let go of the knob and turned back to Jax. "What’s the matter?"

Jax coughed again. He propped his arm across his knee to support himself and looked up at her. "Think about it – Sonny’s a career criminal. He kills people like flies. The men who work for him are probably experienced hit men. So why would they tie us so loosely? Almost like they were expecting us to get free?"

Brenda shrugged and squinted against the gas. "Maybe Francis has a soft spot for us? Maybe he didn’t want us to die after all?"

Jax grasped Brenda’s hands. "Think about it, sweetie. Sonny said we would die from an explosion. But without a spark, there’s just gas – no boom." He looked past her at the door. "Unless he built in some kind of booby trap so WE would be the ones to accidentally set off the explosion."

Brenda’s eyes grew wide as saucers. "Oh, Jax – oh, my God – that must be it!!" She turned back to the door and crouched down to peer under it. "Jax! I can see something propped against the door!" she cried, turning back to him. "Do you think it’s some kind of timer or something?"

Jax shook his head wearily. "Sonny wouldn’t take a chance like that. The police could find evidence of the wiring or the mechanism in the ashes after the explosion." He crawled over towards the doorjamb and got down on his stomach. Coughing loudly, it only took him a few seconds before he got back up to his knees. "I think it might be matches……."

Brenda looked around the mud room in a panic. "But if we can’t open that door, how are we going to get out of here?" She looked up at one of the opposite walls. "Even if we do manage to break out one of those windows without sparking an explosion, they’re much too small, even for me to fit through."

Jax looked around and then suddenly straightened. He pointed towards an old wooden table at the other end of the room. "Go get me that bucket," he instructed. Brenda ran over and did as he said while Jax slowly got to his feet. He staggered over to the sink and turned on the water. "If we fill the bucket, we can try to soak the doorjamb and the matches so there won’t be a spark when we open it."

Brenda squealed happily and planted a kiss on Jax’s cheek. "You’re a genius!!!" Between the two of them, they managed to fill and carry several buckets full of water to the door to the kitchen. They flooded the area around the threshold until Brenda exclaimed, "I think I see something floating in the water, Jax! It’s the matches!"

Jax nodded and set the bucket down. He pushed Brenda back behind him and then cautiously opened the door to the kitchen. The strong odor of gas immediately filled the mud room, making them cough even harder, but there was no explosion. Jax pulled Brenda behind him and led her through the kitchen and back into the living room of the condo. "There was some sandpaper floating in that puddle, too – did you see it?" Jax asked. He pushed the hair back off Brenda’s face tenderly.

"I did." She shook her head and lay it against Jax’s chest. "If you hadn’t stopped me, the matches would have scraped against the sandpaper and we would have been history."

His face was grim. "We’re still not out of the woods here." Jax squinted towards the front door. "We can’t really go out that way. They’re probably outside, watching somewhere and waiting for the explosion."

Brenda grabbed his hand. "There’s some patio doors leading out of the master bedroom! There’s a lot of trees and bushes around the patio so they won’t be able to see us sneaking out that way!"

She led him down a short hallway and a few minutes later, Jax and Brenda were both out on a small patio, gulping large quantities of fresh air. As Brenda doubled over, propping her hands on her knees and trying to muffle the sound of her coughing, Jax looked around. "Well, I have to give Sonny credit for one thing. At least these condos are spaced far enough apart that if this one blew, he wouldn’t kill any innocent neighbors in the process."

Brenda nodded grimly. "That was one of the selling points for the condos – they were far enough apart that you didn’t feel like you were crowded into just another example of suburban sprawl."

Jax grinned. "I’ll have to remember that for the next time J&J Jacks gets involved in a real estate proposition." He extended his hand to Brenda. "Come on. Let’s get out of here before Sonny investigates and finds us gone."

The two crept behind some bushes and then out towards the front of the condo. As they neared a clear area, Jax pulled Brenda down behind another small clump of landscaping. "There’s Sonny," he murmured, pointing towards two shadowy figures just beyond the SUV. "Looks like he’s only got one of his goons with him."

Brenda inched her way upwards and then pointed off to the distance. "I think the other one took the limo and moved it further away from the condo."

"Then that’s where we’re going." Jax grabbed Brenda’s hand again. "Just in case Sonny decided to booby-trap the SUV….." Brenda nodded. "…..insurance in the event we escaped the explosion."

Jax and Brenda scurried across the street while Sonny and Johnny appeared to be busily discussing something. When the edged their way around the two, Jax overheard them arguing about just how far away they needed to be to escape any debris from the explosion. He pulled Brenda with him until they were about twenty-five feet from the limo. "You stay here…." Jax whispered. "I’ll take care of Francis. When I give you the high sign….run like bloody h*ll for the limo and hop in!"

He was about to straighten up and leave her when Brenda grabbed for Jax. She pulled him down and gave him a quick but passionate kiss. "That’s for luck…..and for believing in me," she murmured.

Jax cupped her face tenderly. "There’s so much I need to make up for, Brenda…..so many times I was cruel to you when I didn’t understand what you were going through……."

"Just get us out of here alive and I’ll consider us even!" she growled. Jax kissed her again and then motioned for her to stay down. Brenda squinted in the darkness but she lost sight of Jax’s form after a few minutes. Then she heard a low thud, and the dome light of the limo blinked twice. Keeping close to the ground, Brenda managed to make her way to the limo and when she got to the passenger side, the front door was ajar.

As Brenda got inside, she closed the door, locked it, and finally collapsed against the seat with a loud sigh. "I sure hope you know how to drive one of these boats!"

Jax glanced over at her with a grim face. "Buckle up. Things might get a little rough until we get far enough away from Sonny." He winced as he turned over the ignition. "And keep your head down," he added, pushing at her dark curls with his hand for emphasis.

He deliberately kept a slow pace as the limo rolled towards Sonny and Johnny. Brenda raised her head once, trying to look back to where they had been. "What did you do with Francis?" Her eyes grew wide. "You didn’t…..he’s not dead, is …….."

Jax shook his head but kept his eyes on the road. "Nope. But he’ll have one h*ll of a headache when he wakes up."

Brenda heard Sonny’s voice, and then everything seemed to happen in a blur. Jax hit the gas pedal and the tires squealed as the limo lurched forward. She heard Sonny’s angry shout and then some loud noises that sounded like firecrackers. "JAX! Are they shooting at us?"

Jax pushed her head between her legs with one hand while pressing the gas pedal to the floor. "Stay down, Brenda!! Don’t give them a target!!"

Brenda followed Jax’s command. Her shoulder banged against the passenger door as Jax turned the car sharply. Suddenly, she felt another lurch and the car surged forward at a greater speed. "Jax!! What’s going on?"

He had to shout to be heard above the roar of the powerful engine. "We’re out of the condo development and on some kind of highway." He glanced into the rear-view mirror and then down at Brenda. "I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to sit up -- I have no idea where I’m going."

Brenda slowly sat up straight in the car and took deep breaths to try to calm herself. Suddenly, she started dancing excitedly on the upholstery. "That’s the turnoff for highway 94 up ahead on the right! That’s four-lane interstate – we’ll be back in civilization in no time!" Jax nodded but then his eyes were drawn to the rear-view mirror again. He swore loudly. Brenda grabbed her arm-rest. "What’s the matter?"

Jax gripped the steering wheel more tightly. "The SUV is behind us." He squinted into the mirror. "It looks like the driver’s the only one in it – and I’d bet my bottom dollar it’s Sonny."

Jax tried to keep ahead of the rental car but the large limo was bulky and not as quick to respond as the four-wheel drive vehicle. As he came to the exit ramp for the interstate, he swore again. "Sonny’s cutting me off. He won’t let me get into the exit lane. I’m going to have to stay on this road."

"No – you can’t." Brenda’s voice was low but anguished.

Jax dared to turn towards her. "Why not? Does this road cut off or something? Is it a dead end?"

"You might say that." Brenda gripped Jax’s arm tightly. "Jax, we *can’t* stay on this road. This is where……." Her eyes filled with tears. "This is the same road where I died the last time."

To be continued…….