The sedan shot past us as our car skidded slightly on the wet road.

I corrected the wheel, my heart in my throat.

The sedan braked hard, its red lights flashing, but we were already turning onto the exit ramp.

“Go, Emma, go!” Alexander said.

I swung the car onto the narrow, winding country road.

The trees on either side were thick and dark, their wet leaves hanging low.

The exit ramp had given us a few seconds of distance, but I could see the headlights of the SUV turning onto the road behind us.

The house was at the end of a long, private driveway.

“The gate is just ahead,” Alexander said.

“I’ll open it from my phone.”

He grabbed his phone off the dashboard and tapped the screen.

In the distance, through the trees, I saw the tall iron gates of the estate.

They were slowly swinging inward.

“Hurry,” I said.

The SUV was gaining on us.

Its high beams filled my rearview mirror, blinding me.

I pressed the gas, the car sliding slightly on the wet gravel of the driveway.