Shannon and Forte had been talking nonstop since they left Ann Arbor, but a few miles back even they’d slowed down. Bruce figured it was time for a break. While his emotions told him to move constantly until he found a way to defeat Enervata, his instincts told him that all of the questers needed to stay fresh. He took the next exit and started down the off-ramp. Jamie, who’d seemed absorbed in her thoughts as she looked out the window, suddenly sat up straight, grabbed his elbow, and shouted, “Bruce, slow down!” “What? It’s not like I’m going that fast.” But even as he spoke, the van slowed—not because he’d hit the brakes, but as though someone else controlled the pedals. The van followed the sharp curve of the exit ramp and Bruce saw a petroleum tanker sitting in the middle of the lane. Everyone cried out. Bruce swerved and avoided the truck. As he passed it, though, he could see someone inside the cab, looking out with a dark, distant expression. Bruce felt a chill as he watched the man, something more intense than the icy rush that came with a close, dangerous encounter.
