Excerpt of Stormy Times by Beate Boeker

When the wind tore the steering wheel from her hands and made the Jeep skid across the frozen road, Joanna lifted an eyebrow and maneuvered it back with a gentle push of her gloved palms. The Jeep's headlights pierced through the absolute darkness around her, showing a mass of snowflakes. They blasted at her with such speed, she felt as though she was rolling backwards instead of forward.

The music coming from the radio created a stark contrast to the howling world outside, beguiling her into a world of beauty and fun. The announcer's voice echoed through the car. "This is Conran Dark's latest song called Dance With Me, a song which has hit the TOP TEN within twenty–four hours of being released and has stayed at the top position for an incredible . . . "

Joanna frowned and changed channels. Experienced though she was, she preferred not to be distracted by a human rattle while she tried to nose her way through a snowstorm on Long Island.

Another vicious slab of wind pushed her Jeep to the side as though an invisible giant had rammed into it. Joanna snatched her hand back onto the steering wheel. "This is not the right moment to be fiddling with the panel, Joanna," she told herself as she righted the Jeep back onto the road.

From the corner of her eyes, she scanned the trees to her left. She was glad to see them, as they were a clear indication that she was still traveling on the road and had not started to drive across some snow–covered field without noticing it. On the other hand, the wind had whipped up to a steady beat and was by now strong enough to topple one or two of them over. If that should happen while she was anywhere near, things might turn out to become unpleasant – to say the least.

Maybe I should have stayed at old John's house. She pushed the thought away. How many times had she returned from a difficult foaling in the middle of the night without any problem? She knew her four–wheel drive Jeep was strong enough for any weather; besides, she was well equipped with a shovel, rough doormats and anything else needed in an emergency. She had even put the snow chains on the wheels before leaving old John's farm, feeling as if she was overreacting. After all, it was only two days after Thanksgiving, not the middle of winter. Though the weather could fool you.

They had just announced on the radio that the temperatures hovered around zero, an all–time low for the season. Still, she only had half an hour to go before reaching Stony Brook, and she should make it in spite of the storm.

The wind roared louder now and formed the snowflakes into clusters hitting the windshield. It sounded as though her very presence on the road was a personal insult, as though the giant who had tried to toss the Jeep into a drift was now angry enough to shout at her with the full power of his lungs. "My, what fancy thoughts, Joanna." Her voice sounded mocking but strangely lost inside the Jeep.

A white bulk appeared in the middle of the road. Joanna frowned. What was it? She hit the brake with care to prevent a skid and slowed down until she came to a full stop. It looked like a harmless mount, a dung–heap, maybe, with a sort of rectangular shape that reached up to her knees. It was submerged in snow.

But why was it in the middle of the road? It couldn't be a dung–heap unless it was a very energetic one that had decided to go for a walk in the middle of a snowstorm. Joanna smiled at her thoughts and unfastened the safety belt. Leaving the motor running, she opened the door, slipped out of the car, and trudged through the heavy snowfall. The icy cold slammed into her like a fist. She gasped for breath and hunched forward. Her feet slid ankle–deep into snow. She fought the raging storm until she reached the mount and could touch it with her outstretched fingers. When she tried to grasp whatever it was the snow covered, her hand sank deep into the snow. Joanna frowned. She bent forward and used both hands to brush away the thick cover of snow. A metallic frame appeared, bent, out of shape. A metal box? Who left a huge box in the middle of the road?

The wind whipped up her hair and twirled it around until she couldn't see anything but white flakes and brown strands of hair in a wild dance. Impatient, she brushed it back and tried to tuck it beneath the hood of her winter coat, but it always slid back. Where was the headband that had been holding it back?

Exasperated, Joanna shoved her hair underneath her hood once more and continued to dig the box out of the snow. She worked her way along the side until she reached a sort of door. At that instant, she recognized it for what it was, and her heart froze.

A cage to transport animals. Had someone abandoned an animal? Nonsense. She shook her head. If you want to get rid of a pet, you don't throw the cage into the middle of the road. She bent forward and peered inside, but it was too dark to make out the interior. Part of the frame was dented in a way that showed it had been battered on the side. It must have fallen from quite a height. Joanna frowned. Maybe from a pickup truck? But who would leave his dog or cat in a cold metal cage on the open bed of a truck? She reached for the door to open it, but the small shift of her weight caused her feet to slide to the side. With a yelp, she pitched forward and fell against the sharp corner of the dented frame. Something tore, and a sharp pain seared through her shoulder. "Dammit!" Joanna reared back, sudden tears forming in her eyes. She inspected the tear in her new winter coat. A corner of the fabric had caught on the edge of the box and the whole front of the left sleeve had been torn off when she fell. She could already feel the cold creeping through the gap.