No Exit

December 24

Darby scrambles to find the nail gun even as she realizes, with horror, that not only did she clue Ashley in to her plan, but she gave him an additional weapon with the rock-in-the-sock. Lars reveals that Ashley is his brother. Darby gives Jay the Swiss Army knife, telling her to saw through the bars of the kennel, then runs away. She runs toward the back of the rest station, losing a shoe in the process, aiming for the restroom windows. She pries a window open, knocking icicles down, and manages to slip through just as Lars grasps for her ankle.

Darby lands hard on her back against the edge of a urinal. She grabs her keys and phone, which only has seven percent battery remaining. She reenters the main rest-stop area, where Ed and Sandi sit with Ashley, who is now calm and steady in opposition to his friendly and nervous act from earlier. Ashley nods toward Darby’s chair, where he has left a note that says, “IF YOU TELL THEM, I KILL THEM BOTH” (71).

Ashley taunts Darby subtly so Sandi and Ed don’t notice as they sit in the rest stop. Lars enters, hiding his gun under his coat.