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The telephone made a thud on the wooden table as Samantha set it down. “I need to run to the bathroom, so why don’t you get ready to go out while I do that. We’ll take Malachi’s truck to the location you marked on the map. We may be able to assist them.”
Becky changed back into her own clothes and then grabbed the truck keys. They were heavy in her hands. She didn’t have a driver’s license, but she’d driven a few times back when she was younger. Couldn’t be too hard.
When she touched the cool metal of the door handle, the locks automatically opened. She looked back at the house and paused. No. This was something she needed to do. There was no turning back. The wheel was cold. Gloves would be nice. The engine didn’t start at first, but when she put her foot on the brake, it roared to life. By the time she figured out how to put it into gear, Samantha flew out the front door, letting it slam behind her. Her jacket flapped in the wind as she raced toward the truck. “Wait!” Her eyes widened as she neared the truck. “You’re going to need my help!”
Becky punched the button to turn on the radio and classic rock music filled the cab. She raised the volume to drown out Sam.
No. The last thing she needed was Samantha’s kind of help. If she could at least rescue Clarence, she’d be all right, but without him, she’d have nothing. She never should’ve dismissed his offer of a life outside of Jade, but she’d clung to the hope that Ezekiel would return, or Malachi would take charge. Now everything was falling apart. And it was her own fault for telling Sam about the stupid map. That silly woman would destroy everything. She’d given it to her hoping she’d help Malachi save his girlfriend. It wasn't meant for the State Police and FBI to see. Nobody else should suffer the way she’d suffered when they took away Zeke.
Malachi was tolerating her presence, but he didn’t want her there. All he cared about was his job and his redhead. No. She needed to get back to her life. Let the feds take Reece, but she had to have something to return to. A remnant of her life to hang on to. Her foot pressed down on the gas pedal and the car lurched forward.
Chapter Thirty
“Where is Clarence?” Reece slapped his hand against the table. “He should’ve been back here by now.”
Mick smirked. “Should’ve let me handle it. I wouldn’t have let you down.”
A headache was coming on. The throbbing was a dull ache, but if left untreated it could knock him out for days. Reece rubbed his forehead. “His bucket of rust must’ve broken down.” He tried his cell phone. Straight to voicemail. No service. That meant he was close. “Find him.”
When the door slammed behind Micky, he tossed his suitcase on the bed and rifled through it until his hand circled around the pill bottle.
Soon he’d be living a new life in Philadelphia. The city that loves you back. Yeah. He’d show it some love all right. Ultimately, he planned to disappear into Texas, but it would take time to get there unnoticed. Driving straight there wasn’t his wisest course of action with law-enforcement hot on his trail, so he’d spend a few weeks in Southeastern Pennsylvania before moving farther south. Maybe Alabama or Mississippi. Then over to Texas. Galveston might work. First, he needed new identification. Philadelphia. He had contacts there.
He shook two pills into his hand and filled a glass from the tap. Downed it.
Mick pushed back into the camper.
Reece scowled. “You come in without an invitation now?”
“Sorry.” The kid muttered something he couldn’t catch under his breath.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.” Mick frowned. “I was on my way to the van when I noticed a few hikers in the woods. Thought you’d want to know.”
“Are they close?”
“Near about where you grabbed the girl yesterday.”
“You sure they're hikers and not cops?”
“Wasn’t dressed like no cops.”
Not ideal, but it’d give him a chance for some target practice. He grinned. The fog of his headache still sat heavy, which didn’t bode well for his shooting accuracy, but the meds would take effect soon. In plenty of time for him to gun down the strangers be they wayward hikers or cops looking for Cate. He’d expected someone to notice she was missing sooner or later. “Forget Clarence and Cate for now. Let’s give our visitors a warm welcome.”
Wisps of smoke rose from a discarded fire in the midst of the campsite. A tin can rested on its side nearby. It looked like the two RVs remaining weren’t the only ones that had been there. The area was trampled with a number of flat areas where it looked like tents had recently been erected.
His guess was they hadn’t been gone long. Maybe a day at most. They’d made this their personal refuge in the midst of the state forest. Vast wilderness surrounded them on every side. They must’ve expected to have more time before being uprooted. He wondered why they’d abandoned ship.
There was no sign of life, but the remaining campers belonged to someone. Malachi trained his binoculars on the windows of one of the campers and then the other. No movement inside. The owners wouldn’t be far. But not knowing where the enemy was didn’t sit well. This could be a trap.
“What if they know we’re coming?” Malachi scratched his neck.
“How could they know that?” Gavin asked.
“They may have spotted us before we smelled the smoke.”
Gray frowned. He could practically see the wheels turning in the big man’s head. “It’s a distinct possibility. Let’s be smart about this. We can’t all go in together. It’d make it too easy for them. When we get close, we’ll split up.”
