“We found the truck. I can’t say whether it’s running or not, but it’s nowhere near a mile away. It’s parked just out of sight, behind some brush.”
“Another lie.”
“Seems so. We about ready?”
While Nick and Joe had scouted the road, Gina and Brooke sorted and packed everything in the hotel. Gina wasn’t sure it was even possible to fit all the supplies and five people in the SUV, but they had no choice; every item mattered.
Boxes and bags teetered as they loaded them in, shifting, stacking, and squeezing until it seemed like there was no room left. Somehow, Nick seemed to know exactly how to get everything in, packed like a game of Tetris but still leaving space for the passengers in the seats.
“We’ll be fine if we need to spend another night up here,” Nick said, meeting Gina’s eyes. “We’re a little low on food, but we’ll make it.”
She held his gaze, her pulse quickening. Another night in the wilderness was the last thing she wanted, and yet it was exactly what she craved. She couldn’t make sense of the tug of war inside her. Getting back to civilization mattered, but being with Nick mattered more.
What would happen when they reached Irma? When they returned to their lives, would they find that the only thing between them was the fear of being trapped, of nearly dying?
Kelsey walked to the SUV, her eyes fixed on the ground. She’d barely said a word since they started preparing to leave. The rest of them had fallen into an efficient rhythm of cooperation, but Kelsey remained apart from it, isolated by her choices.
“Everyone ready?” Nick asked.
Joe took the front passenger seat, and the women climbed into the back. The going was slow, requiring frequent stops to clear branches and navigate around obstacles, but they made steady progress.
At the first river crossing, Nick’s SUV handled the rushing water without issue.
“One down,” Nick said, gripping the steering wheel as they approached the second crossing.
Soon they reached the pair of cabins. Nick slowed to a stop. “So far, so good. Should we park here and I’ll scout ahead? See how far it’s clear?”
“Let’s just keep going,” Joe suggested. “Worst case, we turn around and come back.”
“There’s another river crossing just ahead,” Brooke said. “After that, we’ll only need to worry about the trees. Once we reach the pavement—in about five or so miles—it should be completely clear.”
Brooke was right. The second crossing went more smoothly, and by late morning, and maneuvering around many downed trees and branches, they reached the edge of the national forest. The drop in elevation had brought almost springlike conditions.
The shoulder and surrounding ground still showed traces of a light snow, unlike the dumping they’d had up at Bearwater, but the pavement was clear, its warmth having melted it away. Theconflict between wanting to get home and worrying about what might happen between her and Nick returned.
“Cell service,” Joe announced, glancing at his phone. “Couple bars.”
Each of them, except Kelsey, had taken turns charging their phones on the car charger. Gina pulled out her own phone and switched it off Airplane Mode, used to save the battery.
New missed messages began loading. Several friends from the running club were asking how the run went, and a few follow-up messages were concerned because they hadn’t heard from any of them.
“I should call the sheriff,” she said.
“Wait until we get closer to town,” Brooke said. “The reception is still spotty here.”
They drove in silence until they reached the road that led directly into Elkridge. Gina checked her phone to see a solid five bars. Nick met her gaze in the rearview mirror. “There’s a wide spot up ahead. I’ll pull over there.”
Kelsey made a whimpering sound but didn’t disagree. Brooke reached out and took her hand. “We’ll make sure they know how you saved us.”
“It won’t matter,” she said softly. “The things I did...it won’t matter.” As the SUV came to a stop, Kelsey opened the door and stumbled out.
“Wait!” Gina called, opening her own door. “Kelsey, wait.” As she went after Kelsey, she called over her shoulder. “One of you call the sheriff.”
“I’ll help you with Kelsey,” Brooke said, sliding out of the middle seat and following Gina.
Kelsey stood on the shoulder of the road, tears streaming freely. Gina wrapped an arm around her, torn between anger and sympathy. She understood how trapped Kelsey must havefelt. Being blackmailed was awful, but surely there had been another way than stealing private information.
Brooke joined them and also wrapped an arm around Kelsey. They stood in silence for several minutes until Kelsey said, “I guess there’s no getting out of it. Might as well keep going.”
