Page 154 of Running to You

“They’ll be armed and ready for us,” Michael added. “And a lot more people will die, maybe even your son.”

Those words were a punch to the gut. “You guys have thought of everything, haven’t you?”

He was furious, but Michael didn’t react to his anger, just nodded.

Grant and Jon held his eye contact.

“We’ve done nothing but try to figure out another plan,” Michael said. “All night long. Any other plan.”

“This is it.” Grant looked like the warrior he was, not the little brother Sam had known all his life. “It’s this or we call the FBI and take our chances.”

“Fine.” Thank God, a voice of reason. “Let’s call them now.”

“No.” Eliza pushed her chair back and stood. “Keller will risk everybody to protect himself. He might die in the end, but he’ll take as many people with him as he can. He’s not going to negotiate or back down. This will be Waco take two.”

Sam had been a kid when the Branch Davidian compound was surrounded by ATF agents. The people inside hadn’t come out with their hands up or whatever the agents had demanded. The siege lasted days. And then…he could still picture the flames rising from the buildings that horrible day.

“I’m telling you,” Eliza said. “He’ll shoot his way out, or…”

“Burn it to the ground.” Sam was horrified by the words, mostly because they came from his own mouth.

The maniac would probably think it poetic, starting a second fire at the scene of his first.

Going down in a literal blaze of glory.

And taking Levi and Eliza with him.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Eliza was doing her best to hide her fear.

When Sam finally admitted defeat, slumping in his chair and dropping his elbows to his knees, she realized she’d held a little spark of hope that he’d come up with another way.

Any other way.

But the brave part of her, the part that had agreed to this crazy plan, wanted to be with Levi. Because once these men started pounding down doors, once gunshots sounded, Levi would be terrified. He’d need her.

And if she could help keep Sam and his brothers and Jon safe as they tried to rescue her family, then it would be worth it.

“Let’s do this.”

Jon’s words snapped her gaze to him. “Now?”

“Either that or wait another day. I’ve already got guys en route.”

She expected Sam to protest, but he didn’t even lift his head.

“We need to leave now?” At least her voice didn’t betray her fear.

“Soon.” Michael checked the time on his phone. “The bus leaves from Portland a little after six. From there, it’s only an hour to Augusta. Your story will be that you took a bus from Concord to South Station in Boston and then switched to the one for Augusta.”

“How will I get to Portland?”

“Sam’ll drive you.”

“No.” He looked right past her and glared at his brother. “I won’t.”

His words were a knife, slicing through her false bravado. She blinked to keep tears at bay. She hadn’t cried once today, and she wasn’t going to start now.