attack victim” had slipped into her hand.
Ian sat across from her in the wooden straight-backed chair. Gus settled on the floor at his feet and put his head on his paws.
“What is it?” Ian asked.
“The man on the bus who faked the heart attack gave me this.”
“Faked?”
“He winked at me. The doctor was probably bogus too. Ron set it all up, I’m sure. Just in case.”
Ian blinked. “Wow. That was sharp thinking.”
She gave him a thin smile. “See why I wanted to call in reinforcements?”
“Yes,” he said, his voice soft. “I see.”
“Ron’s coming for us, we’ve just got to get there.”
“Where?”
“To an abandoned gas station not too far away. He gave me the address.”
“All right, then. Let’s get going.”
“Are you forgetting that everyone is looking for us?”
He shot her a sour look. “Not likely. In fact they’re going to be looking for us around here, probably going house to house to make sure we haven’t holed up somewhere.” He looked around, then let his eyes come back to meet hers. “Like in a barn.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “I know. And we need to get moving before they get here, but we also need to take a moment to plan.”
Gus’s head lifted and he turned his attention to the door. Jackie stiffened. A loud screech disturbed the air. Ian slapped the off button of the heater and pulled Gus with him to press his back against the wall. Jackie joined him. Whoever opened the door wouldn’t see them at first, leaving them with the element of surprise.
Footsteps sounded just outside the office. Jackie kept herself pressed against Ian’s side and his warmth wrapped itself around her, making her wish for different circumstances. Gus shifted and sat.
She swallowed and focused on listening. The footsteps stopped, followed by a thud.
“Hey, Jojo boy, you ready for a ride?” The voice sounded like it belonged to a young girl. Jackie relaxed a fraction. Maybe she was just going to take the horse for a ride and wouldn’t come into the office. After several tense moments, the doorknob turned, dashing Jackie’s short-lived hope.
The door opened and the girl stepped into the office and walked over to the heater. Jackie held her breath and could sense Ian doing the same.
Because when the girl turned, there was no way she would miss them.
12
12:40 P.M.
“They couldn’t have just dropped off the face of the earth.” Victor Stroebel stood from behind his desk and walked to the coffeepot. He poured himself a cup, then splashed a generous amount of whiskey in it.
A long sip later, he set the cup down and stared at his hired help. Owning one of South Carolina’s largest construction companies gave him access to all kinds of people. Some good, some not so good. Today he needed the not so good. Nick Stafford had proven useful in the past, and Victor had hopes the man would once again earn his pay. “Wainwright’s an idiot,” he mumbled.
“Sir?”
“Nothing. I just don’t like it when people mess up and I have to clean up behind them. He should never have gone to the cops with his accusation. We could have taken care of the problem without broadcasting—” Victor cursed and shook his head. “Forget it.”
Stafford clasped his hands in front of him and lifted his chin. “The cops are crawling all over the area where the bus stopped.It’s on every news channel available. All we have to do is follow them and they’ll lead us straight to Lockwood and Sellers.”
“Then why aren’t you doing that?”
Nick swallowed, his attempt at growing a spine failing miserably. “Right, we’ll do that right now.” He slapped Hector’s head. “Come on. Let’s move.”
Hector shoved Nick and curled his fingers into a fist. Victor cleared his throat and Hector tightened his jaw, shot another glare at Nick, and strode toward the door. A small smile curved Victor’s lips. He liked that Hector kid.
He turned back to the flat screen television mounted on the
Ian sat across from her in the wooden straight-backed chair. Gus settled on the floor at his feet and put his head on his paws.
“What is it?” Ian asked.
“The man on the bus who faked the heart attack gave me this.”
“Faked?”
“He winked at me. The doctor was probably bogus too. Ron set it all up, I’m sure. Just in case.”
Ian blinked. “Wow. That was sharp thinking.”
She gave him a thin smile. “See why I wanted to call in reinforcements?”
“Yes,” he said, his voice soft. “I see.”
“Ron’s coming for us, we’ve just got to get there.”
“Where?”
“To an abandoned gas station not too far away. He gave me the address.”
“All right, then. Let’s get going.”
“Are you forgetting that everyone is looking for us?”
He shot her a sour look. “Not likely. In fact they’re going to be looking for us around here, probably going house to house to make sure we haven’t holed up somewhere.” He looked around, then let his eyes come back to meet hers. “Like in a barn.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “I know. And we need to get moving before they get here, but we also need to take a moment to plan.”
Gus’s head lifted and he turned his attention to the door. Jackie stiffened. A loud screech disturbed the air. Ian slapped the off button of the heater and pulled Gus with him to press his back against the wall. Jackie joined him. Whoever opened the door wouldn’t see them at first, leaving them with the element of surprise.
Footsteps sounded just outside the office. Jackie kept herself pressed against Ian’s side and his warmth wrapped itself around her, making her wish for different circumstances. Gus shifted and sat.
She swallowed and focused on listening. The footsteps stopped, followed by a thud.
“Hey, Jojo boy, you ready for a ride?” The voice sounded like it belonged to a young girl. Jackie relaxed a fraction. Maybe she was just going to take the horse for a ride and wouldn’t come into the office. After several tense moments, the doorknob turned, dashing Jackie’s short-lived hope.
The door opened and the girl stepped into the office and walked over to the heater. Jackie held her breath and could sense Ian doing the same.
Because when the girl turned, there was no way she would miss them.
12
12:40 P.M.
“They couldn’t have just dropped off the face of the earth.” Victor Stroebel stood from behind his desk and walked to the coffeepot. He poured himself a cup, then splashed a generous amount of whiskey in it.
A long sip later, he set the cup down and stared at his hired help. Owning one of South Carolina’s largest construction companies gave him access to all kinds of people. Some good, some not so good. Today he needed the not so good. Nick Stafford had proven useful in the past, and Victor had hopes the man would once again earn his pay. “Wainwright’s an idiot,” he mumbled.
“Sir?”
“Nothing. I just don’t like it when people mess up and I have to clean up behind them. He should never have gone to the cops with his accusation. We could have taken care of the problem without broadcasting—” Victor cursed and shook his head. “Forget it.”
Stafford clasped his hands in front of him and lifted his chin. “The cops are crawling all over the area where the bus stopped.It’s on every news channel available. All we have to do is follow them and they’ll lead us straight to Lockwood and Sellers.”
“Then why aren’t you doing that?”
Nick swallowed, his attempt at growing a spine failing miserably. “Right, we’ll do that right now.” He slapped Hector’s head. “Come on. Let’s move.”
Hector shoved Nick and curled his fingers into a fist. Victor cleared his throat and Hector tightened his jaw, shot another glare at Nick, and strode toward the door. A small smile curved Victor’s lips. He liked that Hector kid.
He turned back to the flat screen television mounted on the
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