The twins followed as Wendy opened the back passenger door and they saw something taped to the inside of the door. “This is a bulletproof vest. There is one on the other side and one behind the seat. If someone shoots at us, lay down on the seat.”
“What about you?” Jo Ann asked.
Opening the passenger door, Wendy pulled out the tactical vest. “I’ll be wearing this and I have a smaller one for when one of you sits up front,” Wendy answered.
“Are you going to shoot back?” Sally asked.
“My first job is to get you out but if they chase, I’ll shoot the assholes,” Wendy said, holding up the concealable vest.
“How far are we going?” Jo Ann asked.
Letting out a long sigh, “Fifteen hundred miles,” Wendy said, already feeling tired.
“When can we leave?” Sally asked, looking back at Noah and Ryan.
“Don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready to leave now,” Wendy said with a grin.
“I’ll ride up front first,” Jo Ann said, tossing her backpack in.
They went back over and Wendy picked up Noah as Sally picked up Ryan and carried them to the Tahoe. Jo Ann packed up the stuff left as Wendy and Sally put the sleeping boys on the back seat. With a comforter spread over the backseat and pillows stuffed in each floorboard, Sally looked over at Wendy as she put Noah on the driver’s side back seat.
“They can’t wear seatbelts,” Sally whispered.
“I’m not wearing mine,” Wendy answered as she covered Noah up with a sheet. “If we wreck, we all get hurt. If we find car seats for them, then I will.”
Covering up Ryan with the sheet, Sally nodded. “I’m not wearing mine until we do either,” she said with a nod.
Smiling over at Sally, “Get in the middle and remember, you have to help keep an eye out until we get out of town,” Wendy said as Jo Ann ran over with the blanket and diaper bag.
As she tossed them in, Wendy came over and draped a bulletproof vest over her. Even though it was the female officer’s vest, it still swallowed Jo Ann’s body. Looking down at the vest, “I know you said we were driving without lights, but what about when we stop? The red lights at the back come on,” Jo Ann stated.
Shaking her head, “Not anymore, I pulled the fuse,” Wendy said, reaching up and scuffing Jo Ann’s hair.
Staring at Wendy in awe, “You think of everything,” Jo Ann mumbled.
“No, I learned from my husband. In his youth, Arthur was a bad boy, a very bad boy,” Wendy grinned, guiding Jo Ann to the passenger seat. “He stopped for the most part when we met, but he never lost his rebel heart of independence.”
Reaching out and grabbing Wendy’s arm as she was about to close the door, “Did he go to jail?” Jo Ann whispered in shock.
“He was arrested once when he was thirteen, but was found not guilty. After that, he became much ‘more sneaky’ I say; ‘careful’ he says,” Wendy chuckled and then closed the door.
Walking around the Tahoe, Wendy opened the driver’s door and pulled the M4 she liked the best off the dashboard. Checking it over and press checking it, Wendy put the M4 back. Grabbing her vest from the seat and throwing it on, Wendy looked down at the four magazines for the M4 on her chest as she tightened the straps down. Pulling the pistol from her holster and checking it, Wendy put it back. Looking down at the bin in the door and the Glock resting there, Wendy turned to the Glock 17 resting on the console.
“Don’t have to reach far for a gun now,” Wendy sighed with relief, walking over and opening the gate. When she climbed in, she glanced around and saw the twins almost vibrating with excitement and anxiety. Closing the door, Wendy started the Tahoe up.
“Wendy,” Jo Ann said, looking down in her floorboard. “Why did you bring the spear gun? You have real guns now.”
Shrugging as she put the shifter in drive, “It protected us, so call it good luck,” Wendy answered. “It’s not loaded, as you can see.”
“Okay, but why did you take the tires from the truck at Noah’s house?” Sally asked from the backseat.
“They are the same size as the ones on this truck and I only took the back tires,” Wendy said, tapping the GPS mounted on the dash. Out of everything she had done to get ready, the GPS system had proved the hardest. Using an atlas, Wendy had known the way she wanted to go, but the GPS hadn’t liked her route. Just as Wendy had been about to break the unit, she’d figured out how to program the route she wanted.
Pulling out the gate, Wendy turned on the back communal drive and drove along behind the houses. Reaching the road, Wendy turned and started driving west. Even with the GPS unit on night, the screen was too bright. Reaching over, Wendy tapped the screen until the contrast came up and turned it all the way down. Realizing that was too low, Wendy increased it until she was satisfied.
“There’s someone ahead,” Jo Ann said and Wendy’s hand dropped from the screen to the Glock resting on the center console as she looked ahead.
Pulling the pistol to her lap, Wendy saw a man standing in the yard of a very nice house. The man just stared in front of him at the road. Keeping her eyes on him as they drove through his line of sight, Wendy never saw any recognition on his face as she drove past him.
“What was wrong with him?” Jo Ann asked, scanning the road
