Sobering, Ezra glanced toward Haley. “It’s not fair to any of us. Law and order has broken down a lot faster than I ever imagined before this started. It sounds like it isn’t going to get better in Kansas City. It might be a while before our journey becomes safe again.”
“You mean like that one ten-minute stretch we had on the water two days ago?”
He turned to his friend. “You can stay in this yard too, mister.”
“What? Are you going to turn the boat around if I don’t behave?”
Butch cracked up, as did he, at least until Haley returned.
She wiped away a lone tear. “I heard what you two said. Do you really think it’s going to get more dangerous than it already has?”
He and Butch shared a world-weary look. Ezra answered. “Those men on the bridge are looking for the three of us. We’re probably in some federal database they’ve tapped into. I’m afraid we’ll be pursued by this group until one side is totally gone.” Ezra didn’t need to spell it out any further.
He continued. “You and Butch are welcome to disembark. Hide out in a forest. There’s no way they can search the whole state. However, my daughter is counting on me to get to her in Denver. I can’t stop now.”
Josephine spoke up. “Maybe those men won’t be able to catch up to you. No one is supposed to be on the highways right now. They might be stuck in Boonville.”
Ezra doubted the TKM trucks would be stopped by anything for very long. The company had become the law in St. Charles. They probably had a similar arrangement with other cities. Maybe the whole state. “We have to assume they’re coming. We can’t let our guard down.”
“So, totally dangerous?” Haley asked, as if seeing the light.
He nodded grimly.
Haley turned to Josephine. “Would you really take care of them both for me? It’s an awful lot to ask for a few gallons of gas.”
The older lady scoffed. “This isn’t about gasoline. This is about helping a fellow woman in her time of need.”
Butch snickered. “You aren’t going to eat them, are you?”
Josephine and Haley glared at him with double-barreled power.
He put up his hands. “Sorry. It was only a joke.”
Haley eased up. “Don’t mind him. I’ll slap him later.”
The woman softened. “You know it’s the right thing to do for your furry pals. They shouldn’t be out on a boat for days on end. They shouldn’t go to Kansas City, either. None of you should. But most of all, they shouldn’t be put in danger. I promise I’ll take care of them.” She scowled at Butch. “And I promise not to eat them.”
Butch wore a sheepish grin.
Liam chose that moment to run in a circle around Haley. She choked up as she scooped him in her arms. Her puppy voice was almost hoarse. “Would you like to spend some more time here at this lovely place? This nice woman wants you to visit with her boy. Victoria would be here, too.”
Haley laughed a bit, looking to the group. “It’s not a big selling point. Liam is scared of Victoria. She swiped at him a few times when he tried to play with her.”
Josephine took her hand and walked her over to the pet crate, leaving him and Butch to themselves. They swapped out their jug of gasoline for one from the shed, then walked the heavy five-gallon container to the gate. Standing there, he thought he heard the sound of engines from the distant two-lane highway.
“Haley, I’m so sorry, but we’ve got to go. We don’t want to endanger anyone if those men come through here.”
“I know,” she replied with sadness. She spent a few moments talking to her orange cat inside the box. She also allowed a few seconds for hugging Liam. To the pup’s credit, he ran off and got back to the serious business of chasing the bigger retriever, rather than moping around Haley.
Ezra waved to Josephine. “Thanks again for your hospitality. We’ll be back for them, and when I do, I’d love to visit your town more. If everyone’s as nice as you, this would be a lot like my home in Kentucky.”
“We have a big fall festival in October. Come visit us then!”
Josephine had just closed the gate when he heard multiple engines revving. It didn’t sound like normal traffic driving past the town on the two-lane highway. The vehicles were on the residential streets.
“Run for the woods!” he shouted.
“See you soon!” Haley yelled back to Josephine, once again on the verge of tears.
“Looking forward to it, sweetie!” the woman yelled in return.
Liam and Jabba the Mutt barked happily.
They’d brought their rifles, and Butch had given Haley a five-minute tutorial on using it. He’d even let her fire it off the side of the boat a few times. However, they weren’t ready for battle. He also didn’t want anyone to get between them and the boat.
As they went over the wooded hillside where they’d come up from the river, the TKM trucks arrived on the woman’s street. The flash of blue was unmistakable, even through the leaves of the trees. He didn’t think they’d been spotted, but he couldn’t be sure.
“Nobody stops until we’re on Susan’s Grace,” he ordered.
They had to work to keep up with Haley. She wasn’t only running away from men with guns. She’d been forced to run away from her four-legged friends.
CHAPTER 8
Near Cheyenne, WY
As soon as the helicopter appeared on the horizon, Grace and her allies gathered their weapons, secured Shawn and Diedre inside her truck, and positioned the Lahti anti-tank gun so they could fire it off the back of the train. There was some arguing
