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The hunting cabin had one road in and I paced next to the back of the van. The mattress leaned against the side of the opening and our three duffel bags were lined up neatly waiting for the truck bed. I gnawed on my thumbnail as we waited, my gaze jumping from the driveway to the pending sunrise and back.
When the truck rounded the corner, I stopped dead, staring at the three occupants. Valerie was out of the cab even before her uncle could set the brake. I opened my arms on instinct and braced myself for impact. Even with the forethought, the slam of her body against mine nearly knocked all wind from my lungs.
Her joy at seeing us tempered the panic throbbing in my temple and I offered her a smile and a peck on the cheek before I got down to business.
“I don’t have much time,” I said and peeled her off me. She immediately turned and flung herself into Naomi’s arms with just as much zest as she had with me. Instead of relishing the moment, I hauled the mattress over to the truck bed and tossed it in, offering her uncle a slight nod.
“Hi, Ted,” I said as he approached the back of the truck with one of the duffel bags.
He tossed the bag into the back and stared at me before offering his hand. “Thank you for saving Valerie’s life,” he said.
Michael hauled the last two bags over the side and handed me my computer bag.
“What’s the plan?” he asked.
I dug the keys out of my pocket and handed them to him. “I need you to return the van to somewhere in Buffalo.”
“Buffalo, New York?" both Ted and Michael said in unison.
“Yes, this way your brother will think we skipped over into Canada,” I answered and I saw Michael’s expression smooth out. “I’m not sure how you’ll get back though,” I added and glanced at the sky.
“Let me worry about that. Now go get in that oversized toolbox.”
I smiled and tossed him the keys. “Naomi, give him your phone so we can keep in touch.”
Naomi handed Michael her phone and showed him how to access my phone number and then she gave me a nod. I turned away from the mini-reunion and hopped into the truck bed, opening the tool chest. They had lined the container with a soft down blanket and I closed my eyes at the thoughtfulness before slipping inside.
My first reaction as the cover dropped was immediate panic. This was worse than a coffin and I had to squeeze my eyes shut and concentrate on slowing my breathing to normal. The sounds of chains clipping closed increased my unease until the pat on the metal came along with her voice.
“We’re just securing everything in place,” Naomi said and I knocked back, letting her know I was okay.
I closed my eyes when the hum of the engine resumed. I didn’t hear the truck come to life either, so I’m sure Michael was waiting for us to get a reasonable distance. I sighed, feeling some of the stress melt from my muscles. My phone buzzed and I glanced at the unknown number on the screen, debating on whether to answer or not. I highlighted the number and exhaled, praying it was Naomi and not Lucifer. I accepted the call.
“You okay back there?” Her voice filled the line and I chuckled.
“Yeah, just didn’t realize how claustrophobic I’ve become,” I said.
“Well, we will be back at the house in a few minutes. Valerie tells me the garage doesn’t have any windows. Only the back door has a six panel window that faces the east, and the light only covers half of the garage footprint.”
“That’s good to know.” Relief flooded through me.
“Val said the truck is always parked on the dark side of the garage too, so getting out shouldn’t be an issue. So I’ll see you in the garage.”
“Thanks, babe,” I said and ended the call.