Walker and Monica were on the rear bench of the truck, a blanket pulled over them. The ride was choppy, side to side, as Paul navigated out of town and took corners, but on the highway it was calm.
“Five more minutes and you guys can get up,” Paul called out.
Monica was facing forward. Walker was behind her, his back against the back of the bench seat. His left arm was around her, to keep her from spilling off the seat. The top of her head was under his chin, and he felt the heels of her boots against the front of his ankles. Her left arm was looped over his, and her hand held his wrist. It was near black under the blanket. Monica felt warm. Her hair smelled of citrus shampoo. She turned her head so her face was turned up toward his.
“You think he’s going to just ditch us someplace?” she asked in a whisper.
“He might try, but we need to talk to him first,” Walker replied.
“He seems paranoid.”
“He’s got good reason,” Walker said, his voice quiet under the blanket. “And he’s right. We were careless, with using your card before. You can’t underestimate these guys. Paranoia is their default position.”
“So what if whoever is behind us catches up with us? Why can’t we talk to them, work with them?”
“The guys from your house didn’t strike me as wanting to sit around and have a chat types.”
“They might have wanted you, not me. I mean, they don’t know your motive here. Maybe they had surveillance on me, to protect me, thought of that? I mean, if they knew you wanted to help—”
“It’d be far too late. Those guys back at your place are out to scoop up anyone they see as a threat or involved in this and they won’t be persuaded to accept help from the outside. Certainly not before it’s too late, and we’ve reached the thirty-six-hour mark.”
“But do you think that Paul can be persuaded to help us find Jasper?”
“I think he’s our best and near to our only shot at making a difference, to getting to your brother, to stopping what’s coming.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“What if you can’t persuade him?”
“I doubt I can.”
“But you just said . . . oh. I have to do it.”