“Because they didn't believe us.”
Evelyn stared at the abandoned building.
“Who did?”
Marcus looked at Derek.
Derek shook his head.
“We never saw their faces clearly.”
Evelyn considered the situation.
Then she stood.
“Get in the truck.”
Ryan blinked.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“Where are we going?”
“The hospital.”
“We can't.”
“Why?”
“They'll find us.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“Then we'll make sure they don't.”
Derek stood.
“You don't understand.”
Evelyn walked closer.
“I understand four men have been dehydrated and beaten for two days.”
She pointed at the truck.
“And I understand I have exactly one working vehicle.”
She opened the passenger door.
“Get in.”
Derek stared at her.
Then smiled.
“Yes, ma'am.”
One by one, they climbed into the truck.
Evelyn started the engine.
The old pickup coughed.
Once.
Twice.
Then came alive.
Evelyn smiled.
“Earl kept good engines alive longer than people thought possible.”
Marcus looked at her.
“Your husband?”
“Yes.”
“What was he like?”
Evelyn looked through the windshield.
“Stubborn.”
Derek laughed.
“So are you.”
“Yes.”
The truck rolled onto the highway.
None of them noticed the dark SUV parked nearly a mile away.
And inside it, two men were watching.
One raised a radio.
“They're moving.”
A voice answered.
“Follow them.”
The rescue had only begun.
The Road Home
Evelyn knew the highway better than anyone.
She knew where the road narrowed.
Where the pavement cracked.
Where cell service disappeared.
Where an old gas station had closed.
She knew which ranches had dogs.
Which farmers stayed awake late.
Which roads connected to the county highway.
She also knew that someone was following them.
She had seen the same dark vehicle twice.
Once in the mirror.
Then again after a turn.
She didn't tell the men immediately.
Instead, she drove.
Ryan sat beside her.
Derek and Marcus were in the back.
Nathan watched through the rear window.
Finally he said:
“Black SUV.”
Marcus turned.
“You sure?”
“Same one.”
Derek leaned forward.
“How far?”
“Maybe half a mile.”
Evelyn kept driving.
“Don't panic.”
Marcus stared at her.
“Ma'am, we're not panicking.”
“You're all holding your breath.”
They laughed.
It was the first genuine laugh of the day.
Even Evelyn smiled.
Then the SUV accelerated.
Derek's expression changed.
“They're coming.”
Evelyn turned onto an old service road.
The SUV followed.
The road became rough.
Trees closed around them.
Branches scratched the sides of the truck.
Then Evelyn suddenly turned onto a dirt path.
Ryan looked at her.
“Where are we going?”
“My husband's old storage yard.”
“Does anybody know about it?”
“No.”
“Can we hide there?”
“Yes.”
The men exchanged looks.
Evelyn drove another mile.
Then stopped.
The property was surrounded by trees.
An old barn stood behind the main building.
They parked inside.
Evelyn turned off the engine.
“Everybody out.”
They moved quickly.
Derek helped Ryan.
Nathan checked the road.
Marcus closed the barn doors.
The SUV passed without stopping.
They waited.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Twenty.
Nothing.
Then Derek said:
“They lost us.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
“They didn't lose us.”
She pointed toward the road.
“They're waiting.”
Marcus frowned.
“How do you know?”
“Because Earl used to hide equipment here.”
She smiled.
“People who don't know this property will search the main road first.”
Nathan looked impressed.
“You've done this before?”
Evelyn laughed.
“No.”
She looked at him.
“But I was married to a man who did.”
They stayed hidden for two hours.
During that time, Marcus told Evelyn more.
The attackers had mentioned a man named Calvin Rourke.
A former member of their organization.
Calvin had left years earlier after a dispute over money.
Nobody had seen him in months.
Then Tommy died.
And suddenly people were asking about the ledger.
Evelyn thought about it.
“Could Calvin have taken it?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Tommy gave it to his daughter.”
Everyone became silent.
Evelyn looked at Marcus.
“Then why do these people think you have it?”
Marcus shook his head.
“We were Tommy's closest riders.”
Derek added:
“They assumed we were carrying it.”
Evelyn sighed.
“People make dangerous decisions when they assume.”
Ryan nodded.
“That seems to be the story of our lives.”
Later that evening, they finally reached a small hospital.
Evelyn parked behind the emergency entrance.
She went inside.
Within minutes, doctors were examining the men.
Dehydration.
Bruising.
Broken ribs.
Cuts.