Page 63 of Beehives and Broken Heroes

Another text came through. A picture from Allie of Tobias Grant. Brandon cursed and texted her back.

Brandon: Please tell me you’re not with that man right now.

Allie: I can’t . . . because that would belying.

Holy mother of Moses. He rolled his eyes. This woman would be the death of him.

“They have ’em.” He showed Andy and Cash the photo.

Cash stepped forward. “You’re going to tell me what’s going on—right now.”

Brandon got another text, and another, and another as Andy gave Cash the quick rundown.

“Judas Priest, Brandon,” Cash barked. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Brandon shoved his phone in his pocket. “They’ve just got out at mile marker forty-three and are running for the fairgrounds.” He headed to the SUV.

“We can’t drive there!” Cash threw his hands up. “Traffic’s blocked from here to kingdom come.”

Brandon got in the driver’s seat and leaned out the door. “We’re not driving there. Now are you coming or not?”

The two men jumped in the car as Brandon sped back to the house, gravel kicking up like the Red Sea on either side of the truck.

“Call the Slades, Cash,” Brandon said, pulling his phone out and hitting contact: Tom Westbrook. “Tell them what’s happened, tell them the road’s blocked, and tell them to meet us at the fairgrounds.”

“What’s the plan, big man?” Andy said.

“I’m getting my girl back.” Pause. “And beating the life out of Tobias Grant.”

* * *

“If someone is chasing you, the first thing you want to do is use what time you have right out the gate to get as far away from them as possible.” - Brandon Carroll

Allie and Jo were good runners. Each of them had run track in high school and college. So, when they exited the vehicle and ran down that embankment, they’d done it so fast that they’d surprised their captors. Allie had seen that surprise when she glanced over her shoulder as they’d hit the tree line. The men had been staring slack-jawed. That didn’t last long.

Allie and Jo were barely halfway up one of the many roving hills that separated them from the fairgrounds when the men appeared—running faster than they had hope of doing.

Allie let Jo run ahead of her. All the training she’d been doing with Brandon for B.O.T.s kicked into full gear. She glanced over her shoulder as they neared the top of the hill; their pursuers were near halfway up it. Brandon had told her to get as much distance between them and her as possible.

“Why are they chasin’ us!” Jo yelled over her shoulder.

They crested the hill, and Allie yelled out directions. “Go left!”

Her sister veered left, and Allie glanced over her shoulder once more. She made the briefest eye contact with Mr. Scowl before he disappeared out of view. She picked up speed, caught up with Jo, and yanked her to the right, the opposite direction of what she’d just yelled. Now that the men couldn’t see them, they wouldn’t know they’d changed directions. “Keep low and follow me as quick as you can.”

Jo immediately did as she asked, and they raced to a grouping of trees some twenty yards in the opposite direction. Allie ducked behind the trees, and Jo followed suit. She peered through a small space between two of the trees just in time to see the men come up and over and run full force to the left. Man, they were fast. Way faster than Allie or Jo.

Jo panted lightly beside her. “How’d you know they’d do that?”

Allie looked at her sister in her bright pink shirt, and at the bandanna on her wrist. “Brandon taught me.” He’d also taught her to cover her hair and bright clothing. She whipped off her army green jacket and handed it to Jo. “Put this on, zip it up, put the hood up. Give me your bandanna.”

Jo yanked the bandanna from her wrist, and Allie put it over her hair Rosie Riveter style. As soon as it was secure, she got up and beckoned her sister to follow her. They kept at a decent jog. In the distance, River McKenzie’s concert began. Cheers from the crowd echoed through the trees. A pair of doves shot out of their perch at the sound. Their feet hit soft but not soundlessly in the grass below their feet.

“Allie,” Jo whispered as they moved. “Why are they chasing us?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “But I think it has to do with why Brandon lied to me. I think he really was trying to keep me safe.”

“What happens if they catch us?” Jo’s cheeks were rosy from running.

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