“Title only right now. I’m still in the learning phase. It’s very interesting work. And I got to fire my first gun today.”
She opened her mouth to say something when she got distracted. “Oh! There’s a bank! I’d better go see how much I can withdraw while I have the chance.”
The process took less than five minutes once she found what she called the ATM sitting at the last lane of the drive-thru. “Five hundred dollars is my limit, but it leaves me with a little over a hundred in my checking account.” Sighing, she stuffed the bills into a smaller purse before shoving it into the bigger one.
He watched as she stared at her hands resting on the steering wheel. She was thinking about something, and whatever it was, it saddened her. “What’s wrong, Miss Shyne?”
“Ingrid. Please call me Ingrid. It’s… I was thinking I’d come up here, explain what had happened, and leave the babies in good hands. It never occurred to me that…”
“That you’d have to stay?”
She turned to look at him, tears glittering in her eyes. “I didn’t bring anything with me. I don’t have a change of clothes. Nothing. Not even a toothbrush.”
He smiled at her. “When we get there and settled, you can come back to town. Take F8 with you and go to the mercantile. I know she’d love to show you around. She’s been cooped up at the campsite since she can’t go apply for a job.”
“She can’t? Why not?”
He pointed to his arm. “Not until the doctor releases her.”
“She’s been sick?”
“No. She was shot.”
A look of alarm crossed Ingrid’s face. “Shot?”
G8 dropped the smile. “Yeah. So was Cydney.”
“Does it have anything to do with that little incident the sheriff mentioned?”
“Yeah. I’ll explain once we get back on the road.”
Nodding, she pulled out of the bank lot and back onto the main street. “Would you check to see if the babies are okay? Are they still asleep?”
He leaned over to peer between the seats and into the cardboard box. “They look like they’re still asleep.”
“Good. Mom and Dad told me that sometimes they used to put…” She paused as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
“What did they use to do?” he gently urged.
She sniffed. “They used to put me in the car and ride around town to put me to sleep.” She gave him a tremulous smile. “Sometimes they even put me on top of the washing machine. They said the vibrations have a soothing effect on babies. Oh, G8, I can’t even call them, can I? And let them know what’s happened.”
Spotting the mercantile up ahead, he pointed it out to her. “Stop here and get that burner phone Sheriff Biggs told you about. And then you can call them to give them the bad news.”
“Bad news?”
“Yeah. That you’re having to stay with us for an indefinite period of time.”
Strangely, she shook her head as she slowed the car. “Staying with you and the others isn’t what I meant by bad news. It’s all of this crap that’s happening, and none of us knowing what’s going to occur tomorrow, or even an hour from now. That’s the bad news.” That wonderful smile returned when she glanced at him. “Having your help is the only positive thing that’s happened in my life ever since this whole shit storm hit the fan.”
G8 grinned to himself as she found a parking spot.
9INTEGR8
Everyoneexcept for N8 was standing out in front of the main dining hall, waiting for them when Ingrid drove up. They appeared surprised to see only G8 and the woman in the car, expecting to see two more.
“Where are the others?” F8 asked when he jumped out.
“On the floorboard in the back seat.” He got a good laugh out of their confused expressions and went around to the driver’s side. Opening the rear seat door, he reached inside and brought out the cardboard box.
