“But nothing. You’ve done your best for the others, now it’s time to do the same for Mr Moreton.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Of course he was.Get it together Logan. “Sorry.”
Jacob sighed and gave him a sad smile. “I know it’s tough hearing them talked about like that, but you’ve done all you can.” When Logan nodded, Jacob carried on. “Right, this is what you need to know for Wednesday night.”
Logan cleared his mind of everything except the upcoming escape run and committed Jacob’s instructions to memory.
“OH SHIT.” Cole’s face paled when he opened the door to Logan. “Tonight?” he mouthed.
Logan gave the tiniest shake of his head, hoping Cole got the message. “Can I come in?”
“God, yes, Sorry.” He moved out of the way allowing Logan to step inside.
As soon as Logan was in with the door closed, he put a finger to his lips. He’d passed a couple of shifters on his way here and didn’t want to risk anything going wrong this close to leaving. “Everyone ready?”
Cole nodded. “Mum and Dad are upstairs; I’ll just give them a shout.” He walked to the bottom of the stairs, took two steps up them and yelled. “Mum, Dad, Logan’s here.”
They appeared a few minutes later, both in jeans with small rucksacks.
Logan checked they’d got wallets, keys and everything else they’d take on a night out, then led them outside. He stopped on the threshold, scenting the air.
Clear.
“I’ll drive,” he said to Cole’s dad and held his hand out for the keys.
Cole got in the passenger side. “Where are we going?”
“There’s a small concert at Old Deer Park tonight. We’re all going there. That explains your backpacks if anyone sees you, and also it’s one last family night together before you move into the McKillan flats.”
He caught Cole’s nod out of the corner of his eye. “Sounds like something we’d do.”
The rest of the journey passed in silence, tension in the car so thick Logan could almost taste it.
“We’re nearly there,” he said as the park came into view. “Stay in the car until I tell you to get out. And give me your jackets and personal effects.”
He parked on the end next to a grey run-down van that shielded them from the rest of the car park. “Wait here.” Taking everything they’d given him, he got out and opened the van door. Inside were three people, two older, one roughly Cole’s age. Logan tried not to breathe in or look at them too closely, just shoved the Moreton’s belongings at them, took the jackets they offered in return, and shut the door. He didn’t want to remember them in any way.
Turning back to the car, he handed Cole the three coats he’d been given. “Put these on and get out.” When all three of them were out, he opened the side door to the now-empty van and they exchanged vehicles.
Part one, done.
He put his finger to his lips again. At this point it was just better if everyone remained silent. Indicating the mattress on the floor, he gestured for the three of them to sit down and then climbed into the driver’s seat. As soon as he reversed out of his spot, anyone watching would see three people matching Cole’s family description get out of their car and head into the park. With any luck there wouldn’t be anyone paying attention, but Logan wouldn’t put anything past Paul after last week. Especially with McKillan himself so invested in Cole’s future.
His phone rang as he put the van into reverse, Aaron’s name flashing on the screen. Logan ignored it, backing out of the space and letting it go to voicemail.
It rang again.
Fuck.
Sorry, Aaron, really can’t talk to you right now.
Then it chimed with an incoming text.
If Logan didn’t reply soon, Aaron was going to worry. And then he’d try Jacob, who was fuck knew where. Breaking in the middle of the car park, he snatched up his phone and quickly read the text.
Aaron:Office is weird. Something’s off. Be careful.
Logan read the message twice. What the hell did that mean? And what did Aaron think he was doing? A flash of fear ran like ice down his spine. He couldn’t know, he would’ve said something. They told each other everything.
