Seattle hadn’t been far enough from Silver City. I should have gone the other direction, not stopping until we hit the east coast. My car wouldn’t have made it, but I should have tried. I should have—
“Mom,” Trent said, his voice full of concern. “Can I call Wasp?”
My heart pounded in my ears, my head, my fingertips, making it impossible to think. Thu-thump. Thu-thump. Thu-thump. Faster and faster it beat. Anxiety choked me, making each breath a struggle. Trent was picking up on my fear. Eyebrows raised, hands folded in his lap, he watched me. Forcing down a couple of deep breaths, I did my best to give him a reassuring smile. “Not right now, buddy. Everything’s fine. We’re just gonna have a little change of plans. You’re not going to school today.”
Or any day.
We needed to get out of there.
Go somewhere safer.
I needed to pack.
There’s nowhere you can hide that I can’t find you.
The message stared at me, eating away at my sanity. I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, but I couldn’t. Trent was staring at me.
We’re in danger.
I have to get us somewhere safe.
Picking up my phone, I opened a browser and checked flight deals. The further away, the better. One airline was running a one-ninety-nine special for flights to Florida. For less than five hundred dollars (with taxes, fees, and baggage) I could get us to the opposite end of the country.
Too bad I didn’t have five hundred dollars.
But, I knew someone who did.
Would Wasp loan me the money?
Or would he insist we stay here so he could protect us?
God, if Nate got to Wasp…
My insides felt like they were shattering.
“But it’s Thursday,” Trent said, sitting beside me on the couch. “I always go to school on Thursday.”
Fuck school.I wanted to scream from the top of my lungs. Trent’s school no longer mattered if I couldn’t keep him safe. Nothing did.
“Not today,” I said, standing. “I’m going to put in a movie, and I need you to stay in here while I get some stuff done. What do you want to watch?”
The worried creases across his forehead told me he knew something was up. “Spiderman?” he asked.
Naturally. But I didn’t even care. He could say all the Penis Parkers he wanted to as long as he gave me time to get us packed. Putting the disk in, I turned on the television and settled him in to watch it before hurrying into our bedroom. As soon as I was out of earshot, I called Wasp. The line rang and rang until voicemail finally picked up. Growling in frustration, I tossed my phone on the bed and started piling Trent’s clothes into a suitcase.
Next, I started on mine. I was sitting on the top of my stuffed bag, trying to force the zipper closed when someone banged on the apartment door.
“Mom!” Trent shouted. “Someone’s here.”
My heart leaped into my throat as I sprinted into the living room. There were little green Army men everywhere. Trent had set them up as some sort of barrier to protect us. I hurriedly stepped over some and around others until I stood between the door and my kid.
But then I had no idea what to do.
Why the fuck don’t we have a peephole?
Anyone could be in that hallway, and there was no way I was opening the door to find out who it was.
Another knock. “Carly? Let me in.”
