“What?”
A popping sound.Glass breaking.Then silence.
“Bella?”I’m whimpering into the phone.I feel it being taken from me and then the car moving.Fast.
“Hang on, sweetheart.”
I do.I hold onto the strap above my head as Chase drives like an Indy racer.If I weren’t completely in a daze, scared out of my head, I might enjoy the ride, but all I can think about is Finn hanging up on me, my dad not answering, the sounds of gunfire, and Bella.A guttural sob that I can’t control takes over.“Hurry,” I choke out.“Hurry.”
On our way out of Excelsior, Chase takes a sudden right turn.“Where are you going?”
“You’ll see.”
Several turns later, we’re at a bus station.The main bus terminal for this part of Nebraska.“What…?”
“Let’s go.They’ve got lockers.”
“Oh.”Pushing open the door, I jump out, slam the door, and run.“Hurry, Chase.”
Inside, there’s a short line at the counter.Even a short line is too long.Chase must feel the same because before I know it, he’s pulled out his badge from somewhere.“Police.Let me through.”
The people part like the Red Sea.At the window, Chase asks and pays for a locker.Key in hand, we run to the far side of the terminal to a long row of metal doors.Finding the one whose number matches the key, he opens it, takes the box from my arms, and shoves it inside.Slamming the door, he makes sure it’s locked, then he hands me the key.“Donotlose that.”
“I won’t.”Clutching the key in my hand, we race back to the car and jump inside.With my seatbelt in place, I slide the key into the front pocket of my blue jeans and hold on for dear life.
By the timewe pull into town, it’s obvious all hell has broken loose.Even though Chase broke land speed records to get us here, there are already law enforcement vehicles parked up and down Main Street.Lights are flashing on every one of them, so much so, it’s hard to tell what’s happening.Chase drives up the street, slowly, as far as he can, before someone in an FBI jacket moves in front of us, holding up his hand.“Stop,” he says, in a commanding way.
Chase pressed the button to lower his window.Sticking his head out, he holds up his badge.When the guy sees it, he waves us through.We don’t get far, however, because the road is blocked by more police cars, sheriff’s vehicles, and an ambulance.
“An ambulance?”
I jump out of the car and ignore Chase’s voice telling me to stay put.I need to know what’s happening and if Bella, Mom, and Dad are okay.
When I reach the edge of the perimeter, I see paramedics working on someone in the street.I’m about to run in that direction when I hear my name.“Lou Lou?”Looking to my right, I see Bella then my dad with his arms wrapped around Mom.“Dad?”I look at the women.“Bella?Mom?”I jog until I’m in front of them.“Are you all okay?”
“We’re fine.The van’s seen better days.”I search the area and spot Bella’s bakery van.The windshield is splintered and falling away from the front of the car.“He shot at you?”
“He did.”Adding in a low growl, “That motherfucker.”
“Is that him?”I point to the scene in the middle of the road.
“That’s him.I was still able to get him with the van.”
“You hit him?”
“Had to.He was aiming for our parents.”
Our parents?
Does that mean my father’s friend is Sheila Truman?
It makes sense.Perfect sense, actually.And maybe that’s all they are… friends.“You said you had good news?”
“We do.The doctors are pretty confident that Mom’s issues are due to the wrong cocktail of meds that don’t get along, and a urinary tract infection that went undiagnosed.They switched up one of her prescriptions and she’s now on antibiotics.We’ll know in a few days if that’s all it was.Cross fingers.”We both do just that.
“And my dad and Mom?”
Bella shrugs.“They’ve been spending a lot of time together lately.”
