"Stop," she gasped, pulling both children behind the thick trunk of an oak tree. "Let me listen."
They huddled together, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath without making noise. Sandra pressed her back against the rough bark, her mind racing with possibilities and fears.
She strained her ears, trying to filter out the sound of her own thundering heartbeat and the children's labored breathing. No sound of anyone crashing through the cornfield behind them reached her ears, but the rumble of a diesel engine in the direction of their abandoned car made her stomach clench with dread. Their pursuer was still out there, probably finding out they had escaped the wrecked vehicle.
In the other direction, across a small field, Sandra caught sight of a white house. Laundry fluttered on a line stretched between two posts, and a pickup truck sat in the gravel driveway.She recognized where she was, having seen the house from a distance when she was traveling to or from Terry’s house.
Her mind raced through the possibilities and dangers. They could make it that distance if they stayed low and moved fast, using the scattered trees for cover. The distant rumble of the diesel engine growing closer made the decision for her.
She pulled out her phone with trembling fingers, punching at the keys. "Terry," she whispered when he answered before the first ring finished.
"Sandra, thank God. Where are you?"
His voice wrapped around her, giving her a lifeline. "We made it to the woods, but I can see a house not too far away. A white house on the property just down from the cornfield. About a mile before the turnoff to get to your house." Her voice caught as the distant rumble of the diesel engine grew closer and more threatening. "Terry, I can hear an engine. It might be the pickup truck."
"Stay in the woods but move toward the house." Terry's voice came through tight with command, the cop taking over from the worried father. "Find cover but get closer to people who can help you."
In the distance, Sandra could hear sirens approaching, their wailing growing louder by the second. Help was coming, but she didn’t know if it would arrive in time.
"Kids, come on," she whispered, gathering Emma and Toby closer. "Stay with me and stay low."
Toby looked down at his bright red windbreaker and, without being told, shrugged out of it and left it hanging from a low branch. His navy blue T-shirt would blend better with the forest's shadows. The eleven-year-old's quick thinking made Sandra's throat tight with pride.
They moved through the woods in a crouched run, using every tree and patch of underbrush for cover while making theirway toward the house. Sandra's thigh muscles burned from the awkward position, but she didn't dare stand upright.
Through the trees, she caught a glimpse of black metal moving slowly along the edge of the cornfield. The pickup truck prowled the perimeter while its driver was clearly determined not to let them escape.
Sandra immediately dropped to her knees, pulling both children down behind a fallen log thick with moss and decay. Her body covered theirs as they pressed against the rotting wood, trying to become invisible while the truck searched for them.
"Don't move," she breathed into Emma's ear, feeling the girl's body trembling against her own. "Don't even breathe loud."
They waited in agonizing silence as the truck continued its methodical search, the diesel engine growing louder, then softer, then louder again as it traced patterns through the field. Sandra didn't dare relax her protective embrace. The seconds stretched as every sound made her heart skip with terror that they'd been discovered.
Finally, the engine noise began to fade as the truck moved away. They were possibly hearing the sirens. Sandra forced herself to wait another full minute, counting the seconds in her head before daring to lift her head and scan their surroundings.
"Okay," she whispered. "We're going to keep moving toward the house. Stay behind me and stop if I stop."
They crept through the remaining woods, using every tree and bush for concealment until they reached the edge of the tree line. Across a small backyard dotted with a vegetable garden, Sandra could see a man climbing down from a parked truck.
To her amazement, she spotted the familiar Garcia Electrical logo on the side of the vehicle. Manuel!
He and a teenage boy were walking toward the house, easy smiles on their faces as they talked, until they turned at the sound of sirens in the distance. "Run," Sandra commanded, and all three of them bolted across the open ground toward the house. "Manuel! Help us!" Sandra shouted as they raced across the yard, her voice cracking with desperation. "Someone is after us! Please help us!"
Manuel turned in surprise, his face shifting from confusion to alarm as he took in their desperate appearance. Sandra could only imagine what they looked like with their faces striped with blood from corn cuts, clothes dirty, and terror in their eyes.
Behind them, the sound of the diesel engine was growing louder again.
"Jose!" Manuel barked to his teenage son, his voice sharp with command. "Get the kids inside! Now!"
Without hesitation, Jose ran toward them. Sandra watched as the seventeen-year-old reached Emma first, his young face serious with purpose as he grabbed her hand and pulled her close to his side.
"Stay with me," he told her, his voice calm despite the chaos approaching. As they ran toward the house, Jose positioned himself between Emma and the approaching threat, shielding her as they covered the remaining distance to safety.
Manuel grabbed Toby’s hand as the two of them ran after Jose and Emma. Manuel kept looking back at Sandra, but she shouted that she was fine. Manuel carried him swiftly toward the back door, where Carmen swept the young boy into her arms as she pulled him inside. Manuel turned and moved behind Sandra as she entered the house.
"Get inside," Manuel commanded, holding open his back door with one hand. "Carmen! Carmen, call the sheriff!"
Sandra pushed through the door behind the kids, her hands shaking as she watched Jose guide Emma to safety on thefar side of the kitchen, pushing her down behind the kitchen counter. Jose turned to pull Toby down next to Emma, then he braced himself over them.
