“Yeah.” Lucy frowned. “But why did we change cars?”
Lauren appeared at a loss for how to respond. Grady met Lucy’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “I saw a suspicious car back at the mall and thought it was better for us to switch to a different vehicle, just in case.”
“We’re safe, Lucy.” Lauren reached back to pat her daughter’s knee. “Don’t worry.”
Lucy nodded and looked less scared, which was a good thing. Grady fell silent as he followed the winding highway lined with trees on either side of the road. Only after they’d traveled a solid ten miles from the shopping mall and the interstate did he relax his tense muscles.
Even then, he knew the danger was far from over. Maybe they’d escaped the kidnappers, but they were still in a stolen car. He was glad they’d gotten warm clothes and shoes for Lucy, along with the electronics he’d wanted.
Now they needed to find a place to stay.
As they approached an intersection, he decided to turn right, heading north. The farther they stayed away from civilization, the better.
“I’ll pay the owner for the car,” Lauren said in a low voice.
He nodded, not surprised by her comment. “I’m sure Rex can reimburse the owner too. I wouldn’t have taken drastic action if I’d had another option.”
“I understand.” She tucked her blond hair behind her ear. “I had no idea it was so easy to...” She let her voice trail off, no doubt not wanting to say too much in front of Lucy.
“It’s only this make and model; most vehicles had additional safeguards built in.” He was glad she wasn’t dwelling too much on what he’d done. “Keep your eyes open for a place to stay.”
She nodded and glanced both ways. A frown furrowed her brow. “I don’t see much of anything way out here.”
“We’ll find something sooner or later.” He glanced at the gas tank and breathed a sigh of relief that they had three-quarters of a tank. Gas stations had cameras that could be used to track a stolen car.
“What did you buy at the electronics store?” Lauren bent over to look inside the bag. “A computer?”
“I figured we could do some investigating on our own.” He didn’t want to add the part that being alone with Lauren and Lucy for hours doing nothing would drive him nuts. “I know it’s a long shot, but it can’t hurt to do a little digging.”
“And the USB drive?” She tapped the item in question that still sat in the ignition, much like a key.
He grimaced. “Honestly, I grabbed it at the last minute. I thought that we might need it to store a video or other images.” He was vague on purpose, not wanting to mention his thought process in front of Lucy. The disposable phones could record a video, but he hadn’t been sure of how much data they could store. The devices he’d purchased were relatively basic, without any of the bells and whistles of a smartphone.
As it turned out, the USB drive had been a lifesaver in a very different way.
“I see.” Lauren’s troubled expression indicated she didn’t really follow his logic, but she dropped the issue.
If circumstances had been different, he’d have used their new phone to record the black SUV driving by, hoping to get a license plate. He hadn’t noticed if the outdoor mall had cameras mounted on the exterior of the building. If they did, the police may be able to get that information.
The possibility of getting a lead on the kidnappers made him feel better. Keeping a wary eye on the speedometer, no point in speeding in a stolen car, he continued driving north. There wasn’t much traffic on the rural highway. He hoped there wouldn’t be many cops out either.
The first town they came across was Columbia. It had a few hotels, but he wanted something with more anonymity. Another fifteen miles later, they came upon the much smaller town of Fullerton.
“Look, Grady, there’s a sign for cabin rentals.” Lauren gestured to the billboard on the right. “It says it’s six miles away, so I assume it’s located farther outside of town.”
“Perfect.” The directions indicated they should go to the northeast. They were far enough from the shopping mall that he wasn’t worried the black SUV could track them. When they came upon the cabin rentals, he slowed and turned into a plowed driveway leading to a main dwelling.
He put the gearshift into park but kept the engine running. “I’d like you and Lucy to stay here. I’ll get us a cabin.”
“Okay,” Lauren agreed.
Pushing out of the car, he scanned the area. It was desolate and private, two solid points in their favor. He could see a couple of individual cabins off to the right. The billboard had boasted ten cabins, but he could only see five of them. Maybe the others were tucked farther away from the road. If so, those were the ones he was interested in.
He opened the door and stepped into the main lodge. There was nobody behind the front counter, but he noticed there were several racks displaying touristy stuff for sale. Stuffed bears, bobcats, and deer, along with jars of honey and jam, presumably homemade. He stepped up to the counter and rang the small bell. A woman in her mid-sixties came out to greet him.
“How can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m here with my wife and daughter. We’d like to stay in one of your cabins.” He smiled reassuringly. “We’d like one deeper in the woods if possible. This is my wife’s first trip to the area, and she’s hoping to see some wildlife while we’re here.”
