Jagger stands, holding out a hand for us to stay, then slowly creeps forward and casually walks in front of the vehicle and looks through the windshield as if he’s just walking past, like the orange jumpsuit doesn’t give him away as an escaped convict. After he passes by, he spins back around, moves to the passenger-side door, and pulls the door handle. It opens, and no alarm sounds.
My eyes widen in surprise. Are we gonna catch a break here and not have to walk anymore?
He leans inside, looks toward the back, then opens the side door and checks more carefully. We all stand just as he beckons us over.
“Empty?” Sly asks, and Jagger nods, dragging a duffel bag from the middle seat toward him.
“What do we have here?” I ask excitedly as I push up on my toes to look around him and see what’s inside.
Clothes, a little bit of cash, and a cellphone.
“Who left this here?” I ask in delighted confusion.
“Did we stumble upon someone else’s escape plan?” Dex asks as he pulls out some clothes and starts changing out of his orange jumpsuit.
I do the same as I laugh. “Who cares? Finders keepers! Sly, I think these pants will fit your giraffe legs.” I toss a pair of jogging pants at him as I rummage through, finding a black pair that look like they’ll fit me.
“I don't have giraffe legs,” Sly grumbles as he pulls them on. “You’re justshort.”
I see Jagger pull out a decent-looking hunting knife with a sheath. He checks it over, then attaches it to his hip. I narrow my eyes at him, as jealousy flows through me. I’ll just snatch it when he’s sleeping. Maybe. That’d be a great way to lose a finger though… Jagger isn’t one to mess with. He never appreciates my practical jokes.
Once we’re all decked out in joggers and tees, we split up the money, and Sly takes the cell phone, opening up the GPS to figure out where we are.
“There’s a bus station a few miles down this road.”
“Are you insane? Did you miss the fact that we have a vehicle right here?” I ask, gesturing wildly to the large SUV beside us as I move around to the driver’s side and climb in.
“You can’t hot-wire a new vehicle like this. You need the key,” he says with a shake of his head.
My foot presses down on the break and I press the start button. The engine roars to life as I grin over my shoulder at him. “You were saying?”
“The key fob must be in here; we need to find it.”
I pull open the center console and find it immediately. “Got it! Everyone in!”
“Pete, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you drive. You’ll probably crash into a tree within ten minutes.”
“Rude, Sly! At least I don’t drive like a grandma.”
“I do not drive like a grandmother,” he says with a frown. “You’ve never even seen me drive.”
“Ditto,” I fire back as I grab my seatbelt. Suddenly, Jagger’s at my door, holding his hand out for the key fob. I roll my eyes then drop it in his hand and let go of the seatbelt. “Fine,” I mutter as I hop out and let him take the driver’s seat. “This means I can nap in the back.”
“I already have dibs on the middle row, kid. You’re in the back,” Dex says as he stretches out on the seats.
“I’m only seven months younger than you.”
“Yeah, but you’re shorter, so you’re a kid to me.”
I climb in the back as Sly and Jagger get settled in the front seats. I wasn’t sure how we’d hide our orange jumpsuits in town, and now we didn’t have to worry. I grin at our good luck. As soon as they know we’re missing, they’ll be searching for us, though.
“Where do we go?” I ask. Now we’re free, my mind is suddenly filled with thoughts of Wren out there somewhere on her own.
“I don’t—What’s this? Did you program that?” Sly asks Jagger, and I sit up to see him pointing at the nav screen.
“What?” I ask, squinting to see what’s on it.
“The navigation is set to Colorado Springs.”
