He turned to me when he hung up. “We’re going to a safe house.”
Rylee looked at her mom. “What does that mean?”
“It’s a fun place where we get to pretend that we’re on vacation. No one calls us, and we don’t call them. We can play games and eat junk food. Watch lots of movies.”
“No bad guys and monsters?”
“No bad guys and monsters,” Crypt confirmed.
My daughter relaxed. “Okay. Let’s go!”
I heard a motorcycle as I was locking the door, and was relieved to see Hannibal parked on the street by the curb. “Hey! You coming with us?”
“Yeah! Following you!”
Good. My anxiety didn’t start to fade until we pulled away from my house. I felt stupid for thinking that everything was okay and there wasn’t any further danger. At the same time, it didn’t make sense. Hannibal said he took care of the guys who kidnapped Rylee.
So who was after us now?
Crypt seemed distracted as he drove, probably thinking everything over in his head like I was doing. It didn’t add up.
“How far are we driving?” I finally asked after we’d been on the road for several hours.
Rylee had fallen asleep again. It still knocked her out like it did when she was a baby. The gentle rocking motion made me sleepy, too.
“California. There’s a place in the north that’s hidden in the redwoods, and it’s gorgeous. Rylee will love all the trees and the lake.”
“Have you been there before?” It sounded like he had.
“No, but I saw a few pictures. It’s a good place to lay low. Grim already ordered a grocery delivery with minimal contact. We won’t be disturbed.”
Oh. Well, that was good.
“It’s gonna be a long ride. We’re still seven hours away,” he warned. “Let me know when you want to stop.”
“For food?”
“Or anything else you and Rylee need.”
We stopped once at a diner to eat and once at a rest stop to use the restroom. That was it. Rylee slept about a third of the trip. She was nearly bouncing with energy by the time we arrived.
Hannibal followed us to the safe house and parked his bike beside the truck. The safe house turned out to be a gorgeous cabin close to the lake. We unpacked and changed into swimsuits, heading straight to the water.
Rylee already knew how to swim thanks to the YMCA, so I didn’t have a problem with Crypt and Hannibal taking her out. It ended up being a relaxing afternoon. I got to enjoy the sun, and Rylee wore herself out in the water and playing on the shore. She nearly fell asleep as we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows over a campfire.
It almost felt like a real vacation, but in the back of my mind, I knew better. I couldn’t help looking over my shoulder once in a while, hoping I didn’t see anyone pointing a gun at us. Dramatic? Maybe.
Hannibal took Rylee into the house when she dozed off in a lounge chair, and it left Crypt and me alone.
“You’re quiet,” he observed. “Anything on your mind?”
“Just concerned about that box. Who left it? Why?”
“Don’t know. At a glance, it looked harmless, but I’m worried about how it got inside. Did you ever ask Rylee?”
“No, actually. I didn’t want to spook her.”
“I assume she wouldn’t talk to a stranger.”
