I bag a water bottle and some of the supplies we packed from the motel, giving it to Diva and staring her square in the eyes.
“There are energy drinks in there as well.” I wait to see understanding in her bright browns before continuing. “Stick to I-65 South and I-70 East. I know it’s a bit longer, but the more central the road, the safer you’ll be. And whatever you do, Diva, don’t stop. Okay?”
“Copy that.” Diva winks with a grin, completely unfazed, then she shifts into gear and drives off. I guess the prospect of another night on the streets is worse than whatever danger we’re offering in exchange.
“She’s a good kid,” the woman who first approached us says. “I hope she takes you up on your offer and gets off the streets. She’s still got a chance.”
My heart goes out to her, to all the women standing out here. Not all of them have the same despair written in this woman’s eyes, but it still breaks my heart.
“Do you need anything?” Sawyer asks in a gentle voice. “Money or food?”
“That’s kind of you, but I’d rather stay clean of your business. I got enough trouble all on my own.” Her cracked lips stretch into a thin smile. “You got some running to do, I reckon.”
“Stay safe,” I whisper, taking Sawyer’s hand and following him back in the direction of the freeway.
I let him lead me in silence for a while, first towards the bridge, as if he’s planning on escaping somehow by vehicle, then back into the darkness via a different, secluded route. We walk for a while until, eventually, we reach what seems like a small town.
Only, something’s off about it, eerie. It takes me a minute, but then I realize there aren’t any lights, not a single one.
“What is this place?” I question with a whisper. “Is this a ghost town or something?”
“Phantom settlement. A real estate developer named Crosby started building it in the eighties, but the depression forced him to stop,” Sawyer explains in a low voice. “They never put it on the maps because it never officially became a town.”
He pulls out a flashlight, walking straight to the third house out of the five fully built one-story cottages, then drops the duffle bag on the front porch and pulls out a lock pick set. I stand next to him, holding a flashlight on the lock as Sawyer works it open in no time at all.
“That’s impressive.” I hand him back the flashlight.
“The one useful thing my old man bothered to teach me,” Sawyer replies with a dry tone. “He was a locksmith, taught me the trade so he could send me on jobs without paying me.”
I reach out and squeeze his shoulder, and Sawyer places his palm over my hand for a brief moment before continuing into the house.
“How’d you know about this place?” I ask as I look around, my eyes adjusting to the limited light.
“I always have a backup plan.” I see the flash of white that tells me he’s wearing his signature troublemaker grin. “We should be good here for the night. Jonah will come to get us in the morning.”
“If Diva actually goes to him.” I look around, realizing this is probably a model house seeing how everything is furnished, and wishing I could shower. “Is that where you sent her, to Jonah’s house?”
“Yeah, if she drives straight to him like we instructed, it’ll be about 6 AM when she gets to Columbus.”
“How will Jonah know where we are?”
“This is one of our rendezvous spots. We have a few in every state, somewhere only the two of us know about.” Then, as if reading my mind, Sawyer pulls out motel soap and bottled water. “It isn’t a hot shower with your ridiculously priced soap, but if you want to wash your hands or just freshen up, we can spare a bottle of water.”
“Thank you.” I take the soap and water, smiling at Sawyer when he hands me an emergency power outage light. “You really do think of everything, don’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Sawyer replies with a smile. “I’ll be out here. You get some rest, Maddie, okay?”
“Yeah.” I nod, wishing he would come to bed with me but knowing better than to ask. “Good night, Huckleberry.”
“Night, Techy.”
Sawyer
The screams from Maddie’s room have me running faster than I ever have before. I know there’s zero chance of it being anything other than a bad dream, but my heart is about to explode out of my chest from how hard it’s pounding.
I swing the door open and scan the surroundings with my flashlight, making sure no one is there before approaching Maddie’s bed. She’s pressed against the wooden headboard, her knees held tight against her chest as tears stream down her cheeks.
“Sawyer…” She lets go of her knees and stretches her arms to me. I rush to collect her into my embrace and hold her close, soothing my palm up and down her back as her trembling subsides.