Page 22 of Brave Horizons (Barrington Billionaires #19)

TOPEKA

They were gathering their things quickly, hearts racing with the urgency of the situation.

The tension in the air was thick and almost suffocating.

As Topeka stuffed the clothes Miranda had been kind enough to give her into her bag, she heard the distinct sound of a truck engine approaching fast. That held too much unknown now and she moved toward the windows to see who it might be.

She was relieved to see Miranda’s truck come flying up the driveway, gravel spitting out from under the tires. Running down to the kitchen, everyone else had already gathered and was looking out the windows as well.

“Do you think she’s heard the news?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood with a joke, but no one had the heart to laugh.

Miranda jumped out of the truck and jogged into the house; her face flushed with urgency. Before she could say anything, Alex spoke first. “Did you forget your phone or something?” he asked again trying to offer the slightest bit of levity.

“The news,” she sputtered out.

“We know,” he said, more somberly this time. “Miranda, we’re leaving. We saw the news and we understand it’s not safe for us to stay now. Someone might have seen my truck parked here. If they haven’t yet, they will. We’re going now.”

Miranda shook her head, her eyes filled with a mixture of frustration and concern.

“Alex, you won’t make it far in that truck without being spotted.

I know how these things work. If the racketeering and conspiracy reach far enough, you’ll be the one who loses his life and goes down as the bad guy in this story.

The murder of Topeka will be pinned on you and they get rid of all their problems at once. ”

Alex nodded, his expression grim. “I know. We’re running out of options but we made a commitment to you. We’d only stay if it was safe for us to do so. It’s not anymore.”

Miranda looked at them all sympathetically, her gaze lingering on each of them.

After a moment, she tossed Alex her keys.

“Normally I’d tell you to stay. Charlie and I would batten down the hatches, cancel lesson for the week, and pay the help stay to stay home.

We’d tell everyone we had the flu or something.

If you’d have been here a few months ago that’s what I would have done.

Because it was only me I had to worry about.

It would have been a risk I’d have taken for you.

But it’s not just me and Charlie anymore. ”

He shook his head in confusion and tears gathered in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t seem to find the words. Alex might not have understood but Topeka did.

“We would never want you to be a casualty of this,” Topeka said compassionately. “Not when you have so much to lose. So much to look forward to.”

“I don’t—” Alex said, looking between the two women to try to decipher the secret code between them.

“She’s pregnant you idiot,” Russ said impatiently. “Congratulations by the way.”

“Thank you,” Miranda whispered, blinking her tears down to her cheeks. “We’ve been trying for a long time.”

“You’re going to be a mother?” Alex asked, his breath catching a little. “You’re going to be such an amazing one.”

“A couple months ago,” Miranda said, still crying, “I’d have been in this fight with you all.”

“You’ve got to protect yourself,” Topeka said. “You’ve got to do that. We’re going. Don’t give it another thought.”

“Take my truck,” Miranda said firmly. “I’ll move your truck to one of the barns at the back of the property that we don’t use. No one will spot it out there.”

Alex caught the keys, surprise flashing across his face. “Miranda, are you sure? This is a big risk. It’s not like I’ll be able to bring it right back.”

“Absolutely sure,” she replied, her voice steady. “I trust you, Alex. Get somewhere safe and then ditch the truck if you need to. Just get out of here before it’s too late.”

Topeka felt a surge of gratitude for Miranda’s kindness and bravery. “Thank you, Miranda,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. “You just saved our lives.”

Miranda gave her a tight smile. “I need a minivan soon anyway. That truck is terrible for car seats.”

She hugged each of them and packed up as much food as she could find. A case of water and what she could find for camping gear.

“The mountain range to our east is rugged,” she explained. “You don’t find tourists up there and its hardly patrolled by the rangers. I’ve got a map but I can’t really be sure where you’d do best up there. I know you’ve always been a very skilled woodsman. Maybe that’s your best bet?”

“Thanks,” he said and they hugged, the tears still falling for Miranda. “You’re going to be this kid’s superhero,” he whispered to her.

After they switched everything out of Alex’s truck, they piled into Miranda’s and Topeka took a moment to look back at the farmhouse.

It had been a brief but important refuge, a place of unexpected kindness and support.

She vowed to herself that they would make it through this, if not just for their sake, but for people like Miranda who had risked so much for them.

“We’re going to drive about twenty miles away from here,” Alex began, his voice steady but firm. “Then we’ll try the satellite phone again. If that doesn’t work, we’ll use the burner. If we can reach someone, I’m sure there will be a plan ready for us to execute.”

Russ nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. “And if you can’t reach anyone? ”

Alex hesitated for a moment, looking at each of them. “If code black radio silence is still happening, we’ll head for the mountain range Miranda suggested. See it there on the map, Topeka? You keep us heading in that direction.”

Alex saw the worry in their eyes. He knew the mountain wasn’t a great option.

None of them were dressed for a climb or hike of any kind.

Their clothes were not suited for rugged terrain.

They didn’t have a sufficient amount of gear or food for the four of them.

The few supplies Miranda had been able to scrounge up were barely enough for a couple of days.

They didn’t have proper camping equipment or enough warm clothing to fend off the cold nights in the mountains.

He was also far less familiar with this area than he had been with the last campsite, where he’d spent plenty of time growing up.

This terrain was unknown, the wildlife unpredictable.

If they ran into any trouble, they’d be hard-pressed to find help quickly.

One of them could get injured, and they’d be stranded, with no easy way to call for help or navigate back to safety.

The thought of them stumbling across hostile wildlife or even dangerous plants they weren’t familiar with crossed his mind.

They were also at risk of exposure to the elements.

The mountain weather could change rapidly, and without proper shelter, they could easily find themselves in a life-threatening situation.

As far as he knew, none of them had any measurable skills in the wilderness, which meant he’d have to lead them through all of it.

Despite all these concerns, he knew it was their best shot at staying under the radar.

The mountains offered cover and seclusion that they wouldn’t find anywhere else.

If they could make it there and stay hidden, they might buy themselves enough time for things to cool down and for Kenan or someone else from Kinross to reach out.

It was a gamble, a high-stakes move, but in this desperate situation, it was the only plan he could come up with.

Topeka placed a reassuring hand on his arm. “We’ve made it this far. And I’m a camping pro now. The mountains are probably beautiful.”

Alex appreciated her faith in him, but the reality of their situation gnawed at him. One wrong move, one injury, and they could be stranded in the wilderness with no way out. He couldn’t let that happen. He had to stay sharp, keep them safe.

They drove in silence for a while, each lost in their thoughts.

The road stretched out before them, winding through the countryside.

Alex kept a vigilant eye on the rearview mirror, watching for any signs of pursuit.

The tension in the truck was palpable, but there was also a sense of determination.

After what felt like an eternity, Alex pulled off the road into a secluded spot. He turned off the engine and took out the satellite phone. The others watched anxiously as he dialed the number he had for Kenan. He held the phone to his ear, waiting for a signal, for any sign of connection.

Nothing.

He tried again, his frustration mounting with each failed attempt. Finally, he set the satellite phone down and picked up the burner phone. He dialed the number he had for a contact at Kinross and held his breath. Reporting the result to them was harder than he expected.

“The line has been disconnected. They definitely realize the mission is compromised. They’re doing all the right things,” Alex assured them.

“The right things?” Russ asked, sounding unconvinced. “We’re supposedly their very important assets on which this whole thing hinges. Shouldn’t they be moving mountains to get to us? To make sure we’re safe?”

Hillary shook her head. “You cannot imagine how large their operation is. How many lives they save and how long they’ve been doing it.

They have faith in the people they employ, like Alex.

They know that when things go wrong you shut communication down temporarily so that no one and nothing can be traced back to them and put thousands of other people at risk.

They aren’t abandoning you; they’re making sure there is still a network to help when Alex gets you out of this. ”

Alex felt a sense of comradery with Hillary and appreciated her coming to his defense. She was right. That was how these things worked and as shitty as that felt at the moment it also meant more safety for them on the other side of this.