Page 6

“Bus is coming,” Scratch said, nodding toward the road where I could see the vehicle approaching in the distance. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wad of cash. “Take this. Emergency money.”

I started to protest, but he pushed it into my hand. “Take it. You’ll need it.”

The bus pulled into the station with a hiss of brakes, its doors opening like the gates to another world. The driver stepped out, calling for passengers to Alabama.

“That’s you,” Scratch said, stepping back to give us space. “Remember -- call as soon as you arrive.”

I clutched the tickets in one hand, the emergency money in the other. “I will.”

Chase picked up our bags, still eyeing Scratch warily. “Come on, Mom,” he said, moving toward the bus with purpose.

Levi took my elbow gently. “It’s going to be okay,” he whispered, with a certainty I wished I could feel.

We boarded the bus, finding seats near the middle -- not too far back to be trapped, not too close to the front to be noticed.

Chase took the aisle seat, his body positioned like a barrier between us and anyone who might come down the narrow passageway.

Levi sat by the window, peering out as the other passengers slowly filed aboard.

I settled between my sons, clutching my purse. Through the window, I could see Scratch still standing there, watching us, a solitary figure in his leather cut. He raised his hand in a brief salute as the bus engine rumbled to life.

The vehicle pulled away from the curb, and I watched out the window as we began our journey away from Piston and the state of Florida.

Chase stared straight ahead, his jaw set in determination, but his eyes flicked back once, briefly, toward the life we were leaving. Levi pressed his face to the glass, looking forward to what lay ahead, his expression a mixture of fear and hope.

I closed my eyes, feeling the vibration of the bus beneath me, carrying us away from danger and toward an uncertain future, the distance between us and Piston growing with each turn of the wheels. For the first time in years, I allowed myself to breathe without calculating the consequences.

Whether the Dixie Reapers would truly protect us or not, I couldn’t know. But for now, we were moving, we were free, and my boys were safe beside me. It would have to be enough.

The bus rumbled along the highway. Each mile should have been a comfort, but I couldn’t relax, not fully. My body remained tense, shoulders tight, gaze constantly scanning for threats. Every time the bus slowed, my heart nearly stopped.

“Mom,” Levi whispered, his voice pulling me from my spiral of worry. “You should try to sleep. It’s going to be a few hours.”

I forced a smile for him, reaching over to smooth his hair. “I’m fine, baby.”

“You’re not,” he said, voice low enough that only I could hear. “You haven’t slept properly in days.”

Chase shifted beside me, his arm pressing against mine in silent support. He hadn’t said much since we boarded.

“I’ll sleep when we’re safe,” I murmured, squeezing Levi’s hand.

The truth was, I was afraid to close my eyes.

Afraid I’d wake up to find this escape had been nothing but a dream, that we were still trapped in Piston’s world of violence and control.

Or worse, that I’d open my eyes to see him standing over me, those cold green eyes burning with the rage that had been my constant companion for seventeen years.

The landscape outside changed as we crossed state lines, the familiar giving way to the unknown. Small towns blurred past the windows. The bus stopped twice, passengers getting off, new ones climbing aboard. Each time, I held my breath until we were moving again.

“We should have a plan,” Chase said suddenly, breaking his silence. His voice had deepened over the past year, sounding more like a man’s than the boy I still saw when I looked at him. “For when we get there.”

“We do have a plan,” I reminded him gently. “We call the number Scratch gave us, and --”

“No,” Chase cut me off, keeping his voice low but intense. “Our own plan. In case these Dixie Reapers aren’t what they claim to be.”

Levi leaned forward to look past me at his brother. “They’ll help us. I researched them.”

Chase’s jaw tightened. “You researched what they want people to know. That doesn’t mean shit, Levi.”

“Language,” I admonished automatically, though it seemed ridiculous to worry about curse words when we were running for our lives.

“Sorry,” Chase muttered, not sounding sorry at all. “But we need a backup plan. Always.”

I couldn’t argue with him. After all, he’d learned that lesson the hard way -- we all had. The last time we tried to run, we’d trusted someone who betrayed us to Piston for a few hundred dollars. The consequences had been… I swallowed hard, pushing away the memories of that night.

“You’re right,” I admitted.

Chase’s eyebrows shot up. He hadn’t expected me to agree so easily. “We should scope the place out first, see what we’re walking into. If anything feels off, we don’t make the call.”

“And go where instead?” Levi asked, practical as always.

Chase shrugged, his broad shoulders tense. “Somewhere else. Anywhere. We’ve got some cash now.”

I nodded, feeling the weight of the emergency money in my purse. It wasn’t much, but it might get us a motel room for a few nights, as well as some meals, while we figured out our next move.

“Alabama’s a big state,” I said quietly. “If these Dixie Reapers aren’t what they seem, we’ll just… disappear again.”

Chase seemed satisfied with that, settling back into his seat. The muscles in his jaw relaxed slightly, though his eyes remained alert, scanning every passenger who walked past us to the bathroom.

Levi pulled his backpack onto his lap, unzipping it just enough to reach inside. He withdrew a folded piece of paper, carefully opening it between us.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Map of Mobile and the surrounding area,” he explained. “I printed it at the library last week, just in case. The Dixie Reapers’ compound is somewhere around here.” He pointed to a small town that looked to be about thirty minutes from the city.

“Smart thinking,” Chase acknowledged, leaning over to study the map.

For a moment, we were just a family on a trip, huddled together looking at directions. The normalcy of it made my throat tight with emotion.

“There are motels here and here,” Levi continued, pointing to locations he’d marked with small x’s. “And a bus station outside of town. If we need to leave quickly.”

I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. “When did you get so grown up?” I whispered against his hair.

He pushed his glasses up, a small smile playing at his lips. “Someone had to make contingency plans.”

The bus hit a pothole, jostling us. Chase’s hand immediately went to my arm, steadying me.

“Try to get some sleep,” I told them both. “I’ll keep watch.”

Chase shook his head stubbornly. “I’m not tired.”

“Liar,” Levi muttered, but there was affection in his voice.

I settled back in my seat, my sons on either side of me. We were together. We were moving forward. It was at least a step in the right direction.

The miles rolled on beneath us, the steady thrum of the engine lulling Levi to sleep against my shoulder.

His glasses had slipped down his nose, and I gently removed them, folding them into my hand.

He looked so young in sleep, the worry lines that had no business on a fifteen-year-old’s face finally smoothed away.

Chase fought it longer, his eyelids growing heavy even as he continued to scan the bus for threats.

When his head finally drooped against my other shoulder, I felt tears prick my eyes.

My boys deserved so much better than this life on the run, this constant fear.

They deserved stability, safety -- all the things I’d failed to provide them.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered to their sleeping forms. “I’m going to make this right.”

I’d let guilt weigh me down for so long it had become an ingrained reaction to our situation by this point.

But when we’d set off to leave Piston and start over, I’d made the decision I’d jump in with both feet.

I was tired of feeling guilty. It was time to start a new chapter, one where I became stronger and more reliable for my children, as well as for myself.

We all deserved to be happy. But turning my guilt off wouldn’t be an easy, nor a quick, process.

Outside the window, Alabama welcomed us with greenery and the occasional flash of water. Nothing like the Florida we’d left behind. Maybe that was good. Maybe here, we could truly disappear.

It wasn’t much later when the bus driver’s voice crackled over the intercom, announcing our approach to Mobile. Chase jerked awake instantly, his body tensing before he remembered where we were.

“We’re almost there,” I told him softly, watching as he blinked away sleep and immediately resumed his protective posture.

Levi stirred more slowly, reaching instinctively for his glasses. I handed them to him, and he slipped them on, peering out the window at our new surroundings.

“Looks different,” he murmured. “Greener.”

I nodded, gathering our few belongings as the bus slowed. My fingers found the burner phone in my pocket, tracing its edges. One call away from safety -- or possibly another trap.

The bus terminal was larger than I expected, bustling with activity even in the late afternoon.

We disembarked cautiously, Chase insisting on exiting first, scanning the area before allowing Levi and me to follow.

I clutched both their hands as we made our way through the crowd, my heart hammering with each step.

“We should find a bathroom first,” I said, spotting the signs. “Then decide what to do.”

Chase nodded, his eyes never stopping their constant surveillance. “I’ll wait here with the bags. You and Levi go.”

“I can stay --” Levi began, but Chase cut him off.

“Go with Mom.”

There was no arguing with that tone. Levi and I made our way to the restrooms, which were mercifully empty.

I splashed cold water on my face, trying to wash away the exhaustion of the journey and the fear that still clung to me like a second skin.

After relieving my bladder, I washed my hands and went outside to wait on Levi. Except he’d beat me.

“Are you going to call them?” Levi asked.

“Yeah, I think I should.”

He nodded and we went to join Chase. Something told me he was going to argue with my decision.