Page 96 of The Hitchhikers

“We’re making a break for it. You’re driving the truck.”

“I’m not leaving my husband!”

“You don’t have a choice. No one’s going to find Tom unless I tell them where he is.”

“They’ll search the house.”

“Those two cops outside are probably all this town has. They’re going to be busy chasing us. Get us out of here and in a couple of days I’ll make a call.”

“A couple ofdays?”

“I don’t have time for this shit, Alice! It’s simple. Come with us, or go back to the basement, and I’ll set fire to the whole place.”

Jenny glanced at Alice. She was crying. Jenny’s own eyes watered and she turned back to the window. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much, seeing Alice cry.

“It’ll be okay,” Jenny said. “We’ll let you go when we’re somewhere safe.”

Alice laughed, incredulous. “Nowhere is safe with you.”

“Shut up, Alice.” Simon touched Jenny’s shoulder. “When I say go, take the rifle, and follow me to the back door. No stopping for anything.”

She wanted to stopeverything.As scary as it was to be trapped in the house, the idea of driving past police who were shooting at them was so much worse.

Simon was already getting to his feet, grabbing Alice’s arm, and pulling her up. Then he was running, and Jenny had to run as well or she’d be left behind.

On the porch, Simon released Alice and pushed her in front of him. “Go,” he whispered to her. “Be quiet. They’ll shoot you as easy as they’d shoot us.”

They made it down the steps and around to the corner ofthe house and stopped. Alice looked over her shoulder at Simon. They had to cross a narrow space to reach the garage. Simon cocked his head, listening. It seemed quiet to Jenny, with only the chirps of crickets. She thought of the horses and cows without their dinner. The chickens left outside. Bones hiding somewhere. Tom, Ruth, and William in the basement. What would Tom think when Alice didn’t return?

Jenny could hear Simon breathing, and Alice too. She looked at her but Alice was staring straight ahead. Then Simon was pushing Alice forward again.

They were at the back door to the garage. Simon slowly turned the handle. The door opened with a soft scraping. He stepped inside the gloom, then Alice. Then Jenny. She stared around, making out the bulky shape of the truck.

“Close the door,” Simon said, and Jenny pulled it shut, plunging them into complete darkness. She bumped into Alice as she tried to find her way—hands outstretched. Her leg brushed something hard. Simon and Alice were shifting and moving, seemingly going forward. Jenny hurried to stay close. She kept her hands out and touched warmth. Someone’s arm or back.

A flare of light, aimed at the floor. Simon had turned on a flashlight. He cupped his fingers around it so that it made his hand glow red.

He opened the driver’s door. “Jenny, sit in the middle.”

Jenny got in, and then Alice.

Simon leaned into the door until it sealed with a click. The flashlight turned off and Jenny couldn’t see Simon, but she heard noises behind them. He was doing something in the back of the truck. The passenger door opened, and he slid inside. He closed it softly.

He turned the flashlight on again and kept it partway under his leg, so it was dim. He struggled with the gun, sliding metal piecesback and forth, until the part that held the bullets dropped out. He loaded it with new bullets, pushed it into place, slid a metal piece back on the top of the gun, and released it. The final metal click made Jenny flinch.

Alice put one hand on the wheel, looked at Simon, then pointed ahead of them.

“What about that door?”

“You’re going to drive straight through it.”

“Are you kidding me? You want to kill us?”

“It’s old wood. I could break it apart with my hands.”

Alice looked at Jenny. “You okay with this? You might get hurt.”

Jenny stared into the darkness. She could barely see the workshop door. She remembered it being wide. “What if the windshield breaks?”