Page 91 of A River of Crows

“What if he wakes up?” Ridge’s voice shook.

“He won’t,” Caroline said. “I’ve practiced this. He doesn’t wake up.”

Ridge scrunched up his face. “Why can’t I give him the tea first thing? Why do we have to be there all day?”

“It’s too risky for Vince to show up before dark. There’s less of a chance of anyone seeing him once the sun is down. I tried to talk your dad into leaving after lunch, but you know how he is about fishing.”

“What if people are around when Vince comes?”

Caroline bit her lip. This was the only part of the plan that gave her pause. People came to watch the crow roost at night, but not typically where Jay and other fishermen frequented. “It’s going to be cold tonight. And most of the people who like to fish near Big Rock leave before dark. But you leave that to Vince. He’s going to be watching and waiting for the perfect time. He’ll pull up next to Dad’s truck. He’s borrowing a car. It’s one you haven’t seen before. He’ll flash the lights two times when it’s safe for you to come. Do not go until you see the flashes.”

“Then I throw my beanie and shoe into the creek and leave with Vince.”

“But you forgot to take the tea thermos. That’s the most important part of all, that you take it, nothing else. Leave your cooler, backpack, and fishing pole. But take the red tea thermos. Vince will remind you.”

Ridge picked up his stuffed blue jay. “Where will Vince take me?”

“You’re going to stay with them in Louisiana.”

“For how long? Will I go to school there?”

“Not long. No, you won’t go to school there. Libby will teach you at home, and guess what? They bought you a Nintendo.”

“How long?” Ridge asked again.

“A few months probably,” Caroline said, even though she had no idea how long a trial would take.

Ridge squeezed his stuffed animal. “What about Blue?”

Caroline put her hand on Blue and lowered him. “He’s going to stay with me. Dad won’t let you bring a toy to the creek. But I’ll keep him safe. Once things are sorted out here, you, me, Sloan, and Blue are moving.”

Ridge cracked a small smile for the first time in days. “Will I like New York?”

Caroline brushed his bangs back. “You’re going to love it. You’ll see where I went to school, and we’ll study the birds together. And Daddy will never hurt me or Sloan again.”

Ridge squeezed his eyes shut. “Okay.”

“And after a few days, you can call and talk to me.”

“And Sloan?” Ridge spoke the two words with such hope.

“Um, yeah. Eventually. You better get to sleep.” Caroline stood and walked to the door before pausing and looking back at Ridge. “One last thing,” she whispered. “I’ve been thinking about what you asked me. About why we would abandon Dad when he was part of our nest. Well, like any rule, there are exceptions. Crows look out for their own, but when one of their own is injured, sick, or acting strangely, the rest of the family will often turn on it.”

“Turn on it how?”

“Kill it,” Caroline said. Her voice was firm.

Ridge gasped.

Caroline approached the bed. “I realize that sounds harsh, but think about it. That injured crow would attract predators. The laws of nature understand it’s better for one crow to die than to jeopardize an entire family. We aren’t killing your father. We are leaving him here and flying to a new nest where he won’t destroy us all. That’s better, don’t you think?”

“Yeah.” Ridge yawned.

Caroline pulled up the covers to his chin. “Sleep tight, my very brave crow.”

Caroline only slept a few restless hours that night and woke up before anyone else. Thank God it wasn’t raining. It had rained on and off for two weeks, but there was no chance of precipitation in the forecast today. Almost like this was meant to be. Caroline had her coffee and then started her preparations. She was really doing this. If she got caught, she would be the one in jail, not Jay. Everything had to go according to plan. Everyone had a part to play, and she’d assigned the hardest and most critical part to a ten-year-old. There was so very much that might go wrong.

But Ridge was smart, and he understood why he was doing this. He’d never even been close to his father. Unlike his mother and sister, Ridge had probably always seen Jay Hadfield for the fraud he was.

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