Page 41 of Operation: Integrity

Mentioning Nathan by name brought back all the feelings, all the dread and fear. She yanked her hand away and turned. “You don’t know that. There’s no way you can say that with any truthfulness. He’s out there. Until he’sbehind bars or dead, he’ll still be out there making life a living hell for hundreds of girls. And that’s only those under him. There are so many more like him. This world will never be rid of the stain.”

Sam stepped closer to her and peeled her hands from around her, gently shook them to encourage her to release the tension in her arms, then looked into her eyes. “It starts with one, Kelly. You’re that one. We are here to help one woman at a time and if we can only help one, then it’s worth it.”

He was supposed to be helping her heal, but all she wanted to do was run. She didn’t deserve this place. Someone else did. Someone who was ready to shed the sin and allow the good to replace it should take her precious spot. But if she was going to leave, she had one chance to say goodbye. One chance to make him understand how she felt, even if she didn’t.

Kelly dove toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her fingers in his thick hair. She kissed him like she used to, not like she was forced to. The feeling was so different, so exciting, so terrifying. She ended the kiss as quickly as she started it, leaving him looking shocked.

“You need to go. I need some time alone.”

He slowly nodded, clearly speechless. “I’ll . . . send Zeus.” He headed for the door and finally found his voice. “Are you sure you don’t want me to sleep on your couch?”

“No. I need to be alone.” Because even after that kiss, she needed to plan her escape.

An hour later,with Zeus at her side and a pack on her back full of one pair of clothes, some jerky, and some food for the dog, she set out toward the fence. Nathan wouldn’t be there after the snow, but that had to be the spot closest to the road. Once she crossed that fence, she would no longer be on Wayside land. Her footprints wouldn’t matter, since someone would see her on their cameras. Once she hit a road, she’d hitch a ride to Cheyenne. There, she could find a homeless shelter and try to start over.

She could do this. Alone.

Kelly tugged on the hem of the coat Lacy had let her use. It wasn’t hers, but she didn’t have her own yet. Taking it felt like stealing. Especially since Lacy had said she’d exchange it once they had one to give her. But they wouldn’t want her to freeze either.

“Just another thing to add to my list of bad things.” She headed in the direction of what she assumed was the road. Going up the driveway would make sure someone noticed her right away, since there were cameras all up and down the length of it.

Hopefully, there would be some traffic along the road she hoped was there that wasn’t someone from Wayside. That’s all she would need was to get picked up and brought right back to where she’d begun.

Zeus whined at her side as he looked at their tracks behind them. “If you don’t want to go with me, you don’t have to.” Though she hoped he did. Facing the unknown was easier with a huge dog at her side.

He seemed to harrumph at her audacity as he walked, now looking forward. The dog had more personality than some people she’d known. She heard thehumof an engine somewhere close by and she rushed forward tocatch the path of the headlights. Then she would know right where the road was.

Her feet were soaked through her tennis shoes, and the jeans she’d changed into were wet up to the knees. She would have to catch a ride soon. At least the car or truck would be warm. The knife in her pocket that she’d taken from her cabin junk drawer would help protect her in case they got toofriendlyand got around Zeus.

When she reached the small gravel road, all she could see were distant taillights. If Dominic or someone else was watching the cameras, they’d be after her soon. While they said she wasn’t a prisoner there, she was still fairly sure they wouldn’t allow her to hitchhike wherever she wanted to go, either.

Glancing down at herself, she realized belatedly that the black coat and dark jeans had probably helped her hide in the trees, but if she wanted someone to stop and pick her up, she’d have to find a way to make herself visible. Did she dare take off her coat and bag?

Another engine rumbled in the distance and Kelly’s heart raced. If she stood in the middle of the road, they could definitely see her. Then again, they could just as well hit her and keep going. No one would ever know.

When he neared where she stood alongside the road, she started waving both arms as she took a few steps out onto the road. Yelling was too much noise, and they probably wouldn’t hear her, anyway. The truck rumbled past, then slammed on its brakes. Kelly prayed that it wasn’t anyone from Wayside or Nathan as its lights flashed white, letting her know he was going to reverse.

Slowly, he backed up, then rolled down his window. “Everything okay?”

He wasn’t anyone she recognized, and Kelly breatheda sigh of relief. “My dog and I need a ride toward Cheyenne. You headed that way?”

He was older than her, perhaps in his early fifties, and looked friendly enough. He frowned deeply. “I ain’t never picked up a hitchhiker in my life, but you look enough like my daughter that you’re probably okay. Your dog has to stay on the floor, though.”

He hadn’t gone anywhere near the seat in Sam’s pickup, so she was pretty sure Zeus would happily do as he was told. She went around the back of the truck, shrugging off her backpack as she went. She heard the truck’s locks open and climbed inside the heated cab, then called Zeus to jump up to the floor.

Even as she closed the door, her heart ached. She might never see Sam again. That was for his good. He wanted to help her and that was noble, but her brokenness wasn’t going to ever heal. He would end up caring for her while he nursed her back to some state of ‘better’ than she was before. She wasn’t even sure what that would look like or if it was possible. Then he would get hurt when she was never able to fully care for him in return.

That wasn’t fair. Life wasn’t fair.

“Why are you headed to Cheyenne?” the older man asked quietly as they headed down the road.

“I’m Kelly, by the way,” she evaded most of his question. “I need a place where there are a lot of people.”

He nodded slowly as if he understood her confusing words. “I’m John Willis Sr., though my son John Jr. is more well known around Piper’s Ridge. Pleased to meet you. I couldn’t help but notice you were right next to Wayside Ranch. Was that by happenstance?”

If she said she’d heard of it, he might want to take her back there. If she said she’d been hitching before, hewould ask why she had snow all over her. There was no good answer.

“I got dropped off on another gravel road. Not sure which one. I’d been walking for quite a while when I made it to the place you found me, and you came along almost right away.” This guy was a witness. As soon as she reached Cheyenne, she’d have to hide. If he knew the guys from Wayside, he might ask them if they knew the hitchhiker he’d picked up.

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