When the two were secured, Kenny and the driver headed outside.
“Let’s make sure they have to walk out of here if they somehow manage to get loose.”
“Good idea,” the driver agreed.
“What’s your name?” Kenny asked while he slashed the tires.
“Landon.”
“Well, Landon,” Kenny said as he got back to his feet, “maybe we need the car’s fob to ensure it’s no use to anyone.”
Landon nodded and went back into the house. Half a minute later, he returned with the car’s fob. He popped the hood and did something under there. Kenny wasn’t much of a mechanic so he had no clue what. He could change a tire and check the oil. That was about the extent of his vehicle maintenance skills.
When Landon closed the hood, he said, “They won’t be going anywhere in this vehicle.” Then he dropped the fob on the ground and used the heel of his boot to disable it as well.
“Take the car,” Kenny decided, “drive slowly along the road. I’ll walk and have a look around in the woods.”
“You got it,” Landon said.
Kenny scanned the overgrown grass and quickly spotted the signs of recent movement. He followed that path into the woods.
“Jamie!” If they were still in these woods, maybe they would hear him calling.
Once he was deeper in the woods, the path wasn’t as easy to follow. He trudged through the underbrush and called Jamie’s name over and over.
The sound of a car horn blowing had him stalling in his tracks. He listened. Coming from Trinity Road. Maybe Landon had found them.
Kenny started to run through the woods. When he emerged, he was in the yard of another property. He kept close to the tree line along the yard’s border since he had no desire to get shot. Then he saw Landon’s car on the road. Kenny broke into a hard run.
As he reached the road and the car, the rear passenger window powered down. “Looking for me?”
Jamie. His knees almost gave out on him. “You and Lillian okay?”
She nodded. “We’re good. Get in.”
Kenny opened the front door and dropped into the seat. To Landon, he said, “Let Amar know we’re headed back with what we came for.” He turned to Jamie then. “Where were you?” He glanced at Landon. “How did he find you?”
“We were hiding in the church a mile or so up the road. The guy who’d been holding us had come through looking for us, but he didn’t think to look under the altar.”
Kenny laughed. “But you thought to hide there.”
Landon ended his call. “Smart move,” he said to Jamie. “I spotted the church as we drove in. When we were told you had escaped on foot, I figured you went to the church. That’s where I would have gone.”
Kenny had to admit he would probably have done the same. He looked to Lillian then. “Your parents are going to be very happy to see you.”
She nodded. “Jamie saved me.”
Jamie smiled. “We did it together.”
Kenny was just thankful they were safe. He was pretty sure he’d never been so relieved in his life.
“I don’t think that guy was very good at his job,” Lillian suggested.
“We’re just lucky he wasn’t,” Jamie pointed out. She looked to Kenny. “And we’re very lucky that my friend is really, really good at his job.”
Chapter Fifteen
Stonewall Drive,