Page 92 of Beyond Oblivion

“They weren’t,” Travis said.

“You don’t know that,” Trenton shot back. He looked at Hazel, his expression softening. “We’ll follow you home, make sure you get there, all right?”

Hazel nodded, the defiance in her eyes fading. “For the first time in my life, I don’t have anything pithy to say. That’s my current level of concern.”

The drive was quiet, with only the steady hum of Trenton’s truck filling the space between us. I glanced at him, watching his face as he stared out at the road, his expression a mix of worry and something I couldn’t quite place.

“What do you think all this means?” I asked softly, breaking the silence. “Do you think it was Madison and friends?”

Trenton nodded, his eyes fixed ahead. “The way they took off? It has to be. If not her, it’s someone involved with her. They were watching, waiting… but for what?”

I swallowed, his spoken thoughts settling uneasily in my mind. We couldn’t be sure until we heard from Lachlan, but I trusted Trenton’s instincts.

The road stretched ahead, winding through the darkness and patches of moonlight.Top of Form

I held on to one thought: whoever they were, Lachlan was already on their trail. Somehow, he’d known, and even mid-chase, he’d managed to dispatch Travis our way in record time. Our village was also a fortress, and if this was Madison’s cult testing the waters, they’d just learned we were anything but easy prey.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Trenton

Lachlan’s voice crackled through the phone like it had been dragged through gravel. “Lost ’em,” he muttered. “Had ’em dead to rights, but they ducked off the highway at the last second, and I couldn’t get across without causing a pile-up.” He let out a sharp, frustrated sigh. “But it’s her lot, Trent. I’m bloody sure of it.”

“Who the fuck are they?” I asked, frustrated. A slow burn started in my gut, hotter with each word. We’d been waiting since she left the facility, preparing, worrying, barely sleeping. Now that Cami was pregnant, the stakes felt higher than before.

Lachlan continued, already plotting his next move. “We’ve got a plan. I’ll swap vehicles for now, just in case they’ve clocked me. Something low-key.”

“Who?If you have an idea, tell me,” I said.

“I can’t, mate.”

“What do you mean you can’t?”

“They’re under investigation. That’s all I can tell ya.”

“What happened to us all being informed so we know what to expect?” I said, feeling my frustration bleed through my words. Lachlan had been helping from the beginning, so I didn’t want him to feel I didn’t appreciate everything he’d done, but the sudden secrecy made me uneasy.

“You know everything you need to know.”

“You’re not law enforcement. Why doyouknow?”

Lachlan sighed. “You’ve trusted me this far. Don’t chuck it in on me now.”

“I’m not,” I said, cringing at how whiny it sounded. “But this is making me nervous, man. And I’m already freaking out here.”

“Just trust me, yeah? I’ll make sure you’re ready for anything. Can you give me that?”

“Okay. Okay, Lach, I just… I have to keep her safe. Did you check with the parents? What did they have to say?”

“Did that, yeah.” Lachlan paused, his words coming slower. “They haven’t heard from her.”

“How is that possible? She was just kidnapped by some cult? This is nuts!” I rubbed a hand over my face.

“Yeah, it looks that way, but I reckon Madison and whatever info she’s got are being played by someone else, and…” he paused. “Look, don’t ask any questions, but this has bugger-all to do with you. The people she’s with? You lot are just pawns in some intimidation or revenge game aimed at someone else.”

I blinked. He’d just created a million questions and expected me not to ask any. My patience was coming to an end, but my pregnant, stressed-out wife was just a few feet away. “I gotta go, man. I can’t… I just gotta go.”

“I understand. But you’re sorted, Trent. I’ve made sure of it.”

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