Page 9 of Hammer

Chase shifted beside me, his arm pressing against mine in silent support.He hadn’t said much since we boarded.

“I’ll sleep when we’re safe,” I murmured, squeezing Levi’s hand.

The truth was, I was afraid to close my eyes.Afraid I’d wake up to find this escape had been nothing but a dream, that we were still trapped in Piston’s world of violence and control.Or worse, that I’d open my eyes to see him standing over me, those cold green eyes burning with the rage that had been my constant companion for seventeen years.

The landscape outside changed as we crossed state lines, the familiar giving way to the unknown.Small towns blurred past the windows.The bus stopped twice, passengers getting off, new ones climbing aboard.Each time, I held my breath until we were moving again.

“We should have a plan,” Chase said suddenly, breaking his silence.His voice had deepened over the past year, sounding more like a man’s than the boy I still saw when I looked at him.“For when we get there.”

“We do have a plan,” I reminded him gently.“We call the number Scratch gave us, and --”

“No,” Chase cut me off, keeping his voice low but intense.“Our own plan.In case these Dixie Reapers aren’t what they claim to be.”

Levi leaned forward to look past me at his brother.“They’ll help us.I researched them.”

Chase’s jaw tightened.“You researched what they want people to know.That doesn’t mean shit, Levi.”

“Language,” I admonished automatically, though it seemed ridiculous to worry about curse words when we were running for our lives.

“Sorry,” Chase muttered, not sounding sorry at all.“But we need a backup plan.Always.”

I couldn’t argue with him.After all, he’d learned that lesson the hard way -- we all had.The last time we tried to run, we’d trusted someone who betrayed us to Piston for a few hundred dollars.The consequences had been… I swallowed hard, pushing away the memories of that night.

“You’re right,” I admitted.

Chase’s eyebrows shot up.He hadn’t expected me to agree so easily.“We should scope the place out first, see what we’re walking into.If anything feels off, we don’t make the call.”

“And go where instead?”Levi asked, practical as always.

Chase shrugged, his broad shoulders tense.“Somewhere else.Anywhere.We’ve got some cash now.”

I nodded, feeling the weight of the emergency money in my purse.It wasn’t much, but it might get us a motel room for a few nights, as well as some meals, while we figured out our next move.

“Alabama’s a big state,” I said quietly.“If these Dixie Reapers aren’t what they seem, we’ll just… disappear again.”

Chase seemed satisfied with that, settling back into his seat.The muscles in his jaw relaxed slightly, though his eyes remained alert, scanning every passenger who walked past us to the bathroom.

Levi pulled his backpack onto his lap, unzipping it just enough to reach inside.He withdrew a folded piece of paper, carefully opening it between us.

“What’s that?”I asked.

“Map of Mobile and the surrounding area,” he explained.“I printed it at the library last week, just in case.The Dixie Reapers’ compound is somewhere around here.”He pointed to a small town that looked to be about thirty minutes from the city.

“Smart thinking,” Chase acknowledged, leaning over to study the map.

For a moment, we were just a family on a trip, huddled together looking at directions.The normalcy of it made my throat tight with emotion.

“There are motels here and here,” Levi continued, pointing to locations he’d marked with small x’s.“And a bus station outside of town.If we need to leave quickly.”

I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, pulling him close.“When did you get so grown up?”I whispered against his hair.

He pushed his glasses up, a small smile playing at his lips.“Someone had to make contingency plans.”

The bus hit a pothole, jostling us.Chase’s hand immediately went to my arm, steadying me.

“Try to get some sleep,” I told them both.“I’ll keep watch.”

Chase shook his head stubbornly.“I’m not tired.”

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