Page 65 of From the Noblest Motives
"I mean it, Twitch. Stay. With. Shudder."
Damien pulled in a shaky breath and nodded before pulling the window shut again.
"He's worried," Shudder murmured.
"Yeah. Probably not in great shape by now." Blaze opened the truck door, hesitated, then leaned in the plant a kiss on Shudder's cheek. "You watch out for each other."
"Be careful, Bailey. Please."
"Careful's for suckers. I just have to be good." He slid out of the truck as Damien came around, planted a kiss atop Damien's head, and strode off for the clearing.
Without taking his eyes off Blaze, Damien hopped up into the driver's seat. "It worries me. When he's so…"
"Cocky? Arrogant? Overconfident?"
"Yes."
They heaved nearly identical soul-deep sighs as Blaze made no attempt at stealth. Neither one of them made any move to close the truck windows—foolish, maybe, but they needed to hear.
Blaze stopped before he left the cover of the trees, gun carefully pointed at the forest floor, despite his annoying bravado. "Doc?"
"Don't take another step!" An agitated voice, barely recognizable as Dr. Parma's, called from the other side. "The clearing is mined and I'll shoot you before you take two steps!"
"Whoa! Doc, it's Blaze. Pretty sure you asked us to come."
"Oh, thank stars. I'm so sorry, Blaze dear. I've been a little on edge." Dr. Parma emerged from the trees, stuffing her own little handgun into a jacket pocket. Uncharacteristically disheveled, she looked as if she'd just come from work and fallen into a brush pile with twigs stuck in her white curls.
"Wait, wait!" Blaze called out in a panic. "I thought you said the clearing was mined!"
She let out a huff as she continued across to Blaze. "I lied."
Blaze let out a bark of laughter and holstered his handgun. "You all right?"
"Badly shaken but unharmed. Are Damien and Shudder with you?" She peered toward the truck, though she most likely couldn't make them out in the shadows of the trees.
"Yep. And some kids we picked up."
"Of course. It's Damien. There will be stray children." She hurried toward the truck with Blaze trailing after.
"Doc? What happened?"
"I will explain, but later. Right now, I'm afraid we might be running out of time."
Shudder leaned his head out the window. "That sounds ominous."
"Hello, Shudder. Good to see you up and about."
She gave Damien's arm a little squeeze when he slid out of the driver's seat. "Hello to you, too. I'm sorry I've worried you."
Damien leaned his head against hers. "You're not dead."
"Not that I'm aware of, no. It's good to see you aren't, either. Blaze, let me squeeze in beside Shudder. We're not going far, but I need to direct you."
When everyone had settled and Blaze had made it to the access road Dr. Parma pointed out, Shudder couldn't contain his curiosity. "Dr. Parma, who's after you?"
She let out a long breath, deflating beside him as if she'd been holding it too long. "It's Fox."
"Yeah?" Blaze jerked the truck to the left to avoid a stump, eliciting complaints from the back. "Did you spot him? Or did he send Ominous Villain Message Number Five?"
