Chapter 27 - Part III

                                    

                                          
Duke winced. Lizzie regretted saying it. She could see nothing of CJ in Duke. But she had to let him know she wasn’t a scared little girl making empty threats. He nodded. They swapped keys. 
                          
Rachael already had Saj in her arms.
                          
“Let’s go,” Lizzie ordered, running for Duke’s truck.
                          
Duke hauled gear out of the back of his truck. He left behind an impressive arsenal: guns, ammo and flares, along with things Lizzie didn’t recognize.
                          
He cut away the ropes holding the deer to the roof and hefted it onto his shoulders
                          
Lizzie was glad to find this rig was an automatic, too. Drivers Ed. would have been a good investment, Mama. She stuck the keys in and cranked it up. Rachael was in the extended cab with Saj. “Buckle up!” she said, but didn’t wait to be sure. The tires bit and she fishtailed then straightened out. Damn good thing there were no other cars on the bridge.
                          
She turned onto the dirt road Duke had suggested as an explosion echoed behind them.
                          
Rachael’s head jerked back at the sound. “Shouldn’t we keep going?”
                          
Lizzie didn’t respond but when she reached the double-wide she stopped and pulled in front of the pole building. Why am I trusting him? “Get out and open the door. Please.”
                          
Rachael got out, but the door wouldn’t budge.
                          
Lizzie jumped out to help and together they got it open. She parked the truck inside and then reached back for Saj who had settled into a fussy whine. She handed him to Rachael. “Do what you can to keep him quiet.”
                          
Lizzie reached in her back pocket for her cell phone. “Dammit.”
                          
“What is it, Lizzie?”
                          
“My cell. I think it’s in the car. It has my mom’s last message and video of my little brother.” Her gut twisted. She would never hear them again. Then a worse thought interceded. “Shit. My dad’s number. And Zach’s and Nev’s. They don’t even know I’m alive. I need that phone. I gotta go.” She picked up the shotgun.
                          
“Where?” A deep voice asked behind her.
                          
Lizzie spun, jerking the shotgun up to defend them. 
                          
It was Duke; she let her breath escape and the shotgun drop. Ten minutes ago he was going to kill me. Now I’m happy to see him? His pants were soaked up to his thighs. “My phone. It’s in the car.” She headed for the door.
                          
“Then it’s toast.” He dropped gear in the back of the truck and gripped her arm.
                          
“What do you mean it’s toast?” Lizzie demanded, jerking her arm from his grasp.
                          
“The car. I blew it up.” He turned back toward the truck. “Let’s go.”
                          
“Oh, god.” Lizzie collapsed to the ground.
                          
“Jesus,” Duke sighed. “Come on. Get in.”
                          
“You destroyed my phone.”
                          
He stared at her. “I saved your life.”
                          
“Nobody knows I’m alive.” Lizzie sat up on her haunches. “I need that phone.”
                          
“Here.” Duke climbed out of the truck and knelt by her, offering his phone.
                          
“I don’t know their numbers.” She stared at the dirty floor. Nothing mattered.
                          
“Come on,” Duke coaxed. “We’re all alive.” His voice softened. “Please, Lizzie. Get in. We don’t know how long before they figure out you weren’t in there.”
                          
“I’m going back.” Lizzie stood.
                          
Duke stood and stepped in front of her. “Don’t be stupid.”
                          
Rachael climbed back into the cab. “Come on, Lizzie.”
                          
“Shut up, Rachael.”
                          
“Lizzie,” Rachael pleaded. “Saj needs you. You’re the only mom he’s got.”
                          
Lizzie looked at Saj. His eyes were round as saucers, and his thumb was planted firmly in his mouth. He was her baby. They were right. But that didn’t fill the hole in her heart where she knew she couldn’t hear Jayce or Mama’s voice again.
                          
“Okay.” Lizzie turned toward the truck. “All right. We need a car seat.” She let Duke help her into the passenger seat. Rachael handed her Saj. She nestled her nose in his hair and hugged him. His usual squirminess was gone and he let her hold him tight.
                          
“Let’s get down the road a bit,” Duke laughed grimly, “and we can go shopping.” He shoved the shifter into reverse and spun around.
                          
“Please. Drive slowly and carefully until then.” Lizzie buckled herself into the passenger seat and put the little center lap belt around Saj.
                          
“I will.” Duke nodded and let up on the gas. “Thanks for waiting for me. There were a lot of cars, but nobody followed across the bridge. What do you know about those people?”
                          
“What do I know about you?” Lizzie asked. “Why the hell did you follow me across three states?”
                          
Duke glared at her, but the corner of his mouth twitched and broke into a lopsided smile. “Fair enough. When I found C.J. dead and you ran, I wanted to kill you. I promised my dad I’d look after him. I wanted answers. Wanted you to pay.” He rolled to the edge of an intersection. “North or south?”
                          
“South. My dad’s south.”
                          
He let the truck creep forward until they could see down the road toward the bridge. Nobody was in sight. He coasted out into the street and gently nudged the truck forward. Lizzie looked back, trying to make out anyone following them.
                          
Duke pulled across the freeway.
                          
Lizzie’s heart pumped; she grabbed Duke’s shoulder. “Hey, that was south.”
                          
“Yeah.” His eyes met hers. “And it’s the main drag. I’m going to drive alongside it until we’re a ways away.” He pointed at his GPS.
                          
Duke drove. Rachael watched warily behind them and Lizzie watched Duke. “How’d you find me?”
                          
Duke laughed. “Running into you back there? Pure dumb luck. But your friend in La Grande said more by not saying anything… You didn’t cover your tracks and you stayed close to the main road. Then the guy at Guns and Buns told me you’d been through and said he didn’t think you’d go far. That information cost me a buck.”
                          
“A buck?” Lizzie asked, incredulous.
                          
“A deer. I’d bagged two. Now they’re both gone. Oh, well. You’re safe.”
                          
“Thanks for saving my life,” Lizzie said softly. “Not sure I said it.”
                          
“Yeah.” He flashed her a wry smile. “You’re welcome.”