“Are you sure that’s such a good idea?”
No.
“Yeah. This car is going to run out of gas soon. We don’t want to be near those men when that happens. At least, this way, we will find someplace to hide.”
I reached for my backpack, which had my purse and phone, and got out of the car. Braxton followed suit.
We headed toward the small woods, and Braxton grabbed hold of my hand.
I tightened my grip around his and drew him closer to me. I was sure he wouldn’t want to be caught dead holding hands with the music teacher from his school, but he needed comfort from me now, and the truth was, I needed it just as much.
I didn’t think I breathed properly until we got inside the safe covering of the trees, and even still, we kept going, trying to be fast but quiet at the same time. I didn’t know how long it would take those men to find my car and start following us, but I would take advantage of this small lead we finally had.
We stopped when an old farmhouse came into view.
The roof on the left looked moments away from caving in. It appeared to be just waiting for the right weather to make it so. The paint had long peeled away from the wood, and one door looked like it was falling off on the hinges at the top.
It was abandoned, as far as I could tell.
Braxton and I looked at each other, and we made our way into the farmhouse.
I quickly closed the double doors carefully.
I was right.
It was close to falling off from the nail completely. I closed the latch and put up the bar that would keep the door locked from the inside. I doubted this would keep the men out should they find this farmhouse, but it would warn us.
I found a ladder on the side leading up to the small upper deck and, wordlessly, tested it to see if it could hold my weight.
Braxton looked like he weighed as much as me, if not a few pounds heavier. I indicated with my hand.
“Come on, Braxton. Climb up. We have to hide.”
He bit his lip in hesitation.
I grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eyes.
“You don’t know me very well, but can you trust me? I promise I won’t let anything happen to you, but I need you to trust me and do as I say. Can you do that?”
His bottom lip trembled, and I fought against the urge to cry. It wouldn’t do us any good if I broke down, and right now, I needed to be the strong one out of the two of us.
He nodded.
I offered a small smile.
“Climb up, Braxton. I will be right behind you. I promise.”
His throat bobbed from a hard swallow, and he turned and climbed up the ladder.
I waited until he was fully at the top before I climbed up, too, finding a somewhat sturdy wooden platform filled with hay and dust.
I didn’t give myself time to think when I reached down and pulled the ladder up with us. I rested it against the wall and moved to the window, peeking out from the side.
Everything seemed quiet right now.
“We’re just going to stay here for the night, okay?”
I pulled my phone out and looked at the service bars.
