We make our way to the shore. There is a small canoe with an oar. I push it halfway into the lake.
“Get in,” I whisper to Savvy.
Once she’s settled, I push it farther and then quietly climb aboard. I’m careful with the oar not to make any splashing noises as I slowly move us down the bank out of sight of the cabin.
Across the lake is a public dock. If I go toward it, those men will see us. Instead, I continue to stay close to shore and manage to get us on the other side of some tall grass.
“Do you see anything?” Bob calls out.
We duck down in the canoe to be safe, although there is no way anyone can see us unless they get out on the water.
“No,” a man answers.
“The bed is still warm,” another man says.
I can see a man’s figure through the grass.
He bends down. “Some kind of boat was here. The mud is fresh.” He stands up and walks toward the cabin.
I row as hard and fast as I can around the lake. It will only take them a moment to find the public dock on a map. That’s where they will wait for us. But that’s not where we will go.
Splashing the oars with each row, I make sure they can hear us.
“I bet they are heading to the other side,” Bob says.
Then it grows silent.
“We can’t cross the lake,” Savvy says.
“We won’t,” I say.
A car engine revs nearby, and then it screeches down the road on the other side of these cabins. I bet they have no idea how well sound carries out here.
“We are going to get out here,” I say as I turn and aim us onto someone else’s lawn.
Once we are on land, I lean in so I can whisper. “I’m going to see if anyone stayed behind. Hopefully, we can get in the car and leave. Stay behind me.”
She nods.
We slowly make our way to the front of the neighbor’s cabin. There is a fence between this property and the next, so we have to go to the road. Once there, we jog down three cabins until we are on the edge of Reed’s property.
I point to a large bush. “Hide behind there. When I get the car to the end of the driveway here, I’ll stop and you jump in.”
She nods and moves to go behind the bush.
Carefully, I make my way down the long driveway. There’s no one in sight, but I’m still careful not to trigger the sensors Reed has set up in case someone is still inside. Once at the car, I get in and take off down the driveway fast. There’s no hiding from anyone inside now. I stop, and Savvy runs from behind the bush and gets in. I turn left on the road, going the opposite way the men went. But apparently, the road around the lake is a loop because we pass a car. Bob’s driving and staring over at us. I see the moment he spots Savvy in the passenger seat.
I go faster as he turns around behind us. The tires squeal on the asphalt. The last thing I wanted was to get into a car chase out here. While I know the way to Reed’s cabin, I’m not too familiar with all the roads.
“I need you to pull up the map on the GPS system.”
“You don’t know where you’re going?” she asks as she pulls it up.
“I’m not as familiar with this area.”
“Good thing I am.”
I glance over at her.
