The line went dead. Diamond stared at the phone for a second before tucking it into her jacket. She turned toward the cab where Sayer stood, waiting. His eyes locked onto hers.
“Well?” he asked.
Diamond’s voice was like steel wrapped in smoke. “We’re going dark.”
He nodded once. “How dark?”
She met his gaze. “Ghost.”
He didn’t flinch. “Then let’s disappear.”
Diamond climbed back into the cab and shut the door behind her, the noise sealing them off from the outside world. Carlalooked up, eyes still wide from the attack. The girls clung to her, quiet and shaken.
“We’re leaving,” Diamond said, her voice low but firm. “Right now.”
“Where?” Carla asked, her arms tightening around her daughters.
Diamond looked at her, calm but unflinching. “I won’t say it out loud. Not here. Not yet.”
Sayer was already moving, securing what little gear they had, doing one last sweep of the lot with his eyes. He didn’t ask questions.
Diamond started the engine and pulled the cab around to reconnect the trailer. It clicked into place with a heavy thud, the sound echoing across the lot like punctuation on a chapter closing.
As they pulled out of the gate, Diamond didn’t take the highway.
She turned onto a side road that most truckers ignored. The pavement was cracked. The trees hung low. There were no signs, no markers, and no traffic.
This route wasn’t on any map. It wasn’t discussed in any message, text, or call. It was one of those old-school secrets passed between members like sacred rites. A lifeline known only by heart.
Sayer watched the landscape shift through the window, his tone quiet, “No tracking from here.”
“Not unless they’re flying a drone,” Diamond muttered.
“Should we be worried about that?”
She gave him a dry look. “Always.”
Carla stayed silent, her head resting lightly against the back wall of the sleeper. The girls were finally dozing again, worn out from fear and sugar. Diamond checked the rearview once, then again, before letting her focus settle on the road.
They drove for nearly forty minutes through winding backroads and thick stretches of forest before the burner phone vibrated again.
Diamond answered with a quick, “Go.”
Nova’s voice was sharp and to the point. “Redirect. Take the next left onto Black Hollow Road. Unmarked. Gravel path. You’ll see a tire swing on a dead oak. Go slow, it gets narrow. I’ve got someone waiting halfway in, eyes only.”
“Who?” Diamond asked.
“You don’t know her. She’s a friend of our California friend”
“Sounds good,” Diamond replied. The only friend they had was Maddyn. And if this contact was recommended by her, they were in good hands.
Nova continued, “She’ll ride with you to the next stop. We’re not taking them to the orchard anymore. It’s too close to the last known drop.”
Diamond’s grip tightened on the wheel. “That leaves us with only one option.”
Nova’s pause confirmed it. “Exactly. So don’t miss that swing.”
The line went dead again.
