“Don’t tell me how to do my job, Logan. Just get your shoes; you’re coming with me right now. Whether you come in handcuffs or not is up to you.”

“Well … all right. I guess I’ll … I guess I’ll get my shoes.” Cole was desperate now. He feigned a move toward his bedroom, then came back. “Say, do you know if it’s supposed to rain all day?”

“Rain? Logan, just get your damn shoes!”

Savannah was visible again. She was behind her own car and slowly opening the driver’s door.

Cole stalled some more. “It’s just that if it’s going to rain, I’ll need my boots. But if it’s not going to rain, I can just wear my sneakers … or maybe even some loafers.”

“Logan, I don’t care if you put on your damn bunny slippers. Let’s just get going before I sta—”

The Honda’s engine revved to life.

Curtis spun around.

“Boots it is, then.” In one fluid motion, Cole reached down, grabbed both pairs of boots, and dove headfirst off the porch steps. As he hit the mud, he tucked his head, somersaulted, and used his momentum to roll back up to his feet. It was a move he had done countless times, dive-rolling over the heads of blitzing defensemen to get into the end zone.

Savannah kicked the passenger door open and Cole was inside the car before Curtis could grumble his first curse.

Cole told Savannah to gun it.

The tires flung mud before taking hold and launching them forward.

Cole pulled his door closed and looked out the rear window. Curtis was already scrambling toward the squad car. “You’re gonna have to stomp it. He’s got a lot more under the hood than we do.”

“He’s not going anywhere.” Savannah slammed the stick into second and peeled off the property.

“Well, he’s sure as hell not gonna let us go!”

“He won’t have a choice.” She held up Cole’s switchblade. “Unless he can catch us with slashed tires.”

Cole was impressed. “Don’t suppose you cut the wire on his radio, too?”

“What do you take me for, a rookie? Also cut your phone line, hope you don’t mind.”

“Would you mind if I kissed you again?”

“I never kiss on the first run from the law.”

“Nobody likes a prude.”

“You bet your ass prude. You tell anyone what happened in your room back there, I’ll kill you.”

“Unfinished business as far as I’m concerned.”

Their eyes met in the rearview mirror.

Savannah smiled, then peeled through a tight corner as the dirt road switched to slick asphalt.

“So you heard what Curtis said back there, right?” Cole asked.

“Yeah. I heard. You do realize what’s happening to them, don’t you?”

“Yeah. The change.”