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Back Strangers She Knows Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. BPA
  61. Author Bio

I could if I shot them.

Too swift. That’s not what you want. You want to take your time, create their fear, enjoy their pain.

Her hand fell away from her sidearm.

You’re so close. Not long now. Go finish your preparations.

Okay. You’re right. I will.

Mara backed away from the window and down the steps.

Kellen had betrayed her. And for that, Max and Rae and most of all, Kellen—they were all going to die.

27

The next morning, Daddy installed lights all over the garage, plugged in the big old kitchen coffee maker, arranged all their new tools, turned to Rae and said, “Isn’t this great? We can see what we’re doing. This will help. We can get the truck running!”

Rae agreed. It was great, and it did help.

But even with the carburetor put together, the F-100 still didn’t start.

After long moments of frustration where Daddy tried not to swear the really bad words, he slid under the truck on his wheeled mechanics’ creeper and Rae leaned into the engine compartment from the top, and they discussed where the holdup could be. Rae was willing to throw in the towel, but when she suggested that, Daddy slid around and glared up at her. So she didn’t suggest they ask Mommy, which would have made all kinds of sense since Mommy was in charge of transportation and stuff in the Army. But Rae already knew sometimes her father was not logical or sensible, and she guessed with what she’d done yesterday—riding off, meeting Miranda, promising not to tell—she was in no position to lecture him.

Mommy came in. That cut and bruise on her jaw looked worse today, and painful, and she was sort of yelling, which was not usual for her, so Rae knew she must be frustrated. “We agreed that between the food in the freezer and the Conkles’ morning basket o’ food, we could survive without Olympia.” She knelt down so she could look under the truck. “Dylan’s done it again. There’s no basket.”

Daddy shot out from under the truck. He stood and wiped his hands on the grease rag. “He’s drunk somewhere. Worthless!” Then he said something Rae didn’t completely understand. “We don’t need this now.”

That got her mom’s attention, made her calm down right away. She walked to him, slid her arms around his waist, and her voice got softer and calmer. “Max, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” Daddy’s jaw was squared, his brown eyes flat and almost black, the way they were when he was really angry. “We weren’t supposed to deal with this kind of challenge. This was supposed to be us taking it easy while everyone else dealt with the details of—”

Mommy cleared her throat and hugged him very hard. “Max. Stop. Stop.”