His words choked in his throat. On the far eastern corner of the yard, a group of shapes began to step out from the cotton.

Crap. People are starting to sneak around through the fields.

“This is private property!” he called out, sprinting down the stairs. “You’re trespassing!”

“Mr. Chance, stop!” Lois ordered.

Another voice, deeper and definitely male, yelled his name.

This is now completely out of control, he thought as he leapt through the cotton. At least the emerging crowd was coming from the east and the Jeep was parked beyond the western edge of the fields.

You can get to the Jeep. You can get to the Jeep.

He ran, heedless of trying to pass through undetected. Halfway through the fifth row he heard the sound of someone following behind and hissing through their teeth at the pain.

He turned to the little girl, pulling one of the hard bracts from a cotton boll off her shirt.

“Lily!” he heard a call from several rows back.

“No!” William held up his hand. “Kid, stop right now. You’re gonna hurt yourself. I can’t help you, OK? You’ve got to stop.”

He took off running down the row, still hearing little feet coming after him. He tore through a cluster of cotton to head down another dirt path, zigzagging back and forth.

After a wicked scrape on his arm, he stuck to a single row and headed for the road, emerging still too far from the Jeep. Knowing he’d be too exposed to just run out in the open, he stepped back into the row, only to find the girl and the woman emerging from the cotton.

“Get out of here,” William said, now seeing lights flashing in the fields as the people from the yard tried to follow, obviously trying to get video or photos on their phones. “Just please leave me alone.”

“Mr. Chance, this girl obviously knows you,” Lois said, trying to catch her breath. “I’m going to have to take you into custody—”

He practically sprung through another row, the dried bristles snagging so fiercely, he knew his T-shirt would be ripped. He again heard the girl behind him and Lois yelling at them both to stop.

Go five more rows. Four. Three. Two. He had to be close enough now to make a run for the Jeep.

When he busted down the row and broke from the field, the man in the expensive suit was still leaning on his Porsche.

“Hey William, seriously, give me a second—”

Ignoring him, William reached the Jeep. He was about to toss his backpack in when he saw the girl climb into his open passenger side, looking at him in desperation. Before he could speak, Lois gasped in exasperation, stumbling to catch up.

“Mr. Chance, get that girl out of your car—”