“We will see at daybreak. I need to call Don and Barbara. They need to know. William needs to know. I may be forced to remain in front of this TV, but I’ll be damned if I’ll sit here and do nothing.”

“What the hell just happened?”

With the girl clinging to his neck so fiercely it was starting to hurt, William strained to look back.

“Seriously, what the hell?” the driver of the Porsche yelled again. “One minute I’m twiddling my thumbs waiting for you to come back, and the next thing I know you’re running out with a freakin’ parade behind you and people start dying—”

“Can you just keep driving?” William said, prying the girl off. She let go but immediately sat directly beside him.

Here it comes. He knew his fair skin was already a flushed red. His chest was constricting, his fingertips tingling.

When the attack comes on, recognize it for what it is, observe it like you’re watching it happen to someone else, his therapist advised. That detachment will help you stay calm and realize whatever’s happened isn’t that bad—

Oh, it’s bad, doc. There’s a dead federal agent back there, killed by people who stepped out of the fields and blew out my tires. And it sure as hell looked like when that little girl stared at them, they started to die.

“And who were those people with the guns? I mean—wait. Wait a second. Wait a damn second! They were wearing suits! Black suits! Crap on a stick, that was my proof! Why the hell didn’t I get out my phone?” the driver said, thumping the steering wheel.

Breathe in, breathe out. Long, deliberate breaths. Block out everything. It will pass. Focus on what you can control—

“Man, I needed that video! If I hadn’t hauled ass from Atlanta, I would have totally missed it!”

Missed it. We wouldn’t miss that turn if I were driving—

“Turn left!”

The Porsche swung hard, barely avoiding another row of cotton to head down the intersecting road. “Dude!”

“Pull over and let me drive,” William said.

“A bit more heads up next time, OK? Man, I’m going to be kicking myself for a long time that I didn’t get that video. Of course, I also didn’t want a bullet in my butt either. So what’s the story? Have they been after you for a while now? Is that why you’ve been on the run?”

“Pull over right there. I know these roads. I need to drive.”

“Buddy, this is a 2019 Porsche 911 Turbo. I’m not happy that it probably has a few dings on it—”

William leaned forward and pointed. “If you don’t pull over right now, I’m going to puke all over your back seat.”

“Jesus, fine! OK! Hold it in, Linda Blair.”