BooksBarbecue
Back The Edge of Us
Chapters (45)
  1. Contents
  2. chapter one
  3. chapter two
  4. chapter three
  5. chapter four
  6. chapter five
  7. chapter six
  8. chapter seven
  9. chapter eight
  10. chapter nine
  11. chapter ten
  12. chapter eleven
  13. chapter twelve
  14. chapter thirteen
  15. chapter fourteen
  16. chapter fifteen
  17. chapter sixteen
  18. chapter seventeen
  19. chapter eighteen
  20. chapter nineteen
  21. chapter twenty
  22. chapter twenty-one
  23. chapter twenty-two
  24. chapter twenty-three
  25. chapter twenty-four
  26. chapter twenty-five
  27. chapter twenty-six
  28. chapter twenty-seven
  29. chapter twenty-eight
  30. chapter twenty-nine
  31. chapter thirty
  32. chapter thirty-one
  33. chapter thirty-two
  34. chapter thirty-three
  35. chapter thirty-four
  36. chapter thirty-five
  37. chapter thirty-six
  38. chapter thirty-seven
  39. chapter thirty-eight
  40. chapter thirty-nine
  41. epilogue
  42. other books by jamie mcguire
  43. about the author
  44. acknowledgements
  45. out of the woods

I pointed behind Zeke, letting him know to go back because Trex and I were leaving. Zeke kissed two fingers and held them against the glass. I did the same then watched him walk away.

Trex and I got halfway down Echo to a private corner, and I clicked the button, hoping to Christ Bianca wasn’t lying.

“What’s that?” Trex asked.

“Short story, it sets back the surveillance cameras.”

“Where did you get it?”

“Bianca.”

“You trust her?”

“Never underestimate a woman scorned. We have ten minutes.”

Trex nodded. “He looks a little weak, but otherwise better. Did you see the base of his neck?”

“Yeah, looks like fairly extensive bruising. I don’t know what they’re doing, but he’s getting the shit beat out of him down there.” I subtly glanced down at the device in my hands, tipping off Trex. “You might not see me this afternoon. Try not to notice.”

“Where are you going to be?” he asked. He was following my lead.

“Don’t ask.”

“Naomi,” he said, scolding me. Trex is actually a damn good actor.

“Just don’t ask, okay? Don’t draw attention to it. If you need me, I’ll be at the old silo on the north side of town for two days, then I’m heading north.”

“Just you?”

“I said don’t ask.”

I checked my watch then signaled Trex to keep walking.

chapter thirty-nine

desert flower

Naomi

I

left the Complex at three p.m., using the device to mask my exit. No one stopped me, no one asked to look at the mound of blankets in the back seat of my FJ. I drove until I was sure no one was following me, then I parked deep in the Black Forest, monitoring the silo from there.

Hours passed with no sign of anyone from the Complex, not even a passerby. This was my test for Bianca’s device, and it seemed to have worked. Unless they predicted this test.

It was a chance I’d have to take.

Two days later, I left the house as I would any other day, not taking anything with me—even Matt’s box—making sure not to tip off anyone that I didn’t plan to return. I even left behind my beloveds, including Vicky. In the early morning, I faked a spark plug problem with the FJ and rode to work with Trex.

The day went as usual. My team didn’t seem to know anything was different, and I was both relieved and sad. I couldn’t tell them goodbye. No hugs, no warning. At lunch, I watched them all chew their food and fork chicken noodles and dumplings into their mouths as if they were ravenous. I smiled as I remembered the many lunches we’d had, the dinners, the cookouts—even starving in a desert with them was a fond memory. I loved those boys, and I couldn’t tell them.