“You know what they say where I come from? Don’t be a dumbass. Unless the question is who’s dumbing down the electorate, government conspiracy is never the answer.” Charlie frowned as the kids began piling into the bus, the arguments over seating arrangements needing no amplification. “You distract the police. I’ll take Dan into the Wood and out again across the river by the zoo. That should be close enough, he won’t freak out too badly. You meet me there.”

Jack grabbed the gig bag as she stepped forward, rocking her back on her heels. “Why distract them? Why can’t you just tell the cops to go away? It’s not like they could refuse.”

“Removing choice is a slippery slope, Jack.”

“Tell that to the aunties.”

“You first.” Hypocrite she might be, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to give the aunties that kind of an opening. As the bus pulled out onto 9th and merged with traffic, she shoved him toward the parking lot. “Distract.”

“Fine.”

Flames shot out of the garbage can farthest from Dan. The smoke smelled like pot.

The pot smell was a nice touch, Charlie acknowledged racing across the crushed gravel, humming “You Don’t See Me” as she ran.

Between the smoke and the yelling for backup and the digging for the fire extinguisher buried under dry cleaning in the trunk, neither cop noticed as Charlie hooked Dan under the arms and dragged him toward the trees at the edge of the path.

He yelled, “Depress handle!”

It had been a long time since Dan or his clothing had been in contact with soap and water. Grateful for the cold, but still breathing as shallowly as possible, Charlie hit an A and wrapped it around Dan.

Dan yelled, “Damn kids!”

They stumbled between two sycamores and into the Wood. Dan stiffened, then relaxed in Charlie’s grip. She heard him draw in a deep breath and let it out slowly. A moment later they were in the copse of trees next to the zoo’s south parking lot.

“Six pounds of oranges!” Dan’s volume was impressive and, while the sound of sirens approaching from across the river meant the police were still busy, attracting their attention would be a bad idea.

She grabbed his wrist as he twisted out of her hold. Dug in her heels as he tried to get away. He was stronger than he looked.

“Four sixty-nine a dozen? Who the hell can afford that?”

“Dan, be quiet.”

Yellowed whites showing all the way around his eyes, he flailed his free hand in the general direction of the zoo. “I don’t want to hurt him!”

“Then don’t!” Hand poised to go over Dan’s mouth, Charlie let it drop as Jack stepped out of a familiar pillar of flame. “Jack, tell him to be quiet.”

“Why don’t you tell him?”