With long, gray hair and an adorably garish, tied-dyed T-shirt, Zappa hadn’t left his hippie days. She’d met him at his gas station a few days ago. He gave her a bright gap-toothed smile. “You’re here just in time for fishing season. Then there’s hunting season after that. All sorts of things to show you.”

“Hear, hear,” Guzman said.

Hunters. She eyed them. I bet they’d know a lot about trails.

“Welcome, Frankie. It’s good to see you again.” Tina, Chevy’s wife, was an energetic redhead. They’d met earlier today when Frankie parked near her house to hike the trail.

And it would be best to head off any commentary about that. “Is this your escape from the little ones?”

“It’s such an escape.” The petite woman snickered. “Every minute with them, there’s some cataclysmic meltdown. Reading about world-ending disasters helps me put everything back into perspective.”

Frankie couldn’t help but laugh.

As people settled in, the discussion started. So fun. There were occasional forays into gossip until Audrey would bring them back. Frankie had rushed to finish the current book and was able to contribute.

Before they broke up, Audrey asked them to pick the next book—which set off a whole new set of discussion.

“I like the one with the engineered plague,” Tina said. “It’s very different, and—”

Frankie frowned, seeing Audrey cringe a little.

After a glance at Audrey, Lillian spoke up. “I quite adore psychological thrillers, and we haven’t had one of those in a while.”

Cecil pulled on his beard. “Mebbe, mebbe. There was one that Guzman favored with hostages.”

“Yeah. A bomb and hostages in the New York subway system.” Guzman winked at her. “Our city girl here could tell us how realistic it is.”

“You’re giving me nightmares at just the thought, you evil man,” Frankie told him to his delight.

“It doesn’t sound too bad. It’s centered around a mercenary group, so it’ll be all shooting and stuff.” EmmaJean wiggled. “A team of guys. I love bromance, don’t you?”

“What’s not to love?” Frankie’s comment got a laugh, and the discussion continued.

Her thoughts had been derailed.

Mercenaries. Soldiers for hire. Could she hire some—an outfit or whatever they were called—to rescue Kit and Aric?

If Kit couldn’t manage to get to the fence, that might be one way to help her get out. However, the risks would go up. As she knew, the PZs would shoot at trespassers, and the mercenaries would probably shoot back. That’s how innocent women and children could be hurt or killed. Better them…probably…than calling in the Feds and instigating a siege-type situation, but neither scenario sounded safe.

Okay, she’d keep that as a backup plan.