Run. Just Run.

Chapter 60

"Are you ready?" Jeff says slowly.

Ashley looks up at the boy she had her arms wrapped around and looks into his eyes. Then she loosens her grip and turns so she's got one arm around James' midsection and he's got one arm around her shoulders.

"Yep. I'm ready, Uncle Jeff." She says strongly. "Let's just do it before I change my mind." She adds with a giggle.

James squeezes her shoulders. "Then let's go." He says with a smile. "Can't have you back out now." He says teasingly.

Jeff stands up. "Okay, so I've put out the word that a 'mysterious' girl with your description has been seen hanging around town. Hopefully the news has reached Margaret and her people by now, surely it has."

Boomer stands up too. "Now all's left is fo' you t' go hang 'round town." He says slowly.

"Let's do this!" Ashley says, anxious to get it done. "And hope they take the bait."

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James has his face propped up on his hands while sitting in Danny's black jeep with the windows down and top off, parked in front of the General Store.

"We've been waiting for the past two hours." He complains. "And nothing has happened. Do you think they're even coming?"

Danny looks up as Ashley comes out of another alleyway and crosses the street to go look in some windows.

"I sure hope so. This isn't going by as quickly as I expected." Danny replies. "I'm bored."

Their eyes wander over to the barber shop where Jeff was sitting in a chair, pretending to get his hair cut, glancing out the windows every now and then. Then they move their eyes over to an auto repair shop where a big man is leaning over into the hood of a truck. Every few minutes, he'll straighten up and wipe his brow with a handkerchief.

James chuckles. "Does Boomer even know how to repair an engine or anything?"

"I doubt it." Danny says and they both burst out laughing. Every time they glance back in his direction, they laugh harder. He looks so convincing, yet he's probably under there just wiggling his fingers or something.

Then they see something out of the corner of their eyes, and they slowly turn their heads, still laughing. When their eyes focus, they immediately get huge, their bodies grow stiff and the laughter ceases.

There, pulled up beside Ashley, was a black car with tinted windows, and getting out of the passengers seat was a big black man with sunglasses covering his face. James' jaw stiffens. He was one of the men Aunt Margaret had hired! The man walks over to Ashley, and says something. Then he puts his hand on her shoulder, almost friendly-looking, but James knows he's holding her tight. James snaps.

"Why aren't they moving? Where's Uncle Jeff? Still in that chair! Why is Boomer still focused on his truck? Are they paying attention? Do they even see what's happening?" Then he stops suddenly as he sees Ashley move.

The man walks with his hand on Ashley's shoulder, calmly pushing her toward the car, opening he back door.

"What are they waiting for?" Danny exclaims. "She's being kidnapped!"

Then suddenly Ashley makes a move and tries to get away, and the man quickly wraps his arm around her in a vise-like grip and pushes her roughly into the back seat, quickly climbing in behind her and slamming the door shut behind him. The car shifts into drive, and starts moving forward.