Night of the Crane | By @WendyyWolfe

10. Somewhere In-Between

Dedicated to @meritamustafa333

James turned the truck around and hesitated, thinking better of the direction be would take. He turned around again pulling up next to Macallan's window.

Macallan watched from his truck lifting his hands up in frustration. "Damn which way you gonna go!" He shouted out loud.

"Sorry man," James went on unaffected by Macallan's outburst. "Look do you know that little store that sits next to the deer processing plant? That's where I wanna go. We'll go further up to Petty Rd and circle back to it on Mcgougin Rd . The more we stay to these back roads the better."

Macallan nodded.

James put the truck in drive, backed out and headed north with Macallan hot on his heels.

They reached Petty turnoff, a country road that circled through forested terrain east of the community of Appleton and took them several miles north before they would take the Silver Road cutoff to Mcgougin road and get to the convenience store. James wanted to avoid those more travelled interstates. He decided once they gassed up they could head back north and take the back roads up to his cabin in Mentone, a place far enough in the woods to give them cover until something else could be planned. They were all exhausted and needed water and something to eat. He just hoped that what they needed would still be available in the store most namely the gas. Then he would break the news about where they were going.

As he drove the girls whispered quietly among themselves and he continued to plan but an abrupt question from Lacy interrupted his mental ruminations.

"James? What do you think happened to my dad?"

For a moment James sat in shocked silence. It wasn't so much the question she asked because it would be a normal process considering the circumstances. No, he was shocked because she asked him. She didn't know him well for one thing and he admitted to himself he hadn't been particularly nice to her for another. He gathered his wits because he could see she was watching him intently. Waiting patiently which for her was an anomaly all to itself.

He would have to choose his words carefully.

"Mmm. Well," he stuttered. He cringed because those weren't exactly wise words . Ugh.

Her foot began to tap on the floor board of the truck and James noticed that now the girl with her, her cousin, was now staring at him as well. Double ugh.

Dammit James what's wrong with you? A frustrated sigh escaped his lips but he concentrated on the road ahead of them.

"So what do you think," she asked again.

"Alright," he started gruffly. "I'm honestly not sure. But think about how Jonnie acted back at the bar. It was like she had almost super human strength. She wasn't herself. And she seemed fixated on getting you alone with her, but, for now I don't want you to worry. Once we get to a safe place we'll work on figuring it all out. It's not like any of us could know what's going on. Yet. I have a cabin of sorts in a neighboring town and that's where we'll go. There's a ham radio system in it. I can contact my boys from my old unit and hopefully get ahead of this thing. Until then, anything can happen so I need you girls to keep frosty, and let's all work together. And that means no more arguing with your boyfriend. I'm going to need his help. I will also reiterate to both of you, don't. trust. anyone. Its just too dangerous right now."

James felt her stiffen up next to him and grit his teeth.

"Look. James. Macallan Crete is not my boyfriend. He hates my guts. And I'm not really too fond of him either. He was the last person on the list of people I tried to get help from when this all started! So drop the boyfriend analogy because I can't stand him and he can't stand me. As for trust, I wouldn't trust Macallan Crete with my dog, if I had one that is. So if this is about trust, he's the last person on earth-"