His eyes were wide, so wide that the whites of his eyes blinded me. He raked a hand through his hair, but dropped it and shook his head. “We have to go.”
A thousand questions flashed through my head. What was he doing there? What did it mean? A look passed between us and we both knew there wasn’t time. I jerked my head in a nod, then went to retrieve the gun. Tray went to Gray, studying his ankle. “Can you run?”
“Yes,” I said. He would have to.
“No,” Gray said, casting me a wary look. “She braced it with her knife, but I can’t run.”
Tray clipped his head in a nod, then moved so he was in front of Gray. “Get on my back. I’ll carry you.”
Relief crashed through me, causing a riptide of hope among the panic and terror. We weren’t done. We could still get out of this.
Gray glanced at me. He bit down on his lip.
I stepped towards him. The relief faded and the panic surged once more. My voice trembled, “Get on him.”
“Taryn,” he started, but Tray kneeled in front of him.
Gray frowned, and then Tray threw him over his shoulder. He grinned at me. “Let’s go.”
I nodded and started forward again, putting the safety back on, but I kept it in my hand.
Tray was right behind me.
Gray groaned. “My head is in your crotch.”
“Yeah. Don’t get too excited.”
There was laughter in Tray’s voice. Still going, I closed my eyes as the relief came back in. We could do this. As we kept running, I felt Tray behind me. He was urging me faster so I kicked it up a notch. We needed to get out before they headed us off. Another quarter mile passed. Tray’s breathing was steady. I glanced back. He had a firm grip on Gray, who had wrapped his arms around Tray’s torso to keep from bouncing around.
Could we go faster? The unspoken question passed between us and Tray nodded. He moved around me and began to lead. I couldn’t smile. I couldn’t enjoy this, but the sight of him pulling ahead of me almost brought tears to my eyes.
I pushed forward with a new burst of speed, and we were sprinting, going faster than Gray and I had been going.
We would make it. I felt it in my gut.
Seeing light in the distance, I shouted at Tray, “Did you leave the door open?”
“Yes.” He didn’t look back. He kept going forward.
“Is your brother coming?” I was shouting.
Tray didn’t answer.
“Tray?”
He still didn’t answer.
My heart dropped. We had no support. I had known, but I had hoped they would come for me. “TRAY!”
A scowl formed on his face and he glanced at me. “They weren’t coming.” He held my gaze for a second. “Even for you. Chance said they would have to canvas the school first, but the pep rally put everything off.”
They weren’t coming, echoed in my head. They weren’t coming, but he had.
“Thank you.”
He looked over at me again. I had so much more to say. I was sorry for the hotel. I was sorry that I didn’t know how conflicted I was about Jace. I was sorry for bringing him into all this. But I didn’t say any of it. We were almost to the door. There wasn’t enough time.
“I’m here, Taryn.”
My heart pounded, not from the adrenalin.
He added, “I came.”
“I meant what I texted you.”
“I know.”
When we made it to the door, we paused, slowing down to go outside, but I braked as I saw that the tunnel kept going. I hadn’t noticed it when I entered. Tray was outside, but he stopped and turned. I heard his feet on the gravel. Then he asked, “What is it?”
“This tunnel. I bet it goes to the river.” That made sense. It was how they shipped their product out. My heart started pounding again. Jace’s probably had a secret entrance down there.
“Taryn, we have to go—” As he said that, we heard shouts from the road.
I shook my head. Three of us couldn’t hide. They would find us. Hearing the engine of their truck and more shouting, I said, “They’re at the front of the field.”
Tray frowned at me.
I looked around. “Did you drive?”
“No. I walked in.”
We had Gray. What could we do?
“Taryn, they’ll search the woods for us.” They would find us. That was what he didn’t say.
A different plan began to form. “Okay.” I shoved down the fear and looked around. “There.” Pointing at a clump of trees, I said, “Put Gray there.”
“What?” He lifted his head from Tray’s side.
Holding onto him so he wouldn’t fall and reinjure himself, Tray helped him down so Gray was standing on his own again. Then he started for the clump of trees, and called out from behind him, “What are you thinking?”