Chapter 34. Jenny
JENNY
Jenny heard the slam of the hatch and risked a look over her shoulder to see Simon pushing the table back into place, while Alice stood nearby. She was staring at Jenny in the living room, at the broken glass across the floor, then back at Simon, and his arm.
“What’s going on?” she said. “Who shot you?”
“Be quiet,” Simon said. “And stay down.”
Alice frowned, then crouched and followed him into the living room.
Jenny snapped her head back around. She shouldn’t have taken her eye off the police car. Were they still behind it? What if they had moved when she was looking away? They could be closer to the house. Or in the barn. The sun was lower now and casting long shadows.
Simon and Alice were beside her. She felt the heat of Simon’s chest as he pressed close, his breath against her neck as he looked over her shoulder through the gap in the curtain.
“Who’s outside?” Alice said. “Why did they shoot you?”
“Cops. I shot one. Maybe both, but someone’s still firing back.”
Alice sucked in a breath. “You shot a cop? Are you out of your mind?”
“We’re making a break for it. You’re driving the truck.”
“I’m not leaving my husband!”
“You don’t have a choice. No one’s going to find Tom unless I tell them where he is.”
“They’ll search the house.”
“Those two cops outside are probably all this town has. They’re going to be busy chasing us. Get us out of here and in a couple of days I’ll make a call.”
“A couple of days?”
“I don’t have time for this shit, Alice! It’s simple. Come with us, or go back to the basement, and I’ll set fire to the whole place.”
Jenny glanced at Alice. She was crying. Jenny’s own eyes watered and she turned back to the window. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much, seeing Alice cry.
“It’ll be okay,” Jenny said. “We’ll let you go when we’re somewhere safe.”
Alice laughed, incredulous. “Nowhere is safe with you.”
“Shut up, Alice.” Simon touched Jenny’s shoulder. “When I say go, take the rifle, and follow me to the back door. No stopping for anything.”
She wanted to stop everything. As scary as it was to be trapped in the house, the idea of driving past police who were shooting at them was so much worse.
Simon was already getting to his feet, grabbing Alice’s arm, and pulling her up. Then he was running, and Jenny had to run as well or she’d be left behind.
On the porch, Simon released Alice and pushed her in front of him. “Go,” he whispered to her. “Be quiet. They’ll shoot you as easy as they’d shoot us.”
They made it down the steps and around to the corner of the house and stopped.
Alice looked over her shoulder at Simon.
They had to cross a narrow space to reach the garage.
Simon cocked his head, listening. It seemed quiet to Jenny, with only the chirps of crickets.
She thought of the horses and cows without their dinner.
The chickens left outside. Bones hiding somewhere.
Tom, Ruth, and William in the basement. What would Tom think when Alice didn’t return?
Jenny could hear Simon breathing, and Alice too. She looked at her but Alice was staring straight ahead. Then Simon was pushing Alice forward again.
They were at the back door to the garage. Simon slowly turned the handle. The door opened with a soft scraping. He stepped inside the gloom, then Alice. Then Jenny. She stared around, making out the bulky shape of the truck.
“Close the door,” Simon said, and Jenny pulled it shut, plunging them into complete darkness.
She bumped into Alice as she tried to find her way—hands outstretched.
Her leg brushed something hard. Simon and Alice were shifting and moving, seemingly going forward.
Jenny hurried to stay close. She kept her hands out and touched warmth. Someone’s arm or back.
A flare of light, aimed at the floor. Simon had turned on a flashlight. He cupped his fingers around it so that it made his hand glow red.
He opened the driver’s door. “Jenny, sit in the middle.”
Jenny got in, and then Alice.
Simon leaned into the door until it sealed with a click. The flashlight turned off and Jenny couldn’t see Simon, but she heard noises behind them. He was doing something in the back of the truck. The passenger door opened, and he slid inside. He closed it softly.
He turned the flashlight on again and kept it partway under his leg, so it was dim.
He struggled with the gun, sliding metal pieces back and forth, until the part that held the bullets dropped out.
He loaded it with new bullets, pushed it into place, slid a metal piece back on the top of the gun, and released it.
The final metal click made Jenny flinch.
Alice put one hand on the wheel, looked at Simon, then pointed ahead of them.
“What about that door?”
“You’re going to drive straight through it.”
“Are you kidding me? You want to kill us?”
“It’s old wood. I could break it apart with my hands.”
Alice looked at Jenny. “You okay with this? You might get hurt.”
Jenny stared into the darkness. She could barely see the workshop door. She remembered it being wide. “What if the windshield breaks?”
“There’s a lot of metal and engine in front of us,” Simon said. “The truck will go through.”
“It might also fall down around us,” Alice said.
“Keep your foot on the gas. Hammer it.”
“They’re going to shoot the tires.”
“Like I said, drive fast.” Simon was spitting out the words, leaning forward so he could look at Alice past Jenny. “They’ll think you’re one of us. Remember that.”
Alice was silent for a moment, and Jenny wondered if she would refuse, then wondered at the brief flare of relief she’d felt before Alice said, “Keys?”
Simon reached across and dropped them into Alice’s palm. The keys jingled as Alice searched through them.
Everything was taking so long. Jenny rubbed her sweaty hands on her legs.
“What do you think the cops are doing?” she said.
“Hiding,” Simon said.
Alice found the key and slid it into the ignition. Simon flicked off the flashlight. Jenny heard him drop it on the dash.
“Alice, drive close to the cop car. Make them think you’re going to crash. They’ll get out of the way. Jenny, keep your head down and hang on.”
“Ready?” Alice said.
“Do it.”
The engine started up, spluttered for a moment, then they were shooting forward.
Simon was right. They crashed straight through the garage door.
The frame screeched as they dragged it forward.
Jenny glanced back. The front of the shed was collapsing.
They were going so fast that Alice had to turn the wheel hard to stop them from slamming into the police car.
“Get down!” Simon cupped the back of Jenny’s head and pushed it toward her knees.
The truck fishtailed on the loose dust. Shots rang out. Jenny gasped as the side mirror shattered. She pressed her hands over her ears, but it didn’t help. Alice was screaming and bullets were hitting the truck. Simon was shooting out the window, the gun deafening.
The engine was loud as Alice gunned it. She sped over bumps and potholes in the driveway, sending them flying and banging into each other. At the bottom, Alice made a sharp turn that slammed Jenny into Simon and pinned him against the door.
The sound softened and tires hummed. They were on pavement.
Jenny sat up.
Simon was patting her all over. “Are you hurt? Did you get hit?”
Was she? She didn’t think so, but she felt numb. She shook her head.
“Thank you, Jesus.” Simon pulled her close, kissed the side of her head. “That was close.” He turned to the window and used his palm to push the rest of the broken glass out.
Alice gripped the steering wheel. Her face was pale, and her eyes glassy.
Then Jenny saw it. The slight turn of Alice’s chin and the flick of her eyes as she glanced across Jenny to the gun in Simon’s hand—his left hand.
The one closest to Alice, because he’d used his right to push out the glass.
His grip was loose, the gun resting on his leg.
Alice had never tried to snatch the gun before.
Not in all the times Jenny had been around her.
Alice lifted her gaze and caught Jenny watching. Alice stared back at the road. Jenny nudged Simon and gestured to the gun. He gave her an apologetic look, like he thought she was upset because he was holding it carelessly, then switched it to his other hand.
Now they were all staring out the window.