51
Julia plastered herself to the barn as McKenna crossed in front of her.
The men followed him and dragged Novak’s body up the hill on a tarp.
One man carried shovels that clanked together as he climbed the hill.
The men didn’t say anything to each other, their mood subdued.
If any one of them looked back, they would spot her.
Julia didn’t dare move. Dave was going in and out of the barn with bigger boxes, cursing under their weight. She tried to think but her thoughts flew in panic. She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t run back to the car while Dave was active because he could see her.
She peeked to see McKenna and the men finally disappear into the woods.
Dave went back and forth with boxes, loading them into the truck, then hopped into the cab and drove off.
Another man lit a cigarette and got into a white Altima, smoking and listening to the car radio while he scrolled his phone.
She wondered if he was trying to calm himself down, too, having witnessed Novak being shot to death and facing the prospect of killing hundreds more.
Or maybe he thought he was doing the right thing, killing in the name of patriotism.
Julia waited for what felt like hours. She had no idea how long it would take them to bury Novak, but she didn’t move a muscle. Her body ached and her arms felt heavy but she ignored the discomfort. She’d put together all the pieces of the puzzle. She had to prevent the carnage at Valley Forge.
In time she heard the voices of the men in the woods. They must’ve finished their grim task. They would be leaving the forest. The man in the Altima crushed out his cigarette, turned off the radio, and got out of the car.
Dawn was breaking, the sky lightening imperceptibly, every second. Julia couldn’t stay here another minute. Morning would give her away. She couldn’t take a chance that one of the men would see her when they came back.
Run, she heard a voice say, and she didn’t stop to wonder if it was Kay’s or her own. She had to trust herself. She waited until Laird was walking away to meet the men, then raced off.
She took a sharp angle up the hill away from the men. She reached the back of the barn and ran directly along the ridge. She ran as fast as she possibly could.
She plunged into the woods, which were lighter now.
She ran around trees in her path and dodged limbs.
Thorny underbrush scratched her arms and tore her clothes.
She could hear the men’s voices echoing in the forest behind her.
As soon as they found the car, they would come for her.
She ran harder, her breath ragged from exertion and fear.
She threaded her way between the trees. Old leaves and twigs crunched under her feet. She almost tripped on a downed limb but kept going. Her terrified gaze scanned for any other lights at all. There were houses in the woods. All she had to do was get to one. She ran for her life.
Suddenly she heard men shouting in the woods behind her. They must have discovered her car. The rental contract was in the glove box with her name on it. She was a loose end. They would hunt her down and kill her.
Julia looked wildly around. She spotted a pinpoint of light in the distance. It had to be coming from a house. She raced that way, smacking twigs out of her way and ignoring scratches from thorns. The trees thinned. The area around the house grew brighter.
The men sounded closer. She wasn’t ahead of them by that much. She had to get help. She spotted a small split-level in a clearing. She didn’t scream for help because she didn’t want the men to know where she was. She got closer and could see a red Toyota parked in front.
She thought fast, trying to formulate a plan on the fly. She’d run to the house, borrow a phone, and call the police, then they’d get away in the car. She didn’t want to endanger the homeowner or leave them behind.
She made it to the house and ran to the front door.
It was open, and she bolted inside and was just about to call out when she saw an old man asleep in a hospital bed in the living room.
A nightlight was on next to him, on a table cluttered with pill bottles.
He was obviously unwell. She wondered if the man had a wife but it would take too long to wake her.
She looked around for a cell phone or a landline to call 911. She didn’t see either and didn’t have time to look. Then she spotted a set of car and house keys on a table beside the door.
Julia grabbed the keys, left the house, and bolted to the Toyota. She jumped in the car, started it, and flew out of the driveway.