a fireproof blanket,” Madison said.
One of the officers shouted at her to grab one out of the trunk of his car. “There’s a seat belt cutter in there if you need it.”
Jonas aimed his boot at the glass and kicked. His lungs were burning. The fire was getting closer. They just needed a few more seconds. Madison ran back and laid the blanket down across the shattered glass, then stepped back. Jonas tried to undo the seat belt, but Charlie still wasn’t moving, and the seat belt wouldn’t budge. He grabbed the cutter from Madison. Getting him down that way was going to be a problem if he was injured, but with the fire spreading, they had no choice.
He sliced through the thick fabric, then tried to lessen the impact as the man fell. Charlie groaned as they pulled him out and set him on his side a few dozen feet from the accident.
“He’s breathing,” Jonas said. “Pulse is fast, but steady.” Jonas put a hand on the man’s shoulder as he tried to sit up. “Take it slow and just breathe.”
Charlie nodded.
Madison handed him a bottle of water. “Take a sip.”
“We’ve got an ambulance coming. Can you tell me what you’re feeling?” Jonas asked after he’d taken a couple sips.
“I don’t know.” Charlie pulled his knees toward his chest and coughed. “My lungs are burning, and my ribs hurt.”
“Do you remember what happened?” Jonas asked, noticing the raised bump on his forehead and hoping he didn’t have a concussion on top of everything else.
“I was trying to avoid that roadblock.”
“Not your smartest move,” Madison said. “And not easy to do when you’re driving too fast.”
“You spooked me.”
“What did you think we wanted?”
“I don’t know. The sheriff was out at my place last week, asking me about something that happened in town.”
“We’re US Marshals. We don’t investigate crimes. We go after people,” Madison said. “And sometimes, like right now, we track down felons.”
“I’m not a felon or a convict.”
“We know,” Jonas said. “We need to talk to you about your sister.”
“Why?” Charlie held his wrist and groaned. “I think it’s broken.”
Jonas ignored him. He’d get help soon enough. “We’re looking for Damon Barrick, an escaped convict, and we think you know where he is.”
“Who’s that?”
Madison pulled a photo up on her phone and held it out to him. “Recognize this man?”
Jonas didn’t miss the slight shift in his eyes.
“I’ve never seen him.”
“Are you sure?” Jonas asked. “Because we believe you’ve not only met him but that you are also involved in helping him escape.”
“Why would I do that?” Charlie asked.
“Maybe as a favor to your sister?”
“You think my sister’s involved in helping a felon escape? Because if you do, you don’t know her very well. My sister’s totally by the book. Ask anyone in town. She doesn’t even have a parking ticket. She’d never get involved with a felon.”
“Everyone has their secrets,” Madison said.
“Not Mary Margaret.”
“Then what were you doing out at the cabins near Hickory Lake this morning?”
Charlie managed to sit up, then rested his arms against his knees. “I do repairs for the owners sometimes. I was called out there to fix a gas stove.”
Jonas could hear the whir of sirens in the background. He glanced at Madison, his frustration rising. “So all of this is just a coincidence and has nothing to do with Damon Barrick?”
“I said I’ve never seen him.”
“Charlie, please. Our only objective is to find Barrick. Assisting a fugitive is a federal crime that will put you in prison.”
Charlie’s jaw tensed. “I’m not lying.”
An ambulance pulled off to the side of the road behind them, and a moment later two paramedics hurried toward them. Jonas stood up and glanced at the truck. The fire was out now. What if there was any evidence that hadn’t burned?
“I’ll be right back.”
Madison nodded, then turned to the paramedics.
The smell of smoke was still strong even though the cab of the truck had only partially burnt. On the inside of the roof were some old fast-food wrappers and a toolbox that had spilled its contents across the dashboard. A piece of paper was jammed into the console and was partly sticking out. Jonas opened the box, careful of the heat where the plastic had melted. He was surprised that the contents hadn’t burned in the fire or fallen out when he opened the top, but they were wedged tight. The inside of the console was filled with napkins, packets of condiments from fast-food restaurants, and a stash of