the way the people tailing us might approach things. It was smart thinking. You’re right. They’re more likely to follow anyone who’s with either Bo or me. Going with Wally makes sense.”
I gave a small breath of relief. “Thank you for understanding. So, we’re okay?”
He nodded, gave me a grin. “We’re okay, Red. We’re better than okay.” Without further explanation, he wiggled back under the car.
I left the barn, a lot more relieved than I expected, and with significantly more confidence that the team supported me and my decisions.
We continued our work while Bo and Hala set the table, and Mike, Jax, and Frankie fixed dinner—a huge pot of macaroni and cheese with corn on the cob on the side. When it was ready, we ate ravenously. Kira and Frankie took Mr. Toodles out for a long walk after dinner while I resumed reading and everyone else did the dishes and cleaned up.
Around ten thirty, we got dressed in jeans and dark jackets with a cap or hat pulled down low over our heads. Frankie complained about having to change out of her orange T-shirt and sparkle shoes, but she did it. We girls pinned our hair up and tucked it under our hats so we were indistinguishable.
By ten forty-five, we headed out to the barn together. My heart was pounding, not only because of the potential danger, but because I was finally going to meet my father—knowing he was my father—after more than a decade. I wished I had time to work through all my emotions before I saw him, but time was a luxury I didn’t have. So many questions, but none I could ask tonight, because we had to focus on saving my mother’s life.
Mike and Hala had already climbed into the first car, ready to go. After wishing them good luck, Jax and Bo opened the barn door, and out they drove. We watched them disappear down the driveway and into the darkness. As planned, Hala called on my burner phone five minutes later to say they’d detected no tail and were proceeding to their route.
“Okay, guess that means we’re up,” Bo said, opening the passenger door for Frankie to climb in. She got in, all smiles. She gave me a cheery wave from the passenger window as they drove off.
Five minutes later, Frankie called to report they were all clear. That meant Wally and I were up.
“You ready, Angel?” he asked as he climbed in behind the wheel. Jax held the door open for me, but before he closed it, he leaned in. “You guys be careful. Don’t take any unnecessary chances.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Wally said as Jax rolled his eyes and closed my door.
I clutched the burner phone in my hand as Wally drove out of the barn. Wally glanced at me, noticing my hands had started shake.
“Let’s lighten things up a bit,” he said, turning on the radio.
I listened to his selection of music for a minute and turned toward him. “This isn’t the radio.”
“Nope, it’s a CD. And before you ask, yes, I still have a CD player in my car. Sue me. It’s not exactly like I own a Ferrari.”
That was no kidding, but still he made me smile. I listened for another minute, figuring out the music. “Is this the soundtrack to Star Wars?”
“Episode six, Return of the Jedi,” Wally confirmed, pointing his index finger and making it sound like a light saber. “My favorite of the series. Ewoks rock, you know. Short people kicking Empire butt. What’s not to like about that?”
“You’re such a nerd,” I said, laughing.
“Ha! Speak for yourself, geek girl.”
I relaxed a little. We drove around, following our predetermined route. Neither of us spotted anything out of the ordinary, and no one was tailing us. In fact, there were long stretches of rural road where we didn’t see a single car. I called Jax twice to let him know that Wally and I hadn’t observed anything unusual, so he and Kira were cleared to head out.
The operation was underway.
As planned, we doubled back several times and took a couple of unexpected turns, all intended to catch a tail, and timed precisely to get us to the abandoned train station at about ten minutes to midnight. That way we didn’t expose ourselves or my dad for any longer than necessary. We also built in a little extra time in case my dad decided we weren’t coming and left before we arrived. I had no idea how long he