His Obsession, Her Perfect Calculated Escape

noon sun beat down on the back of her neck. She kept her head down.

ays smelled like sulfur and exhau

nce at the edge of the

street, sprinted into the dirt yard. His

the porch steps. He grabbe

heaved. "It's Gus. They're at

e porch and into the dirt. Her history notebook slid fro

y blank. A cold weight

he plastic pitcher of lemonade resting

rds with a loud crack. Yello

open. Her mother, Marge, stepped ou

id you break?

t her. She didn't

hit the dirt hard. She grabbed the handlebars

the seat. Her feet sl

all her weight. The b

d onto the uneven dirt road

bicycle tires bounced violently.

kicked up from the tires, stinging her eye

construction site app

ber brake pads screeched against the

the road. Yellow caution tape was str

bicycle. It crash

ed her thin shoulders against the b

she mu

her. An elbow hit her ribs. She stumbled,

her lip, tasting copper. She pushed herse

through the front

dozer engine vibrated in h

He held a red megaphone to his mouth. He was reading a force

ted to the grou

od directly in front of the bu

pers high in the air. His ja

ne. He looked down at a ma

of the company's security. Harl

Three large men in bl

rushe

Gus's hands. He ripped them in hal

hear. He swung his fist. His knuckl

s a m

He swung a heavy black baton. The hard pla

is right leg buckled. He dro

ightened. She c

she s

rying to duck under t

shoulder. A police officer in a

kid," the of

tched as Clell lifted

s squarely i

Gus collapsed completely. He curle

is forehead. It mixed with t

the tape to help Gus. One of Harlan's men shoved Jedediah

in black raised their batons. They started

inst the police o

go!" she

ifyingly still. She slowly turned her head and locked her eyes on the officer's face. Her gaze was so cold, so entirel

dn't twist her arms or slam her onto the hood, but he kept a firm

her breathing evening out into a slow, rhythmi

ound. They pulled his arms behind his back. The meta

oked at the silent, terrified crowd. He

to his feet. His leg

to his left eye. His gaze found Alma

eaved. He l

ead. It was a tiny move

figh

back of a second police crui

s spun in the mud, kicking up dirty

go. He gave her a slight push backwar

ees, falling hard onto the ground. Her bare hands sank in

nees. She stared at the tire

ed. Her finger

. It hardened. The fear drained out of her ve

old, absol