A Whole New Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 1)

We would make it. I felt it in my gut.

Seeing light in the distance, I shouted at Tray, “Did you leave the door open?”

“Yes.” He didn’t look back. He kept going forward.

“Is your brother coming?” I was shouting.

Tray didn’t answer.

“Tray?”

He still didn’t answer.

My heart dropped. We had no support. I had known, but I had hoped they would come for me. “TRAY!”

A scowl formed on his face and he glanced at me. “They weren’t coming.” He held my gaze for a second. “Even for you. Chance said they would have to canvas the school first, but the pep rally put everything off.”

They weren’t coming, echoed in my head. They weren’t coming, but he had.

“Thank you.”

He looked over at me again. I had so much more to say. I was sorry for the hotel. I was sorry that I didn’t know how conflicted I was about Jace. I was sorry for bringing him into all this. But I didn’t say any of it. We were almost to the door. There wasn’t enough time.

“I’m here, Taryn.”

My heart pounded, not from the adrenalin.

He added, “I came.”

“I meant what I texted you.”

“I know.”

When we made it to the door, we paused, slowing down to go outside, but I braked as I saw that the tunnel kept going. I hadn’t noticed it when I entered. Tray was outside, but he stopped and turned. I heard his feet on the gravel. Then he asked, “What is it?”

“This tunnel. I bet it goes to the river.” That made sense. It was how they shipped their product out. My heart started pounding again. Jace’s probably had a secret entrance down there.

“Taryn, we have to go—” As he said that, we heard shouts from the road.

I shook my head. Three of us couldn’t hide. They would find us. Hearing the engine of their truck and more shouting, I said, “They’re at the front of the field.”

Tray frowned at me.

I looked around. “Did you drive?”

“No. I walked in.”

We had Gray. What could we do?

“Taryn, they’ll search the woods for us.” They would find us. That was what he didn’t say.

A different plan began to form. “Okay.” I shoved down the fear and looked around. “There.” Pointing at a clump of trees, I said, “Put Gray there.”

“What?” He lifted his head from Tray’s side.

Holding onto him so he wouldn’t fall and reinjure himself, Tray helped him down so Gray was standing on his own again. Then he started for the clump of trees, and called out from behind him, “What are you thinking?”

“Gray, you stay there and hide. We’ll draw them into the tunnel. They’ll follow us and won’t look for you.”