Escape from the Badlands. Dana Mentink

again to the metal roof of the trailer.

       The situation was nearly preposterous as she considered Shane’s wild allegations against Ackerman and his plan to pose as a racer to sniff out proof. She knew he was grief-stricken, so consumed by worry for his brother that he’d convinced himself Devin was some sort of calculating murderer. Her heart squeezed at the thought of his paranoia. He was not like the Shane she’d known, brash and unafraid of anything.

       Except when Charlie had showed up.

       Through all the anger and hurt at his abandonment, she could not shake the notion that there was a strange and unaccountable fear inside him. She’d just turned to check on Charlie when a shout cut through the silence. Out in the darkness, she saw a blur of movement. Shane? Someone else? She couldn’t tell.

       Another shout brought her out on the front porch and into the night. She ran toward the sound until Shane barreled around the corner. “What happened?”

       He was breathing hard and unable to answer when Devin Ackerman jogged up. “What’s going on?” he demanded, hands on his hips. His dark hair was expensively cut, a tiny diamond stud winking in his ear.

       Shane straightened. “Someone was in my trailer, going through my stuff.”

       Devin blinked. “Who would want to do that?”

       They were interrupted by the arrival of Martin Chenko on a golf cart. He pulled to a stop in time to hear Shane’s explanation. He stepped out of the golf cart and smiled broadly, his stocky frame a few inches shorter than Devin’s. Kelly guessed him to be in his early forties, fit and hearty. “What’s going on?” he asked.

       Devin explained. “I’m sure it was nothing. Probably someone got disoriented and went into your trailer by mistake.”

       Shane fixed Chenko with a dubious look. “The lock was picked. I thought I saw someone running away.”

       Chenko’s thick eyebrows shot up. “Now why would anyone want to do that?”

       Devin laughed. “When I heard you shouting, I thought someone had set their trailer on fire.” He clapped Shane on the shoulder. “It’s your imagination. You probably left your door unlocked. Too much late-night TV.”

       Kelly saw Shane stiffen, but he did not pull away.

       “We don’t have any dishonest racers around here, now do we?” Devin asked.

       Kelly thought there was a challenge in Devin’s eyes before he turned to her.

       “Kelly,” he said, clasping her hands in his, long fingers wrapping around hers. “I’m so glad you’re okay after what you’ve been through today. It’s like a bad movie or something.”

       She wanted to pull away, disentangle herself from his grasp. “It turned out okay, thanks to Shane.”

       Devin didn’t look at him. “I’m relieved.”

       She finally managed to pull her fingers from his when Chenko spoke. “Wouldn’t do to lose our nurse before we even kicked off the race. So glad you’re okay. And the boy, too? Charlie? Is he all right?”

       “Perfectly fine, thank the Lord.”

       “How did you make it here so fast?” Shane asked Devin.

       “I was out for a walk.”

       Shane stared at him. “Bad weather for a stroll.”

       A flicker of emotion passed across Devin’s face, but the smile never faded. “I’m not afraid of a little water. Lucky you aren’t, either. Lucky for Kelly here, too. We watched your progress via your GPS, but by the time we got close enough to help, you’d done your hero thing.”

       Shane shrugged.

       Chenko sighed. “It’s chilly out here. How about we all go to my cottage and we’ll have some coffee? I was just looking over the routes again and trying to think of some alternate plans if the rain continues.”

       Shane shook his head. “No, thanks.”

       Devin turned to Kelly. “We really just want to meet this lovely lady anyway,” he said with a chuckle. “How about it, Ms. Cloudman? Coffee? It’s boring just talking to Chenko, no offense.”

       Chenko shook his head in amusement. “I’m a businessman, not an entertainer.”

       Kelly felt Shane’s gaze boring into her, though she didn’t meet his eyes. “Thanks very much, but I need to get back to Charlie.”

       She walked to her trailer, suddenly feeling a strange anxiety building in her stomach. Increasing her pace, she covered the ground quickly, confusion roiling through her. Shane’s wild accusations, Devin’s overly friendly gestures and her near drowning crowded through her mind, and she felt desperate to cocoon herself in her trailer with Charlie cradled in her arms. Entering quietly, she heaved a sigh of relief.

       The horrible night was over. At least she could hold on to that. She breathed a prayer of thanks and eased off the flip-flops Gwen had loaned her, tiptoeing into the tiny bedroom.

       Her heart thunked to a painful stop when reality hit home.

       Charlie was gone.