Free Hamsikker 2 by Russ Watts Page A

Hamsikker.” Mrs. Danick frowned as she spoke. “I heard these two arguing about something on the way out of the golf course. I don’t know what, but they’re not the loving, peaceful, tree-hugging couple they’re trying to make us believe they are. Not everyone is up front and honest like you, or have you forgotten about Cliff already? I know he was a bad egg, and he led us into trouble with that garage. It got some of us killed, and we need to be more careful now than ever. We don’t need some asshole like that messing with us again.”
    “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Mrs. Danick, but I can assure you we’re all friends here.” Javier shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and smiled at her. “We weren’t arguing. We were just worried about everyone. As for the golf course, well, of course it’s upsetting to leave it behind, but as I explained, there’s no safe way of getting it back. As for all the members, well, maybe they all got in their private jets and are living it up in Bora Bora. How the hell should I know where they are?”
    Mrs. Danick stared at Javier as if waiting for a further explanation.
    “All right, Mrs. Danick, let’s just focus on what really matters right now,” said Jonas. He looked around the field, noticing that Dakota was deep in conversation with Pippa. Peter and Freya had found a deflated soccer ball, but they were still kicking it around the long grass as best they could. Quinn was sat on the sidelines, just watching patiently, nibbling on her snack, keeping a lookout for them. “Look, Mrs. Danick, do you think you could go talk to Quinn? Make sure she’s okay?”
    “That’s right,” muttered Mrs. Danick. “Get rid of the old woman.”
    Jonas could see she was still brooding over something, but he didn’t want to get into anything else right now. She was picking up on something that wasn’t there, and their main concern right now was to find somewhere else to stay.
    With a click of her heels, Mrs. Danick turned about and grunted. She headed across the soccer field, walking briskly and wrapping her shawl around her tightly. If he wasn’t wound up so tight, Jonas would’ve laughed at the sight of her. She still held onto that shawl, day and night. It was probably the first thing she’d grabbed when they’d had to leave Saint Paul’s.
    “Here’s the thing,” said Jonas. “Kentucky was my home once, but it hasn’t been for a long time. Truth is, I don’t know what is home anymore. We need to keep moving. North is my best advice.” Jonas looked at Gabe, wondering if he was going to chip in. From the silence Jonas guessed that Gabe hadn’t told Mara yet about heading north. Or maybe that’s what they had been arguing about earlier.
    “Anywhere that’s not here,” said Erik. “North is good with me. Let’s keep on trucking until we find somewhere to stay the night.”
    “We could take the I65, head past Indianapolis, and then right on past Chicago, up the I90 into Wisconsin.” Jonas started tracing his finger up the door of the van as if drawing out a route on an imaginary map. “If we stay east of Minneapolis and avoid the city completely, we could get around the edge of Lake Superior. That way…”
    “Whoa, hold your horses, Hamsikker. I thought we were just vaguely heading north, looking for a safe place to bed down for the night. Sounds to me like you’ve thought this through. You’re not making this up on the spot.” Erik glared at Jonas through his bushy eyebrows and gave him a withering look. “Care to share?”
    “I suspect what he was trying to suggest is a way north that avoids the major cities. Right, Hamsikker?” Javier looked from Erik to Jonas and back again. “Seems that the safest places are well away from the large cities. Places like Columbus and Chicago are big no-nos. I mean, personally, I’ve never been north of Indiana. Never found the need. You guys will know a lot more about this than me.”
    “Yeah, I was just