Chapter 29

I wish I could help Fred.He’s holding so much that I finally insist on holding the sack full of peas,sweet potatoes,and cornmeal.If anyone objects to my carrying anything,they can go hang.

When we reach the edge of town,I wish I had eyes in the back of my head to see if we’re being watched.Instead I keep a steady pace,heart pounding,jolts of nerves coming over me like waves.The stores turn into townhouses,and then into less expensive houses and finally,open dirt road;fields on the left and trees on the right.

It’s high noon by the time we see an“X”marked into an old oak at the side of the road.We enter immediately into the woods.I finally turn around and see no one following us.Fred points out the next trail mark,and we’re soon deep into cover of the trees.

After an hour of following marks,we reach Sam and Anna.I exclaim in delight,almost hugging Anna in my joy.

“We made it!”I shout,holding the sack of food in the air.