Love's Cruel Redemption (The Ghost Bird #12)(46)

“I know.” He pulled back and motioned to me. “It’s time. Let’s go.”

We put the necklace back, and he stuck the box back into the bag and underneath the seat. I hated to leave it.

I put on a hat similar to his dark cotton one and tucked my hair into it. I still wore the clip, and the hat pressed around it, but the important thing was my hair was contained.

North attached a few things to his belt, a flashlight, a small camera, and something else I wasn’t sure of but it looked like a stun gun. He carried a small backpack as well with other gear.

He passed me the flip phone.

“All you have to do is open it, and it dials out,” he said. He leaned into me and looked me directly in the eyes. “Don’t open it unless we get separated and you can’t make it back to the Jeep.”

“What if you can’t make it back?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll get back.”

We went to the back of the lot behind the grocery store. The back of the lot had a hill and trees, which separated the space between the shopping center and the school. I skirted around that tree line and behind North, following him, which was difficult with him wearing all black and his dark skin blending in with the shadows.

Despite the air being cool, the humidity was high. I couldn’t see stars and suspected it would rain tonight.

Before we got to the very edge of the shopping center, North darted into the trees, creating a path and weaving around low hanging limbs and bramble. I followed, feeling brush and bramble scratching at my clothes and boots. I tucked my arms tight into my body.

I didn’t dare talk. I became his shadow as we entered into dangerous territory. There would be no excuse if we were caught.

When we broke from the trees, we were near the lot that the busses parked in during the day. Dim lights were on over a couple of doorways but otherwise, everything looked quiet. The building blocked our view of the student lot on the other side. Nathan was waiting somewhere over there. Luke was inside the school already, probably in a ceiling somewhere in the cafeteria.

We walked the long way around the bus lot, sticking near the trees.

North stopped suddenly and ducked back into the trees once more, kneeling in the grass. I did the same. He motioned out toward the school.

There were two doors on this side I hadn’t noticed before. Wide doors that had previously blended into the brickwork. Two people pushed the doors opened. One was a woman, and I didn’t recognize her. The other was Mr. Morris.

“What’s he doing here?” I whispered.

North didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. I realized immediately if Hendricks trusted Ms. Johnson to watch the student lot, he’d have other teachers preparing for the delivery.

What was being delivered?

North suddenly started moving, but keeping inside the trees, making our progress slow. He waited until we circled an exterior building, what seemed to be a maintenance shed or storage. We crossed over, going behind it just as a loud, large rental truck pulled into the drive for busses.

North hurried from that point. The trailers were close by. We sidled up to the closest one. He took off his backpack, pushed it ahead of him and started crawling on his stomach underneath.

Ick.

I swallowed my fear of bugs and other creeping things and followed. Underneath of the trailer was mostly dry dirt. It clung to my clothes.

When he was positioned not far from the edge, he stopped, putting the pack beside himself. I crawled next to him. He passed me a pair of binoculars and kept a set for himself.

“Just watch,” he whispered.

I looked through the binoculars, checking in on the open doors. I spotted Mr. Morris right away. He monitored as the truck rolled in, backing up close to the doors. The woman had disappeared into the building, but soon returned with what looked like a large wagon that she tugged behind herself. I studied her features, but I still didn't recognize her. A teacher I didn't have?

“Who is she?” I asked.

“One of the cafeteria crew.”

The truck stopped when Mr. Morris waved to it. Two men got out, also people I didn't know. They went to the rear of the truck and rolled the back open all the way. From where they stood, they started pulling out cardboard boxes and plastic containers.

They were all marked, but I couldn't read what the labels said from where we were.

It made me wonder why we were picked to be here, instead of relying on the video cameras, which would have been less of a risk. Why did we need people on the ground?

Moments passed as we lay in the dark together, side by side. I got a little cold and pushed myself closer to him, but kept watching.

North didn't move or seem to notice that I had shifted. He kept vigilant.

The men from the truck continued to load the wagon the woman had brought out. After it was full, the woman tugged it into the school, with Mr. Morris following her. The men from the truck continued to unload boxes, setting them aside.

It took a good while before Mr. Morris returned alone with the wagon.

The wagon, however, was full of boxes. They were different than when they had entered but appeared similar.

“Damn it,” North muttered. “I want to know what's in those boxes going out.”

“How do we find out?”

He didn't answer but continued to observe.

I kept watch as well. The boxes the men had pulled out of the truck continued to go into the school via the wagon and with Mr. Morris and the woman assisting. The men kept to the truck.