The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Author:Ashley Elston
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction - Young Adult
Publisher: Disney Book Group

RULES FOR DISAPPEARING

BY WITNESS PROTECTION PRISONER #18A7R04M:

Know what you’re getting into before you get into it.

ETHAN calls after lunch on Sunday, and I meet him at the coffee shop on Front Street where I first met Agent Thomas.

“I want to take you somewhere tonight.”

I sip my latte, and those blue eyes watch me until I put my cup down. “Where?”

“To the farm.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know.…”

I’m really nervous today, and it’s probably due to Dad’s mysterious late-night phone conversation. I couldn’t look at him this morning. He was probably talking to the assholes looking for us, and it sounded like he was making some sort of deal with them. That’s his way of getting us out of this—work with whoever got us into this to begin with? I’m totally disgusted.

Ethan works his magic on me, and like the weak-ass I am, I agree.

The entire afternoon I try to work up the nerve to call him and cancel. I just can’t do it.

It’s dark when Ethan picks me up. He’s dressed in camouflage, and Bandit is loaded up in the back of the truck. He doesn’t tell me until we’re halfway to the farm what we’ll be doing.

Hog hunting.

In my old life, I would have laughed if anyone ever suggested this is how I would spend my evening. Apparently hogs rut through all the fields, tearing them apart and eating everything in sight.

Who knew?

And they are the only animal you can hunt legally at night, all year round. So I now have more knowledge about a hog than I ever thought would be necessary.

“So are we going to ride around in the truck to look for these hogs?” I ask. Ethan gave me some “hunting clothes” to wear over my own stuff. Looking at everything he handed me, I don’t think there’ll be an inch of skin showing once we’re all suited up.

Ethan chuckles. “I’m almost afraid to tell you too much. You may bolt on me.”

I pick at the fingers on my gloves. “You’re right, because this seems crazy to me.” I look up at him. “Just tell me what I’ve gotten myself into.”

“We’ll be on four-wheelers. Main reason you need all the gear is it’ll be cold. The dogs do most of the work. We follow them to the hogs.”

My eyes get big. “What do you mean the dogs do all the work? Are you talking about Bandit?”

Ethan scrunches his forehead. “Hell no, he’ll just ride along with us. I’m talking about the dogs we keep at the farm. The hog dogs.”

And he wonders why I look at everyone here like they’re from another planet. I lean back against the door of the truck. “How are we supposed to follow the dogs in the dark? And if these hogs are so big and bad-ass, how are the dogs not going to get hurt?”

Ethan just laughs. “You’ll see.”

At the farm, we make our way back to one of the big sheds that houses all the tractors and equipment. There are a few men hanging around, all dressed like us.

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