She walked down the walkway until she found the washroom and stepped inside. She thought it would be nice to have new clothes to put on. It didn't take long for her to change, and she was able to wash up and style her hair properly. She opted to apply her makeup lightly, just enough to give her pale skin some color.

After she was done, she exited the washroom and was about to head back to the room when she spotted someone she recognized. It was Harold Gorman, one of her father's employees. She stayed out of sight, so he wouldn't spot her and watched as he was speaking to the boy that they saw earlier that gave her and Leland the last room available. There was an older man standing next to him. She stayed in her hiding place and listened to their conversation.

"I'll ask you one more time," Harold said, pointing his finger at the boy who looked a bit frightened. Herold was intimidating, and even though he was only of medium height for a man, he was husky and strong. His voice was deep which made him more frightening to a boy of his size. "Have you seen this girl?"

He held up the picture, and she knew it was of her. He hesitantly took it. "I-I..."

"Talk!" Harold shouted. Zorell was shaking but still she stayed hidden and silent.

"Don't shout at my son," the man said in a forceful tone. "Robby is a good boy and will help you anyway he can but shouting only makes him nervous."

"I'm sorry, but I've come on behalf of Damon Dupree. I believe he owns the note on this land." So, he was willing to blackmail these people to get her back. "She is his only daughter, and he fears that she may be in danger."

"I-I know him," Robby said and handed back the picture. "H-he stayed here before w-with another g-girl, but this g-girl had a ring o-on."

"Do you remember his name?" his father asked.

"Y-yes, L-lee," he said and looked over towards the place where Zorell was hiding. She stood still and quiet not wanting to be seen. Robby wouldn't look at Harold, and Zorell could understand why. She guessed the boy had a nervous condition, and she figured that was why he stuttered.

He thought for a moment, while Zorell's knees were shaking hoping the boy would send Harold in the wrong direction. His name is... Freeman. I-it's the name he signed on the r-register." The last word was hard for him to get out. Zorell gasped thinking that they were about to get caught.

"Leland Freeman?' Harold asked, and the boy nodded. For some reason he let out a hardy laugh which confused Zorell. She thought about running, but Leland needed her. First, she wanted to find out exactly what her father's yes man was going to do. "This is excellent," he said with a grin and cramped his hands together near his chin.

"Do you wish to speak to him?" Robby's father asked.

"No, and don't tell him anyone was here looking for him or the girl," Harold said and walked away. He stopped at a slightly dirty black car that had a streak of dust near bottom half. A good washing would have cleaned it. He got inside of the car, and she saw him slowly drive off, dirt flying up in the air creating a fog tainting her view slightly.

Zorell stood there for the longest time thinking that the whole scene came out of her imagination, but something told her it was real. Harold knew she was with Leland, and it was what her father wanted. Even though there was no real romantic attachment there was no reason for her father to know that.

Once she saw no one in sight she walked back to her room being wary of anyone who might appear in her sight. She had the key to the room and opened it to see Leland sleeping on one of the beds. It was in fact too small for him, and his feet were hanging of the edge of it. The sight of him lying there was kind of funny, and she needed something comical to get her mind off the fact that her father had already been looking for her.

She sat down on the empty bed and saw the book she had left on the small table and picked it up. Reading always made her forget about everything. She just hoped it would work this time. An hour passed, and she was so enthralled in her reading, that she didn't notice that Leland had woken up and was staring at her as she sat on the bed with her feet up and her nose in her book.

"Romance?" he asked and she looked up rolling her eyes at him.

"Murder mystery," she said and shook her head.

The only romances she ever read were written by Jane Austin. She once had the whole collection, but her father believed them to be vulgar and burned them, all but one. She managed to hide her copy of Pride and Prejudice. It was one of the books she brought with her. She had to leave most of her books behind, but she would soon replenish her collection once she was settled.

"I thought girls only read about love and romance," he said as he wiped the sleep out of his eyes.

"Not this girl," she said and closed the book. She managed to read five chapters while he slept. "I think we should get out of here as soon as possible."

"I agree," he said and his expression turned serious. "I want to be in Chicago before the end of the day."

"There's another reason," she said, and he looked intrigued. He was sitting on the edge of the bed he had slept in. He put his shirt back on, but he still looked disheveled.

"Harold Gorman," she said and a chill crept down her back.

"Who is that?" Leland asked her, looking confused.

"One of my father's henchmen," she said with a bit of sarcasm in her voice. She slipped her book back into her bag and closed it up. "He's looking for me."

"Then we'll leave right away," he said and stood up. He buttoned up his shirt and tucked it in haphazardly. He grabbed his travel bag and looked over towards Zorell. "Are you ready?"

"If you are," she said and he took her hand and led her out of the room. Leland loaded their things into the trunk of the car and handed her his car key and walked to the main entrance of the motel to return the room key. After seeing the bruise on her arm the night before, there was no way he was going to allow her to return to her father.

Zorell entered the car but sat in the driver's seat. Since Leland drove the car practically all night, she would insist on driving the rest of the way, besides driving would get the fact that her father came looking for her out of her mind. Even though by now he believed that she had run off and married Leland, the truth would come out eventually, and she knew he would eventually come after her. By then she would be more prepared to deal with it.

She sat patiently waiting for her traveling companion. She heard footsteps before long and looked back to see that he was walking towards the car. She played it cool, just sitting in the driver's seat pretending that she didn't see him.

She had a grin on her face when he came up to the car window. "What do you think you're going?" he asked.

"Well, I'll be driving if you get your tail in this car," she said and gave him a cheeky grin.

"There's no way you are driving my car," he said and stood there crossing his arms. "Dev told me horror stories about the way you drive."

"I drive just fine, and besides you're still too tired to be tackling the road," Zorell said and refused to budge, but Leland was unrelenting as well. "Do you want to get to Chicago or not?"

He stood there not saying anything, just standing his ground, but he didn't realize that it was Zorell who had the upper hand. After all, she was in the driver's seat with the car ready to drive off without him if she had to.

"Oh, fine, you can drive," he said, giving into her. He entered the car with a sour look on his face. He turned towards her pointing his finger at her as if he were ready to scold her. "I'll tell right now that the first sign of trouble..."

"No, lectures... just sit back and enjoy the ride," she said and he let out a gruff sigh. He sat back and looked as if he was about to face a firing squad.

"Just don't get us killed," he said and she burst out laughing, awhile driving off.

Their destination was close at hand, and neither one of them truly knowing what they would find when they got there. 

That's it four chapter four. There's more coming in the next one when Zorell and Leland arrive in the city. Two major characters will be popping up in The Arrival. Remember to vote and comment. Your feedback is welcome.