Once she was safe and secure in the car, Oskar sped away from the curb, cognizant of having to take it easy on the gas pedal.  The last thing they needed right now was for him to get pulled over for a speeding ticket.  Keeping an eye on the men from his rear view mirror, he watched them retrace their steps and scramble down a side street.  He wondered if they had a vehicle of their own or if they were contacting someone unseen.<br/><br/>On a relatively straight stretch of road, Oskar thought it was now fine for him to reach across Jane and strap her in with the seatbelt.  He knew she wouldn’t know what to do if he tried explaining, so he just did it for her.  This had to be her maiden voyage in a motorized vehicle, if her little scream was any indication.  Her hands covering her eyes only emphasized the point.  Once again, he was reminded of her innocence in his crazy world, and he treasured her for it.<br/><br/>“We’re fine, Jane.  You did great.  Really,” he stressed.  “You can put your hands down and open your eyes.  There’s some beautiful scenery we’ll be passing through, and it’d be a shame if you missed some of it.”  Oskar smiled warmly as she slowly lowered her hands, trepidation still evident on her face.  He thought a brief explanation was in order.  “What we’re riding in is called an automobile, or car for short.  It runs on gasoline (he chose to leave out the 89-octane part), and this is how most people travel.”  It was indeed brief, but Oskar just wanted to give it a name for her, so she knew what to call these strange, moving things whizzing past her window.  If she had any questions, he had no doubt she would ask.<br/><br/>There was something else he needed to clear up.  “Back there was my fault,” he began.  “I dunno if it was the early hour and I just wasn’t thinking straight or was still sleepy.  I only realized we hadn’t planned far enough ahead<i>after </i>I answered you about the men.”  Oskar paused while scanning the mirror, relieved that no one seemed to be following them.  For now, he thought it best to avoid I-70, hugging the backroads instead.  If any vehicle appeared to be following them consistently, he’d swing for the Interstate, as more cars meant more witnesses.<br/><br/>“Well,” he continued, “right after I answered your question, it finally dawned on me that, now what?  That’s when I decided to speed back to the house, shift, grab some things, and come get you with my car.  When we stop for a break, I’ll text my neighbors, asking them to watch over the house and check my mail.”<br/><br/>“Denver, here we come!”  Oskar tried to sound as enthusiastic and upbeat as possible, though he wasn’t quite sure if he had convinced Jane enough.