* * *
“Shit.”Gabe looked at their prisoner, wishing he’d been prepared for reinforcements to show up. But there was no use beating himself up for what he couldn’t change. “Let’s go.”
He pulled the towel off Pete’s head and delivered a solid blow to his face. His eyes closed, and blood began to leak from his nose.
“Our friend says we have to hurry. They’re getting out of the SUV.”
Gabe stuffed the wet towel back into his bag, glancing around at the rest of the mess. At least he’d made sure there were no fingerprints.
He grabbed his bag. “Come on.”
They ran for the back door, and had just stepped out and closed it when he heard a splintering noise.
He didn’t need Travis to tell him that Smith’s goons were bashing in the front door.
He and Olivia sprinted down the alley, and he supposed the ghost was with them, seeing as he couldn’t get far from her.
Gabe put on a burst of speed, plowing ahead so that he had the car running when Olivia got to the vehicle.
Seconds later, she slid into the front seat and slammed the door behind her. He jerked the clunker away from the curb without waiting for her to fasten her seat belt.
“Travis says they see us,” she gasped out the information to Gabe as he barreled down the street.
“I was afraid of that.” Looking in the rearview mirror, he spotted a man taking pictures of the car.
From the passenger seat, Olivia asked, “How did they know we were here and where we’d taken Pete?”
“They must have a surveillance system in addition to stationing someone on site.” As he spoke, he turned onto the next street. “Or maybe it’s worse. Maybe they had Pete sitting in that car to lure us over so they could catch us on camera and swoop in.”
“Oh great.” Olivia swiveled around. “They’re on our tail. They’re going to catch up.”
And start shooting? Would they risk that in a populated area?
Gabe had the feeling they’d take any risk to find out who was on to their kidnapping and murder game.
They had him blocked in from behind. All he could do was keep driving, executing a series of turns that he hoped would get them in the clear. Instead, he found himself on another street that dead-ended at a creek.
They were trapped.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
Gabe briefly considered shooting it out with the bad guys. But no telling how many of them were in those two vehicles, since the windows were tinted. And no telling who else might get hurt.
Looking left and right, Gabe saw there was maybe enough leeway between the creek and the house whose property abutted it for his vehicle to squeeze through.
With no other option, he turned left, forcing the car into the narrow strip of lawn that was barely wide enough for a donkey cart. He took out some kind of bush next to the house. And the wheels on the right side almost went over the bank, but he somehow made it to the next street, where there was a development of townhouses and small tract homes.
One of the boxy little units had an open, empty garage, and he drove inside. Leaping out of the car, he ran to the garage door and slammed it shut.
“What if the homeowner comes in here with a gun?” Olivia gasped.
“Let’s hope he doesn’t.”
He moved to the row of windows, waiting as an SUV sped past. It turned around and came back, slowly inspecting the street. Gabe prayed the driver wouldn’t get out and start opening garage doors. When the car finally disappeared from sight, he let out a sigh of relief.
“What’s happening?” Olivia asked from the car.
“They’re gone, but we’d better wait for a while before leaving.”
