“Ready to go?” Grady came away from the rental car counter with a key fob in his hand. “The car is ready.”
“Yes.” She hugged Lucy again, then straightened. “Lucy, stay between us, okay?”
Lucy clung to her hand as they walked back outside. The cold wind blew into their faces, making her shiver. Grady scanned their surroundings as they crossed the road to the rental car parking lot. His intense gaze made her realize he was making sure the black SUV with tinted windows wasn’t waiting for them.
The thought of the gunmen returning to finish the job made her shiver. Was kidnapping Lucy even their main goal anymore? It didn’t seem to be. Not after the two gunmen had gotten out of the car to shoot at the plane as they flew overhead, which indicated that their intent was to kill them all in one fell swoop.
Yet where on earth was the financial gain in killing them? Could Nelson have taken out some sort of life insurance policy on her? Even if he had, that wouldn’t explain Ariel’s kidnapping.
Her nerves were back on edge as Grady found the rental car, a light-gray Jeep SUV. He frowned, and she wondered if he’d preferred the dark-colored vehicle they’d gotten before. He didn’t say anything, though, just opened the doors for her and Lucy.
Like last time, there was a child booster seat in the back. Rex had remembered to request one, and she was grateful to have the additional layer of protection.
“Oh goody, this booster seat is just like mine at home,” Lucy said as she climbed in.
“Glad you approve,” Grady drawled with a wry smile.
Lauren slid into the passenger seat as Grady waited for Lucy to get buckled in. Then he closed the door and slid in behind the wheel. Moments later, they were out on the road, heading away from the airport. She stared at the cars around them, seeing way too many black SUVs for her peace of mind.
“We should be fine,” Grady said in a low tone, obviously keying in on her stress levels. “We lost a little time driving from the landing strip, but not much.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” She tried to shake off the feeling of despair. Maybe it was the adrenaline crash after the escaping the farm. Thankfully, none of the black SUVs passing them by had tinted windows. “Where are we going this time?”
“South.” Grady nodded toward the highway. “I think we should make our way back toward Illinois. Not crossing the state line but finding a place to stay that is closer to the border.”
“Really?” She was surprised by his decision. “Why?”
He sighed and shrugged. “I’m hoping the gunmen won’t be searching for us there. Avoiding the tollway should keep us safely off their radar.”
“Good.” She rolled her shoulders in an effort to relax. “Staying incognito would be very good.”
“What does incognito mean?” Lucy asked.
“It means keeping our identity a surprise.” She turned to smile at her daughter. “Don’t worry, we’re safe now.”
“Okay.” Lucy seemed to take her statement at face value, which was a little surprising because every time they’d thought they were safe, the gunmen had managed to find them.
They drove in silence for several minutes. Lauren saw the sign indicating they were thirty miles from Lake Geneva. The town sounded familiar, and she’d heard several people from Chicago liked to stay there. That alone would have been a reason to stay away.
Rather than avoiding the city, Grady headed straight toward it. As they grew closer, she eyed him curiously. “I thought you didn’t want to go to touristy places?”
He grimaced. “To be honest, I’m hoping the same theory applies. That the gunmen will assume we’re heading north or east avoiding places like this. Besides, I don’t plan to stay in the area for long. If we need to find another place to spend the night, we’ll look for something else.”
She assumed that was because hotels normally had rules that prevented people from paying in cash.
“I’m hungry,” Lucy said from the back seat. “Did we miss lunch?”
“Yeah, we did.” She reached over to touch Grady’s arm. “What do you think? Can we afford to stop for lunch in Lake Geneva?”
“Sure thing. They have plenty of restaurants,” Grady said. “And that will give us time to connect with David Braun too. He should have something to tell us by now.”
She wasn’t sure about that. It seemed to her as if the FBI was moving in slow motion. The local police too.
They rode in silence for several minutes. Grady slowed his speed as they approached the resort town. The lake itself was pretty, even in the cold and snowy conditions. Huge mansions lined the lakeshore as far as the eye could see. Lauren had never personally been to Lake Geneva, but the town felt very familiar. It was obvious the high-end jewelry, clothing, and art shops catered to the wealthy.
About as different from the cabin rentals Grady had used as the sun from the moon. She imagined the hotels here cost five times what he’d spent on the cabin.
Strangely, she discovered she liked staying at the cabin better. They were clean, low key, and isolated from the rest of the world.
