“Uh. Okay.” Will pushed himself off the railing and headed back inside. “How are they tracking us?”
“I found a chip in mine. Yours probably has one too, and we don’t have time to check.” He gestured dismissively as they hurried toward the stairs. “I have no idea how anyone got to my passport, and they’ve probably tapped our phones, too, but…”
They were halfway up when Will said, “Montreal. The hotel.”
Cole glanced back. “Huh?”
“When we went to meet Marcus, we left our stuff at the hotel. Including our passports.”
“So you think the maids fucked with them?”
“No, but we left a certain French Canadian with questionable fetishes in the room.”
Cole nearly stumbled. Fuck. “Campeau? But he was tied. And our passports were in the safe.”
“Uh-huh. And would you put it past that asshole to get someone in there who could crack a safe? Or be able to do it himself?”
That was a thought. Or maybe?—
“Fucking hell. That dickhead told Marcus where we were staying.” Cole swore as he cleared the top step. “I can’t believe we left… Fuck.”
That was that, though, so they quickly gathered their things and hurried back downstairs.
“Damn it,” Will whined. “I was looking forward to sleeping in a mansion. Now we’re going to end up in a shitty little motel, aren’t we?”
Cole managed a laugh at that on the way to the garage. “Probably, yeah.” He paused. “Okay, I have an idea.” He handed the rental car’s keys to Will along with his mutilated passport. “You drive the rental and follow me.”
“Follow—what?”
“Just do it.”
Will just did it. He got into the rental car, and after Cole had pulled the Range Rover out of the garage, he followed him down the driveway. They drove across Mount Desert Island and down some backroads until Cole found a remote and empty beach. He gestured for Will to park and then get in the Range Rover.
“Leave the passports in the car,” he ordered. “And our burners.”
Will looked dubious but seemed to understand the urgency of the situation. He left the passports and phones on the passenger seat, then got into the Range Rover. As he buckled hisseat belt, he asked, “Okay, so what now? We’re going to take off in your parents’ super conspicuous luxury SUV?”
“No.” Cole pulled out of the parking lot and tore back the way they came. “We’re just taking this to the airport.”
“The air—uh, what?” Will gestured wildly over his shoulder. “Did you miss the part where you told me to leave our passports behind?”
“We don’t need them.”
Will stared at him, clearly expecting an answer.
Cole glanced at him before facing the road. As he pulled onto a main road, he adopted a speed that was inconspicuous and casual; no point in getting cop’s attention. Keeping his voice even, he asked, “Do you trust me?”
“I…” Will hesitated. “I mean, you did pull me in from the edge in Montreal, so…”
“So do you trust me to get both of us out of this situation?”
Another moment of hesitation. “I don’t have much choice, do I?”
“Probably not.” Cole glanced at him again, hoping his expression conveyed his sincerity and earnestness. “This is going to be risky, but if you follow me and don’t ask questions, I think I can get us out safely.”
Will gulped. “I don’t have any other ideas, so…” He motioned at the road ahead of them. “Lead the way.”
Cole did, and neither spoke as he drove them off Mount Desert Island.
