I’ll be anxiously waiting.
I put my phone in my coat pocket as we approached the rental SUV. After opening the back hatch, Taylor and I put our suitcases inside, then she unzipped the front pocket of her bag. She quickly pulled out her leather portfolio, shut the hatch, and hurried around to the passenger side to get in.
“You seriously had to get that?” I asked as I started the car. I set my cell phone in the cupholder so both of us could keep an eye on the texts from Daniel. I put my box of Tic-Tacs next to it after putting a couple in my mouth.
“It has our map in it, so yes.”
“You got the map, but did you get the hand sanitizer?” I smirked because I had her put her purse in the back of the SUV.
“I have one in my coat pocket.” Taylor pulled out a container and held it up for me to see. I rolled my eyes at the orange fluid. While I backed out of the parking spot, I continued to tease her.
“So much for being prepared…” I muttered.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You should have had the map in your hands; you weren’t prepared. We’re on an extraction mission, and the smallest slip-up could mean life or death for Aria’s family, or even you and me. You gotta be on point,” I clipped impatiently.
Taylor disregarded my tirade.
“Left at the light.”
“Got it,” I mumbled.
I glanced at my watch; we were about forty-five minutes outside of Solsidan, taking the long rural route. In about half an hour to an hour, Aria’s father would leave for his daily visit to Stockholm. We had approximately a fifteen-minute cushion.
That was what we’d been banking on.
I had just turned left when an unexpected text from Daniel changed everything. My phone vibrated in the cupholder, and I glanced at the phone while trying to keep my eye on the road.
“What the hell?” Taylor murmured and grabbed my phone to read it.
“What?” I asked. “What is it?” I barked when she hadn’t spoken right away.
“Daniel said Wade has already left the house.”
This was much earlier than expected.
“What?” I turned to look at her, and she was looking at the phone. “Taylor, talk.”
“This is all his text reads: ‘Better floor it because Wade just drove by.’ That’s it. I’m assuming he means that Wade drove by the gas station.”
“Text him back and ask him how far the gas station is from their house.”
I focused on the road while I tried to think of what to do. Someone might take notice of the unfamiliar car and alert Wade.
“Daniel said the gas station is about five minutes from the house and about twenty minutes from the outskirts of Stockholm,” Taylor announced. “What do you want to do, Sawyer?”
“I’m thinking—”
“You don’t have a lot of time to think—”
“I know!”
“We could call it off today and try again tomorrow—”
“No, we can’t! There’s a jet with the fucking TCF logo emblazoned on the tail sitting at the airport. Pilots are in it with the engines basically running. We need to get to Solsidan using the shorter route. Text Daniel and get the make, model, and color of the car Wade is driving. That way you and I know what we need to be looking for.”
“Does it matter? We’re not engaging with him.”
