“Which way is Sage heading, and how much of a head start does she have?” Trevor asked.
“Tanner said she’s heading northeast, with at least a fifteen-minute head start.”
Cursing again, Trevor threw the Suburban into gear and floored it, making the other drivers honk and swerve as he merged onto the interstate.
“We’ll try to get ahead of her,” he said as he weaved in and out of traffic. “Hopefully we can keep her from reaching any heavily populated areas outside the Quantico boundary.”
“Hurry,” Zarina said. “Sage hasn’t interacted with more than a handful of people the whole time she’s been here. I’m not sure how she’ll deal with the outside world.”
“No kidding,” Trevor muttered. “I’m going to call Tanner. We’ll let you know something as soon as we can. Do anything necessary to keep Dick from finding out about this.”
“Who is Sage?” Alina asked after he hung up. “And why do you think Dick will have her killed?”
Trevor’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t answer.
“Dammit, Trevor!” she snapped. “I admit it. I screwed up, and I betrayed you, and I’m sorry about that. But right now, I need to know what’s going on if I’m going to help you find that girl. Unless you intend to kick me out and leave me stranded on the side of the road.”
He glanced at her. “Alina, this isn’t some damn game. This isn’t about you and me and how much—or how little—we might trust each other. This is about a terrified woman who needs help. If you tell Dick about any of this, he’ll have her executed, plain and simple.”
Hearing Trevor say he didn’t trust her hurt more than she wanted to admit. “I’m not going to tell him anything.”
Trevor was silent for a moment, but then he nodded. “Okay. I’m trusting you, not just with Sage’s life, but with Jaxson’s, Tanner’s, and Zarina’s as well. If Dick finds out what they’ve been doing, getting fired will be the least of their problems.”
Alina grabbed the roll bar handle as Trevor took the next exit at warp speed and turned on state road 234 along the northeast side of the Prince William Forest. The wooded area served as a buffer along the northern edge of the Quantico training facility. Trevor must have been trying to get north of Sage and stop her before she got out of the forest.
Trevor handed his phone to her. “Hit the third number on speed dial.”
She looked down at the phone and realized there wasn’t a single name listed in the contacts list. Just a collection of ten speed-dial numbers. It was clearly a burner phone. Containing her curiosity for the moment, she poked the third button, then put the phone on speaker. When the call connected, all she heard was a garbled mix of what sounded like the pounding of feet.
“Trevor?” a male voice shouted over the din.
“Yeah, it’s me, Tanner,” her partner said. “Alina and I are on highway 234 heading toward the northeast side of the boundary. Where are you and Jaxson?”
“I’m tracking Sage on foot through the forest, maybe ten minutes behind her. Jaxson is in an SUV trying to keep up with me as best he can. Hold on, and I’ll pull him into the call.”
A few moments later, the roar of an engine came over the line, interspersed with a lot of expletives.
“I’m a little busy trying to read a map and drive at the same time, guys,” Jaxson said. “It’s not really the best time to chat.”
“Then just listen,” Trevor told him. “Tanner, do you think you can catch up with Sage before she reaches the perimeter fence?”
“Not a chance,” Tanner said. “Sage is really frigging fast. Probably as fast as I am, which is kind of painful to admit. She’s making a beeline for the northeast boundary and will probably come out somewhere around Independent Hill. She’s barely five minutes from the fence.”
Trevor swore and floored the gas, driving even faster. “Alina and I will try to get in front of her and keep her from getting too far into town. Hopefully we can keep anyone from seeing her.”
“Approach her slowly so you don’t freak her out,” Tanner warned. “She’s just scared.”
“It’s not her I’m worried about. It’s the civilians she runs into. I don’t want someone calling the cops,” Trevor said. “You have any idea where she’s ultimately going or what she’s trying to do?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say she’s trying to find Derek,” Tanner replied.
Trevor muttered a curse. “I’ll call you guys when we reach the outskirts of Independence Hill.”
He nodded, and Alina hung up.
“I already know Jaxson,” she said. “Who are Zarina and Tanner?”
“Good friends who are willing to risk their lives to help someone.”
