“Yes, but where are we going?”Bryn’s voice hitched as she followed him to the back door of the house.Too bad they hadn’t left even earlier for their shopping trip.
It was too late now.
“Away from here.Hurry.”He knew they had only a few minutes of a head start.Not nearly enough time to get far enough away to escape getting caught.Micah silently prayed as he sprinted across the backyard, hauling Bryn along with him.
They’d barely made it halfway across to the property that butted up along theirs when a barrage of gunfire pummeled the rental property behind them.
7
Not again!Please, Lord Jesus, not again!For the third time in less than twenty-four hours, Bryn ran from the sound of gunfire.Her breath sawed from her lungs as she dashed across the backyard of the rental property, following Micah’s lead.She wanted to clap her hands over her ears to avoid the sound of shots being fired, but she couldn’t with her hands clasping the computer tightly against her chest.
The socks on her feet were no protection from the stones and twigs scattered on the ground.She swallowed hard against the sharp pain as her feet found every single one.Maybe wearing the uncomfortable dress shoes would have been better, but it was too late to go back to change now.The damp grass due to the recent rain and melted snow soaked her feet.
How had the gunman found them?Her phone?Had they tracked her device to this location?She hadn’t used the phone until today, having kept the phone powered off to preserve the battery.Her only goal was to get information on the company’s recent clients and whether they were related to Damien’s disappearance.
A plan that had backfired in a big way.
Micah didn’t take a direct path, moving instead from one house to the next, staying off the roads as much as possible.She didn’t argue; he was the expert.Yet she was falling farther behind as she stepped on yet another rock.
As if sensing her distress, Micah turned and looked at her.Then he spun around to come to her side.“Lean on me,” he whispered.“Just a little farther.”
She nodded, her breath coming in pants that made it impossible to speak.She trusted his instincts more than her own.Reassured by his solid presence beside her, she found the strength to push herself forward.
They continued through one more backyard, then another, until Micah finally stopped near a house that appeared to be empty.He stood watching for a long moment, then pulled her to the ground when the sound of a car engine reached them.
She knelt on the wet ground, her heart thundering so fast she was surprised he couldn’t hear it.Maybe he could.A steel-gray SUV rolled past.She bit her lip to keep from crying out in alarm.
When the vehicle was out of sight, she glanced up at Micah.“Are we safe?”
“Not yet.”His expression was grim.“I caught the license plate, though, so that’s helpful.We’re going to stay put for a few more minutes, okay?”
She nodded, shivering a bit as the cold seeped through her wet socks.Not running was nice, but she wondered what they’d do if the steel-gray SUV returned.
The minutes slipped past slowly.After what seemed like eons, but was likely only five minutes or so, Micah straightened.“Okay, we’re going to head through a couple more backyards.”
Again, she didn’t see a reason to argue.She straightened, shifted the computer in her grip, then followed him across the street to the next yard.She was surprised, really, that none of the people inside the houses around them seemed to notice them moving through their property.If they did, she knew a call to the police wouldn’t be the worst thing.They still needed to meet with the lieutenant to provide their statements.
After crossing two more streets, Micah stopped.She leaned weakly against him, watching as he pulled out his phone.When he pulled up a rideshare app, she sighed in relief to know the running was over.
At least for now.
“Our ride will be here in a few minutes.”His voice was low and husky.“Are you okay?”
“Fine.”There was no point in complaining.“I can’t believe they found us at the rental house.”
“I know.”He slipped his arm around her waist, giving her a brief hug as he scanned the area, every muscle in his body tense as if on high alert.“I’m sure they tracked your phone.I should have told you to ditch it before now.”
Since that was what she’d already assumed, she nodded in agreement.“So that means someone at the company is involved.Likely Richard.”A chill snaked down her spine.“He must have realized I was on the company system, called Deon to cut off my access, then sent the gunman after me.”The more she thought about Richard being involved, the more she was convinced he was responsible.
“Richard or maybe someone else.”He nodded toward the silver car heading toward them.“This is our ride.”
She pushed away from Micah, pulling herself together with an effort.He released her, tucked his weapon back into its holster, then stepped forward to greet the driver.He opened the back door of the vehicle and gestured for her to get in.
“You’re heading to the airport?”the driver asked as he pulled away from the curb.His gaze met theirs in the rearview mirror.“I didn’t see any luggage.”
“Yes, we’re heading for the airport.This is a last-minute trip.We’ll buy what we need once we’re there,” Micah said, as if that was something he did every day.
Their destination surprised her, although it made sense.Micah’s car was still in the garage of the rental property, the one that had been pelted by gunfire.The rental car she’d used was still at the restaurant down in Beloit.Micah had sent her to the airport to get a rental car, and it seemed as if he was about to do the same thing again now.
