To her credit, Bryn didn’t ask any questions and simply did as he asked.She shifted into gear and punched the gas.He pulled his weapon, turned in the seat, and looked behind them.
The steel-gray SUV was rounding the corner.
“Go faster.”He lowered his window, getting ready to fire at the car behind them if needed.“And keep taking turns to shake them off.”
“Maybe we should go directly to the police station?”Bryn’s voice was tight with fear as she pushed their speed, then abruptly braked to make a turn.Then she sped up again.
“Not now.Keep making turns, but try to go a couple blocks first.”He had to admit she was doing a decent job of driving.He’d have rather been the one behind the wheel, but this way, he had a better shot of taking the driver of the SUV out of the picture if they got too close.
Yet he didn’t like the position of firing from the passenger seat.He couldn’t afford to miss his target.
“Okay.”She slowed her speed to make another turn but then went straight for several blocks.He didn’t see the steel-gray SUV but feared it wasn’t far behind.
Then he saw it come round the corner so that it was behind them again.
“Keep going.”He glanced at the intersection up ahead, then back at the car that was slowly gaining on them.Enough of this, it was time to take drastic action.“Make a right-hand turn, then stop.Don’t take the car out of drive, though, understand.Just stop and wait.”
“Stop?”Her voice was a squeak.“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”It was a risky move, but he wasn’t sure they’d be able to continue avoiding this car for much longer.He waited for her to make the turn.The moment she stopped, he pushed open the door and hurried to the back of the SUV.
One second.Two.Three.Then the steel-gray SUV came into view.He fired at the front of the car, hearing the satisfyingthunkas the bullet penetrated the frame and lodged inside the engine.
He ducked back, barely registering the fact that the passenger window was lowering so that the driver could return fire.In a crouch, he hurried back to the passenger seat, sliding in and yanking the door shut.“Go!”
Bryn hit the gas and peeled away from the curb as more gunfire rang out.
“Keep going,” he urged when he sensed her hesitation.“They can’t follow us.”
“They can’t?”Her voice rose in agitation.
“Trust me.”He turned in his seat, relieved to see that the steel-gray SUV hadn’t moved an inch.The car grew smaller until it was out of sight.
For long moments, she drove without saying a word.Then she glanced at him.“Now what?”
“Keep going.”He wasn’t going to turn around to head back to the police station now.Not after that.
Micah didn’t know how the driver of the SUV knew they were heading to the police station, but that was another coincidence he couldn’t afford to ignore.He lowered his window again and tossed his phone out, listening with satisfaction as it shattered on the ground.
From this point forward, they were on their own.
8
Tightening her grip on the steering wheel, Bryn struggled to maintain control.She couldn’t believe the steel-gray SUV had been waiting for them down the street from the police station.Or that Micah had fired at the vehicle to disable it.
“Are you sure about not going to the police station?”She darted a glance at him.“It’s not like the driver can follow us in the SUV.”
“I don’t like that the guy was waiting there at all.”Micah’s tone was flat and hard.“What if he knows someone inside the police department?For all we know, Richard is good buddies with someone inside the department who is willing to look the other way.”
“You don’t really believe that.”She frowned as she stopped at a stop sign.“That sounds like a conspiracy theory.”
“I don’t know what to believe.”Micah didn’t look upset by her comment.His expression could have been carved from granite.“But I’m not going to risk driving to the police station now.You’re familiar with this neighborhood, right?”When she nodded, he said, “Okay, then head over to the pub, I’ll take over driving from there.”
She wasn’t upset about his wanting to drive, because now that the danger was over, her entire body had begun to shake.This was all so far outside her realm of experience.Her boring, routine life was anything but, and she was starting to think that things would never go back to normal.
They rode in silence for several minutes as she made her way to O’Brien’s Pub.The parking lot was empty at this early hour.She rolled to a stop and put the gearshift into park.Unclamping her fingers from the steering wheel, she turned to push her door open.
“Bryn.”He stopped her with a hand on her arm.She glanced over her shoulder at him.“Please trust me, okay?”
