“I’m ready. Let’s go.”
He carried the larger bag, and she got the smaller one. They were outside, and he watched everything, annoyed that someone down the street was yelling, making him think there was a problem. There weren’t any problems. Everything was fine. They were going to get in the truck and leave without any issues popping up.
They were at the truck, her bag in the back, when a vehicle squealed around the corner. His head whipped up, and he had a sense that something bad was about to go down.
“Garnet, get down.”
They dropped low. He felt a little ridiculous being on the ground here on the city streets of DC, but that car was going too fast. When tires screeched to a stop in front of them, he knew they were screwed.
“If I say run, take off, and go somewhere safe. Get into a building with a crowd.”
“Shit. I don’t want to leave you.”
“You might have to. If I’m fighting someone, you have to get to safety.”
He didn’t want to lose sight of Garnet, but this could go bad fast. Somehow, someone had found her, and they were going to try to get her.
Garnet’s bodyclenched as fear filled her. She didn’t want to run, but she didn’t want to end up being captured again.
She heard a car door open and slam shut. Then feet pounded on the pavement. Someone ran around the front of the truck and popped out beside her.
Brady was on the guy in seconds. She moved out of the way, fear filling her. She had no clue who the man was, but he was throwing punches like he meant to kill Brady.
For a second, she thought the stranger was going to win the fight. But then Brady did a move that swept the guy’s feet out from under him, and he went down hard.
Brady had the guy pinned on the ground. “Who sent you?”
The man pressed his lips together and looked like he wasn’t going to say one word.
“Tell me?!” Brady yelled.
The sound of sirens echoed down the corridor of buildings. “Cops are coming,” Garnet said.
Brady punched the guy again, knocking him out. “Get into the truck. We need to go.”
“Shit.”
“Get in,” Brady barked as he pulled open the door.
She slid into the seat and pulled the door closed as Brady raced around to the driver’s side. Her head spun as he hopped in and started the engine. There was just enough room for him to ease the truck out of the space.
She glanced back, seeing the police turn onto the block just as they slid around the corner. “Crap. Will the cops be looking for us?”
“Maybe. But we’ll be in North Carolina, and this truck isn’t registered to us. We’ll be fine.”
She wasn’t sure they would be okay. Who had seen the fight and called the cops? Would someone come asking questions, and would the person who’d called the police tell them what they’d seen?
Fear took over, causing her to shiver. The people who wanted her to hack into the government’s computers meant business. If she’d come home on her own, no question, they would have taken her again. Would she ever be safe?
Chapter 17
Bean made a right,then a left, then a few more turns, and he couldn’t make heads or tails out of where he was.
“Shit, I’m lost.”
“Give me your phone, and I’ll plug in directions to the base.”
“Thanks.” He handed over his phone and gave her his passcode, which he would have to change later.
