“Numbers match exactly?” I ask.
“Yep,” he replies. “You didn’t just interrupt some random situation.”
No. I didn’t.
“Copy,” I say, my mind working over the murky facts.
Jade shifts beside me, her attention locked on every word.
“Ryker...” she starts. “You don’t have to---“
I lift my hand slightly. “Give me a second.”
Mako’s voice drops, more serious now. “You need to assume they’re not done. You got eyes on you?”
“Maybe.”
“Define maybe,” he prompts.
“Similar vehicle’s been behind us for the last few miles. No front tag.”
Silence, just long enough to confirm what we both already know.
“I assume you’re not going straight to the house.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“Call me when you’re clear.”
“Copy.”
I end the call, watching the mirrors and the road. Methodical in my actions. Ready for what may come.
In a different vehicle, with more power under the hood, I’d accelerate and test the gap. Force a reaction. But this tired Chevy sedan isn’t that car. It has a shimmy in the front end and an engine that sounds like it’s coughing up a lung.
“Are they following us?” Jade asks.
I don’t soften my reply. “Possibly.”
Looking around, her fingers tighten on the seatbelt. “Oh my god.”
“Hey.” I finally glance at her, just long enough to pull her focus. “Look at me.”
She does, her eyes wide, lip trembling.
“Nothing’s going to happen to you,” I say with conviction. “You’re safe with me.”
Her throat moves as she swallows. “That’s almost too good to be true.”
“We’re going to lose them. It might get a little rough.”
“In this car?” She shrieks.
Good point. But it’s what we’ve got. The laundry list of issues includes a wobble in one of the tires and a tachometer doesn’t work. And the brakes are questionable.
“I’ve done it in worse. Now I need you to be ready, no matter which way I turn, or if I brake hard. Brace yourself with your feet, and hold on to the bar.”
She grabs the handle, bracing her feet wide on the floor.
