Chapter 19
MAEVE
Wolf finished highlighting the route he was planning on taking. The map he’d dug up from a stack of papers was old, but it still had all the backroads. He was looking to get to Morry’s without going near a main road.
“It will take us longer, but this is the best way to go and not be seen.” Wolf pointed to the faded yellow line from the old highlighter.
“How much longer?”
“A day at the most. The goal is not to have people calling in a suspicious-looking black Hummer. We’ll stick to the speed limit and get gas where I’ve marked. I know those gas stations don’t have cameras, and the roads at night have very little traffic.”
Maeve nodded as she stared at the paper map that was taking up the entire surface of the small kitchen table. She wanted to get to Morry, but she didn’t want to leave the cabin.
This place held Wolf’s friend Jimmy’s spirit inside, but it didn’t feel creepy. Instead, the cabin was welcoming, a safe home tucked away in the middle of nowhere. As soon as they pulled out of this driveway, they were fair game all over again.
Maeve bit her lip as she looked Wolf up and down. Damn he was incredible.
“I see you staring, and I know what you’re thinking. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but no, not right now.”
She smirked and ran her hand down his arm. “It’s not my fault you walk around looking that sexy.”
Wolf took a step toward Maeve and she slowly moved around the table, giggling as he followed.
They ended up in a teasing chase as he stalked her in a circle.
Duke was barking excitedly at their antics, which added to the laughter.
Changing directions quickly, Wolf grabbed Maeve around the waist and lifted her in the air with a shriek.
Wolf sat her on the table, the map crinkling with the movement as he stepped between her legs.
“How did I get so lucky?” Wolf asked.
Maeve wrapped her arms around his neck and gave his chin a soft kiss. “I could ask the same question.”
Wolf sighed like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“I see you worrying about this trip, but we need to go. We can’t stay here forever, and it’s the safest place to be right now,” Maeve gently noted.
“I know. I guess…I just wish we could stay here forever and pretend the world doesn’t exist,” he said softly, warming her all over. There was such tenderness in him and yet she knew that he would kill in a blink for her. He was as dangerous as she was kind, and she loved him all the more for it.
“You’d eventually miss your ranch,” Maeve said, and he looked down.
“You mean whatever is left of it.”
“Shit…I’m sorry, Waya, I…shit I forgot about that.” She hugged him tightly, and he leaned into her hold.
“It’s okay. We can rebuild. And this time you can help make it our home. We get to build our own place from the ground up,” he said.
Maeve heard the unspoken. If they lived through this…Wolf didn’t need to say it. She knew there was a real chance they might not survive.
“I’d like that…our home.”
Wolf cupped her face, giving her forehead a kiss. “We better get going. It’s almost dark.”
Maeve slipped off the table and grabbed a couple of the already packed bags from by the door. “I’ll start loading the Hummer.”
Maeve walked out to the Hummer and for no reason at all her stomach rolled. She loaded the bags then gripped her stomach like she might be sick. Nervous energy rippled down her spine, just as the ground began to vibrate under her feet.
What the hell was that?
Then she heard it. Vehicles.
Shit!
“Waya, they’re here!”
Wolf burst through the screen door like a man possessed. “Get in the Hummer.”
“Duke, get in,” she yelled as he barked at the arriving lineup of black trucks.
As Wolf rounded the driver’s side, he opened fire on the first truck that came to a stop, then yanked open his door.
Jesus, this was really happening…again.
Maeve’s heart was pounding out of her chest.
“Fuck!” Wolf yelled as he jumped into the driver’s seat.
“Get in, now,” Wolf hollered.
“Duke, now.” Maeve pointed to the back seat and he jumped in. She slammed the door closed and hopped into the passenger seat as those arriving tried to surround the Hummer.
“We’re blocked in,” Maeve said, looking around as vehicles blocked their path out the main driveway.
“No, we’re not.” Wolf revved the Hummer. “Not yet.” He floored it in the opposite direction of the driveway as dirt billowed into the air.
“Oh my God, where are you going?” Maeve screamed as they hit the bushes that looked like a solid wall of trees.
“Jimmy had two driveways made. He hadn’t been paranoid but said he liked to be prepared for the unknown.”
A thick mass of vines and branches with the hanging camo stuck to the Hummer as they flew into the belly of the twisty exit.
“Holy shit!” Maeve looked behind them, and sure enough the black vehicles were following.
Oh my God, oh my God, what were they going to do?
Wolf reached to turn on something on the control panel and winced.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Maeve looked him all over and gasped. Her eyes grew wide as she spotted the blood-soaked sleeve.
“I’ll be fine. We need to get out of here. Can you hit the on button? It’s the one closest to you on the end of the screen,” he said, nodding toward the end of the keypad as they whipped around the large bend in the road.
Maeve did as Wolf asked. The dashboard and computer lit up like it was the fourth of July.
“Hummer, initialize voice activation. Waya, Three, Three, Bravo, Delta, November. New name, AJ.”
“Voice activation confirmed. How can I help you, Waya?”
“I thought you didn’t want to turn it on?”
“I didn’t want them to track us through it, but they’re already on our ass. I might as well use what I can. AJ, how long until we reach the main highway?”
“Forty-five minutes at current speed.”
Wolf looked at Maeve as he gripped the steering wheel so tight it squeezed under the pressure. “I’m going to give you the basics in case we get separated and you can get your hands on one of these.”
“One of these? Like a Hummer? How am I randomly going to get my hands on a military Hummer?” she asked, the panic of the situation beginning to set in.
“Because it’s a possibility. They’ve got standard code for the basic software.
You’ll be able to start the engine or look at a map, but no weapons.
The person driving needs to set it to their name.
Say your name, then ‘Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Tango, One, Two, Three,’ and it gives you enough access to drive and use the GPS. ”
“No, no, no. Don’t say that. We’re not getting separated.” Maeve looked away from Wolf to see another giant wall of green. “Ahhhhh…” she screamed and grabbed the holy shit handle as they burst through the covered exit.
The truck skidded out onto the gravel road at a speed that was far from safe. Stones pinged off the side of the vehicle as the tires spun on the loose gravel.
“Where are we going?” she asked, as the headlights appeared behind them.
“The Righteous are trained to be as inconspicuous as possible. We’re required to blend in, to become the ghosts that hunt evil in the dark.
Having this many trucks seen speeding down the road, or get into a chase with police, is something they won’t want to risk.
I was trying to reach a main highway, but forty-five minutes is too long. ”
“Okay…so then what, just drive until we run out of gas.”
Wolf smirked. “You really do have a thing with gas stations,” he teased, but Maeve couldn’t laugh. She didn’t want to be caught, but more importantly she wanted Wolf and Duke to be safe. They were in this mess because of her.
“We need to head for the next town, it’s twenty minutes away, it gives us better odds of escaping.”
Wolf swerved to the left and Maeve gasped, her body started shaking
“AJ, initialize Walela’s voice into the main system interface. Grant her access to all major systems in the organization.”
“You can do that?”
He nodded. “Access to the main system has been blocked.”
“Shit…AJ, can you grant her access to any systems?”
“Yes, there are a few systems she can access.”
“Okay, do it. Code word Duke.” Wolf glanced over at Maeve. “Say the alphabet and a few words you’d normally use, then initialize voice match.”
Maeve did as Wolf asked, and while keeping her eyes on him, she noticed he checked the wound. Wolf was in worse shape than he wanted her to know. Tears stung her eyes.
“Voice is initialized, limited access granted,” the Hummer announced.
“AJ, bring up a map of all bogies,” Wolf ordered.
The windshield flickered, and he cursed under his breath as five Hummers and one helicopter appeared on the screen. Three of the five were giving chase, but the chopper was not far away and closing in fast. The other two Hummers were trying to head them off from the front.
“Shit, shit, shit. AJ, establish a secure channel and send an emergency S.O.S. to Crosshairs, Sandman, Kestrel, and Morrianna. Send location and all information of this chase, including video footage, and conversation from inside the Hummer.”
Wolf paused and took a deep breath as he looked at Maeve for a moment. His eyes said it all. He didn’t think we were going to make it.
Terror rippled through her body, like waves crashing into the shore.
No…this couldn’t be happening.
She’d lost so much, endured so much, and finally found a good man. A man that loves her and made her feel human. She was truly in love, and she wasn’t giving him or what they had up.
“Crosshairs, the bogies used to be friendlies. Don’t trust anyone, they are working for the private sector. Maeve is their targeted asset. If you get this and I’m…if she’s missing…look for her, don’t ever stop looking for her. I’m asking this as a favor.”
Maeve couldn’t look away from Wolf, in a short amount of time, he’d become her heart.
“Waya…” She reached out and touched his hand. She sighed and looked at the windshield when he refused to glance her way.
“I can’t look at you right now.” His tone flat and emotionless.