Chapter 12
Sam steered their newly acquired black sedan into Audra’s neighborhood. He drove past her condo, cataloguing the vehicles parked on the street. Only one piqued his interest. A man sat in the driver’s seat of a late-model luxury sedan. When Sam passed, the man turned his face away, like he was looking at something in the center console. “Okay, who are you?”
“Did you see something?” Audra asked from her position sprawled over the backseat. They’d decided it would be best for her to stay out of sight initially.
“Maybe. There’s a man in a dark blue Audi sedan. Is there normally one parked across from you?”
“No.”
“Okay. I’m going around the block. We’ll check out the street behind you and walk in through the back if it’s clear.” He stopped at the corner and turned right. At the next corner, he turned right again. A quick trip down the street revealed nothing of note. When he reached the next intersection, he turned around and pulled into the apartment complex that butted up to her condo. He backed into a spot as close to the property line as he could get.
Sam shut the engine off and got out, opening the rear door to help Audra exit the car. She took his hand and sat up with a wince.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” She swung her legs out and let him tug her to her feet. “I just got a little stiff lying back there.”
“Come on. Let’s get out of the open.” He kept hold of her hand and started for the tree line that separated the apartment complex from the private homes and condos on the other side. With a quick glance around, they slipped into the thicket.
Moments later, they reached the other side. Sticking to the shade, they walked twenty yards to their right, then paused.
“Does it look normal?” he asked.
“Yes. But let’s wait a few minutes and make sure no one’s watching.”
Sam leaned against a tree and stared out at the yard. Birds chirped and leaves rustled. “This is nice. You don’t see a lot of green space in Vegas.”
“Yeah. I got lucky there was a unit for lease here. The other one I was looking at didn’t have nearly as much shade.”
Several minutes passed before Audra shifted and took a step toward her condo. “I think we’re safe.”
Eyes and ears open, Sam followed her through the back gate into her yard, wincing as the hinges squealed.
“How do you plan to get in? Did you have your keys with you?” He didn’t remember seeing them, but it was possible she had it on her somewhere.
“No. But I don’t need them,” she said as they reached the back door.
“What? Why—” He stopped when she shifted a cover on the plate beneath the doorknob to reveal a keypad. “You have electronic locks?”
“Pretty neat, huh?”
“Aren’t you afraid they’ll get hacked?”
“No. I have a security system inside with a different code. Even if someone got through the door, they’d only have thirty seconds to enter the second code. It’s not enough time for them to pop the panel off, connect their decoding device and get the correct code.” She typed in the door code. The lock clicked and she opened the door. “This unit has a battery backup, so even if the power’s cut to it, it’ll still sound the house alarm.” She walked to a beeping white box on the wall just feet from the door and typed in a second code. “There. All safe.”
“Good. Let’s get your stuff and get out of here. I don’t want to be here any longer than necessary.” He shut the back door and locked it.
“Me either.” She walked through the kitchen and into the living room, then up the stairs. Sam followed close on her heels.
“Ignore the mess,” she said as they entered the master bedroom.
Sam glanced around. The bed was rumpled and clothes littered part of the floor. He wouldn’t call it a mess. It looked lived in.
She crossed to the closet and shoved a rack of dresses aside to reveal a panel on the wall. Audra grasped the small knob and opened it. Inside sat a small safe. She spun the dial back and forth, then turned the handle and opened the safe. His eyes widened as he caught sight of what was inside.
“Please tell me SIS gave you that money.”
She took it out, along with a red passport book, then glanced at him. “Some of it. Most of it’s mine. The op pays most of my living expenses. I’ve been withdrawing a portion of my paycheck every month and setting it aside for the last two years. Just in case.”
He shook his head in disbelief and reached for a small suitcase stashed on a shelf. “You spy people are built different.”
“It’s common sense, Sam.” She picked up several pairs of pants and followed him out into the bedroom to deposit the items on the bed.
He unzipped the case. “Go grab more clothes. I’ll pack these up.”
She nodded and walked away.
Sam stared at the cash. There had to be twenty grand or more there. He reached for her passport and opened it, surprised to see it was a British passport. “Angela Brackley?” He sat down on the bed, staring at the booklet. She’d used his last name for her secret alias?
She smiled at him as she returned with an armload of shirts. “I guess you could say you made an impact.” She set the load of clothes down and sat next to him. “That passport means safety to me. I wanted a name that made me feel safe.”
“My—” He stopped and clenched his teeth as the words stuck. “How—” He broke off again and growled. “Dammit.” The words were right there, but they refused to come out.
Audra laid a hand on his thigh and squeezed. “Yes. You make me feel safe,” she said, understanding what he was trying to say.
Sam closed his eyes and inhaled a breath through his nose, trying to calm his emotions. Being agitated or highly emotional always made the brain block worse. Staying calm was the key to being able to speak. Usually. Fatigue played a part too. But he wasn’t tired. Just shocked.
He opened his eyes and looked at her. She stared back, a small, concerned frown putting a crinkle between her eyebrows. He smoothed it away with his thumb. “I’m glad.” Leaning forward, he kissed the spot he’d just smoothed. Soft tendrils of her hair tickled his face. He let his touch linger for a moment, then pulled back. “I hope I can live up to that.”
“You already have just by showing up. I didn’t know where else to turn, so thank you.”
Sam touched her temple and the fine, silky hair there. “You’re welcome, Aud.” He hoped fate wasn’t done intervening in their lives. He wasn’t ready to tell her goodbye.
A soft beep reached them. Audra’s gaze sharpened, and she looked toward the door.
“What was that?”
She stood. “It sounded like the front door lock. It makes a beep like that when the wrong code is entered.”
Sam cursed and got up. “Time to go.” He grabbed the remainder of her clothes and threw them in the suitcase, zipping it shut.
Audra picked up her passport and the cash, stuffing them down inside the large purse she carried. She opened her nightstand and took out a handgun. “Let’s go.”
“You have another one of those for me?”
She handed him the forty-five she carried, then went to her closet and came back with a thirty-eight revolver. “I prefer this one, anyway.”
Sam glanced at the weapon she held up. It was the same make and model as the gun she’d left in their hotel room. “Good deal.” Hefting the suitcase off the bed, he trailed her to the door. She paused in the hall, listening.
“The door’s still closed, I think.” She glanced back at him.
That was good. They needed to go downstairs and pass through the living room—which was visible from the front door—to get to the back door.
On light feet, they descended the stairs. Sam kept the suitcase on his shoulder so the wheels wouldn’t clack on the floor. Audra detoured to the coffee table and picked up her laptop, stuffing it inside her large handbag. At the back door, he put a hand on her arm. “Wait.”
“What?”
“If someone’s out there, I want you to take off for the trees. Don’t wait for me; just get to the car.” He dug into his pocket for the key fob, then held it out.
“Sam—”
“Don’t argue, Aud. I’m a better fighter than you, especially with your injuries.”
Her mouth flattened, but she took the fob. “Fine.” Stuffing it into her pocket, she moved toward the door and took up residence to its right.
Sam stationed himself on the left and peered through the window. The yard looked clear, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t someone up against the house he couldn’t see or hiding behind the small garden shed. “I think it’s as clear as it’s going to get.”
“Agreed.”
He stowed the forty-five in his belt, then grasped the knob. “Ready?”
She nodded once, staring out at the yard.
Sam opened the door. She swung out, purse on her shoulder and gun at the ready. He fell in line behind her. Back to back, they walked toward the rear of the property. They were nearly at the gate when movement near the side of the condo caught his attention.
“Go!” He gave her a soft shove and turned to face the man coming toward them.
The stranger raised his arm, a matte black pistol in his hand. Sam feinted to the side as the man fired. He spared a glance over his shoulder to make sure Audra was in the clear. She’d made it through the gate and was moving through the brush. Sam turned back to the intruder and fired back. The man retreated to the side of the condo, and Sam ran for the property line.
Dashing through the gate and into the trees, he caught up to Audra. She ran, but not well. Still holding his weapon, he hooked an arm around her waist and lifted her off her feet.
She let out a squeak. “What are you doing?”
“I run faster too. Hold on.”
Sam ran as fast as he dared. The woods weren’t deep, so they quickly broke through the other side. He ran between the buildings and rounded the corner before heading straight again. They needed the cover.
He made it behind the first line of cars in the parking lot before he spotted the shooter.
“Put me down.” Audra tapped his shoulder.
Sam set her on her feet. They were only yards from the car. Ducking low, they scampered toward it. “We’re only going to have moments to get in and get away once we unlock it.” The damn thing would beep when it was unlocked. He should have disabled that feature, but didn’t think about it until now.
They circled the car, Sam at the driver’s door and Audra beside him, ready to dive into the backseat.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Do it.”
She pushed the unlock button, and the car beeped.
Sam yanked on the doorhandle and threw the suitcase inside onto the passenger seat. He dove in, smashed his foot onto the brake, and jammed the start button. With a quick look to make sure Audra was fully inside, he put the car in drive and sped out of his parking spot. A glance in the rearview mirror showed the shooter running through the lot after them, but falling behind.
“Do you recognize that man?”
Audra looked through the rear windshield. “Not specifically. But those tattoos—he’s Irish mafia.”
“You can tell that from this distance?”
“I saw them when he came around the house. Several of Liam’s men have a similar design on their faces.”
“Well, I guess this means we can trust your boss.”
“Not necessarily. If there’s a mole, Liam could have turned on him or her.”
A deep frown marred Sam’s face. He didn’t like her logic. It made too much sense and meant they still couldn’t trust anyone. “I guess that’s true. We need—” His words stuck. Sam pulled in a breath, trying to slow his thoughts. “We need to get out of town. Quickly. The gunfire will have drawn attention.” His gaze darted to his mirror and then to the road in front of them, then back again, looking for cops. In this area, the sound of gunfire wouldn’t go unnoticed and the police would be quick to respond.
It wasn’t just the immediate attention he was worried about, though. Someone had sent people looking for her. He knew she wanted to stay close, but he was thinking it would be better to fly down to Costa Rica now and circle the wagons.
She hummed a non-answer and stared out the window, watching for anyone following them. Sam wove through the streets, wanting to get away from cameras and people. He needed to call the team back and update them. Maybe Ezra could come pick them up. Though by the time Ezra flew to Las Vegas to get them, it would probably be quicker to just board a commercial flight. The only real benefit would be bypassing the TSA checkpoint.
He pulled into a quiet neighborhood and parked on a side street.
“What are we doing?”
“I’m calling the team. Asher might be able to get camera footage and identify the shooter.” He opened his phone and found Asher’s name in his contacts.
“Hey, Sam. I don’t have anything yet on the files Audra sent over. I just opened them.”
“That’s not why I’m calling. Someone just shot at us at Audra’s condo. She thinks it might be someone from Brogan’s organization. Can you find any camera footage around the neighborhood and take a look?” He gave Asher the address.
“Are you guys okay?”
“We’re fine. He missed.”
“Well, that’s good.” The sound of furious typing came over the line. “There are cameras at a couple of the intersections near her building. Give me a description. I’ll see what I can find. You two need to get out of town. Like, yesterday.”
“Planning on it. The guy was about my height. Short dark hair. Face and arm tattoos. Navy blue t-shirt and jeans. There was a dark blue Audi sedan out front of the condo when we arrived. It was the only vehicle that was occupied. I don’t know if the guy in the car is the same one who came at us. I didn’t see the driver’s face. He had short dark hair, though.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know what I find.” Asher hung up.
“You know, I’ve been thinking.”
Sam put the phone down and turned to look at Audra. “About?”
“I think we should stay here.”
“What? Why?” That was the opposite of what they needed to do.
“Think about it. The trouble is here. I’m betting the mole is here, too, if there is one. We need to be close. Vegas is a big city. It shouldn’t be that hard to hide.”
Sam tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, considering her plan. “It’ll be harder to stay off the police’s radar.”
“We can wear a hat and sunglasses when we’re in public. I just think we’ll accomplish more and get answers faster if we’re where the action is.”
Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. “Aud?—”
“I’m right, and you know it.”
He let out a soft growl. “I’m not sure what difference an hour away will make.” That’s really all he was asking for. He just wanted to be a city over, where they were away from all the major players.
“You know how fast these situations can change. It makes sense for us to be here.”
She wasn’t going to back down. He could see it in the set to her face. “Fine. But I want at least one of my team to come up and help. We need more eyes.”
“If that’s what you want, that’s fine.”
“Good. Because that part is non-negotiable.” He picked up his phone again.