Chapter 4 #3
Hunter pulled out his SIM card and did the same for Stone’s device.
Stone pulled behind a building and stopped close to a big trash container.
Hunter collected Savvie’s burner phones, his and Stone’s phones, and tossed them into the bin.
When he was back in the sedan, Hunter leaned toward Stone. “What about this vehicle?”
“Not sure how they’d track it, but anything’s possible,” Stone said. “We need to ditch it before we head to the airport.”
Hunter glanced back. “I don’t see headlights.”
Stone kept driving through downtown Miami, making random turns, cutting back, and then moving forward. Finally, he pulled into a garage and drove to the second floor before parking the sedan.
“We need to move quickly. I’m worried they’ll trace the rental car’s license plate back to the airport,” Stone said.
“We can catch a cab at one of the hotels.”
They abandoned the rental car and took the stairs down to street level.
Moving down the back alleys and keeping to the shadows, they made it to a hotel, stepped inside and asked the front desk to call a cab. Ten agonizing minutes later, they were on their way to the general aviation airport, where the plane and Kyla waited.
Hunter kept glancing over his shoulder, looking for vehicles following them.
Stone kept looking over the driver’s shoulder. “Could we go a little faster,” he urged the man.
“Can’t,” the guy responded, maintaining the exact speed as indicated on the signs they passed.
“I’m sorry.” Savvie sat between the two men in the back seat. “I shouldn’t have gotten you all involved. If anything happens to Kyla…” She shook her head.
“She shouldn’t have come,” Stone said through tight lips. “I shouldn’t have let her.”
“Everything’s going to be all right,” Hunter said, though his gut was telling him something else. But it did no good to worry about something that may or may not have happened.
The three of them sat tense the entire drive to the airport.
“I’ll go through and have the clerk open the gate so we can drive right up to the plane. The fewer people who see our additional passenger, the better.”
Savvie bent over, ducking low in her seat.
Stone tossed a hundred-dollar bill over the driver’s shoulder. As they pulled in front of the FBO, he didn’t wait for the vehicle to come to a complete stop before he leaped out and ran for the entrance.
The driver rounded the side of the building and waited at an automatic gate. When it slid open, he drove through.
Stone stood on the tarmac where the plane should have been.
Hunter’s heart flipped. “Stay down,” he said to Savvie. Then he got out of the vehicle and approached Stone.
“I think I aged twenty years.” Stone shoved a hand through his hair.
“The clerk said Kyla came in and let her know the pilot was going to perform some touch-and-goes. I imagine she didn’t want to stand still waiting for someone to hijack the plane.
Apparently, they’ve just landed and are taxiing over. There it is now, thank God.”
The small jet rolled toward them, coming to a stop several yards away from the two men and the waiting taxi.
Once the steps were lowered, Stone was first inside. Hunter had the taxi driver pull up next to the plane. When the vehicle came to a standstill, Hunter held the door open for Savvie and closely followed her up the steps, blocking her body with his.
The taxi left the tarmac through the gate and disappeared.
Once inside, Hunter pulled the steps up, and the plane left the FBO, moving onto the taxiway.
Hunter sat in the seat beside Savvie.
As the plane sped down the runway, she reached for his hand and held it tightly until the wheels left the ground and the aircraft climbed high above Miami.
Finally, she turned away from the window and stared down at their joined hands.
“No matter how many times I’ve been up in planes, the take-offs and landings always make me nervous.” She smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
“Any time,” he said, reluctantly releasing her.
She glanced across the cabin to where Stone and Kyla sat holding hands.
Kyla rubbed her free hand across her belly. “Girl, I was so on edge, I thought I’d birth this baby a month early.” She smiled and patted Stone’s hand. “No, really. I’m fine. The baby’s fine, and now you’re fine.”
Savvie gave Kyla a crooked smile. “It’s good to see you, Russell.”
“Back atcha, Sanders.” Kyla lifted her chin. “What the hell kept you all so long?”
Hunter exchanged a glance with Stone and met Savvie’s gaze briefly.
“Things got complicated,” Savvie said.
An understatement, in Hunter’s mind. And if his gut was on target, things would only get even more complicated.
“Whoever was after Savvie had resources capable of finding her,” he said. “I don’t think they’ll give up easily.”
He reminded himself that she was an assassin. Someone who killed people for a living. If push came to shove, she could take care of herself.
Yet, beyond her strength and training, there was something else that drew him to her. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Having just gone through the effort of saving her, Hunter wasn’t ready to walk away.