Chapter 9 #2
“Yes.” And he followed the GPS directions.
Andrea asked him, “Can you trust that the information really came from Mason?”
“Let’s hope so,” he muttered, “because we could really use a safe house right about now.”
“You’re really expecting somebody to come out of the woodwork, aren’t you?”
“Yep, I sure am, and I’m right on target.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re being followed.”
“Right, because we have Oakley and Trent behind us.” Then she checked her side mirror and watched as a big truck pulled up behind them. “Oh, no …”
“Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“How can you be cheerful? How is this a good thing?”
“It means that we’re poking them into a reaction to our actions. That’s a good thing,” he told her, still smiling. “If they go to ground, we will never find them, and this nightmare will never end. However, if we have them running scared, we have a chance to get them before they get us.”
“I think your logic is incredibly flawed,” she muttered. Just then he gunned it hard and swung around a corner and disappeared into a strip mall. “What about Oakley and Trent?” she asked, looking at Hayden. “How does this help them?”
“They have the same coordinates, and they’ll get there on their own. With any luck, they’re coming in behind the truck following us, so we can keep them pinched between us.”
She stared at him and sat back. “Oh.”
“Yes, oh,” he repeated, trying hard to not let his glee show. “What we really need now is the cops. I assume Trent is on that.”
“You think he’s capable enough after getting hit on the head?”
“Yes, I know he is. We’re driving in the parking lot to a strip mall, with the other vehicle trying to follow but not looking too obvious.”
“How will we get them to stop so we can catch them?” she muttered. “That’s really what you’re trying to do, right?”
“Yeah, but we need more manpower for that,” he muttered, “unless we can get them to exit the car, in which case, then we’ll have to give chase.” When she stared at him, he nodded. “I know, not exactly what you wanted to hear.”
“No, not what I wanted to hear at all. That sounds awful.”
“But it might be the best answer.”
She shook her head. “There has to be a better answer than that.”
“Maybe,” he said cheerfully. He drove around the parking lot carefully and then pulled off into an empty spot. In his rearview mirror, he watched as the big truck parked several rows back.
“What are they doing?” she asked, her head turning, until he gripped her hand.
“Don’t turn around. Don’t look,” he murmured.
She sat back, staring out at the truck in her small side mirror. “So what now? … We just wait?”
“I only see one person on the driver’s side,” he noted. “That’s a concern.”
“Why?”
“Because I expected more people than that,” he said, “which makes me think there might be one more vehicle involved.” He pulled out his phone and called Oakley.
Oakley responded immediately. “We’ve got him a couple of rows ahead of us, just a couple rows behind you. Looks to be only a driver though.”
Hayden agreed. “That’s my concern. I suspect we aren’t aware of another vehicle.”
“We lost the sedan on the highway,” he snapped, his tone hard, “but of course they probably had a third one on us. This outfit is big.”
“No, it was, but we’ve more or less cut off the US arm of the operation. I can’t imagine the EU base will want anything to do with them after all this mess.”
“Speaking of cutting off the US arm, any cooperation from Arlene’s half-brother?”
“Not that I’ve heard. We could get someone on the team to try interviewing him, but we need her safe first, so that means ditching our tails.”
Oakley added, “So, if we make a move, we’ll have to get away cleanly, or they’ll pin us. Can’t be any half measures on this one.”
“No, there can’t be,” Hayden agreed. “I’ll call this one. Because of the potential for an additional vehicle, which we know nothing about, we’ll head to the safe house and lose him on the way.”
“Confirm you lose him though, otherwise—”
“I know. Believe me that I know.” And, with that, he looked over at her.
Andrea stared at him, shaking her head, clearly overhearing his part of the conversation. “And do you think that’ll work?”
“We can’t stay here,” he replied. “We’re sitting ducks, what with the possibility of some third vehicle being nearby.
One weapon pointed at you right now would leave me little choice but to get out and hand you over, but that won’t happen.
It would just lead us to a bloodbath in a public spot. Your safety takes priority.”
“You’re afraid of my father now too?”
He smiled at her. “Sweetheart, I wouldn’t be opposed to talking to your dad again, but it definitely won’t be to tell him that you’re dead.”
“No,” she muttered, “that would not be good.” He rolled his eyes, and she raised both hands. “Fine. Just pick your poison and let’s go. No point in sitting here, waiting.”
He nodded, and, just when he was about to turn the vehicle on again, he caught sight of two men walking toward them. “Hang on. They’re coming our way.”
“Oh my God,” she cried out.
“Send Oakley a text.”
“They probably already know,” she muttered, but she quickly texted him as requested, and Hayden hit the gas just as the men were about to reach them.
With that propulsion, knowing that he had just a few seconds to lose them, Hayden whipped around the side of the mall, trying to lose them, while the two men on foot raced back to their vehicle.
He pulled out on the other side and quickly changed directions again, pulling into another parking lot, then in between several dark SUVs.
She looked around at him, fear in her eyes. “Is this safe? It’s almost as if this cover was set up for you.”
He nodded, giving her a smile. “It wasn’t, but I won’t turn my back on it because any cover right now is good cover, and we need all we can get.”