39. Two Chases
Two Chases
“Camila, keep talking to me.”
“I am talking!”
“Then tell me what you see.”Camila gripped the steering wheel with both hands as Diego’s stolen SUV tore down the two-lane road.“Road!”Chris stared through the windshield of the FBI Charger.“Very helpful, princess.”
“We are being chased!”
“I’m aware.”
“Then stop asking stupid questions!”Despite the terror sitting like ice in his chest—Chris smiled.Just slightly.Logan saw it from the passenger seat.“You two are arguing right now?”
Chris ignored him.“Camila. Intersection?”She looked ahead.Trees blurred past on either side.Her stolen SUV was doing eighty-five.Much faster than she’d driven during Chris’s lesson.Much faster than she wanted to be driving now.“Coming!”
“How far?”
“I don’t know!”
“Estimate.”
“Maybe half a mile.”
“Signs?”Camila squinted.“County Road Six.”Chris looked at the navigation display.“Take the right.”
“At this speed?”
“No.”
“Well, that’s comforting.”
“Brake before the turn.”
“I remember.”
“Camila.”
“I remember!”Chris could hear the engine screaming through the phone.He could also hear something else.Gunfire.His smile vanished.“Are they still shooting?”
“Yes!”Logan immediately radioed Mercer.“Shots still being fired at the protectee.”Chris pushed the Charger harder.Ninety.Ninety-five.The road ahead opened.He knew these roads.
He’d driven them during the operation.Not like this.Never like this.“How fast are you going?” Camila asked.“Doesn’t matter.”
“It absolutely matters.”
“Watch your road.”
“Tell me.”Chris glanced at the speedometer.“Fast.”
“That isn’t a number.”
“It’s enough.”
“You yell at me for vague answers!”
“Camila.”
“What?”
“Intersection.”
“Oh shit!”Chris closed his eyes for half a second.“Brake.”Camila hit the brakes.The SUV’s nose dipped.“Not all at once.”
“You didn’t specify!”
“I taught you this!”
“You taught me in an empty parking lot, Chris! Nobody was shooting at me!”Fair. “Easy. Eyes up.”Camila forced herself to look through the turn.Not at the ditch.Not at the telephone pole.Where she wanted the SUV to go.Chris’s voice came through the speakers.“Look through it.”
“I am.”
“Brake before.”
“I did.”
“Ease off.”She did.“Turn.”Camila turned.The SUV swept right.Too fast.Her tires protested.She gasped.“Don’t panic.”
“I’m not panicking!”
“You’re screaming.”
“That’s different!”Chris almost laughed.“Steady.”She corrected.The SUV straightened.
Camila’s eyes widened.“I did it.”Chris exhaled.“Yeah.”
“I actually did it.”
“You did.”She grinned.“How fast would you have taken that?”Chris glanced at Logan.
Logan shook his head.“Don’t encourage her.”Camila heard him.“Hi, Logan.”
“Hi, Camila.”
“LOGAN.”
“What?”
“Stop talking to my girlfriend.”Logan stared at him.“She’s on speaker.”
“I know.”Camila laughed.For three seconds, it almost felt normal.Then the vehicle behind her slammed into her bumper.The SUV lurched.“CHRIS!”His smile disappeared.
“What happened?”
“They hit me!”
“Keep your eyes forward.”
“They’re trying to run me off the road!”
“I know.”Chris’s voice changed.No teasing.No Roman.Federal agent.“Hands steady. Don’t fight every movement.”The SUV fishtailed.Camila’s instinct screamed to jerk the wheel.
She didn’t.Small correction.Wait.Another.The SUV straightened.“Oh my God.”
“You good?”
“Yes.”
“The baby?”
“I don’t know!”Chris’s face went white.Logan looked over.Chris tightened his grip.“Okay.”
One word.Controlled.But Logan could see his knuckles turning white.“Camila, listen to me.”
“I am.”
“Your only job is getting to me.”She swallowed.“Okay.”
“Nothing else matters.”Another shot cracked.The rear window shattered.
Camila screamed and ducked.Chris’s blood turned to ice.“CAMILA!”
“I’m okay!”
“Don’t duck!”
“They’re shooting at me!”
“I know. Eyes forward.”
“Chris—”
“Your vehicle is moving at highway speed. You need to see the road.”Camila forced herself upright.Tears streamed down her face.“I’m so scared.”Those three words destroyed him more than the gunfire.Chris’s voice softened.“I know.”
“What if I can’t do this?”
“You already are.”
“I can’t drive like you.”
“I don’t need you to.”Chris leaned closer toward the phone.“I need you to drive like you.”Camila swallowed.“Which isn’t very reassuring.”
“You stole a cartel SUV, escaped armed men, took a service road, made two turns without destroying the transmission, and you’ve kept yourself alive this long.”A tiny laugh escaped her.“You noticed the transmission?”
“I notice everything.”
“You’re annoying.”
“Stay annoyed.”She smiled through tears.“I can do that.”
“Good.”Chris looked at the navigation screen.They were converging.Fast.
“Two minutes.”
“What?”
“I’m two minutes from you.”Camila’s breath caught.“Really?”
“Really.”
“Chris.”
“Yeah?”
“Hurry.”He pushed the accelerator down.Logan looked at the speedometer.Then slowly reached for the grab handle.“Oh, fuck.”Chris glanced over.“What?”
“You’re doing that thing again.”
“What thing?”
“The thing where you forget roads have speed limits.”Chris looked ahead.“Federal emergency.”
“That’s not how physics works.”
“It is today.”Camila flew through another intersection.Behind her, Diego’s vehicle followed.She could see him now.Not clearly.But enough.Diego sat in the passenger seat.
He was furious.Good.Camila smiled.“You look pissed.”Chris heard her.“Who?”
“Diego.”Chris’s entire demeanor changed.“You can see him?”
“Behind me.”
“How close?”
“Too close.”Chris looked at Logan.“Confirm Diego’s in pursuit.”Logan transmitted it.Mercer’s voice answered over the radio.“Units converging. Walker, do not engage alone.”
Chris said nothing.“Walker.”
“Copy.”Logan looked over.“You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
“You absolutely are.”
“I’m going to follow protocol.”Logan stared.Chris glanced over.
“As much as circumstances permit.”
“There it is.”Camila suddenly said:“Chris?”
“Yeah?”
“Another intersection.”
“Signs.”
“County Road Twelve.”Chris knew exactly where she was.His eyes moved toward the road ahead.They were about to meet.“Stay straight.”
“What?”
“Do not turn.”
“Okay.”
“Keep your lane.”
“Why?”Chris’s heart began pounding.Because he could see vehicles approaching in the distance.One Car.Then another.Black.Fast.Camila squinted through the windshield.
“There’s something coming.”
“Me.”Her breath stopped.“What?”
“That’s me.”Camila stared.The black FBI Charger came over the rise.Her eyes filled instantly.“Chris.”
“I see you.”
“Oh my God.”
“I see you, baby.”Camila laughed through tears.“I’m right here.”
“I know.”Chris’s entire body reacted to the sight of her.Alive.Driving.Coming toward him.
But then he saw the vehicle behind her.Diego.Chris’s face went cold.“Camila.”
“Yeah?”
“When I pass you, do not slow down.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Taking over.”
“Chris—”
“Keep going.”The two vehicles approached.Camila’s stolen SUV.Chris’s Charger.For one fraction of a second—they were side by side.Camila turned.Chris turned.Their eyes met.
Everything disappeared.The FBI.The cartel.The road.The guns.For that one impossible second—Chris saw her.Camila.Alive.His girlfriend.The woman carrying his child.Then they passed.Chris looked in the mirror.
“Now.”He braked.Hard.Turned.The Charger swung around.Logan grabbed the handle.
“Fucking Shit Walker your crazy as hell!”Chris completed the maneuver and accelerated.Now they were traveling in the same direction as Camila.Chris gained rapidly.Camila watched him in the mirror. “What are you doing?”
“Getting behind you.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re not touching you again.”The Charger came up behind Camila.Between her and Diego.Chris’s jaw tightened.“There.”Camila realized what he’d done.Her stolen SUV in front.Chris behind.Diego behind Chris.A shield.Her throat tightened.“Chris.”
“What?”
“You’re between us.”
“Yes.”
“They’re shooting.”
“I know.”
“Then move!”
“No.”
“Chris!”
“Drive.”
“They’ll shoot you!”
“Drive, Camila.”
“No!”His voice sharpened.“Get yourself and our baby to those federal units.”Her breath caught.Ahead—flashing lights.FBI.State police.Roadblock forming.Safety.Behind—Chris.“I’m not leaving you.”
“You’re not.”
“How is driving away from you not leaving you?”
“Because I’m right behind you.”
“You promise?”Chris stared at Diego’s approaching vehicle in his mirror.“Always.”
Camila swallowed.Then accelerated.Diego’s driver pushed closer.Chris watched him.
“Come on.”Logan looked over.“Please don’t talk to the cartel vehicle.”
“They’re trying to get around.”Chris shifted his position.Diego moved left.
Chris blocked.Right.Chris blocked again.He wasn’t chasing yet.He was denying them access to Camila.Every move Diego made toward her—Chris answered.Camila’s SUV grew farther ahead.Good.Keep going.
“Walker,” Mercer came over the radio. “Protectee is approaching our units.”Chris didn’t respond.His eyes remained on Diego. “Walker, disengage once she clears.”
“No.”Logan looked at him.Mercer repeated:“Disengage.”
“Negative.”
“Walker.”
“He’s here.”
“We know.”
“I have him.”
“We have units behind you.”Chris glanced in the mirror.Nothing close enough.“Not yet you don’t.”The vehicle behind surged forward.Diego’s driver tried passing on the shoulder.
Chris moved over.Blocked.The vehicles nearly touched.Logan braced himself.“You realize this government car has paperwork attached to it?”Chris stared ahead.“Send it to me.”
“You’re definitely paying for this one.”Camila heard them.Despite everything, she laughed.Then she saw the roadblock.Agents waving her through.Her relief hit so hard she nearly sobbed.“Chris, I see them.”
“I know.”
“What do I do?”
“Slow down.”She eased off.“Signal.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“I’m escaping a cartel.”
“And you’re entering a federal perimeter. Signal.”Camila flipped the turn signal.“You’re ridiculous.”
“I love you too.”She laughed.The agents opened the lane.Camila drove through.Federal vehicles immediately closed behind her.Safe.Chris saw it.His shoulders dropped.Only slightly.“Mercer.”
“Go.”
“She’s through?”
“Confirmed.”Chris closed his eyes for half a second.Alive.Camila.Baby.Safe.
Then his eyes opened.Everything changed.Camila was no longer the chase.
Now Diego was.Chris’s voice went cold.“Logan.”Logan already knew.“Oh, no.”
Chris pressed the accelerator.The Charger surged forward.“Chris?” Camila said over the phone.
“Stay with the agents.”
“What are you doing?”
“Finishing this.”
“No.”
“Camila.”
“No. Absolutely not. You got me. We’re done.”
“Diego isn’t.”She looked in the mirror.Chris’s Charger disappeared beyond the federal vehicles.Her heart dropped.“Chris!”He heard the fear.His expression softened for one second.“I need you to trust me.”
“I already did that!”
“One more time.”
“Chris—”
“I love you.”Her eyes filled.“That’s not fair.”
“I know.”
“Come back to me.”His hand tightened around the wheel.“Always.”The call disconnected as Mercer took over communication with her.Chris looked ahead.Diego’s vehicle was accelerating away.For hours, Diego had controlled everything.The safe-house attack.
The diversion.Camila’s kidnapping.The abandoned property.The trap.The pursuit.Not anymore.Chris accelerated.Logan looked toward him.“So this is the part where you do the terrifying FBI-driver thing?”Chris glanced at him.“You’ve seen me drive.”
“Unfortunately.”Chris smiled.Then his expression hardened.“Hold on.”Logan grabbed the handle.“Fuck.”The Charger roared forward.Diego’s vehicle was ahead.Chris was gaining.Fast.The roles had reversed.Diego wasn’t hunting Camila anymore.
He wasn’t chasing leverage.He wasn’t controlling the operation.He was running.And behind him was the federal agent he’d underestimated from the beginning.Chris Roman had gotten inside Mateo’s cartel.But Roman was gone.The man behind the wheel now was Special Agent Chris Walker.The man Diego had attacked.The man whose girlfriend he’d kidnapped.The father whose unborn child he’d threatened.Chris’s eyes locked onto Diego’s vehicle.There were only two speeds.Stopped.And fast.Chris pushed the accelerator down.
Fast it was.