started to thud as she felt him watching her.
His phone beeped, and she was relieved for a change of subject as he read the screen.
“Text from Sam. First van’s ten minutes out. Second one’s not far behind.”
She downed some more water as he put the phone away.
“So.” She cleared her throat. “Tell me about Sam.”
He looked startled. “What about him?”
“How long have you been working together?”
“Two years.”
“Is he married?”
“Divorced.”
“Hmm. And he’s from where, Baltimore?”
His gaze narrowed. “How’d you know that?”
“My grandmother lived there. I remember the accent.”
He watched her, and she could tell she’d thrown him for a loop by asking about his partner. If he had any ideas about hitting on her, she wanted to nip them in the bud and save them both the embarrassment.
Maddie glanced out the window again as a man exited the store and stopped on the sidewalk to light a cigarette. She looked at his hands, his face, his body. He glanced up, and she made a small, strangled sound.
“What?” Brian looked at her.
“That’s him,” she whispered, easing low in the seat.
“With the bandage on his nose? Are you sure?”
“Positive.” She remembered the FBI cap on her head and turned away so he couldn’t see it. Her heart was pounding now as she recalled his eyes, his weight, his fingers digging into her neck. Right before she’d smacked him in the face and managed to run.
“He’s leaving.” Brian started the car.
“What are you doing?”
“Tailing him.”
“Don’t let him see us.”
“Call Sam.” He handed her the phone as he backed out of the space. “Just hit redial.”
As Maddie made the call, Brian reached over and pulled the cap off her head. He tossed it to the floor and turned out of the parking lot as Sam answered.
“Sam, it’s Maddie.”
Silence.
“I’m with Brian, and we’re in pursuit of a black SUV.” In pursuit . Now she sounded like a cop. “We think Volansky is inside. We just saw him come out of a convenience store.”
“You get a license plate?”
“It’s too far away. He’s three cars ahead of us.”
“Tell him we’re heading west on Eighth Street,” Brian ordered. “Scratch that, he’s turning south. Tell him he’s going south on—what’s that street called?”
“He’s turning south on Sycamore,” Maddie said. “That’s away from the apartment.”
Brian veered into the right-hand lane. He made the turn, and the black SUV shot forward.
“We’re burned.” He pounded the wheel. “Damn it.”
Brian stomped on the gas, and Maddie was thrust back against the seat. She transferred the phone to the other hand so she could fasten her seat belt.
“Maddie? You there?” Sam asked.
“I think he spotted us.”
Brian raced through a yellow light. The SUV’s brake lights flashed, and it whipped around a corner. Tires squealed as Brian followed.
“East on Fifth.” Brian darted a look at her. “Tell him.”
“We’re heading east on Fifth Street. Where are you guys?”
Muffled sounds on the other end as Sam talked to someone.
“Hold on.” Brian flung out his arm and pressed her against the seat as he swung around a corner.
“Where are you going?” she squeaked.
“To cut him off.”
Her head whipped forward as he slammed on the brakes and rounded another corner. Then he stomped on the gas again, and they sped down a street. Brake lights glowed in front of them. He swerved into the opposite lane to avoid a pickup. Headlights blinded them. Horns blared. He accelerated past the truck and swerved back, just in time to miss a head-on collision.
Maddie’s heart skipped a beat. She clutched the phone in her hand and held her breath as he raced through another yellow light. He slowed at the next intersection and careened around the corner in time to see the black SUV shoot through a red light.
“Shit!” Brian pounded the wheel again.
“Maddie? What’s going on?” Sam
His phone beeped, and she was relieved for a change of subject as he read the screen.
“Text from Sam. First van’s ten minutes out. Second one’s not far behind.”
She downed some more water as he put the phone away.
“So.” She cleared her throat. “Tell me about Sam.”
He looked startled. “What about him?”
“How long have you been working together?”
“Two years.”
“Is he married?”
“Divorced.”
“Hmm. And he’s from where, Baltimore?”
His gaze narrowed. “How’d you know that?”
“My grandmother lived there. I remember the accent.”
He watched her, and she could tell she’d thrown him for a loop by asking about his partner. If he had any ideas about hitting on her, she wanted to nip them in the bud and save them both the embarrassment.
Maddie glanced out the window again as a man exited the store and stopped on the sidewalk to light a cigarette. She looked at his hands, his face, his body. He glanced up, and she made a small, strangled sound.
“What?” Brian looked at her.
“That’s him,” she whispered, easing low in the seat.
“With the bandage on his nose? Are you sure?”
“Positive.” She remembered the FBI cap on her head and turned away so he couldn’t see it. Her heart was pounding now as she recalled his eyes, his weight, his fingers digging into her neck. Right before she’d smacked him in the face and managed to run.
“He’s leaving.” Brian started the car.
“What are you doing?”
“Tailing him.”
“Don’t let him see us.”
“Call Sam.” He handed her the phone as he backed out of the space. “Just hit redial.”
As Maddie made the call, Brian reached over and pulled the cap off her head. He tossed it to the floor and turned out of the parking lot as Sam answered.
“Sam, it’s Maddie.”
Silence.
“I’m with Brian, and we’re in pursuit of a black SUV.” In pursuit . Now she sounded like a cop. “We think Volansky is inside. We just saw him come out of a convenience store.”
“You get a license plate?”
“It’s too far away. He’s three cars ahead of us.”
“Tell him we’re heading west on Eighth Street,” Brian ordered. “Scratch that, he’s turning south. Tell him he’s going south on—what’s that street called?”
“He’s turning south on Sycamore,” Maddie said. “That’s away from the apartment.”
Brian veered into the right-hand lane. He made the turn, and the black SUV shot forward.
“We’re burned.” He pounded the wheel. “Damn it.”
Brian stomped on the gas, and Maddie was thrust back against the seat. She transferred the phone to the other hand so she could fasten her seat belt.
“Maddie? You there?” Sam asked.
“I think he spotted us.”
Brian raced through a yellow light. The SUV’s brake lights flashed, and it whipped around a corner. Tires squealed as Brian followed.
“East on Fifth.” Brian darted a look at her. “Tell him.”
“We’re heading east on Fifth Street. Where are you guys?”
Muffled sounds on the other end as Sam talked to someone.
“Hold on.” Brian flung out his arm and pressed her against the seat as he swung around a corner.
“Where are you going?” she squeaked.
“To cut him off.”
Her head whipped forward as he slammed on the brakes and rounded another corner. Then he stomped on the gas again, and they sped down a street. Brake lights glowed in front of them. He swerved into the opposite lane to avoid a pickup. Headlights blinded them. Horns blared. He accelerated past the truck and swerved back, just in time to miss a head-on collision.
Maddie’s heart skipped a beat. She clutched the phone in her hand and held her breath as he raced through another yellow light. He slowed at the next intersection and careened around the corner in time to see the black SUV shoot through a red light.
“Shit!” Brian pounded the wheel again.
“Maddie? What’s going on?” Sam
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