“I’m sorry, Aunt Sarah, but we really do have to go, and you’re coming with us.”
Her shoulders dropped, and she huffed out a breath of frustration. “Very well.”
Thank God.
She picked up her bag from the table, the one she wouldn’t let Kingsley carry. She was a stubborn one, that was for sure. But I would be relieved to get out of here. I wasn’t sure what would happen now—if we’d head back to the cabin, or if we’d remain watching for if or when Hollan showed up—but I felt better knowing she was safe.
From outside, the muffled thrum of helicopter blades sent vibrations through the air.
My heart skipped in my chest. The chopper Alex had spotted. “Is it Hollan?”
Isaac looked to me, his lips a thin line. “Not sure, but I don’t want to hang around and find out.”
Surely Hollan wouldn’t start shooting at us from a helicopter in the middle of the city? Even the police wouldn’t resort to that in a built up, residential area.
But urgency pressed on my back, and, with Kingsley leading the way, we left the same way we’d arrived. In our small group, we hurried out to the front of the property. Lorcan had moved the car so it was right outside the front of the house, and we all ran for it just as Clay and Alex pulled up behind.
Isaac opened the driver’s door. “Move over,” he told Lorcan.
Lorcan did as he was told and scooted across to the passenger seat, allowing Isaac to climb behind the wheel. I assumed Isaac figured if we needed to make a quick getaway, having someone with an injury driving wasn’t the best idea.
The rest of us crammed in the back, me and Aunt Sarah first, with Kingsley squeezing in beside me. We wedged our bags down by our feet. It occurred to me that we’d have been better spreading out to the other car, but I guessed Isaac wanted more men in the car in case something happened. He wouldn’t want to leave Aunt Sarah and me unprotected.
Isaac pulled away from the curb quicker than normal, but not enough to draw attention, and Alex and Clay followed.
The steady hum of the helicopter grew louder, and I twisted in the seat to try to spot it in the sky. There it was—a dark shape against the blue. “Shit, is it following us?”
“We might need a plan.” Kingsley leaned forward to address Isaac. “If it’s him, he might be waiting until we get to a less populated area before he makes his move.”
Isaac nodded as he drove, focusing on the road ahead. “Then we need to be on the offensive instead of the defensive. Let him come to us, and we’ll be ready for him.”
Lorcan spoke up from the passenger seat. “What about Darcy and her aunt?”
“Hey, I’m armed,” I protested. I didn’t like being spoken about as though I wasn’t there, and as though I was defenseless. “I can fight.”
“You’re what he’s after.” Lorcan’s voice was curt. “We need to protect you, both of you, not put you in the middle of things.”
Kingsley looked to me. “Seems to me like we’re already in the middle of things.”
I craned my neck to catch sight of the helicopter again. They must have gotten clearance for the chopper. In the current climate, you couldn’t just fly aircraft into the airspace above the capital. That the government might be on Hollan’s side made my stomach twist. We could very easily be painted as the bad guys, while Hollan came out of this smelling of roses.
The traffic slowed, trapping us between vehicles on every side. The inability to move, combined with the claustrophobia of having people and cars closing us in, caused my anxiety to skyrocket. My knee bopped up and down, and I clenched my fists, open and shut.
I peered out of the window again. The helicopter had moved farther away, but was still visible—a black semi-circle with blades and a tail. From this distance, I was unable to tell if the aircraft belonged to any kind of establishment, the colors painted on its side indistinguishable. Could we be completely wrong and it was a news helicopter, or even a traffic chopper. We were in rush hour now. We might be wrong about this whole thing.
My aunt must have picked up on my anxiousness. “What’s going on, Darcy?”
“Hollan is most likely after us.” I reached out to squeeze her hand. “They’re just trying to get us somewhere safe.”
She spoke low, as though that would help Isaac and the others not hear her, even though we were sitting only inches apart. “And who are they?” She lifted her fine eyebrows, and I noted how, despite the urgency to leave, she’d still taken time to draw them on.
“It’s kind of hard to explain right now.” I wished I had an easy answer for that question. “They keep an eye on authority figures who look like they’re crossing a line.”
“Shouldn’t the police be doing that?” She frowned. “Or the FBI?”
“Sometimes it’s the police or the feds who are the ones who need keeping an eye on.”
Her eyes widened behind her glasses. She was a smart woman. She knew what I was telling her—that these men worked below the radar.
The traffic continued to crawl forward, but the helicopter remained buzzing back and forth above us, like a wasp at a picnic that refused to go away.
“This is Kingsley.” I gestured to where he was sitting beside me, and he twisted to nod at my aunt.
“Ma’am.”
“The guy in the passenger seat is Lorcan.”
Lorcan lifted his hand in greeting. “Hey.”
“And the one driving is Isaac.” I hesitated and then added, “And he’s the one in charge.”
Isaac didn’t say anything. He was driving and must not want to be distracted. I guessed he had to concentrate. He pulled around one vehicle and got in behind the next. I glanced back to see Clay and Alex following, and a car blasted its horn as their vehicle cut in front. The helicopter stayed with us.
Isaac pressed his lips together. “We need to get out of sight of that chopper.”
Worry fluttered inside me. “You really think it’s him?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Me, too,” Kingsley agreed.
I bit my lower lip. “Shit.”
“I’ll take George Washington downtown. See if we can lose them there.”
I frowned. “Shouldn’t we be trying to leave the city, not head further downtown?”
Lorcan spoke up. He only seemed to speak when there was something of importance to say. “That’s what Hollan will want us to do. Get us out in the open and away from people. He won’t want witnesses, and we won’t be able to run with him following us like this.”
We took the bridge across the river, the second car containing Clay and Alex following us. Isaac’s phone buzzed, and Isaac handed it to Lorcan to answer. Lorcan did so and then put it on speaker.
Isaac leaned over to speak. “Alex?”
Alex’s voice came through the phone. “What’s the plan, Isaac?”
“We have to get rid of this chopper. You seen any other vehicles following?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“They’re probably using the satellite as well. We need to dump the cars.”
His voice was tinny through the speaker. “Where? The moment we do, they’ll see us.”
“Stay close. I’ve got an idea, but be prepared to react quickly. It may not work.”
“What are you going to do, Isaac?”
He didn’t reply.
“I don’t like this,” Aunt Sarah said. “I think you should let me out.”
Kingsley twisted toward her once more. “If we do that, Hollan will pick you up, and then we can in no way guarantee your safety.”
“I don’t think you can do that anyway,” she replied.
No one answered her. She had a point, but I knew there was no way Isaac was going to let her out. He’d lock the car doors and put a gun to her head if he had to. He had it in him to do so.
We reached the other side of the river, following the line of cars into the city. Still the chopper hovered above us, always maintaining enough distance to keep sight of us,
without getting so close that we’d be able to get a good look at them. They must be FBI. There was no way they’d be allowed this close to the White House’s airspace without clearance.
Isaac took Pennsylvania Avenue, the vehicles four abreast. He swerved in and out of traffic, pushing the car as fast as he could without causing extra attention from the cops. We didn’t want to get pulled over for traffic violations right now.
Ahead of us, the rectangular mouth of the 3rd Street Tunnel yawned, the road starting to curve downward.
“Everyone buckled in?” Isaac called back.
My heart tripped. “What are you planning?”
“Just brace yourselves the moment I say so.”
What the hell? I reached out and took hold of Aunt Sarah’s hand. She gave me a worried look, and I squeezed her fingers, trying to give her reassurance I didn’t feel myself.
We entered the tunnel with its tiled walls and dim lighting. I checked behind again, making sure Alex and Clay were still with us. They were close behind. Despite knowing Isaac was planning something, a tiny part of me relaxed, knowing we were hidden from the chopper during the time we spent in the tunnel. We’d emerge soon enough, however, and then what would we do?
The end of the tunnel got closer, opening out into bright white daylight. I could also now see the oncoming traffic on the opposite side of the road as it entered the tunnel traveling in the opposite direction. Where the two flows of traffic had been divided up until this point, there was a gap in the barriers as we began to leave the tunnel. Only a strip of tape and a few cones, perhaps left over from a previous accident, separated us from the other side.
“Brace!” Isaac suddenly yelled.
Instinctively, I grabbed hold of Sarah, using my arm stretched across her body to pin her back against the seat. Before I could even scream, Isaac wrenched the steering wheel and swung the car through the gap. Brightly colored cones flew into the air, one of them bouncing off the windshield, and tape fluttered like a kite that had lost its gust of wind. Isaac yanked the car hard so it spun into the direction of the oncoming traffic to go back into the tunnel on the other side. Horns blared.
An SUV clipped the back of the car, throwing us forward, and sending us spinning into traffic. I screamed, tensing against what I was sure would be another car hitting us. All around us, a cacophony of brakes screeched, and horns blared as the traffic was brought to a standstill. It felt as though the car would never stop moving, but it did, sideways, blocking the traffic behind us.
Clay must have had quick reactions, as I glanced back to see their car had managed to follow us.
“Everyone out,” Isaac yelled, throwing open the car door and climbing out. Neither Kingsley or Lorcan hesitated for a moment, their doors swinging open so they exited the car as well. The vehicle we’d hit had also ended sideways, blocking more of the traffic. A man in his thirties, wearing a suit, climbed from the car. He looked unhurt but confused about what had happened. Other vehicles tried to crawl by on the outside lane, more concerned about not being late for work than if anyone had been injured during the ‘accident.’
“Come on, Aunt Sarah,” I said, scooting along the seat to the open door, grabbing her hand to drag her with me. “We’ve got to get out.”
She was pale, and I saw her long, slim hands trembling. “What on earth is going on, Darcy?”
“We have to do what Isaac says.”
I gave her hand another tug. “Please, Aunt Sarah. They know what they’re doing.” I sure as hell hoped that was true. “And we can’t just sit here.”
Traffic was quickly building behind us. My point got across to the rational part of her, and she jerked her head in a nod and started to follow me out. I climbed out and then helped her from the car, so we all stood in the road. I glanced back to see Clay and Alex running toward us, weaving between stationary cars.
The suited guy shook his head at Isaac. “What the hell happened?”
Isaac reached into the back of his pants, where his gun was hidden, and pulled the weapon. “Sorry mate, but we’re going to need your car.”
The suited man’s eyes widened. “What?”
“You heard me.” Isaac gestured with the barrel of the gun. “Now move.”
The man put his hands into the air. His vehicle was a seven-seater, and would easily fit all of us. The front was dented where it had hit Isaac’s car, but would still run.
“Quick, everyone in,” Isaac yelled to us. “Before Hollan realizes anything’s wrong.”
He would soon enough, when the traffic build-up from this end of the tunnel became more noticeable. Though he’d seen us enter from the other side, he’d figure out soon enough that we hadn’t emerged. I pushed Aunt Sarah forward, toward the other man’s car. I couldn’t see the confusion on her face, but I couldn’t have her asking questions and fighting me. We just needed to do what Isaac said.
“Come.” Alex appeared at Sarah’s side and took her elbow. With her other hand, she clutched the bag she’d brought with her from the house. With a sinking in my stomach, I realized I’d left my backpack in the car, but there wasn’t time for me to go back and grab it. “We need to move quickly.”
She glanced up at him. There weren’t many women who wouldn’t be dazzled by Alex’s blond haired, blue-eyed good looks, and she allowed herself to be led toward the car.
“Hey, that’s my car!” the suited man cried, more confused about what was happening than angry.
“You’ll get it back,” Isaac said, gesturing with the gun again. “We’re just borrowing it.”
He jumped behind the wheel. I slid in beside Sarah, and the other guys climbed in, too, Clay and Alex in the third row, Lorcan beside me, and Kingsley in the front. Though it felt as though we’d been swapping cars for ages, probably less than a minute had passed.
Doors slammed shut around me, and Isaac brought the engine back to life. He shoved the SUV into gear and stamped his foot down on the accelerator. It had only been the traffic behind the vehicles that had been brought to a standstill, so the route ahead, which was also heading back the way we had come, was free from traffic apart from the few cars that had managed to slip through.
What Isaac had planned suddenly dawned on me. If Hollan was in the chopper, then he would have seen us driving into the tunnel in two separate black cars, heading west. We were about to leave the tunnel heading in the opposite direction, with all of us in only one car, and it was a red SUV they wouldn’t think to look for, never mind recognize. Yes, Hollan must realize there was something going on, especially when the traffic slowed and we didn’t appear from the end of the tunnel, but this would give us enough time to get away.
Chapter Ten
We burst out of the other end of the tunnel, back into daylight.
I had no doubt the guy we’d just carjacked would be on the phone right now, calling the cops, which would include the description and license plate of his vehicle, so we didn’t have long. We needed to dump the SUV and find something new, but only once we’d put some distance between us and the chopper.
I craned my neck, trying to spot the helicopter. I caught sight of it between the towering, gray buildings of the city skyline, but it was farther away now, and on the east side of the tunnel, waiting for us to appear. I pictured Hollan’s face as it dawned on him that we’d given him the slip, the anger and disbelief contorting his smug features.
Isaac kept his foot down, putting more distance between us and the chopper. The moment the opportunity arose, he left the freeway and drove down the smaller side streets, leaving downtown and the helicopter containing Hollan behind us. Even though we were driving a stolen car, I found myself relaxing a little. I glanced over at my aunt to try to smile at her, but she stared resolutely ahead, deliberately not making eye contact with me. The weight of worry pressed on my chest, making it hard for me to breathe. Yes, we’d managed to lose Hollan for the moment, but Sarah had just witnessed us causing a car accident and then stealing a vehicle.
; Isaac’s voice broke my train of thought. “We’re going to need to dump this vehicle, or the police are going to be on our tail.” He spoke loud enough for us all to hear. “I’m sure Hollan will be able to tune into police radio. He’ll put two and two together, and figure out what we did soon enough.”
“We’ll be better on foot,” Clay called from the back, leaning forward in his seat.
Isaac nodded. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”
Despite knowing we needed to lose the car, Isaac pushed on, increasing the miles between us and the helicopter. I could barely see it from the rear view now, the buildings surrounding us obscuring the skyline, so I only caught the occasional glimpse, and I no longer heard the thrum of the blades.
Within ten minutes, Isaac pulled into a residential area and parked the SUV. It was a smart area, with mature trees planted at uniform distances along the sidewalk. The townhouses were attached to each other, but individual steps led up to elegant front doors, and I couldn’t see anyone loitering around. These kinds of places were owned by professional people, and most would already be at work by now.
Isaac twisted in his seat to address us. “We should probably split up. We’ll be less noticeable that way.”
His words sent a jolt of adrenaline through me. “No, we’re not splitting up.” I hated the thought of not knowing everyone was safe. “We need to stick together.”
His lips twisted, his brow drawing down in a frown. He considered my words then exhaled through his nose. “Okay, but we need transport. Move quickly, but don’t run. We don’t want to look suspicious.”
The group of us—five gorgeous guys, plus me and my aunt, who was in her fifties, made me think that we already looked like a strange group, and we were bound to draw some attention, but I didn’t say so.
Each of us climbed out. We left the stolen car behind and hurried down the street, putting several blocks between us. Not only did we not want to get caught with the car, each of us, except Aunt Sarah, was also armed, and I didn’t think that would go down too well with the cops if we gave them any reason to want to search us. I felt vulnerable on foot, however. Isaac periodically yanked at the doors of the parked cars we passed, trying to find one already unlocked, I assumed, to steal.
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