— Tony, I need your help. He looked again at Laura, who continued to stare straight ahead, and spoke: - Do you have any acquaintances in Vegas?
— I won't even try to imagine the depth of the cesspool, into which you climbed again, - Tony sighed, but continued dryly, busily: - There are a couple of guys rustling quietly. What do you need?
— Car. Chris looked out the window. - Can you arrange?
— Ford? Dodge? Chrysler? Tony began to list, but Chris interrupted him.
— Something classic. And roomy.
— No problem. It will cost you five hundred. Where and when to fit? After dictating the address, Chris finally allowed himself a smile.
— Thank.
— I still keep the lasagna in the refrigerator, remember that, ”Tony joked grimly. - Take care of yourself.
— Wait! One more request.
— One more? West Point, you'll never pay me off!
— Call this number, - he dictated the number to Denise, - tell me that I will contact when I have the opportunity. And that everything is all right with me.
— Already got a girlfriend? Tony chuckled cheerfully.
— This is my friend, ”Chris replied calmly.
— Well, yes, I have three such friends in each city. Okay, I'll call you. Chris put the phone down and spun it thoughtfully on the table.
— Did you ask to call Denise? - burst out from Laura.
— Yes, - it seems Chris did not attach much importance to this issue. Removing his hands, he looked at the plate the waitress had placed. The aroma of fresh baked goods emanated from the golden crust, mixing with the smell of stew, and the stomach reminded of itself with a quiet rumbling - except for breakfast, which seemed to be an eternity ago, they had not eaten anything since morning.
Laura was listlessly picking at her pie - she had no appetite. The fear gradually dulled - when I looked at the calm, collected Chris, the confidence that everything would be fine was ripening in my chest. Father entrusted him with her life, well, now it's time to find out how much he understands people. Allowing herself to forget for a while about the ax hovering over their heads, Laura couldn't help but think about what the hell was going on between them. Who are they to each other now? And did last night change their relationship so much, or does it only seem to her, and for Chris, nothing out of the ordinary happened?
This was not the case, and Laura could deceive herself as much as she wanted, but during the weeks together, she managed to get to know Chris. At least a little. He wouldn't cross the line if he wasn't going to continue. But why then now he behaved as if nothing had happened? Because she disappointed him? Or from the fact that they had to run, hiding from ... She didn't even really understand who they were running from.
— This is the mafia, ”Chris replied quietly: Laura didn’t notice that she said the last question aloud. - Imagine that you have everything you can only dream of, - he grinned - Laura had everything. “But you want more, the last thing you can achieve - power. Can you imagine how information on a flash drive could prevent Kelly from entering the Capitol?
— Will he be jailed? Laura asked uncertainly. Chris nodded.
— Him, Bradford and a bunch of people tied to them. Your father was killed for this flash drive. And now they will kill us if we do not have time to transfer her to Washington.
Laura shivered. My stomach cramped with a sharp spasm, and the pie rolled up to my throat, begging to come out.
— Who do you have in Washington? She asked weakly.
— Friend. Chris chuckled again. - Former. After I was seated, he came once. He told me to understand him - there should not be stains in his career in the form of friendship with prisoners. Then we saw each other for the last time.
— And do you think he will agree to help us?
— He has to. On duty. Chris stared into her eyes. - He works for the FBI. I think they are aware that your father was collecting dirt. I wouldn't be surprised if he made a deal with them, and they are waiting and looking for this flash drive.
— But why can't we call him from here and ask him to pick her up?
“I don’t have his number,” Chris sighed regretfully. “All there is is an address in Washington.
— But maybe it is worth contacting those who collaborated with your father?
— And, perhaps, pass the information directly into the hands of the one who set him up?
— Why is everything so hard? Laura asked plaintively.
Chris didn't answer, glancing at his watch. The arrows froze, as if in mockery, adding to the nervousness. The silence that hung between them rang with tension and fear. Laura studied Chris from under her brows. Leaning back on the couch, he casually fiddled with his phone, looking at the passers-by outside the window. Chris seemed far away now, further away than he had been an hour ago, and this distance was increasing before our eyes, separating them again. Sighing softly, Laura asked:
— How do you understand that those people ... That they belong to this ... Architect's gang?
Chris turned to her, paused, as if wondering whether to explain, then looked around and reluctantly pulled up the sleeve of his T-shirt, pointing to two cubes passing through each other.
— This tattoo denotes belonging to his clan. They had the same.
Believe me, they don't just get such drawings.
— Have you been there too? .. With them? ..
Laura looked incredulously, as if she was seeing him for the first time. Chris is a criminal - a truth that Laura happily forgot.
— In prison you don't have much choice: either you are with them, or against them. - He stared at her, looking for signs of disgust or fear, which, however, was more than natural in this situation. But Laura suddenly leaned forward, covered his hands with hers and said with regret:
— I'm sorry I got you involved in this.
— You couldn't have known. The corner of his mouth twitched.
— I couldn't, but if something happens ... Something irreparable, you ...
— If anything happens to you, I can't wait for a good recommendation. Chris allowed himself a wry smile. “So, believe me, I’ll take care of your safety more than mine.
— I see, ”Laura nodded sourly, turning away. Security. Reputation. What worried him the most now. Correctly? Undoubtedly. But that's not what she wanted to hear back. What did you want? Laura sighed to herself, biting her cheek. She needed him. It hurt him much more than she did, to realize it, to accept it all the more.
— So what are our plans? She asked quietly when the silence became unbearable. Chris silently took out a card he bought at the mall and laid it out on the table. Laura,
unable to restrain herself, she raised her eyebrows in surprise.
— I haven't seen anyone using a card for a long time.
— Our new phones don't have a navigator, in case you forgot. - Chris found Las Vegas and slid his finger along the track. “I’m more used to it,” he muttered reluctantly, without taking his eyes off the map. Laura looked at him and could hardly refrain from smiling: he suddenly seemed so ... touching.
— It will take two days, ”he finally said, busily removing the map and signaling to the waitress to calculate. When they left the cafe, the sun was still high enough but shadows already lengthened per back. Hot air trembled haze, rising from the asphalt. Laura sighed - the heat instantly deprived of strength, how can you live here? As expected, the benches under the palm trees along the street were empty - who wants to spend time in the heat when there is air conditioning? It seemed to Laura that she had spread over the tree in a big blot, as soon as she sat down.
— Does the heat not affect you at all? She asked involuntarily, glancing sideways at Chris. He shrugged. It was worse in Iraq. But it's better not to tell her about it. It was enough for him how his eyes changed at the mention of the prison past. But quite recently it seemed that ... Chris did not have time to think it out - a burgundy pickup truck stopped a few yards, moderately shabby, m
oderately new. Almost immediately the phone rang, and Chris, with a warning glance at Laura, got up and walked over to the car. A short conversation, money and documents passed from hand to hand, and a short Mexican, nodding dryly, crossed to the other side, got into a parked car, and he immediately took off.
— Tony did not disappoint, - Chris smiled contentedly, tossing the keys in his hand. Laura quickly climbed into the passenger seat, exhaling with relief - it was cool in the cabin. Chris relaxed - you could feel it, and Laura also wanted to smile for no reason, loosening the strained nerves. Las Vegas was quickly left behind, and with nothing to do, Laura pulled out a map, starting to consider their route.
— There are so many reserves, ”she drawled dreamily and added quietly:“ All my life I dreamed of driving across the country by car.
— Hardly in your dreams there were fellow travelers like me, ”Chris remarked distantly.
— We're all right? “Well, she said aloud what had haunted since dinner, and now she shrank, waiting for his answer.
— Why do you ask? - Chris's voice sounded even, he didn't even try
turn around, and the heart, squeezing, sank down, starting to beat dully, with interruptions.
— Are you sorry about what happened at night? - Laura decided that it is better to clarify everything at once than harass yourself with thoughts that only make it worse.
—Where did you get this? He did cast a quick glance at her, frowning slightly.
— Since you saw those people by the pool, you are not yourself.
— Does that surprise you?
— Not. Of course not. Sorry. - Laura paused, realizing that any claim now would sound silly. How to explain to him that she has little concern for safety, that, no matter how grateful she is for the help, she is still waiting for something else. Simple warmth, sympathy, tenderness. Something that would make it clear: she is not alone. Not next to Chris. Together.
— I was very good with you, - Chris spoke again, after a while. - It's true.
— But ...? ”Laura raised an eyebrow.
— No "but" no, - he turned his gaze to the road.
Laura growled to herself, suppressing the urge to grab him by the shoulders and shake him properly: why should the words be pulled out of him with tongs? Where is that cheerful Chris who had breakfast with her in the room in the morning? Who made you laugh, whose eyes burned, who kissed so that your toes buckled? I wanted to believe that he was here. It's just not the time or the place. I wanted to, but it turned out weakly, because a simple shake of a hand, a simple touch would be enough to feel that everything is in order. Instead, Chris distanced himself from her, intentionally and explicitly. Therefore, for all she wanted, Laura could not believe that it was only about Bradford and the flash drive.
The conversation had gone wrong from the very beginning, and Chris knew perfectly well that it was only himself to blame. This day seemed endless, and night and morning - something left far in the past, to which there will be no return. Maybe turn things around differently with Bradford, they'd have a chance to try. Only one outcome awaited - she had nothing to do next to him. Chris regretted that he was led by his feelings. One glance from Laura in the cafe, when she touched the dark that remained behind him, said more than all the words she could and probably wanted to say now. He perfectly felt her confusion and anger, it was this anger that was the only correct emotion. Chris himself was angry with himself for letting things get this far. That he let her in, allowed her to braid, grow inside, depriving her of the usual control. All these feelings, woven into a tight ball in my chest, did not allow me to think sensibly, made me afraid. Breathe with fear, from which the insides were compressed into an ice lump. Fear that something would happen to her through his fault. Because he will not be able to react in time. Can't save They needed to talk. Just talking, pretending that everything was in order, but the words stuck in my throat, and my hands continued to grip the steering wheel. Take, transfer, make sure everything is in order. And leave, let go into a life in which he has no place.
Laura was silent. She stared stubbornly into the darkness beyond the windows, squinting at the headlights of passing cars. Dolly Cardboard sang on the radio, and her eyes closed of themselves. Laura woke up several times during the night, stubbornly refusing to get into the back seat, on which empty cans of energy drinks were growing steadily.
Chris woke her up in the morning by gently touching her shoulder. They stood in the parking lot by a roadside motel: identical blue doors went off to the right and left, the noise of the freeway
sounded muffled somewhere behind. Laura rubbed her eyes with force and asked hoarsely:
— Where are we?
— We drove through Denver, ”Chris replied. - Let's stop here for a couple of hours: you probably want to take a shower, and I want to sleep.
— I can brush my teeth in the cafe toilet, ”Laura frowned, nodding at the sign in front. But Chris shook his head and smiled wearily.
— I don't want to put you behind the wheel yet, I'm sorry.
— But! .. - Laura began, but immediately stopped short under his warning gaze. She shrugged and flung open the door abruptly, stifling the urge to slam her with all her might. Now he says that they need to hurry, then he is ready to lose several hours for sleep, while they can go on without stopping. What is it? Stubbornness and desire to keep everything under control? Or does he not trust her that much? Laura was about to turn around and be indignant when she heard Chris take things out and close the car, but then he walked around her, going to the door, and the irritation vanished as if by hand - he looked so tired. A belated shame made his cheeks flush: over the past two days he had hardly slept, and he certainly knew better than she about the people who hunt them. A roadside motel may not be the safest place, but so be it.
When Laura got out of the shower, Chris was already asleep - the only thing he had the strength to do: take off his shoes. Sighing, Laura covered him with a blanket and carefully settled down beside him, picking up the TV remote control. Unlike Chris, she felt perfectly rested and full of energy, and remorse for her recent childish outburst of anger flared up with renewed vigor. Laura made a firm promise to herself that she would no longer argue and discuss his decisions. But now it was worth thinking about breakfast and stopping by a roadside cafe.
Chris was awakened three hours later by the alarm clock on his phone. He stretched, wincing from the tingling in the stiff muscles - both lay down and slept in the same position - looked around. And abruptly sat up, for a short moment forgetting how to breathe. Laura was not in the room.
Fear has never been so overwhelming. He seemed to have drunk dry at one moment, leaving a hollow void inside. Chris rushed to the bathroom, pulled the door open, already knowing what he would see there. He rushed to the exit, jumped out, as he was, barefoot, involuntarily squinting at the bright sun. Several parked cars were parked in the courtyard, and a couple swore languidly at a roadside cafe: a man was trying to explain something, a woman was just waving at him. And no one else. Chris took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. I returned to my room, put on my shoes, took out a pistol, hooked on a holster, threw a shirt over a T-shirt. Clear actions, mechanical movements, cold mind. Only my heart was beating deafeningly, and somewhere in the depths of my soul, in the very backyards, fear turned into a corner.
How could you find them so quickly? Did they go from the hotel in Vegas? Was the tail not alone? How could he even miss them? There was no plan. There was not even a hint, suggestions: what to do next. Chris looked around again: Laura's belongings were in place. Wrapped in a paper bag on the table, breakfast is cold. She was not going to go far, otherwise she would have warned. So she was captured somewhere nearby. They grabbed her, pushed her into the car, and there ... Chris breathed out a short breath through tightly clenched teeth - he didn't have to strain his imagination to imagine what they could do to her. I didn’t save, didn’t protect. Later. All accusations and reproaches he will bring down on his
head later. The main thing now is to find Laura.
Once again on the street, Chris looked around: still nothing. The pickup is in place, there are no signs of a break-in. You can't see the footprints around - the wind rolled the dust under your feet, streaming along the ground like a gray drizzle. The cafe said that the girl was seen, she came in about three hours ago, ordered breakfast, took it and left. Where - no one saw, they did not follow. Stepping out onto the porch, Chris put his hand on his visor, looking with growing hopelessness at the highway, along which cars were rushing. Where can I find you, Laura? What's the matter? All alone, scared, in the hands of people who have nothing to lose ...
— Chris! - His heart jumped up, right into his throat, and Chris gasped, choked on air, turning around. She stood at the door in their number and waving hand, smiling. The relief that came at once was so incredible that he froze, unable to budge. Weakness spread beneath his knees, his lips quivered in a smile, but the next second a blinding anger flared inside. Breathing out a short breath, Chris swiftly crossed the parking lot and, without a word, threw open the door, nodding for him to enter.
— I didn't think you were already awake. Imagine, I went out for a minute, thought to take the laptop out of the car, and then the girl felt bad. Her mother jumped out in panic, screaming if there was a doctor, and I ...
She said something, talked, talked, and he just stood and looked, clenching and unclenching his fists. Finally Laura fell silent, realized that he was not reacting in any way, stepped forward, holding out her hand.
— Chris, are you okay? He stepped back abruptly, raised his head.
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