Decoded

The window slowly slid up.

She listened for a moment, then climbed onto the closed toilet lid and thrust her head out the window. It was dark as pitch behind the motel. Trees crowded close to the back of the building.

Maggie scrambled out, almost falling in her haste. When her feet were firmly on the ground, she steadied herself and started toward the woods.

Another gunshot echoed in the night.

Did that mean Slade was still okay? The other weapons hadn’t made that sound.

“Well, well,” a male voice—not Slade’s—announced from behind her. Something hard nudged her in the back. “Just where do you think you’re going?”

A scream withered in her throat.

“That’s what I thought,” he taunted. “Nowhere. Now, get down on your knees and I’ll make this quick.”

Maggie had no weapon. She couldn’t even seem to scream.

He was going to kill her even if she did exactly as he said.

Maggie ran. She burst forward like a racehorse let loose from the starting gate. The ground seemed to move under her feet even as she leaned forward to advance her escape. Every muscle in her body tensed, waiting for the inevitable burn of hot lead piercing her skin.

A blast ricocheted in her ears.

She stumbled and fell face-first to the ground.

Chapter Four

The air exited Slade’s lungs.

The moon peeked from behind the clouds just enough to highlight Maggie’s body facedown on the ground. An unfamiliar sensation slammed into his gut. Was she hit?

He was at her side before the question stopped throbbing in his skull.

She grunted and started to push herself up.

The relief that roared through his veins sent a quake along his limbs. He helped her up, tried to see any injury despite the lack of decent light. “Maggie, did you take a hit?”

She pushed the hair out of her face and looked around. Her attention locked on the guy with the bullet in the back of his skull three feet from her and her breath caught. She made a panicked sound and stumbled back, her body trembling in fear.

There was no time for hysteria. Slade shook her even as he gave himself a mental shake. “Maggie, are you injured?”

She moved her head side to side. “No.” Her hand went to her stomach. “I’m okay. I think I’m okay.”

“We need to hurry.” He couldn’t wait for her to regain her equilibrium or take the time to check the dead guy for ID. They had to get out of here.

Maggie held up a hand. “Give me a second.” She swayed, took a breath and visibly attempted to steady herself.

Slade gritted his teeth and reached for patience. How the hell had she found him so quickly? His contact, no doubt. Bud McCain was the only resource in the States that Slade trusted fully. He’d intervened in Acapulco, ultimately saving the lives of Lucas Camp’s goddaughter and Colby Agency investigator Levi Stark. That move, however, had obviously put McCain on the Dragon’s radar. She had likely tracked him down and made him pay.

Fury raged in Slade’s gut. His best resource and friend, if he’d ever had one, was likely dead. There was no other explanation for her learning Slade’s plans. McCain would never have given up a single detail, but his cell phone or computer would have cyber tracks of where he’d been and what he’d done. A top-notch analyst would be able to find those tracks no matter how well hidden or how meticulously wiped. She would select only the very best in each field for her elite team. Damn her.

Slade should have killed her when he’d had the chance, but he’d scarcely been more than a kid. What does a child know of right versus wrong, bizarre versus normal?

Pushing aside the pointless obsessing, he quickly ticked off their options. Transportation to St. Louis might very well be compromised. The more immediate problem was getting out of here fast.

Slade swore as sirens wailed in the distance.

The car was out of the question now. The highway, too. The increasingly deafening blare of the approaching police made that all too clear.

Hiking his bag onto his shoulder, Slade surveyed the tree line.

The options were sorely limited. “You ready now?”

Maggie nodded.

Running was better than nothing.

Her hand tight in his, he sprinted into the woods.

MAGGIE STRUGGLED TO KEEP UP. Her chest heaved in desperation, but the air just wouldn’t find its way into her lungs. That man was dead…Slade had killed him. But the man had had a gun to her head. Would he have killed her if Slade hadn’t stopped him?

Yes.

Of that part she was sure. Sweet Lord, there was no escaping these people.

She couldn’t do this.

The police were coming to the motel. She’d heard the sirens. She and Slade should go back, explain the situation and get help. He couldn’t do this alone.

Maggie wrenched her hand free of his. The loss of momentum made her stumble. She hit the ground on her hands and knees. Before she could get up and run the other way, Slade was reaching for her.

“We can’t go back, Maggie.”

The trees blocked any prospect of light. She could make out his form but little else. What difference did it make? No matter how well she knew his eyes…his face…every part of him, she didn’t know him. The longer she allowed her foolish indecisiveness to drag out, the harder it would be to do the right thing. “I won’t do this.” She shook her head. “I can’t. I’m going back.” If she did the right thing, maybe he would, too.

Maggie turned around and did what she should have done hours ago. She walked away from the danger that was Slade Keaton.

“You have no reason to trust me.”

His words shouldn’t have stalled her next step, but they did. Dear God, what was wrong with her? She had more sense than this under normal circumstances. Had she lost her mind? She almost laughed out loud. What kind of question was that? Of course she had lost her mind!

“But ask yourself this,” he went on as the desperate debate continued inside her.

She didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. His words and the sound of his voice confused her. She tried to shake him from her head, tried to quiet the questions and doubts spinning out of control in her brain, but he just kept talking.

“Why did I bring you with me?”

The sirens were closer now. Just a few yards through those trees. She stared into the darkness, torn between running and facing his question.

“You have no negotiation value. You’ll only slow me down.”

Maggie closed her eyes and fought back the tears burning there.

“She has never gotten this close.”

Turning slowly to prevent the churning emotions from throwing her off balance, Maggie confronted him. “You want me to believe that you’re protecting me?” The notion was completely ridiculous. She wouldn’t even be here if not for him and his secrets that a master cryptographer couldn’t hope to decode. He had barged into her life, thrown out a baited hook and she had swallowed it without once stepping back and considering the consequences. He had consumed her existence, and his presence had put her in danger. How dare he blame their current dilemma on her! “That you’re doing me a favor?”

“We’re running out of time, Maggie.”

She glanced back in the direction they’d come. Part of her wanted to run… Sweet Jesus, why was she hesitating even for a second?

“I don’t want you to die because of me.”

Maggie tried to drag in a breath, but the new emotion crowded into her chest wouldn’t allow the air to reach its destination. Somehow his words struck a chord so deep she could not deny the note of sincerity in his voice. How could he possess such power over her?

Cautiously closing the distance between them, Maggie made her decision. She would do what she had to do in order to ensure her child’s survival. Nothing else mattered. Her shoulders reared back and her chin lifted as the air sharply filled her chest. “I’ll go along with this for now, but as soon as it’s safe I never want to see you again. Is that clear?”

“Fair enough,” he agreed.

Slowly, he reached out and took her hand, his strong, warm fingers closing around her cold, trembling ones.

For a fleeting moment they stood as still as stone. Then they ran.

4:20 a.m.

SLADE HAD PUT AS MUCH distance as possible between them and the motel, but Maggie was wearing down. She wouldn’t hold out much longer. The police would call in reinforcements in the form of a search team, if they hadn’t already. The motel clerk wouldn’t be able to provide their names since they hadn’t officially registered, but he could provide descriptions. Each passing second could mean the difference between escape and capture. And capture equated to certain death.

Yet, the police were the least of his concerns. She wouldn’t back off simply because her two hired guns had failed. Her reinforcements would be close behind the authorities. Even if the police took Maggie into protective custody, they would never be able to protect her from the Dragon if she decided she wanted to hurt Maggie just to get to him.

No one could…except Slade, and only if he didn’t allow another stupid mistake. He understood this creature who was his mother. Others thought they knew her, but they did not. She was ruthless. Human life meant nothing to her. Nothing was more sacred than the mission.

Maggie stumbled, and Slade caught her before she hit the ground.

“I have to stop a minute.” Breathless, she leaned against the nearest tree and wrapped her arms around herself. The wind was cold. Moving had kept them fairly warm so far.

They needed daylight.

Or some better luck.

“Only for a minute.” Slade checked his cell to narrow down their position relative to the interstate. The motel hadn’t been that far from the highway, but their trek through the woods had, out of necessity, taken them in a different direction. If they could reach the on-ramp before the police issued an APB, they might be able to catch a ride with a passing trucker. Every mile they put between them and Chicago increased their chances of survival.

Slade confirmed the direction they needed to take. “We gotta move.” He held out his hand. After a brief hesitation she placed hers there.

Keeping her so close would make what he had to do that much more difficult, but, for now, he had no alternative. Her survival was his responsibility.

The woods were thick, the canopy above scarcely parting here and there to allow a sliver of moonlight. The underbrush made moving forward difficult. Slade cut the path, pushing through the dense growth, allowing Maggie to have an easier go. Chances were she would see this as a thoughtful act when, in fact, it was nothing more than a way to ensure efficiency. If she slowed down or stopped, he would have to, as well.

Half an hour later the woods started to thin. They were close to the highway. Slade moved faster, anticipation stinging through his veins.

“Wait.” Maggie tugged against his hold.

“We can’t stop.” He started forward once more, but Maggie didn’t budge.

“Go on without me. The police will find me and I’ll swear I don’t know which way you went.”

Explaining why that wouldn’t work would be complicated. They had to keep moving.

Rather than argue, he released her hand and swept her off her feet. With her in his arms, he trudged forward.

“You can’t carry me,” she argued. She squirmed against his chest.

The feel of her hip grinding into his chest had tension firing in his muscles. “Stop fidgeting and this will go a lot more smoothly.” He tuned out the feel of her body. Just as swiftly he banished the images of all those nights they’d spent together in her bed.

Five minutes more and endless gritting of teeth to keep the haunting images at bay and they reached the fence that separated the tree line from the expanse of state-owned right-of-way that ran along the side of the road.

He settled Maggie onto her feet and surveyed the five-foot chain-link wall that stood between them and their destination. Moonlight sifted through the darkness, pooling around their position. The low hum of traffic on the interstate offered the only indication the whole world wasn’t asleep.

She wouldn’t be asleep. Slade’s jaw tightened. She was out there somewhere assessing the feedback and directing every minor reaction as meticulously as a conductor leading an orchestra.

“I’ll climb over.” Slade pushed aside what he could not control and focused on what he could. He turned to Maggie and pointed to the diamond shapes the metal fencing formed. “Use the pattern as finger-and toe-holds. Once you’re up and over, I’ll help you down.”

She drew in a shaky breath. “All right.”

Slade scanned the highway once more, then scaled the fence. He waited on the other side as Maggie slowly climbed the same path. It wasn’t that high, but she was a lot shorter than he was, so he understood her trepidation.

When both legs were on his side of the fence, he placed his hands on either side of her waist. “Let go. I’ve got you.”

There was a hesitation before she followed his instructions. His hands around her waist, he lowered her feet to the ground and she swayed into his chest. He steadied her.

“Thanks.” She squared her shoulders and stepped away from him. “What now?”

Slade surveyed the dark highway. “We head toward the on-ramp and flag down a ride.” And watch for the cops, he didn’t add. If they were lucky, an APB hadn’t been issued yet and there wouldn’t be extra patrols.

“Okay.”

To his surprise she began walking before he did.

The motel was only a few miles behind them. The crisscross route they had taken had brought them back around to where they needed to be. He’d kept to the woods until they were near the on-ramp. His instincts nudged him with the urge to run, but he resisted. Maggie couldn’t run anymore. They stayed close to the fence, trudging through the knee-deep weeds.

“If you spot any headlights, get down,” Slade warned.

“Will the police be looking for us?”

It sounded like hope in her tone. “Yep.”

“We can’t explain what happened and get their help?”

That would seem like the logical thing to do if he were living in a fantasy world. “It’s not the police we need to be afraid of.”

She hurried a little faster. “If we have nothing to fear from them, why can’t they help us?”

“The police can’t protect us, Maggie.”

She stopped. “I need you to explain that part.”

Slade admitted defeat on the issue and turned around. “Fine. It’s not like we’re in a hurry or anything.” If he hadn’t blown a few critical circuits the last couple of years, he would have pulled his weapon and this discussion would have ended already. But, stupidly, he’d allowed complacency to dull his instincts.

“First,” he said more loudly and with far more drama than he’d intended, “if I’m not charged with kidnapping and murder, and we’re put in so-called protective custody, she will have us eliminated. No one can protect us from her. Do you get that? No one.” He didn’t wait around for her response.

“How can anyone be that powerful? Who is this woman?” Maggie hurried to catch up to him.

Light flickered.

“Down.” Slade crouched, tugging Maggie with him.

The headlights grew closer. Not a car. A truck. A big one.

“Go to the side of the road and wave. Maybe the driver will stop. You get the ride and I’ll catch up.”

Maggie searched his face a moment, then shot to her feet and rushed forward, quickly wading from the knee-deep grass to the recently mowed roadside. She waved her arms, moving closer to the pavement.

There was the possibility that if the driver stopped she could use the opportunity to escape. It was a risk he had to take. Any driver was far more likely to stop for a woman alone.

The truck’s air brakes whined as it slowed. As soon as the tractor-trailer came to a complete stop, Maggie rushed to the passenger-side door. She stepped up onto the running board and the window powered down.

Slade braced to run.

Her usually calm voice sounded a little high-pitched. He couldn’t make out what she was saying. She did a lot of gesturing.

“Hurry, Maggie,” he muttered to himself.

She reached for the door handle. He moved forward, staying low enough to use the landscape as cover.

As he neared, he heard Maggie saying, “I really appreciate this. I didn’t know how much farther I could make it.”

Slade dashed across the final expanse of shorter grass and lunged up onto the running board just as Maggie settled into the seat. He had his weapon in his hand before the driver could grab the one stored under his seat.

“We don’t want any trouble,” Slade advised. “We just need a ride.”

The driver glared at him. “What’s the gun for, then?”

“Same thing as the one under your seat.”

“Can we just go?” Maggie pleaded. “We really do need a ride. That’s all.”

Slade knew those shimmering green eyes of hers almost as well as he knew his own. He didn’t have to see her face as she appealed to the driver; he was well aware just how persuasive those jewel beauties could be. The driver didn’t stand a chance.

The man jerked his head toward Slade. “If he puts his gun away, I’ll take you as far as St. Louis.”

Maggie turned to Slade. He nodded and tucked the weapon into his waistband.

“Let’s go,” the driver said, turning his attention to the road. “I’ve got a deadline.”

Maggie scooted over, making room for Slade. He slid in next to her and closed the door. The driver let out on the clutch and the big rig roared forward.

Slade monitored the side mirror as they climbed the on-ramp to the interstate. Now all he had to worry about were roadblocks.

“You’re the couple the cops are looking for,” the man suggested.

Maggie turned to Slade, her eyes wide, her face pale.

“Unfortunately,” Slade admitted. Denying the accusation would be a waste of energy.

“Those men tried to kill us,” Maggie offered. “They just started shooting.” Her words warbled. “We tried to run away, but they came after us.”

The driver sent a sideways look at Slade. His sympathies lay solely with Maggie. “I guess you were in too big a hurry to explain things to the police.”

Slade put one arm around Maggie’s shoulders and rested his other hand at his waist. The truck was gaining speed, which indicated the driver had no plans to try to force them out of the truck. Still, he was making no bones about his suspicions.

“Something like that.” Slade exchanged another look with the guy. “Is that going to be a problem?”

The driver shook his head. “As long as there’s no trickle-down effect, I got no issue with it.”

When the driver had turned his full attention to the road, Slade relaxed.

His contact was compromised, but St. Louis was a big city. He would figure out a new route to his destination.

He wasn’t bested yet.

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