Decoded

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.