formed on her lips as she walked back to the television and shoved the DVD in the player. “There are only a few possibilities since they haven’t found a body.” She clicked Play. “She either went to a neighbor or…” The screen blurred to life, showing the back of the building. “…she found another way out.”
The y fast forwarded to the same time and watched in awe as Catherine, dressed in jeans and a bloody white T-shirt, climbed out her window and shimmied down the drainpipe, using the other balconies to balance herself. When her feet landed on the ground, she lifted a hand to her head and pulled it away to reveal her palm covered in a dark liquid before she disappeared into the tree line.
“Shit. She’s hurt.”
Lexi leaned back in the chair and looked up at Garrett who was standing behind her. “Why didn’t the FBI catch this?”
He shrugged. “They probably made copies and are looking through all of them. It takes time.”
Garrett rubbed at the tense muscles in Lexi’s neck. His touch gave her his silent support. “Look at the bright side. We know she got away, and now we have a direction to follow to start looking for her.”
She and Sara exchanged a look and simultaneously said, “The woods.”
Lexi pulled the DVD out, not even bothering to make a copy, and shoved it into her backpack. They all filed out the door and rounded the apartment building, following the path the video had shown. About three feet into the woods, they found a bloody handprint on the bark of a tree. Lexi’s heart dropped as she heard Garrett on the phone calling the director to get a team onsite.
She grabbed Sara’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “You guys wait for the team. I’m going to see Marco and let him know what we found.”
She nodded , and Lexi jogged out of the forest. She heard Garrett’s raised voice calling, “Who the hell is Marco?” but she ignored him.
Lexi got in the car and was about to turn out of the parking lot when her heart sank into her stomach. Two of Constanza’s goons were pulling in. Was it coincidence? Did they live nearby? Or was it just her crappy luck?
Tires squealed when she pulled out onto the busy street, coming to a halt as other cars had her hemmed into the afternoon traffic. She grabbed her cell phone and speed dialed the one person who could possibly help her, who had the training she needed. The two-door older car pulled out behind her about seven cars back. Luckily, they were stuck in the same traffic.
“Marco, I’m headed your way , and I have a tail.”
“Do you know who it is?”
“ Constanza’s thugs. They saw me leaving Catherine’s apartment.”
“You know the woods behind the abandoned playground at Fifth and Jenks?”
“Yeah.”
“ Give us ten minutes to get into position, and we’ll be waiting for you.”
Lexi gripped the wheel tighter , shifting her gaze from the cars in front of her to the blue sedan now five cars back. Lexi maneuvered in and out of traffic, trying to give herself enough space but not lose the guys following her. She jerked the wheel, clipping the curb and grimaced at the grinding sound of metal on concrete.
“So much for returning it in one piece ,” she grumbled, pissed now that the assholes following her had caused her to break her promise. She pulled up to the park and hopped out of the car, making a run for the woods. Hearing the screeching of tires and the crash of metal against metal, she pumped her legs and arms faster and harder to get out of firing distance and farther into the brush. Bullets whizzed by her head, ricocheting off the bark of a nearby tree. Air whooshed out of her lungs as strong arms came around her, lifting her off her feet as she passed a huge tree about a quarter mile inside the woods. She was pulled back against a hard, thick chest, her scream smothered by a large hand covering her mouth.
“ Shh. It’s just me,” Marco whispered in her ear.
She nodded , and Marco removed his hand.
The y fast forwarded to the same time and watched in awe as Catherine, dressed in jeans and a bloody white T-shirt, climbed out her window and shimmied down the drainpipe, using the other balconies to balance herself. When her feet landed on the ground, she lifted a hand to her head and pulled it away to reveal her palm covered in a dark liquid before she disappeared into the tree line.
“Shit. She’s hurt.”
Lexi leaned back in the chair and looked up at Garrett who was standing behind her. “Why didn’t the FBI catch this?”
He shrugged. “They probably made copies and are looking through all of them. It takes time.”
Garrett rubbed at the tense muscles in Lexi’s neck. His touch gave her his silent support. “Look at the bright side. We know she got away, and now we have a direction to follow to start looking for her.”
She and Sara exchanged a look and simultaneously said, “The woods.”
Lexi pulled the DVD out, not even bothering to make a copy, and shoved it into her backpack. They all filed out the door and rounded the apartment building, following the path the video had shown. About three feet into the woods, they found a bloody handprint on the bark of a tree. Lexi’s heart dropped as she heard Garrett on the phone calling the director to get a team onsite.
She grabbed Sara’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “You guys wait for the team. I’m going to see Marco and let him know what we found.”
She nodded , and Lexi jogged out of the forest. She heard Garrett’s raised voice calling, “Who the hell is Marco?” but she ignored him.
Lexi got in the car and was about to turn out of the parking lot when her heart sank into her stomach. Two of Constanza’s goons were pulling in. Was it coincidence? Did they live nearby? Or was it just her crappy luck?
Tires squealed when she pulled out onto the busy street, coming to a halt as other cars had her hemmed into the afternoon traffic. She grabbed her cell phone and speed dialed the one person who could possibly help her, who had the training she needed. The two-door older car pulled out behind her about seven cars back. Luckily, they were stuck in the same traffic.
“Marco, I’m headed your way , and I have a tail.”
“Do you know who it is?”
“ Constanza’s thugs. They saw me leaving Catherine’s apartment.”
“You know the woods behind the abandoned playground at Fifth and Jenks?”
“Yeah.”
“ Give us ten minutes to get into position, and we’ll be waiting for you.”
Lexi gripped the wheel tighter , shifting her gaze from the cars in front of her to the blue sedan now five cars back. Lexi maneuvered in and out of traffic, trying to give herself enough space but not lose the guys following her. She jerked the wheel, clipping the curb and grimaced at the grinding sound of metal on concrete.
“So much for returning it in one piece ,” she grumbled, pissed now that the assholes following her had caused her to break her promise. She pulled up to the park and hopped out of the car, making a run for the woods. Hearing the screeching of tires and the crash of metal against metal, she pumped her legs and arms faster and harder to get out of firing distance and farther into the brush. Bullets whizzed by her head, ricocheting off the bark of a nearby tree. Air whooshed out of her lungs as strong arms came around her, lifting her off her feet as she passed a huge tree about a quarter mile inside the woods. She was pulled back against a hard, thick chest, her scream smothered by a large hand covering her mouth.
“ Shh. It’s just me,” Marco whispered in her ear.
She nodded , and Marco removed his hand.
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