darkness, waiting for his eyes to adjust and hoping he wouldn’t bump into anything. After a moment, it became clear that this was a file depot of some sort, the massive place crowded with numbered legal boxes sitting on low rows of shelves.
Rafe could hear Kate’s footsteps behind him. She would be inside at any moment now and, per protocol, would slow herself down and draw her weapon.
He wondered for a moment if he should just give this up and cop to the truth, but there was a large part of him that resisted for one simple reason—he didn’t want to look like a complete fool in front of his older sister. Rafe had spent his entire childhood trying to impress both Kate and their older brother, Vincent. And he knew Kate would not react well if she discovered the man she was chasing was her own kid brother.
So he kept moving, working his way through the rows of shelves, looking for another door. A way out.
He saw one on the far side of the second row he entered, visible mostly because of the light seeping under the door. He abruptly shifted direction and was halfway to it when Kate shouted, “Freeze!”
A flashlight beam illuminated Rafe’s back, throwing his elongated shadow onto the floor and up onto the boxes.
Rafe stopped in his tracks, raised his arms and knew what was coming.
“Down on your knees!” Kate commanded.
Rafe’s heart was thumping in his ears.
Oh, well, he thought. At least I tried.
He was about to drop to his knees when another voice shouted, “What is this? What’s going on here?”
Rafe recognized the indignant, authoritative tone of what had to be the building security guard, probably pulling his own weapon from his holster as he spoke.
Rafe froze in place, knew that Kate would have to respond, and she did immediately. He also knew that she’d be showing the guard her weapon in a nonthreatening manner to keep him from firing his own.
“County Sheriff, sir! Don’t fire. Do not—”
That was when Rafe bolted. Made a beeline straight for the door, Kate again shouting for him to halt or she’d shoot. But he didn’t falter, didn’t slow down, knowing that she would aim for his legs.
He zigged and zagged and the first shot didn’t ring out until he reached the door, gouging the floor nearby. It ricocheted harmlessly, just as he slammed through the door and burst onto the street, once again running for all he was worth.
Rafe had a better lead on her this time and he wasn’t about to let himself get caught. His lungs felt shallow, each breath harder than the next, but he didn’t let it slow him down, couldn’t let it.
He took a right at the next block, then darted across the street, ran to the next corner and took a left, finally chancing a look behind him.
No sign of Kate. Or Eberhart, wherever he’d gone to. Probably still back at Azarov’s apartment, relaxing and smoking a cigarette.
Rafe took two more turns, left, then right, then stripped off the hoodie and dumped it into a trash can on the street. Crossing the next intersection, he spotted a coffee shop and went inside, finding a booth in back that allowed him a view of the street.
A waitress nodded to him as he slid into the booth, gave him a small smile and he smiled back, even though he didn’t much feel it.
He sat there trying to catch his breath, then gestured for the waitress to bring him a cup of coffee.
He waited in the booth for nearly an hour before going back to Azarov’s neighborhood to retrieve his Mustang.
Chapter Fifteen
“Are you sure this’ll be okay with your grandmother?”
“I’ve already called her,” Rafe said. “She’s more than happy to have the company. Thrilled, in fact.”
They were driving at a clip in Rafe’s Mustang, Lisa up front next to him, Chloe and Bea in back. Lisa felt uncomfortable and nervous, but wasn’t really sure why. She had met Grandma Natalie during her junior year, when Rafe had brought Lisa home for the weekend.
Maybe the nerves were caused by the way
Rafe could hear Kate’s footsteps behind him. She would be inside at any moment now and, per protocol, would slow herself down and draw her weapon.
He wondered for a moment if he should just give this up and cop to the truth, but there was a large part of him that resisted for one simple reason—he didn’t want to look like a complete fool in front of his older sister. Rafe had spent his entire childhood trying to impress both Kate and their older brother, Vincent. And he knew Kate would not react well if she discovered the man she was chasing was her own kid brother.
So he kept moving, working his way through the rows of shelves, looking for another door. A way out.
He saw one on the far side of the second row he entered, visible mostly because of the light seeping under the door. He abruptly shifted direction and was halfway to it when Kate shouted, “Freeze!”
A flashlight beam illuminated Rafe’s back, throwing his elongated shadow onto the floor and up onto the boxes.
Rafe stopped in his tracks, raised his arms and knew what was coming.
“Down on your knees!” Kate commanded.
Rafe’s heart was thumping in his ears.
Oh, well, he thought. At least I tried.
He was about to drop to his knees when another voice shouted, “What is this? What’s going on here?”
Rafe recognized the indignant, authoritative tone of what had to be the building security guard, probably pulling his own weapon from his holster as he spoke.
Rafe froze in place, knew that Kate would have to respond, and she did immediately. He also knew that she’d be showing the guard her weapon in a nonthreatening manner to keep him from firing his own.
“County Sheriff, sir! Don’t fire. Do not—”
That was when Rafe bolted. Made a beeline straight for the door, Kate again shouting for him to halt or she’d shoot. But he didn’t falter, didn’t slow down, knowing that she would aim for his legs.
He zigged and zagged and the first shot didn’t ring out until he reached the door, gouging the floor nearby. It ricocheted harmlessly, just as he slammed through the door and burst onto the street, once again running for all he was worth.
Rafe had a better lead on her this time and he wasn’t about to let himself get caught. His lungs felt shallow, each breath harder than the next, but he didn’t let it slow him down, couldn’t let it.
He took a right at the next block, then darted across the street, ran to the next corner and took a left, finally chancing a look behind him.
No sign of Kate. Or Eberhart, wherever he’d gone to. Probably still back at Azarov’s apartment, relaxing and smoking a cigarette.
Rafe took two more turns, left, then right, then stripped off the hoodie and dumped it into a trash can on the street. Crossing the next intersection, he spotted a coffee shop and went inside, finding a booth in back that allowed him a view of the street.
A waitress nodded to him as he slid into the booth, gave him a small smile and he smiled back, even though he didn’t much feel it.
He sat there trying to catch his breath, then gestured for the waitress to bring him a cup of coffee.
He waited in the booth for nearly an hour before going back to Azarov’s neighborhood to retrieve his Mustang.
Chapter Fifteen
“Are you sure this’ll be okay with your grandmother?”
“I’ve already called her,” Rafe said. “She’s more than happy to have the company. Thrilled, in fact.”
They were driving at a clip in Rafe’s Mustang, Lisa up front next to him, Chloe and Bea in back. Lisa felt uncomfortable and nervous, but wasn’t really sure why. She had met Grandma Natalie during her junior year, when Rafe had brought Lisa home for the weekend.
Maybe the nerves were caused by the way
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