Search and Destroy by James Hilton Page B

when you’re least expecting it. You think you’re back to normal then realise you’re about to walk in front of a truck. It tends to shut down your perceptions.” He realised he sounded like he was speaking from experience. He was.
    Andrea smiled weakly again. “At least there aren’t many trucks out here.”
    “I know it doesn’t ease the hurt. I was just trying to explain the effects.”
    Andrea reached out again; this time her fingers did stroke his face. “I know. You’ve already done so much. It’s unbelievable. I don’t know how I’m ever going to thank you all for saving my life.”
    Danny moved back, breaking the contact. “Come on, I want you to hear about our next move. The guys are waiting for us.” Danny led her back into the living room. Clay and Tansen were now dressed and both had mugs of coffee in their hands. Tansen wordlessly fetched another and handed one to Andrea.
    Clay was the first to speak. “We’ve been talking about our next move. I need to pick up some cash from a safety-deposit box I have tucked away in Vegas. That’ll keep us going for quite a while. That way we can stay off the grid. We don’t know how far of a reach these guys have. It’s better if we don’t use credit cards. It could be an unnecessary precaution, but better safe than sorry.”
    “Vegas!” Andrea blurted out the word louder than she’d intended. “My passport is still in the hotel room’s safe!”
    The men glanced at one another.
    Andrea continued, “I’d forgotten—the rooms are booked until the end of the week. The trips up to Area 51 were supposed to be spread over four days, but we were going to go back to the hotel each night.”
    “It’s risky to go back to your hotel. If there’re more men after you they’re probably watching it,” said Danny.
    “But I’ll need my passport to get home.” Andrea looked panicked. “I can’t stay over here on the run for ever.”
    “Going back to the hotel might do away with that option if they’re waiting for you.” Danny was aware that his voice had none of the tenderness it had had in the bedroom. A single tear ran down Andrea’s face. He cursed himself. She was still too fragile; he had to go easy on her.
    Clay shifted in his seat. “I guess we could check it out. Take a look-see. If the coast is clear, we go in. If not, we head for the hills.”
    Danny shrugged. Having said his piece, he was now resigned to the plan. “We should ditch the car. Leave as few tracks as possible. If I think it’s safe, Andrea and I will go to the hotel. Clay you pick up the money. If it’s not safe we all leave town pronto, no arguments.” He turned to Andrea. “Your passport is no good to you if you’re dead.”
    Tansen spoke up. “I have an old pickup truck out back. You can have that. I just use it for lugging around horse feed and fence posts. It’s not pretty but it’ll get you where you need to go.” Tansen retrieved a set of keys from a drawer. “It’s four-wheel drive as well. It might come in handy. Just give me a hand to clear my stuff out of the back.”
    Clay volunteered to help. The two men left the house by the rear door, leaving Andrea and Danny alone again.
    “I tried to call my parents yesterday but they didn’t answer. If the news has reached them they must be sick with worry.”
    Danny tried to control his face. She clearly didn’t know what a stupid thing she’d done. “It’s a good thing they didn’t. You can’t do that again. I know it seems hard, but I’m just trying to keep us all alive long enough to figure this out.”
    “I just need to let Mum and Dad know that I’m still alive.”
    Danny shook his head. “We don’t know how far the web stretches. These guys may have the resources to listen in on your parents’ phone. Believe me, it’s pretty easy to do these days. Until we find out exactly what they want with you, it’s best to stay off the grid as much as possible. So no phone calls, no emails, no social