Wade by Jennifer Blake Page B

that soft acknowledgment.
    â€œThen let’s get out of here while we still can.”
    He gave her no opportunity to argue, but clamped an arm around her waist and swept her from the room. She didn’t resist but moved beside him from the house and out into the street.
    The night had the sooty blackness of the hour after moonset. It didn’t seem to bother Wade. He paused long enough to search the area around him with a hard gaze, then started down the dusty street.
    A yell rang out, followed by gunshots. Dust geyserskicked up just behind them. Wade whipped around to return the fire, even as they broke into a run.
    â€œAhmad must have had men with him earlier,” Chloe said, her voice jerky with her effort to keep up with Wade’s long strides.
    â€œGood guess.” He caught her arm, increasing her pace, even as he fired again. “Had to have been a small detail or we’d have been goners by now.”
    â€œMaybe only Zahir, a friend of his.” The random pattern of the rounds and apparent lack of pursuit made it seem likely.
    â€œYeah, we met.”
    â€œHe’ll release Ahmad.”
    â€œBetter than coming after us.”
    The shots trailed to a halt, either from the discouragement Wade had offered or because they were out of range. As they reached the middle of the next block, he swung into a narrow, rutted alleyway that was bordered by mud walls overhung by palms and bougainvillea. Chloe could see a vehicle sitting in the dark at its far end. They raced toward it. Some fifty yards away, Wade pulled up and motioned to her to stay put. She nodded her understanding even as she fought to catch her breath. He approached the older model Volvo on a careful trajectory.
    Abruptly something burst out of a mass of wild grape just beyond the car’s left fender. Wade Benedict hugged the wall, swinging his head in her direction as if to make certain she was doing the same. She shook her head, motioning toward the feral cat thathad stopped to look back at him from under the car’s rear bumper. He made a low sound of disgust, then moved on again.
    Chloe held her breath as she saw him bend to look in at the front window. She saw him stiffen. After a second, he opened the door and reached inside at an awkward angle to turn the key. She heard a click, but the ignition didn’t engage. He closed the door then walked quickly back to where she stood.
    â€œWhat is it?”
    â€œDead. Driver and car.”
    â€œI don’t…”
    â€œMy transport. The driver had instructions to wait for us. Now we don’t have to wonder why Ahmad was a little slow reaching the house.”
    She pressed her lips together until they hurt, closing her eyes for a second. When she thought she could speak without her voice shaking, she asked, “What now?”
    â€œGuess.” As he offered that laconic comment, he turned to put his back to the wall behind them as if he intended to hold it up.
    â€œI have no idea. You said everything was arranged, that it would be easy, no problem.”
    â€œThe arrangements were for two days ago. I changed them over to this morning because you said that’s how long it would take on your end. You missed that deadline, too. So here we are.”
    A chill moved over her. “You’re saying we’re on our own?”
    â€œAnd on foot.”
    It wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “You and I, the two of us.”
    â€œYou were expecting maybe the Green Berets and a Bell & Howell to zip you out to a waiting sub?”
    â€œI don’t. I mean, I just thought this rescue, or whatever you want to call it, would have a support team.”
    â€œSo it did. Favors were called in and people paid off. There were a couple of places reserved in a truck convoy heading for the Pakistan border and on to the international airport at Rawalpindi. But that was then and this is now. They pulled out when you didn’t show.”
    â€œStill you