Tess glanced into the rearview mirror as the five guards ran into the middle of the road. Three of them dropped down into firing stances and let go. She ducked as the glass on the side mirror disintegrated into flying shards. Other bullets pinged off the side of the truck.
She sat back and threw a triumphant glance in Ryan’s direction. “That was damn good driving. You’ve got a real knack for this escaping business.”
“Thanks.” His expression hardened as he used both hands to keep the careening rig on the narrow road leading into town. “We need to get rid of the truck. It’s too big to continue using. They’re bound to be after us in a matter of minutes.”
Tess nodded her agreement, but she was at a loss as to where they could hide. And at the same time, Tess realized that even though they had escaped, she still had no idea who she was or why Flynn was determined to keep her captive.
A SHORT TIME LATER, Ryan slowed and pulled the rig onto a small side road. It was rough going as the road was hard-packed dirt with a good number of potholes. The trees on either side grew close to the road and hung in the way, scraping and snapping off on the sides of the truck.
When the vegetation got too thick to drive any farther, Ryan stopped, shifting the gears into Park. He nodded to Tess, and she slid across the seat, showing a flash of white thigh as the nurse’s dress rode up even higher. She piled out of the passenger’s side without a word.
Ryan climbed from the other side and threw the keys in a high arch. They glittered silver for a moment when hit by the rays of the low-hanging sun but then disappeared into the surrounding brush.
The guards probably wouldn’t have any trouble hot-wiring the truck when they found it, but Ryan didn’t intend to make it easy for them.
“What now?” Tess asked, coming up to stand beside him.
“About half a mile down this road there’s a path that cuts across the field and heads back toward town. I used to come out here on my bike with my friends when I was kid.” He glanced up. “It’ll stay daylight for another couple of hours so we won’t have any trouble finding our way.”
“But it will make it easier for them to see us, too,” she countered.
“In all likelihood, they’ll figure we headed for the interstate. I’m counting on them going there first. It’ll be a while before they realize we didn’t take that route.”
He started off, using the shadows of the overhanging trees to shoot a covert glance in Tess’s direction. He needed to know if she was physically up for a fast pace. She caught him taking stock of her condition and she scowled. She didn’t appreciate him even considering her not being up to the challenge.
But in spite of her resentment, Ryan didn’t miss the veil of fatigue that had settled over her features, the way she worked to hide it but couldn’t.
He didn’t need to ask to know that her energy reserve was low. She’d been fighting Flynn, Bloom and his research team both mentally and physically for God knows how long. But in spite of it all, Ryan was certain she’d rather collapse face first than admit to him that she was running on empty.
“Why is it exactly that we aren’t heading for the interstate? Even though that’s where they’d look first, wouldn’t we make better time?” she asked, matching his stride with a determined set of her chin. “Aren’t we trapping ourselves by ditching the truck?”
“They’d be on us before we had a chance to get off the on-ramp. We need to get ourselves a car and some cash.”
“Don’t even think about trying to pull any cash out of your account. As soon as you use your bank card, they’ll know where we are.”
“I know. I’m hoping my sister has some cash in her house.” He reached up and brushed back a few strands of damp hair. There was a breeze, but the heat of the day still hugged the ground.
Off to the west, clouds were building, warning of an impending storm. They needed the rain-the humidity had gotten almost unbearable-but the thought of traipsing around in the woods in the rain wasn’t pleasant.
“If we take my sister’s car, we can sell it for cash and pick up a used car they can’t trace.”
“If we drag your sister into this, there’s no telling what could happen. Better to stay away from her.”
He nodded. “You’re right. I can’t risk anything happening to her or the boys. Any suggestions?”
“We take the first vehicle we can find, drive it to Des Moines and trade it for cash and a untraceable clunker.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Sounds like you’ve done this before.”
Tess frowned and then shrugged. “I don’t know. It just sounds right. But I can’t be that good if the first time you found me, I was wandering around in the cornfield butt naked.” She glanced down at herself. “At least this time I managed to escape fully clothed.”
“And that fact is one of my greatest disappointments.”
She laughed and then grew serious again. “I notice you haven’t suggested we go to the police.”
Ryan trudged across the field, reaching out now and then to steady Tess when a rock or tuff of high grass made her unsteady. “If Flynn is able to fabricate such an elaborate psychiatric file and such an official-looking court order, I have no doubt that he could convince any police department that we’re making this up.”
Tess paused, her shoulder brushing his arm, and gazed at him appreciatively. “I think you’re actually getting the hang of this.”
Ryan vaulted over a half-hidden stone fence and then reached back to give her a hand as she scrambled over. The lines of fatigue on her face had deepened a bit over the half mile or so they’d traveled, but she didn’t complain.
“Any ideas on a car?” she asked.
“Ida Relations lives about a half mile from here. She always leaves her car out of the garage with the keys in it. She’s been a volunteer firefighter for thirty years and prides herself on being the first one on a scene.” He held back a branch, keeping it from smacking Tess across the cheek. “We’ll borrow hers. She’ll never forgive me if there’s a fire tonight and she can’t get there. But we’ll deal with that at a later date.”
TWENTY MINUTES LATER, they reached the hedge surrounding a large Victorian-style house. There were a few other houses farther off in the distance, but the huge rambling Victorian was the only one with lights on.
Ryan motioned to a soft spot near the hedge. “Wait here while I take a look around.”
Tess didn’t argue. She was so tired she could barely see straight. She sank onto the grass and waited while Ryan headed off to scout out the area.
She tried to ignore the persistent ache in her muscles, but she could feel her brain shutting down. She needed to get some rest or she wouldn’t be able to walk, let alone talk.
A few minutes later, Ryan was back. He crouched down next to her, his broad shoulders shifting and bunching beneath his shirt. His smell, an intriguing combination of masculine sweat and strong soap, wafted up and touched the end of her nose. She had an overwhelming urge to curl up against him and fall into a deep, dreamless sleep. But then she realized it wouldn’t be a dreamless sleep. Too many nightmares lately for that to happen. She snapped awake.
Ryan gently smoothed the hair back away from her forehead. His eyes, contemplative and gentle, told her that he knew she was almost done in. She hated seeing the concern on his face, but she knew there was nothing she could do to reassure him. She just needed to prove herself by keeping up.
“Can we get to the car?” she asked.
Ryan nodded. “The TV is on in the living room, and Ida’s got the sound turned up pretty loud because she’s in the kitchen making dinner. She probably won’t hear a thing. As I expected, the key is in the ignition.”
Tess grinned. “Would you think less of me if I told you I could have hot-wired that car in under thirty seconds?”
“And you picked up this little skill where exactly?”
“When I-” Tess stopped, confusion immediately clouding her brain. She bit her lower lip, angry again at the untimely intrusion of her memory loss. “I-I’m not sure exactly.”
Ryan reached out and gently caressed the line of her jaw, the heat of his touch reassuring. “Relax. It doesn’t really matter. I say we’re just lucky you remember how to do it.” He laughed. “But be assured, you and I
