“I can get James.” The sleep was leaving her voice with every second they talked. “Uh. We should leave, right? But where...where do we go?”
“I don’t know,” Daniel mumbled. His chin dipped lower, sinking to his chest. “I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. Can you just-”
“Got it,” Maya said. “I should go.”
“Yeah.” Daniel nodded, fighting to straighten out his emotions. “Thanks. I’m sorry. I never...I didn’t want this to-”
“We’ll manage.” Her tone was terse, but businesslike. “Gotta go. Good luck with Leon.”
“Yeah.” Daniel took a deep breath. “Stay safe, Maya.”
She hung up without another word. Daniel let his hand fall, dropping the phone into the seat. His eyes flicked back to the signs, to the GPS still glowing on his phone.
Just a little farther.
Nursing the engine higher, he raced ahead through the morning glow.
- Chapter Eight -
The sun peeked over the horizon, filling the world with the first, hazy rays of light.
Daniel drove.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel. Stressing wouldn’t help, he knew. He’d get there as soon as he could, and panicking wouldn’t make it come any faster.
Logic didn’t seem to be helping. He was worried.
With his mind in an uproar, every mile seemed to take an eternity, but it was only a few minutes after Maya hung up that he heard the electronic voice of the GPS chime back to life. His pulse quickened. Setting his jaw and keeping his eyes fixed on the road, Daniel turned off onto an exit ramp.
Not far now. He forced himself to calm down, to breathe. Get your shit together. This was happening. If he wasn’t going to calm down and get his head in the game, then he might as well get back on the freeway and drive until he ran out of road. Screwing this up meant losing everything.
But damn it, he hadn’t wanted it to be like this. Out of all the ways he’d dreamed of meeting Leon in person, out of all the wishes he’d had for that occasion, he’d never wanted it to happen like this. Ever.
The sight of the freeway hubbub falling away was a sobering enough sight to bring him back to Earth. His three friends were all college students themselves. The town they lived in was close enough for them to commute to classes, but far enough to be affordable. Even still...there would be a lot of eyes on him if this went badly. Maybe that was good. Or maybe that’d be very, very bad.
Turning down a side street and continuing to drive, Daniel’s mind raced ahead to what came next. Judging from the constant instructions of his GPS, he’d arrive any minute. There was still a good bit of gloom in the sky, but the world around him grew lighter by the second. He’d have to be careful, if he didn’t want to get caught.
Reaching up without taking his eyes off the road, he grabbed for the hood of his coat. He’d probably look a bit weird, driving down the street all hooded, but it’d keep the eyes off his face. For a little while, anyway.
Despite himself, he realized he did feel a little better once the fabric was up and swathing his head. A little more like himself. Chuckling wryly, he nursed the car on, scanning the streets for a landmark. Houses rose up on either side, spaced out by unkempt fields and clusters of trees. The strips of woodland crept between the homes, like the homeowners’ final attempt to keep from having to see each other. Not the untamed wilderness, then—but less crammed on top of each other than they could have been.
Close enough. If he went any farther, he’d...He grimaced, a muscle in his jaw pulsing. If he drove ahead, then he’d probably just wind up mired in whatever trap Indira and her cronies were setting. He wouldn’t help Leon by getting caught himself.
Slowing, he eased the car onto the shoulder, tucking it off the road far enough it probably wouldn’t get hit. If things went well, he’d be back for it soon.
He really, really hoped that things would go well.
Adrenaline spiked in his veins as he killed the engine and pulled the keys free, as though the sudden silence was the final clue his brain had needed that this was real. That he was here. There was no going back.
Again, almost by force of habit, he tugged at his hood. His fingers pressed over the air in front of his face, searching for a porcelain barrier that simply didn’t exist. The quivering of his fingers grew stronger. He was exposed. More completely than he’d ever expected or wanted.
Daniel shifted, releasing his seat belt before he could devolve back into a total panic. He was doing this. And then…
He’d deal with the aftermath. After.
The pistol slipped free of its holster. He glanced down, checking the safety. Checking to make sure the magazine was seated, that the action had closed. He’d had a lot of hours alone in Alexandria over the years, and he’d had more than enough time to learn how to use a gun. He’d be fine.
If you’re so sure about that, stop repeating it. Shoving the weapon back into its home, he pulled his jacket closed over the top, then eased out of the car.
If he’d thought the silence as he shut the car off was a reminder of the severity of his situation, it was nothing compared to the run that followed. The crisp morning air bit at his face, until he hunched his shoulders high and tucked his chin against his chest. A wind lashed across the rolling hills, tugging at his clothes. Every swish and sway was another reminder that he was here. Outside Alexandria. Moving around in the
