“Where are you going?” Christina questioned, eyes wide and alarmed. “This isn’t the way to the airport.”
“Just relax, everything’s fine.”
I glanced again at the rearview mirror. The bike was there. Keeping its distance but positively following us. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, contemplating a way out of this. But first, Christina needed to get to safety.
“Christina, listen. I need you to do as I say.”
“Why?” She brought her hands to her face. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”
“We’re being followed.”
“Oh, God!”
Her hands dropped and her face paled instantly.
“Get your passports and itinerary. Inside the glovebox there is a brown envelope and you’ll find some cash plus a paper with an account number. That account is in your name. Once you get to Egypt, check into the hotel we booked, but don’t spend the night there. Use a different passport and find another place to stay. There is enough money in the account to keep you afloat for a long time, okay? And remember, whatever you do don’t try to reach out to anyone here.”
“What? No!” She shook her head, tears ready to tumble. “I can’t go without you, Ezra.”
“It’s me they want not you.”
“Ezra, please no.”
“If we split up, they’ll come after me and you can get away. I’ll try to lose them and find a way to reach the airport and be on that plane with you.”
Tears were streaming down her face. Her face reddened; she closed her eyes and bawled. My heart ached but I couldn’t risk her safety. I called for her, but she wouldn’t stop crying.
“Christina,” I called firmer. “Get moving, please.”
With shaky hands, she took everything she needed and stuffed it into her handbag. She put on a blond wig that we’d bought as a precaution and sunglasses. I didn’t want to leave her but it was our best option.
The motorcycle was three cars down when we were approaching a stoplight, purposely, I slowed down making sure we were at the front of the line when the stop light turned red. The car behind us honked, but the sound was muted by my pounding heart. In that split second where all the lights go red, I turned left briskly, stepping my foot down on the gas and the engine went from 5 to 80 in seconds nearly tipping the car over. The tires screeched and Christina screamed.
There was light traffic ahead that I was able to maneuver through. My pulse pounded in my ears with the increased adrenaline. Still driving beyond the speed limit, I looked back and the bike wasn’t in sight, but I feared it wasn’t far away.
“Do you have everything?” I asked and she nodded. “I’m going to stop and you have to jump out and run, okay?”
She nodded again.
The car came to a stop as I hit the brakes. Christina swung her bag around her shoulder and threw herself around my neck.
“Promise me you’ll meet me at the airport.”
“I promise, I’ll try my best to stay alive and find you, but if I don’t make it in time, you don’t stop. Get on that plane and go.”
“I can’t do this without you. I don’t want to.”
“You have to, baby. You have to.”
She held on tighter. “What if they catch you and kill you?”
“They won’t kill me. As long as I have their money, I’m safe. But if they get to you then ...”
If they caught her, I’d have no leverage, nothing to negotiate for my life. Because she was my life.
She let me go and pressed a kiss on my lips. “I love you, Ezra. Stay the fuck alive.”
She got out of the car and ran. I turned the car around to find the motorcycle before they found me. Or worse, before they found Christina.
By the time the chaser spotted me, Christina was no longer in sight and the flow of traffic was increasing. I whipped the car around, nearly running into a tree, turning onto a less crowded road. I had no idea where I was going, all I knew was that I was completely screwed if I got caught.
The next time I glanced back, there wasn’t only a motorcycle after me, there was also an SUV right on my tail. The SUV hit me like a bolt of lightning. The car bounced forward.
I reached for the phone Nunes gave me and dialed his number. It rang without an answer. Holding on to the wheel with one hand, I typed out a text to the best of my ability.
Track # fimd me. In trokble.
I hit send and the car jolted forward nearly sending the phone flying out of my hand. I clasped it tighter, bent and tucked the phone inside my boot. Once the phone was secure, I attempted to create a greater breach between my car and the SUV, but the car in front wouldn’t allow for it. I was squeezed between the two.
A few seconds later I was nudged forward a third time, the SUV drove into the back of my car with more force. My feet pressed the brakes as deep as it went, preventing me from hitting the car ahead that was getting closer with every shove.
Helplessly, I looked across to the other side, searching for a gap in the traffic only to see a steady stream of vehicles heading the opposite direction. When I saw an opening, I yanked the steering wheel firmly to the right, careened across the median and straight into the path of oncoming vehicles.
A van and a car threw on their brakes and swerved to avoid hitting my car as I shot across the road in front of them. I took my foot away from the gas and swung the steering wheel to the left, but it was too late. There was a crash. Shards of glass scattered everywhere and the airbag burst open.
My body stopped responding, pain radiated from my stomach and chest. The door to the car was flung open. I was dragged out and hurled to the ground. The last thing I remembered was Rowan standing over me with a knowing smirk. He kicked my ribs, saying, “I knew you couldn’t be trusted.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Christina
For the hundredth time, I glanced over my shoulder hoping that maybe everything was fine and Ezra had come for me. But he wasn’t there.
I was alone.
Fear gripped my insides twisting them around into knots. I pushed through the terror threatening to engulf and paralyze my senses. I needed to keep going and stick to the plan. I had to get on that plane and Ezra would be alright. He’d come for me. Everything would work out.
Constantly on alert, I hitchhiked and made it to the airport. Before heading in, I scanned my surroundings, nothing seemed out of place or unusual. Summoning all of my courage, I took my first step towards the departure terminal.
The airport was a cocoon of steel, the walls elegantly curved and wrapping around the space. The beams supported many windows, letting in light. I pushed my glasses further up the bridge of my nose and squared my shoulders. The airport was busy and it was impossible to keep an eye on everyone. Many faces zoomed by and none of them were interested in my existence.
Having passed through TSA and checked-in, I confirmed my ticket for my gate number. 27.
As I walked a shiver ran up my spine and the hairs at the back of my neck stood on end. Casually, I glanced back. There was a man a few feet away from me, and something about him had me panicked. He was watching me from a fair distance with casual strides. He was tall, dressed in worn blue jeans and a blue shirt. A thick beard covered most of his face. There was nothing in his hand. No baggage, documents or papers of any sort. Nothing that indicated that he was traveling.