Sirens started behind them. This was it. They were no longer hiding, no longer safe, no longer able to pretend.
As the police cars moved in behind them, Kade wove between cars again in an effort to escape.
Nikki closed her eyes.
God, I know it’s been a long time. But please help us. If there’s a way to have a happy ending, please show us.
Already she felt better. She’d forgotten how much faith could sustain her.
I’m sorry, Lord. I’ve been mad at you. And I hate that it’s taken a crisis to bring me back on my knees, pleading for Your presence in my life. I thought I was stronger than this, but I wasn’t. And sometimes all I can do is admit my weakness, my mistakes, my sin.
Please forgive me for turning my back on You, for not trusting, for having weak faith.
I’m going to make some changes . . . if I get out of this alive.
CHAPTER 36
Kade spotted just what he’d hoped for ahead: traffic. People had nowhere to go to get out of the way of the police. There was nowhere to pull off the road.
But on a motorcycle, he could easily maneuver past them. He had little choice at this point. As horns honked and people craned to get a better view of what was happening, he kept going.
“The police are coming down the shoulder after us,” Nikki said.
There was only one way Kade could see to get out of this.
Turning sharply, he sent the bike practically to the ground. Catching it with his foot, he righted the cycle in front of a stopped Mercedes.
Without pause, Kade crossed the grass median between the lanes, charging the opposing traffic and maneuvering between the stopped cars until he finally reached the ramp. Only a little farther, and they might be home free. For a moment, at least.
He kicked the bike into high gear.
A car swerved out of its lane, trying to block them. Kade dodged it just in time, dipping into the grass. Thankfully the motorcycle remained upright.
He sped down the street and into the busy urban area. With the police no longer on his tail, he slipped into an alley between two buildings and stopped the motorcycle.
They didn’t have any time to waste, Kade knew. They needed to put distance between themselves and the Harley. As soon as it was discovered, police would scour this area.
Kade hopped off and offered his hand to Nikki. “It’s on foot from here.”
She nodded and grabbed his hand.
He reached a fence at the end of the alley and helped Nikki over. They stayed in the back, behind buildings and out of sight. Sirens still sounded in the distance.
“In here,” Nikki said. She pulled him into a building.
A library, he realized.
She kept walking, like she knew what she was doing, leading him up the stairs to another floor. She didn’t slow down until she’d pulled him into a room and shut the door.
“It’s a study room. Let’s hope no one else has it reserved,” she told him. “At least it will give us a few minutes to talk unseen.”
She’d never looked more attractive than she did at that moment.
“How far are the congressional offices from here?” Kade asked.
“At least a mile. I’m not sure we can walk that far without being spotted.”
“We may not have any other choice.”
Nikki glanced out the window, and her eyes brightened. “Actually, we might.”
“What are you thinking?”
She grabbed his hand. “Come on.”
Nikki pulled Kade downstairs, moving slowly enough that she wouldn’t draw attention but fast enough that she wouldn’t miss the window of opportunity.
They slipped out the back door and kept to the brick wall of the library as they crept toward their destination. The bookmobile. The minibus was filled to capacity with an assortment of novels and nonfiction and had been wrapped on the outside to look like a giant bookshelf.
Kade pulled Nikki to a stop behind a Dumpster. “What about the driver?”
“Maybe we can convince him to go along with our plan?” She doubted her words even as she said them.
“That’s optimistic of you. But then again, if we don’t take him with us, he’ll call the police. We’ll be hard to miss in a gigantic vehicle that looks like a bookshelf when they put out an APB.”
“Any better ideas?”
He stared at the vehicle another moment before shaking his head. “No. None.”
“Then let’s go.”
Moving carefully, they darted to the back of the bus. The door opened easily. Kade stepped inside first before motioning Nikki to follow. Just as she climbed in, the driver cranked the engine.
A partition separated the back of the vehicle from the front. If they played it right, they could remain unseen. Ducking, they moved quietly toward the front, right behind the driver.
Nikki’s heart pounded in her ears. She’d never, ever imagined a couple of weeks ago that her simple life would be turned upside down like this. She’d done more than one thing that she could get arrested for or even end up in prison over.
Her dad would not be proud.
Or maybe he would be. She was fighting for the same country he’d fought for, just in a different way. None of this was of her choosing, but she’d been thrust into the situation and had no choice but to take action.
She glanced out the back window. It appeared they were moving closer and closer to downtown DC. As the vehicle slowed, she worried that the driver might be stopping somewhere—worst-case scenario: he’d stop somewhere with kids present. She prayed that wasn’t the case.
He gave a subtle nod, and Nikki knew it was time. She drew in a deep breath before popping between the seats.
“Hi there,” she started.
The driver—a sixtyish man who was bald and wore wire-framed glasses—gasped and clutched his chest. Nikki prayed she hadn’t given him a heart attack.
“Who are you? What are you doing here? I’m on Social Security. I only have twenty dollars in my wallet, but it’s yours.”
“I promise I don’t want to hurt you. I just need your help.”
He pushed on the brakes. “I’m calling the police.”
“You can’t do that!” she urged, trying to keep her voice soothing and relaxed. “Please, you really don’t want to do that. We don’t want to hurt you, but the lives of thousands, maybe even millions, of innocent people are on the line here.”
He glanced in the rearview mirror. “I’ve seen your face. You’re on the news. The girl who’s helping the terrorists.”
Panic threatened to flutter to the surface. “The news has it wrong. I’m trying to stop the terrorists. In order to do so, I need to pick up something.”
He shook his head. “I can’t help you.”
“Listen, when all of this is over, I’ll tell the police that I forced you into driving. I’ll assure them that you had nothing to do with any of this. But until then, I need you to drive.”
“Or . . . or what?”
She frowned, unsure of what to say. Anything threatening would sound insincere. Maybe that was a good thing. “I prefer not to say.”
To her surprise, the driver eased back into traffic. “Where do you want me to go?”
“Toward DC.”
He continued driving, every once in a while glancing back at her. “You’re all over the news. Police are looking for you.”
“I know.” His reminder didn’t make Nikki feel any better. If she and Kade pulled this off, the act would be a gift from God.
“You’re not alone back there, are you?”
She glanced at Kade. “I’m not. I have someone with me.”
“You’re going to shoot me when you’re done with me, aren’t you?”
Nikki’s stomach lurched. She wasn’t that kind of person. She wasn’t. But how could she reassure the man while getting him to take her seriously?
“We’re not looking for trouble,” she said. “But we do need your help. I know this seems
risky right now, but if we’re able to stop this terrorist attack, you’ll go down in history.”
“And if you don’t?”
She frowned, pondering his question. “Then we’re all doomed.”
It took nearly ten minutes to get through the thick DC traffic. Sirens occasionally wailed in the distance. A helicopter chopped past overhead. But no one seemed to realize they were in the bookmobile.
“Can you turn the news on?” Kade asked.
“Of course.” With trembling hands, the driver flipped the switch, and the radio came on. He hit a few more buttons, and the news came across the AM airwaves.
“Authorities are still on the hunt for two people with terrorist ties,” a deep-voiced announcer said. “Brother and sister team Bobby and Nikki Wright are believed to have ties with terrorist group ARM. ARM is based out of Colombia, but the group has been relatively peaceful in recent years.
“Nikki Wright is five feet seven, approximately one hundred twenty-five pounds, and has shoulder-length brown hair. A manhunt for the two throughout DC has taken place today. Both were last seen in the Arlington area driving a motorcycle. The two are believed to be armed and dangerous. If either are spotted, call your local authorities, and do not try to apprehend them yourselves.”
“They’ve painted quite the picture,” Kade said.
“You can say that again.”
“You’re both going to kill me,” the driver mumbled.
Nikki put a hand on his shoulder, and he flinched. “What’s your name?”
“Marvin. Marvin Belfield.”
“Marvin, hurting people is the last thing on our agenda.” Nikki kept her tone light and even. “Please believe me. We are desperate, though, because there’s so much on the line.”
“People might get suspicious when they see me out of my zip code. Our library doesn’t service this area.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” Nikki said.
The news report faded, but a talk radio show started. Nikki raised her eyebrows. It was Raz’s show, she realized. Hearing his voice brought her a moment of comfort.
“This is a call to action for all of us,” Raz said. “These are terrible times we’re living in. Good masquerades as evil and evil as good. Brother has turned against brother. The innocent have become the guilty. Be vigilant and on guard . . .”
He always talked about politics and things of world interest, but it had been a long time since she’d listened to him.
She didn’t have time to focus on that any longer. They pulled up in front of the bus stop where Bobby had directed them. Five people were there, all varying in their socioeconomic status. One man looked practically homeless. There was also a woman with a preschooler, a man in a business suit, and a college-age girl.
“They won’t let me park here for long,” Marvin said. “It’s just an unloading zone.”
Nikki turned toward Kade, who looked deep in thought. He finally frowned and shook his head.
“You should get the papers, Nikki,” Kade said. “Women are always less conspicuous than men in situations like these. Nobody will likely think anything.”
“I’ve got this.” Lifting up a quick prayer, Nikki hopped out of the bookmobile and made her way to the bus stop. No one looked up as she approached. Her challenge was going to be retrieving whatever was beneath that bench, especially since there were three people sitting on it.
She lingered behind the group, trying to formulate her next move. They didn’t have much time, so she went with the first thing that came to mind. She gasped and pointed to the college-age girl.
“There’s a huge spider on your back!”
Everyone on the bench looked at Nikki, then at where she was pointing. Then all three jumped from the bench.
“It’s right there. On your jacket!” Nikki continued.
The girl screamed. “Get it off. Get it off!”
The mom with the preschooler searched the jacket. With everyone distracted, Nikki reached under the bench. Her fingers brushed paper. Working quickly, she pulled the envelope down and slipped away.
Just as she climbed inside the bookmobile, she saw a policeman walking their way. She ducked behind the seat, desperate not to be spotted.
But now their fate rested in the hands of Marvin.
CHAPTER 37
Kade held his breath. Was this the way it all would end? Had they gotten this far only to be cornered because of a parking violation?
“What do you want me to do?” Marvin asked.
“You have to talk to him,” Kade said. “Sound natural. Please don’t tell him we’re here.”
Marvin rolled down his window. “Can I help you, Officer?”
“No parking here. Only drop-offs.”
“I see. Just killing time between appointments.”
Kade released the breath he held. Marvin was playing along. Thank goodness.
“You can stay a few more minutes,” the officer continued. “We’re also on the lookout for these two. Have you seen them?”
Marvin was silent a moment. The familiar tension returned between Kade’s shoulders.
The minutes seemed to tick on. Was Marvin silently communicating with the officer, signaling that they were in the bookmobile?
Kade stretched his fingers, his instincts screaming that he should have his gun ready. However, he knew he could never pull it on an officer. He hated being in this position. He didn’t want to play God, to have to decide who should live or die, or who should be sacrificed for the greater good.
“No, sir. I don’t believe I’ve seen those two. Only if they came to get a book.” Marvin chuckled, but the sound quickly trailed off as the joke died.
“Keep your eyes open then. Police all over the city are searching for them.”
“Will do, Officer.”
Kade looked at Nikki and saw the relief in her eyes. That had been close. Too close. Marvin deserved some extra accolades for this.
Kade moved to the back of the vehicle and peered out the window. The officer was gone and seemed none the wiser about their presence.
“Thank you.” Kade knew he owed Marvin far more than he’d ever be able to repay. The man had just saved them from being arrested.
“It’s Marvin. Marvin Belfield, with only one ‘l.’ That’s how it’s spelled for my award when all of this is over.”
Kade wanted to smile, but the situation was still too tense.
“My wife always tells me I should stick to my day job and stop trying to be a comedian. Anyway, how much time do you need?” Marvin asked.
Kade glanced at Nikki. She sat cross-legged on the floor of the bookmobile, the envelope in her hands. Her face looked pale, as if she feared she might receive life-changing news inside its folds.
“Just a few more minutes,” Kade said.
Kade sat beside her on the worn brown carpet, anxious to see what Bobby had left. Nikki’s hands trembled as she tugged open the seal. Papers and photos slid out.
Kade picked up an article on ARM written by a man named . . . Ron Pressley. This was the same man Bobby had been looking up on the computer before he disappeared.
The piece didn’t appear to have been published; instead, it seemed to have been printed directly from a word processing program. Maybe it was a rough draft. But how had Bobby gotten his hands on this? Why?
He and Nikki scanned it together. The document talked about a mission to Colombia in which American soldiers had obliterated the wrong village. Innocent people’s blood was on their hands. The government was trying to cover it up.
Kade’s eyes stopped by one name.
Garrett Wright.
As they’d suspected, he’d been part of that raid. And it seemed he’d opened up about it to this reporter.
The formation and growth of ARM was more connected with this incident than anyone had realized. Anger and bitterness had risen up, and people had come together to fight a common enemy: the United States.
Kade glanced at the rest of the envelope’s cont
ents. A copy of Nikki’s parents’ obituary from the newspaper was also enclosed.
Kade scanned the page, coming to a stop on a disturbing connection.
“Nikki, look at this.” He pointed to another obituary.
She looked, a knot forming between her eyebrows. “Ron Pressley . . . what about him?”
Kade hesitated, not comfortable with the conclusions he was drawing. Nothing had solidified in his mind, but the bigger picture was becoming clearer by the moment. “Ron died one day before your parents.”
Nikki stared at the obituary, squinted, and slowly shook her head. It was going to take her a few minutes to process that. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“I’m not sure yet. But at this point, I’m betting it wasn’t a coincidence.”
Nikki picked up another stack of papers that had been stapled together. It appeared to be a transcript of an interview between Ron Pressley and someone named Carlos Gomez. She read aloud the first few lines.
“Pressley: ‘So you’re telling me the US sent troops down to Colombia in 1981—Special Forces, for that matter. They invaded the wrong village and killed innocent people?’” Nikki paused. “Gomez: ‘That’s correct. The US government never took responsibility for their actions. They hailed those in the military who returned home as heroes while leaving a whole village heartbroken and devastated. This is where ARM got its roots. They want revenge for what the US did to their country.’”
Nikki and Kade exchanged a glance.
Nikki kept reading. “Pressley: ‘What about the atrocities ARM has imposed on their country? Many innocent people have died at their hands.’ Gomez: ‘They overlook that. It’s all in the name of revenge.’”
Kade kept his tone even in order not to stir up more emotion. “This is all connected with what’s going on now, Nikki.”
She rubbed her temples and drew in a deep breath, seeming to refocus and shove aside her emotions.
It was now or never, Kade realized. “Nikki, I don’t know how to say this, but Ten Man found evidence that your parents’ deaths may not have been the accident it first seemed.”
She stared at him stoically for a moment, as if she didn’t understand. “What? What are you talking about? My parents were . . . they were in a car accident.”
Disillusioned Page 22
