Run, Hide

by Carol Ericson

  Jenna broke off a piece and held it out to Gavin. He pinched it between two small fingers and shoved it into his mouth.

  Wrinkling his nose, he stuck out his tongue, half-chewed bits of energy bar clinging to it.

  “Gavin, do not spit that out.”

  “It’s not a candy bar. I want eggs.”

  Cade sucked in a breath and cupped his hand beneath Gavin’s chin. “You can spit it in my hand.”

  Gavin didn’t need an engraved invitation for that. He spat the little ball of goo into Cade’s palm, while Jenna’s brows disappeared beneath her blond bangs.

  “Uh, let me get rid of this, and then we’ll find some eggs.”

  When he returned to the living room after dumping the glob of food into the trash and washing his hands, Jenna had folded the rest of the blankets and was holding a bottle of water to Gavin’s mouth as he drank.

  “Where are we going to get eggs?”

  “A diner.”

  “Where are we going to find a diner with a helicopter pad? Oh, yeah, no helicopter. How are we going to reach a diner on foot, with lugging bags and a kid?”

  He dangled a keychain from his finger. “Where there’s a Prospero safe house, there’s usually a Prospero safe car.”

  “There’s a car parked out here somewhere?” She dabbed Gavin’s dribbling chin with the hem of her fleece shirt.”

  He swung the keys around his finger. “I found these hanging on a hook in the kitchen. There’s definitely a car key on this ring.”

  “Where’s the car?”

  “There’s a road on the other side of that bunch of trees. It’s probably parked there. A car couldn’t get through the trees.”

  “What about the helicopter?”

  “I have to get rid of it.”

  “How do you get rid of a helicopter?”

  “Blow it up.”

  She clucked her tongue. “You Prospero agents are nothing more than a bunch of adolescent brains in men’s bodies—high speed chases, blowing things up, disguises.”

  “Yeah, it would almost be fun if it weren’t deadly serious.”

  “Believe me, I know how deadly serious it is.” She combed her fingers through her gleaming strands. “Do you think I have time to take a shower before we blow up anything?”

  “Sure. I hope you don’t mind if I skip mine.”

  She paused, digging her nails into her scalp. “Because we’re still in danger.”

  His eyes darted toward Gavin. “Yeah.”

  “Then I’ll skip it, too. Let’s blow this joint...not literally. Don’t get any ideas.”

  “Will you and Gavin be okay here while I check the shed? I’m going to look for tools, materials or anything else we can use.”

  “If you can’t find anything, how do you plan to blow up the helicopter?”

  He shrugged. “It still has some gas in the tank. One well-placed bullet and kaboom.”

  “Gavin and I will come with you.”

  “Good idea.”

  Cade shoved the keychain in the front pocket of his jeans and pulled on his parka.

  Jenna zipped up Gavin in his jacket and stuffed his hands into his mittens. “We’re going outside. Stay right beside me.”

  Cade’s gun, concealed in the pocket of his parka, bumped

  his thigh as he crossed the room and opened the front door of the cabin. No snow had moved in overnight, and the crisp, cold morning nipped at his cheeks.

  He glanced both ways before stepping onto the porch. The serene scene mocked their circumstances. This cabin could be the perfect setting for a cozy family getaway...or a romantic interlude.

  But the stillness didn’t fool him. That chopper sitting less than a mile away represented a huge target. He had to get rid of it.

  He stomped across the frozen ground with Jenna and Gavin keeping pace beside him. Jenna had a firm grip on Gavin’s hand, even though his head was swiveling in twenty different directions, trying to take in his surroundings.

  He liked that his boy carried an air of adventure and mischief about him. Jenna had done a good job not turning him into a scared, little rabbit, even though she’d had every reason to do so.

  They reached the door of the shed, secured with a dull silver padlock. Cade dragged the keys from his pocket and selected a small one from the key ring. “I think this one should do it.”

  “You Prospero boys think of everything, don’t you?”

  Hooking his finger around the padlock and lifting it, he said over his shoulder, “It’s a good organization, Jenna. We do good work, important work. And we get zero recognition for it. Sometimes the work we do is even denied by our own government.”

  “I know that, Cade.” She put her gloved hand on the slick sleeve of his jacket. “I just wish it hadn’t been you called to this duty.”

  His gaze locked with hers. The heat crackled between them despite the frosty air. He wanted her back in his life, and he planned to pull out all the stops to get her there even if he had to go into hiding with her and Gavin until Prospero brought down Zendaris.

  Zendaris had ripped Cade’s wife and son away from him. If Zendaris hadn’t made it his mission in life to discover the identities of the agents involved in that raid, and then followed up by targeting their families, Cade could’ve been with Jenna these past three years. He could’ve been there for his son.

  Other agents had families. Hell, even Jack Coburn had a family.

  He brushed a wisp of hair from Jenna’s red cheek. “I’ll make it up to you. I swear.”

  Her eyes filled with tears, and Cade didn’t know if it was the emotion between them or just the cold air. Whatever the reason, she ducked to scoop up Gavin’s mitten, which had fallen to the ground.

  Cade turned to the shed. Tugging at the lock, he inserted the key and yanked it free. The wooden door swung open. The shed didn’t have electricity, but the doorway and a window on the back wall afforded enough light to illuminate the small space.

  Cade shuffled inside with Jenna and Gavin close behind him. Shelves lined the walls with all manner of tools and supplies filling every inch of them. “I’m surprised nobody has discovered this place yet and ransacked it.”

  “Must be the giant P on the door indicating Prospero property.”

  “I never get tired of your humor, Jenna.”

  Gavin zipped between them, arms outstretched, making a beeline toward one of the shelves.

  “Whoa.” Cade grabbed the hood of Gavin’s jacket and he bounced backward into Cade’s legs. “Oops. Sorry about that, but you can’t go running around in here.”

  “You don’t have to yank him around like he’s a terrorist. He’s three.” Jenna stepped between them and brushed off Gavin’s jacket like she was brushing off Cade’s cooties.

  “Really?” Cade ran his knuckles across Gavin’s head. “Because I thought he was sixteen.”

  Gavin giggled and held up three fingers. “Three!”

  Cade cocked his head. “Must be the haircut.”

  Jenna pursed her lips against the smile wobbling there. “He broke away from me. I guess all this stuff—” she waved her arms around the interior of the shed “—looks irresistible.”

  “Looks irresistible to me, too.” He let his gaze caress her soft, tousled hair and her face, rosy from the chill in the air.

  She jerked her head toward the junk on the shelves. “Do you think you’ll find what you need here to get rid of that chopper?”

  “I think I should be able to rig something together.”

  “Then we find the car that you’re so sure is located somewhere around here?”

  “Prospero’s safe houses are all outfitted the same—

  out-of-the-way places or plunked down in the middle of a busy city block, water, electricity, a change of clothing, weapons and some means of transportation.”

  He jingled the keys in his hand. “I know there’s a car in our future.”

  Jenna opened her mouth, probably to respond with another sarcastic comme
nt about Prospero, but a loud bang had them all jumping in place.

  “That can’t be good.”

  Cade scrambled for the door and peered over the tree line at a column of black smoke. All of his senses switched into the on position. “Looks like we won’t have to blow up that chopper, after all.”

  “Y-you mean?”

  “Someone beat us to it.”

  Chapter Six

  Jenna crushed Gavin against her thigh, and he squirmed. “How did they find us so fast?”

  Cade unzipped his duffel and began shoving items from the shelves into it. “Probably had a GPS on it. Even so, I’m surprised they got here so fast unless they used other people.”

  His nonchalance lit a fuse in her belly, and she stomped her foot. “What now? How are we going to get out of here?”

  He looked up from his bag, dark brows raised. “I told you. We’re driving out of here, and we’ll have over a half-mile head start on them.”

  “There might be a car. There’s no guarantee.”

  “With Prospero, there’s always a guarantee.”

  “Yeah, always a guarantee that Prospero will ruin my life.”

  “You left your purse in the house with all that cash in it.” He had the nerve to shove her from behind. “Go get it. Then we’ll head out.”

  Clutching Gavin’s hand, she made for the door.

  “Leave Gavin here. You run in and out.” He kicked the door wider. “I’ll keep an eye on you.”

  Her gaze scanned the wooded scene beyond, like something out of Currier and Ives but with terrorists coming over the river and through the woods instead of some happy family. “How do we know they’re not watching us right now?”

  “They just blew up the helicopter. They’re not ninja warriors. They can’t get here in a nanosecond.”

  “Ninja warriors.” Gavin repeated Cade’s words, obviously fascinated with the idea of ninja warriors.

  “Okay, but if anything happens, you take Gavin and run.”

  “Something will happen if you keep standing here jabbering. Move.”

  She spun around and dashed across clearing to the cabin. She stumbled up the steps and grabbed her purse from the back of the chair, pausing for a moment to take in the cozy room with the fire dying in the grate.

  This place could’ve meant so much more for her and Cade if this had been a normal reunion. But nothing about her husband was normal. Nothing about her life was normal.

  Her sniff turned into a snort and she slammed the door on normal and jogged back to her life.

  Cade swung his bulging bag over his shoulder, secured his backpack once more over Jenna’s shoulders and picked up Gavin, who kicked his feet against Cade’s hip. “I know you’re a big guy and would rather walk, but just at the beginning we need to hurry so I’m going to carry you for a while.”

  Cade had a smile on his face, but something in his tone brooked no argument, and Gavin recognized the voice of authority, the whine dying in his throat.

  “How fast do you think they’re coming?” Jenna squinted into the trees, her eyeballs aching.

  “This house is not exactly on a well-worn path from the chopper. Do you remember all the roots and bushes we had to navigate to get here? They have four different directions to choose from. It doesn’t mean they’re going to pick the right one.”

  “And what about us? We have three different directions to choose from.”

  “Nope. I saw a map in the cabin. I know the direction of the road...and that car.”

  Hoisting Gavin onto his back, Cade strode toward a thicket of trees that looked impenetrable.

  Jenna hugged her purse to her chest, folding her arms across it. “Do you want me to take the bag while you carry Gavin?”

  “The bag is heavier than Gavin and you already have the backpack. I’m good. You just keep up.”

  Having Cade here to lead the way and make decisions had taken a weight from her shoulders, but it came with a price. She hadn’t taken orders from anyone in a long time, and it left a bitter taste on her tongue.

  She swallowed it. Now was not the time for petty one-upmanship. Cade could keep Gavin safe, and she had to hold on to that and shove her resentment aside.

  They zigzagged through the trees, clambering over fallen trunks and dodging patches of ice. Jenna’s breath came out in short spurts, fogging in front of her. Her stomach rumbled and she tripped over the next tree trunk and fell to her knees.

  Cade turned and nearly stumbled over her. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  He bent forward with Gavin clinging to his neck, and hooked his arms beneath hers. He righted and steadied her and for a second she wished she was the one in his arms.

  She straightened her spine. “Thanks. Let’s go.”

  “We should be at the road soon. You’re probably starving. I know I am.” He tugged at one of Gavin’s legs dangling against his side. “How about you? Still want those eggs?”

  “Yes, eggs.”

  “Okay, hang on.”

  Cade’s legs started pumping again, like pistons, even, steady, strong. Did the man ever show weakness?

  He hunched forward and pulled back the low branch of a tree. “There’s the road.”

  “Is the car there?”

  “Should be along here somewhere.”

  “Maybe someone took it already.”

  “We’re going to walk along the side of the road, keeping close to the foliage in case we have to jump back into it.”

  Five minutes later, Jenna didn’t even realize she was holding her breath until she saw a small blue car tucked in a turnout around the next bend. Her chest deflated and she almost dropped to her knees.

  “Do you think that’s it? Do you think that’s the car?”

  “Positive.” Cade pulled the key chain from his pocket and aimed the remote at the car. It blinked to life, flashing its lights once and beeping. Cade bounced Gavin a few times and grinned. “Can I say I told you so?”

  “You can say whatever you like.” She quickened her steps. “Just get me out of here.”

  Cade popped the trunk of the car and tossed his bag and backpack inside. He swung Gavin from his back. “You did great, kiddo.”

  Jenna grabbed Gavin’s hand and led him to the backseat. “I’ll buckle you up. We’ll get you a car seat as soon as we can.”

  Gavin settled in and yanked at the seat belt. “Don’t need a car seat.”

  “Oh, yes, you do. Don’t get used to this.” She slid into the passenger seat and snapped on her own seat belt.

  “Where to?”

  “Away.”

  Cade cranked on the engine and pulled the little car onto the road. “We get as far away from here as we can. Then we’ll have some breakfast and regroup.”

  Jenna looked in the side mirror at the empty road stretching behind them and shook her head. “Unbelievable.”

  “What? I told you the car would be here.”

  “Helicopters blowing up, random cars parked in the bushes, a shed full of—” she fluttered hands “—stuff. Is that a typical day in your life?”

  He slid a glance her way before studying the road. “No. It happens now and then. We spend a lot of time on intelligence, analyzing data, tracking people through banking, car registration, medical records. Boring stuff.”

  “That’s not working too well for tracking down Zendaris, is it?”

  He smacked the steering wheel, his jaw tightening. “He’s smart. He has loyal people surrounding him, and when they cease to be loyal...” He fired an imaginary gun with his fingers.

  “What else do you know about him besides the fact that he’s a vicious killer and has no morals?”

  “Not much. He’s Greek, comes from a small fishing village on one of the islands. Samos, I think. He left at about age fifteen. Went to Italy. Was involved in some petty crimes there.”

  “And immediately graduated to arms dealing?”

  “He had a few hiccups on the road, but he’s one of the
biggest arms dealers in the world now. We just can’t pin him down.”

  “But he can find you.”

  “Guess so.”

  Jenna slumped in her seat, leaning her head against the window. Would she and Gavin ever be free as long as Zendaris lived? She’d never come close to wishing someone dead, but she wouldn’t shed any tears over Zendaris’s obituary.

  Cade traced a line down the side of her neck, and she closed her eyes, soaking in the small gesture. It ended with his hand on her shoulder.

  “I’m going to fix this.”

  For just a moment, Jenna allowed herself to believe him.

  Her gaze flicked to the side mirror. “Do you think they’re following us?”

  “They’ll try, but we got a head start on them, and they’re going to have a hard time getting a vehicle onto this road, if they even realize we’re on this road.”

  “So we’re safe...for now.” She figured she might as well add the words for him.

  “We’re safe and we’re hungry.” Cade checked the rearview mirror. “Right, Gavin?”

  “Pancakes.”

  “What happened to eggs?”

  “Pancakes,” Gavin repeated.

  Cade pointed to a gas station out the window. “Looks like we’re heading toward civilization. Pancakes can’t be far behind.”

  Another fifty miles down the highway, more gas stations, a few motels and finally a town came into view. And just like Cade had accurately predicted the car waiting for them, he had accurately predicted pancakes in their future.

  Maybe he could tell her that she and Gavin would stop running and be right about that, too.

  The car careened along the off-ramp past a Native American roadside stand selling blankets and trinkets. “We must be close to Vegas.”

  “Other side.” Cade turned into the small parking lot of a diner. “We went southeast. We’re close to the four corners, Colorado to the east of us and New Mexico to the south.”

  He parked the car and they made for the restaurant. Jenna peered through the glass door at the crowded dining room. “Do you have a plan beyond breakfast?”

  “I always have a plan.” Cade tapped on the window of the restaurant at a flyer advertising a flea market. “Maybe we can pick up a car seat for Gavin here.”