We reached the SUV without slowing. Ellie opened the back hatch and set the suitcase inside. I stood near the driver’s side mirror, watching the street and the roof. No one was closing distance. No one loitered at the corners.
Sabine slid into the rear seat from the far side, out of view from most of the block. Ellie closed the hatch and moved to the passenger seat. I got into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and checked the mirrors, then turned halfway to look over my shoulder. “Phone.”
She frowned. “You already—”
“Killing the SIM, snagging the battery. Otherwise they track us.”
She dug it out of her bag. I popped the back, slid the card and battery into my pocket.
“That’s my number.”
“Not anymore.” I handed it to Ellie. “You’ll get it when it’s safe.”
She muttered something under her breath, but sat back.
A dark sedan turned onto the street. Mid-size, tinted windows, slow enough to read as cautious without drawing attention. I caught the make, the color, and most of the plate before it passed the first parked car. The passenger’s head turned slightly toward us.
The locks engaged with a muted click as I pulled away from the curb, taking the first left before the sedan reached our position. Two more quick turns put another layer between us and her street.
The next turn put us on a narrow two-lane with heavier traffic. I kept my speed even, using the cars around us as cover. If they were after Sabine, they’d have to get through me first. I wasn’t letting anyone else take a shot.
“Unit three, status?” Ellie said into her comm.
A short burst of static answered before a voice crackled in my ear. “On site at the loft. Desktop located. We’ll sweep all electronics for trackers.”
Ellie glanced at me, her tone staying calm. “Copy. Secure and transport. Grab that bank box too.”
I took the next right without signaling, merging between a taxi and a panel van. The dark sedan reappeared in the rearview, two cars back. Not close enough to make a move, but not far enough to dismiss.
“Eyes on that gray?” I asked.
“Got it,” Ellie said.
I adjusted our route, weaving through a string of one-way streets, doubling back once to force a change in their position. They stayed with us through the turns, keeping a gap but holding the same lane whenever possible.
Sabine sat in the back, watching the buildings slide past. She hadn’t asked what was happening, but I could feel the questions building. Her reflection in the side mirror showed the crease between her brows, the way her gaze flicked from window to window.
I brought us onto a busier artery, using the heavier flow to mask our movements. The sedan got caught at a light, giving us an extra block of distance. I took it, cutting down a side street and back toward the main road from a different angle.
The city pressed in on all sides: crosswalks filling, horns blaring, delivery trucks double-parked. Good for losing someone, bad for keeping a steady pace. My hands stayed light on the wheel, but my eyes moved constantly between mirrors.
Another check behind us showed open space where the sedan had been. Not definitive, but enough to shift the tension in my shoulders.
Ellie stayed quiet, letting me work. I kept us moving for another fifteen minutes, changing streets twice more before I was satisfied we’d shaken them. The highway entrance opened ahead, the stream of traffic heading north.
I merged, letting the city drop behind us in the mirrors.
The hum of the tires settled into a steady rhythm as we merged fully onto the highway. City noise fell away, replaced by the low rush of air around the vehicle. I kept us in the middle lane, matching speed with the flow.
Sabine leaned forward slightly. “Where are we going?”
“A safe place,” I said, keeping my eyes on the road.
She didn’t answer right away. In the mirror, I saw her lean back again, crossing her arms. Ellie angled her head toward her. “Relax. Close your eyes if you need to. It’s a bit of a drive.”
The reporter's gaze stayed on the passing trees. The silence that followed wasn’t the same as in the city. There, it had been tight and watchful. Out here, it spread, leaving room for thoughts to creep in.
I let mine settle on the sedan we’d lost. If it was Bellante, they had my plate now. That meant they could potentially track where we were headed. They might get lucky with an intercept if we stopped before the safehouse. I adjusted my route in my head, adding another detour before the final leg.
