Page 174 of The Advocate’s Ultimatum

DuBois continued two blocks before turning casually through a side street and circling back wider. By the time he regained visual range, Rourke was back on the road. He was headed northbound now.

Urban frowned. “He’s wandering.”

“No.” DuBois watched the SUV as it headed inland. “He’s deciding. That’s worse because it means Rourke hadn’t planned on going directly wherever he normally went after lunch. Maybe because of the conversation with Sabre. Maybe because some instinct bothered him now.”

Ahead, Rourke merged onto Interstate 8 eastbound toward El Cajon.

Urban looked over. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

DuBois nodded. “If he’s nervous, but hasn’t made us for certain, he might be going to check on Hannah.”

Chapter 67

Wednesday afternoon

DuBois knew the exact moment Rourke confirmed the surveillance, not because the SUV sped up or Rourke looked back, but because everything suddenly became too smooth.

The gray SUV moved eastbound on Interstate 8 with careful precision now, not wandering anymore, and not deciding. He was executing.

Urban noticed it too. “He made us.”

“Yeah.”

Ahead, Chen maintained primary visual at a safe distance while Martinez hung farther back in traffic. Nobody pushed closer. That would only make it worse now.

Rourke unexpectedly exited near La Mesa, crossed two surface streets, then entered a multi-level parking structure beside a shopping center.

Urban swore softly. “That’s bad.”

Parking structures killed surveillance. There were too many exits, too many blind spots, and too many vertical breaks.

Chen’s voice crackled over the channel. “Target entering structure. Upper ramp.”

DuBois turned into the car park thirty seconds later. “Hold visual only,” he ordered. “Nobody crowds him.”

They climbed slowly. Level one, nothing. Level two, nothing.

Chen’s unmarked sedan sat near the far ramp, driver door cracked open. Chen himself stood outside, pretending to scroll through his phone.

DuBois parked beside him. “Where?”

Chen looked furious with himself. “He went up to level three.”

“And?”

“I lost him maybe fifteen seconds.”

Fifteen seconds was forever.

Urban was already moving toward the stairwell. DuBois followed. The third level sat mostly empty except for scattered vehicles and late afternoon heat shimmering off concrete. No gray SUV.

“How many exits?” DuBois asked.

Urban scanned quickly. “Three vehicle ramps. Two pedestrians.”

Chen pointed toward the far edge. “I heard acceleration maybe twenty seconds ago.”

DuBois moved to the railing overlooking the street below just in time to catch a gray SUV turning through traffic two blocks away.