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It was midmorning, with an overcast sky overhead. There were no lights on in the house they were hiding behind, but that didn’t mean there weren’t people inside. What if one of them noticed them trespassing and called the police?
Better the police than the shooter.
“Down!” Steele’s harsh whisper caught her off guard. She dropped into a crouch, plastering herself against the brick exterior of the house.
Joe moved forward so that he was practically curled around her. For long moments, no one moved as they strained to listen.
Elly couldn’t hear anything beyond her own heartbeat. Then Steele slowly rose to his feet. She and Joe followed suit.
“Where did you stash the SUV?” Joe asked.
“It’s on the other side of the road,” Steele said in a hushed voice. “We’ll need to cross at some point. Probably one more house down.”
“Got it,” Joe agreed.
“Let’s go.” Steele once again moved along the back of the neighbor’s house. Thankfully, if there was someone inside, they didn’t raise an alarm.
When Steele reached the corner, he once again paused to look toward the road. Apparently seeing nothing alarming, he crossed the open area between the properties to reach the next house.
She inwardly braced for someone to throw open a door or window asking what they were doing. But maybe because homes were closed up tight in the winter, no one seemed to notice them.
At the corner of the third house, Steele glanced at Joe. “Ready?”
“Yes.” Joe’s expression was tense, but he didn’t look alarmed. “Let’s do it.”
Steele waited another moment, his head swiveling from side to side before he turned the corner and broke into a jog.
Elly did the same, giving up any attempt to move stealthily. Joe stayed so close behind her she could hear him breathing. When they made it across the road, Steele headed straight through that neighbor’s yard.
She felt certain their luck wouldn’t hold forever. One of these residents would notice them and either call the police or say something. Steele acted as if this was something they did on a regular basis.
When Steele reached the backyard, she fully expected him to follow the back of the house to the next property again. But he didn’t. He went straight through yet another backyard to reach the next block.
There, he turned right. When he abruptly stopped near an SUV, she almost plowed into him. Joe caught the back of her jacket, holding her steady.
Steele lifted the key fob to unlock the doors. Then he opened the rear passenger door. “Go ahead and climb in,” he whispered.
She didn’t need any prodding. After scrambling inside, she gratefully latched her seat belt. Steele shut her door, then ran around to the driver’s side. Joe slid into the seat in front of her.
Steele started the engine, then pulled slowly away from the curb. She’d expected him to speed away, but he didn’t.
“Elly, bend over so you’re not visible,” Joe said.
She had to remove the shoulder strap to accomplish that feat. Bending at the waist, she rested her forehead on her knees.
“Did you get a license plate of the vehicle that cruised past the safe house?” Joe asked.
“No, because the front plate was missing, and the rear plate was covered with mud,” Steele replied. “That’s what raised my suspicions in the first place. After he drove by a second time, I knew we needed to get Elly out of there.”
“Thanks for sounding the alarm.” Joe still sounded tense. “But I’d really like to know how we were found.”
“I would too,” Steele said. “Stay alert. This guy is known for shooting at targets from a higher ground.”
That made her sit up. “What if he takes out the two of you?”
“Get back down, Elly.” Joe’s tone was firm. “You’re the target here, not us.”
She lowered her forehead back to her knees. “This guy has already killed twelve people. You really think he’ll balk at taking out two more to get to me?”
