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Max gestures to the glove box. “Someone back there?”
“Not yet.” I pop open the glove box, pull out a Glock 19, and check the slide. Loaded. My nerves settle. Sage’s frantic eyes set off all my protective instincts. “Lie down on the seat,” I tell her. “No one’s back there. Let’s just…be safe.”
CHAPTER 16
Sage
I can’t stop shivering. I’m freezing.
Why is this happening?
The shooter could’ve hit Knox. Every single one of those bullets came closer to hitting Knox than me.
Sam told me to come to Knox, but surely he didn’t imagine this scenario. He wouldn’t want me to put his friend’s life in danger. No one else can die for my life.
I’ve journeyed from fantasy to nightmare in one Sunday morning.
The radio is off. I intuitively understand Knox can’t handle noise right now. He’s still wearing sunglasses, but I can tell from his minute movements that he’s scanning the side view and rear view constantly.
We changed cars in a parking garage. We’ve been driving for at least thirty minutes, weaving through the streets. Felix met us in this car and gave me a ridiculous wig with a baseball cap. He also had two duffel bags. Said someone from the office went to Knox’s place and packed for us. Max promised to get Millie to the vet.
Who would shoot a dog? Of course, they weren’t aiming for Millie. They were aiming for me. Or Knox. So they could take me? What would that even mean? For what?
The terror of the night someone broke into my home strikes with a force that stings my eyes. Why?
Think, Sage. Why would someone want you?
Could it be as simple as I’m Sloane’s last close relative? The last person who would pursue finding her?
Maybe they think I know something. I can’t do anything about them believing I have knowledge I don’t have, but I can give Sloane’s disappearance visibility.
“I need to go public.”
Knox acts like he doesn’t hear me. He’s following the GPS map on the car, but he has it set to silent. We’re on the 101 in sluggish traffic. There’s a sign to my right that reads, “Welcome to Carpinteria. The safest beach in the world.”
“If her disappearance is all over the news, they won’t have any reason to come after me.”
“You don’t really have anything to go public with.”
“A missing person campaign. A US citizen working abroad is missing. I need to get it out there. I’m the only one in the United States who will make a big deal about Sloane’s disappearance. Think about it.” He’s completely disregarding me, but why didn’t I think of this before? “The women who are most likely to be abducted are women without family connections. The women who won’t have anyone looking for them.”
“Are you talking about serial killers?” He flicks his turn signal for an upcoming off ramp.
“Maybe. I don’t know.” That’s probably exactly what I’m thinking of. “But think about it. If it was evidence they wanted to destroy, they did it. Right?” I’m in the back seat because he claims it’s the safest place for me to sit and he’s wearing sunglasses so I can’t see his eyes, so I raise my voice. “The only reason to go after me is to keep me from chasing her down. That has to be it. I don’t know anything.”
“We’ll talk to the team.” He’s dismissive. He’s also focused. I’ll let it go until we arrive at our destination. Then I’ll talk to the team. I could be on to something. I’ve seen missing persons alerts before in the news. That’s what I need to do. What I should’ve been doing all along.
We turn onto a relatively busy thoroughfare with stoplights and businesses. Glimpses of the ocean flash between cross streets. Far off in the distance are mountains. It’s a picturesque seaside town. We can’t be far from Santa Barbara.
“How much farther?” We’re headed to a safe house, or at least, that’s what Max called it. But, looking around, with people on bikes and scooters and cars with surfboards attached to the top, it feels like we’ve arrived in a smaller Santa Barbara.
“Three minutes.”
There’s a gruffness to his tone I don’t recognize. Is he angry? “I’m sorry about what happened. If you want me to leave?—”
“Hush.”
“I’m sure Sam?—”
