They were both trying to maintain a casual air, cracking stupid jokes. In truth, the farce was driving them both insane.
Ethan drove to the parking lot where his captain said the car would be, but instead of pulling in, he drove around a few times. Then he found a spot where he could sit and observe the lot.
“Which one is ours?” Bethany asked.
“The Dodge Charger in space twenty seven.”
“Even though its unmarked, it should be the Pursuit model.” She flashed him a grin. “5.7 Hemi V8. It has rear wheel drive so the front end won’t plow when cornering. That Hemi cranks out 370 horsepower with 395 pound-feet of torque. It should handle like a dream.”
Ethan stared at her a long moment. She almost giggled, she had surprised him again. Then he held his hand to his chest in mock exaggeration. “Be still my beating heart. I think I just fell in love.” He hesitated and winked at her. “With the car.”
“You brat!” s he said swiping at his shoulder
He laughed , but his humor faded all too quickly. He glanced around and withdrew his gun from his shoulder harness. Ethan ejected the clip, cleared the barrel and put a new one in. “One more clip,” he muttered and put the empty one in his pocket. “I wish we could have checked Shanahan’s trunk before we left the hospital.”
Bethany swallowed hard and ducked her head. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have took off like that.”
“Hey,” he said with surprising gentleness. “You really didn’t have much of a choice. Just let me know if you see anything suspicious before you take off.”
She wanted to cry. She had not ran from a fake doctor but a ghost.
“It seems to be clear,” he said. He turned off the engine and handed Bethany’s tools back. “Let’s go, but keep your eyes open.”
“You got it.”
They cautiously approached the Charger. Ethan stopped at the rear bumper and pulled out a magnetic key holder.
“Are they are watching us?” she asked.
“Oh yeah,” Ethan said. “The regs require it. I just hope my captain assigned trustworthy people to the task.”
“They probably are trustworthy, that’s why Cordova makes use of them.”
“Don’t I know it,” Ethan muttered. He hit the button on the key fob, unlocking the doors. He walked around the car, looking underneath it periodically. “More than likely it’s got a GPS trace,” he said.
“That’s part of the car’s normal computer chip set up. If I had my phone I could disable it.”
Ethan again looked at her in surprise. He shook his head, smiling ruefully. “I’ll get used to it, eventually.”
“Used to what?”
“Bethany, you are unlike any woman I’ve ever met.”
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and she looked away. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” she muttered.
“A good thing…a very good thing.”
Her cheeks burned brighter. She hadn’t meant for him to hear her.
Ethan popped the hood, looked under it, then slammed it closed, shaking his head. “I don’t have time to do a complete search, but it really doesn’t matter since we are going to stick with the plan and go to the safe house. Open the glove box.”
Bethany did so and found the directions, along with $500 cash in an envelope, and a cell phone.
“We will only use that phone only if we absolutely have to,” he said. “If we have to run, take the battery out.”
“Okay,” she said, returning it to the glove box.
They climbed into the car and shut the doors.
Ethan hesitated only a second then turned the key. The engine roared to life.
Only then did Bethany breathe a sigh of relief. No explosion, no ignition triggered bomb. They were still in one piece.
Ethan glanced at her. “You worry too much,” he said and his lips lifted. “I was also looking for sabotage.”
“Sorry,” she said, ducking her head.
He chuckled softly, removing his glasses. He curved a finger under her chin and tugged her head up. Bethany’s heart slammed against her ribs with the power of his
Ethan drove to the parking lot where his captain said the car would be, but instead of pulling in, he drove around a few times. Then he found a spot where he could sit and observe the lot.
“Which one is ours?” Bethany asked.
“The Dodge Charger in space twenty seven.”
“Even though its unmarked, it should be the Pursuit model.” She flashed him a grin. “5.7 Hemi V8. It has rear wheel drive so the front end won’t plow when cornering. That Hemi cranks out 370 horsepower with 395 pound-feet of torque. It should handle like a dream.”
Ethan stared at her a long moment. She almost giggled, she had surprised him again. Then he held his hand to his chest in mock exaggeration. “Be still my beating heart. I think I just fell in love.” He hesitated and winked at her. “With the car.”
“You brat!” s he said swiping at his shoulder
He laughed , but his humor faded all too quickly. He glanced around and withdrew his gun from his shoulder harness. Ethan ejected the clip, cleared the barrel and put a new one in. “One more clip,” he muttered and put the empty one in his pocket. “I wish we could have checked Shanahan’s trunk before we left the hospital.”
Bethany swallowed hard and ducked her head. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have took off like that.”
“Hey,” he said with surprising gentleness. “You really didn’t have much of a choice. Just let me know if you see anything suspicious before you take off.”
She wanted to cry. She had not ran from a fake doctor but a ghost.
“It seems to be clear,” he said. He turned off the engine and handed Bethany’s tools back. “Let’s go, but keep your eyes open.”
“You got it.”
They cautiously approached the Charger. Ethan stopped at the rear bumper and pulled out a magnetic key holder.
“Are they are watching us?” she asked.
“Oh yeah,” Ethan said. “The regs require it. I just hope my captain assigned trustworthy people to the task.”
“They probably are trustworthy, that’s why Cordova makes use of them.”
“Don’t I know it,” Ethan muttered. He hit the button on the key fob, unlocking the doors. He walked around the car, looking underneath it periodically. “More than likely it’s got a GPS trace,” he said.
“That’s part of the car’s normal computer chip set up. If I had my phone I could disable it.”
Ethan again looked at her in surprise. He shook his head, smiling ruefully. “I’ll get used to it, eventually.”
“Used to what?”
“Bethany, you are unlike any woman I’ve ever met.”
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and she looked away. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” she muttered.
“A good thing…a very good thing.”
Her cheeks burned brighter. She hadn’t meant for him to hear her.
Ethan popped the hood, looked under it, then slammed it closed, shaking his head. “I don’t have time to do a complete search, but it really doesn’t matter since we are going to stick with the plan and go to the safe house. Open the glove box.”
Bethany did so and found the directions, along with $500 cash in an envelope, and a cell phone.
“We will only use that phone only if we absolutely have to,” he said. “If we have to run, take the battery out.”
“Okay,” she said, returning it to the glove box.
They climbed into the car and shut the doors.
Ethan hesitated only a second then turned the key. The engine roared to life.
Only then did Bethany breathe a sigh of relief. No explosion, no ignition triggered bomb. They were still in one piece.
Ethan glanced at her. “You worry too much,” he said and his lips lifted. “I was also looking for sabotage.”
“Sorry,” she said, ducking her head.
He chuckled softly, removing his glasses. He curved a finger under her chin and tugged her head up. Bethany’s heart slammed against her ribs with the power of his
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