Twin Peril by Laura Scott Page A

forever. She lifted her head to look up at him.
    “What happened back at the motel, Jonah?” She had to speak loudly so he could hear over the noise of the train. “How could Caruso’s thug have found us so quickly? Do you think he followed your car?”
    Jonah’s gaze darkened with anger. “I suppose he might have gotten the license plate number, but I’m more inclined to believe you were right all along when you voiced your fears about the possibility of another dirty cop. Considering I’ve only spoken directly to Lieutenant Finley, I have no choice but to believe he’s another dirty cop working for Caruso.”
    Mallory’s heart sank. If Jonah was right, they were in serious trouble.
    * * *
    Jonah could barely speak, he was so angry. He’d been betrayed by his boss! Finley was the one he’d called when someone had sneaked into his hospital room. Finley was the one who had ordered him to go after Mallory. And that story about no cops being available to relieve him was probably nothing more than a lie. Finley wanted him to stay put so he could send someone out to set the motel on fire.
    Looking back, he realized how easily he’d been duped. Why would a boss send an injured cop out to keep a potential witness safe? If he’d been using the brain God gave him instead of relying on his emotions, he might have figured out Finley’s true motives a lot quicker.
    Mallory tightened her arms around his waist, giving him a warm hug that he felt all the way to the depths of his soul. “I’m sorry, Jonah.”
    He was amazed and humbled that she was trying to comfort him when he was the one who’d nearly gotten her killed. If not for the black Lab barking his head off, they might have succumbed to smoke inhalation.
    God was truly watching over them.
    “Mallory, I’m the one who should be apologizing to you,” he said. “I should have been suspicious of Finley from the beginning. I’m sorry.”
    “We’re safe on a train headed—somewhere far away from the burning motel, so there’s no reason to apologize. You saved my life, Jonah. Twice. Three times, if you count forcing me to jump the train.”
    The way she chose to put a positive spin on things was a personality quirk that surprised him. Time to take lessons from Mallory. This wasn’t the time to wallow in self-pity about being duped by his boss. Mallory had made a good point about the train’s destination—he had no clue where this train was headed. In the motel, when he’d first noticed the cargo train, he’d tried to do a search online to figure out where it was going. But the map wasn’t any help. There were dozens of trains using the same tracks going in both directions. It was like looking at a freeway and trying to figure out where each car was going.
    “Jonah, I can tell you’re upset, and I wish you’d give yourself a break. Look how many miles we’ve already gone. The train is going at least fifteen or twenty miles per hour, right?” Once again, she sounded downright cheerful. “Your idea to jump the train was brilliant. We can ride for days if needed.”
    “Unfortunately, we can’t afford to wait that long. It’s going to be dark soon and we need to get off before we lose all light. Keep an eye out for small towns, something not too far from the tracks since we have to walk.”
    He felt her sigh. “You think the bad guys will be waiting for us at the end of the line, huh?”
    “I think it’s a risk I’m not willing to take.” He made sure his tone was firm. No way was he allowing her to talk him out of this one.
    “Okay. Well, then, what about that place over there?”
    There were lights just up ahead. For a minute he hesitated, worried that this town might be too easy to find. But maybe Caruso’s men would assume they’d ride longer. After all, there were likely plenty of other towns along the way.
    “Okay,” he agreed, loosening his grip on her so he could turn and face the opening. As he scanned the area, looking for the best