Page 94 of Xavier

“You own a condo on Cocoa Beach?”

He shakes his head. “A buddy of mine does. Don’t worry, it will be safe. He has access to every camera around the place and even set up a few of his own.”

“If you trust him, then so do I. But back to the secret code. What did you say for the question about air?”

“Neighboring small. International half an hour. Meaning nearby there is a small local airport, and the bigger international one is a half hour away.”

I’ve heard of guys having their own language, but to hear it firsthand is mind-boggling. I never would have figured that out on my own.

“Do you want to play a game to help the trip go faster?” Xavier asks, as he glances my way.

I sit up straighter and lean closer to him. “What kind of game?”

“When I was a kid, anytime I was in the school bus heading to school, or in the car traveling, I would look at other drivers and their families and try to picture where they were going and what they did for a living.”

I love that game idea, but can’t picture this rugged, mysterious, grumpy man willingly playing this game.

“That sounds fun.”

As Xavier approaches a car, I start looking over all the tiny details.

“A nice Lexus with a license plate from Virginia, meaning they moved here or are visiting. No stickers or decals.”

I pause as he pulls up alongside the car.

“An older man is driving and eating fries, and an older woman is in the passenger seat eating an ice cream cone. They remind me of my grandparents. Sweet, loving, and kind. They seem happy, so nothing too sad. No one else is in the car. There are no suitcases in the back seat, either.”

Xavier chuckles. “So, what do you think?”

“Definitely traveling, but the question is, where are they headed? Family, grandchildren, a cruise.”

Xavier nods. “I would say they are heading for a cruise port.”

He seems confident, almost too confident.

“Why do you think they are taking a cruise over visiting family?”

“Because there was a lanyard hanging from their rearview mirror with a cruise logo on it, and people usually wear cruise lanyards with their keycard on it while on a cruise.”

I turn around to look, and just as he said, there’s a lanyard hanging from their rear-view mirror.

“I guess you are going to be a lot better at this than I am.”

“Well, I’ve been playing this game longer than you’ve been alive. Plus, attention to detail was a huge part of my job.”

Damn it, there goes the age thing again. Just when I think things are going well, he has to throw in the age difference.

We continue to play the game, even though my heart really isn’t into it anymore.

Finally, we get to the new safe house, or rather, a condo.

Xavier parks in a guest parking spot before getting out and coming around to open my door.

My palms are sweaty, and my heart is racing. I have to rub my hands on my shirt to dry them off.

“Don’t worry.” Xavier whispers in my ear as we take the elevator up to the second floor.

“That’s easy for you to say. You already know this guy. I’m meeting him for the first time and it’s like, hey there are two killers after me and now we are dragging you into this mess.”

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