Page 61 of Smoke and Mirrors

I hear a voice yell, but I’m too busy fighting with my belt, attempting to click it into the buckle to look up. My body jumps off the seat as we bounce over the curb and onto the road, Kace hitting the gas with his foot almost to the floor. The engine screams.

The sound of glass shattering has me grabbing my head and tucking it between my legs. I’m thrown side to side as we weave through early morning traffic, people on their way to work with no idea what’s going on.

I risk a look behind me. The back window is shattered, and the screech of car tires follows us down the road.

“They’re coming!” I yell.

“How did they fucking find us so fast?” he snaps. “I took every damn precaution.”

Guilt hits me hard and fast. “My cell phone,” I tell him, my eyes wide. “It’s in the motel room.”

He bares his teeth. “What?”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know it was in my bag, and I was going to tell you, but we got distracted,” I tell him, knowing that no explanation was going to save me from this.

He slams his palm into the steering wheel before he pulls it violently to the right, slamming my body against the door as we skid around a corner. “They traced it. How could you be so damn stupid?”

A series of loud pings hit the metal of the car, and more glass shatters in on the back seat.

“They’re shooting at us!” I gasp.

I look up. We’re on a long main street, there are cars everywhere, and a series of traffic lights. For a second, I think maybe I’m delusional as all the lights down the street flick to red in the blink of an eye. Cars struggle to pull to a stop, and Kace swerves, barely missing a minivan in front of us.

“Fucking Noah,” he screams, pulling hard on the wheel and accelerating through a small gap and down a side street. Cars honk and people yell and scream behind us.

“The only advantage we have is that they’re not trying to kill us. They’re trying to catch us,” he says, seeming to calm slightly.

“This is them not trying to kill us?” I cry.

“Get ready to run,” Kace tells me, and I turn to him in shock.

“Run?” I ask in disbelief. “How are we meant to outrun them? They’re like fucking ninjas.”

Kace bumps over a curb, and suddenly things go dark. I rub at my eyes, realizing we’re inside a parking building that’s connected to a large shopping mall. He speeds up the ramps, obviously not exactly looking for somewhere to park.

“They won’t shoot at us inside an open mall where there are too many people,” he races to explain. “If you lose me, go to the women’s bathroom on the second floor. I’ll find you.” His words are more than just a plan, they’re a vow. He reaches over and unclicks my seat belt, and I brace my hands on the dashboard as he slams on the breaks just outside two double doors that lead inside the mall. “Go!”

I don’t waste a second, throwing myself out of the car and stumble as I pump my legs toward the doorway.

Kace is right behind me.

The bright lights of the mall stun me for a second, and I pause to try and catch my bearings. Kace gives me a shove to the left, and I throw myself forward. He moves up beside me as we duck and dodge through the slow stream of people.

“Kace!” I hear someone yell from behind, but neither of us stops.

We reach an intersection with halls that lead off in different directions, and just as I turn to question Kace, Axel pops out from behind one of the walls.

Kace doesn’t hesitate, throwing his fist into Axel’s jaw and throwing him off balance. “Run, Lily!” he yells as Axel gains his composure and throws a punch of his own, which Kace blocks with his forearm.

My sneakers grip the slippery floor as I turn in the opposite direction and force my legs to move. I bump into several people, not bothering to apologize. I’m running for my life here. There’s no time for pleasantries.

As much as I want to, I don’t look behind me to check on Kace. I know he can handle himself. My mind is racing, and my breathing is becoming unbearably heavy. I can’t run forever, and these men are clearly well trained and a lot fitter than me. Trying to outrun them is ridiculous.

I spot an escalator up ahead.

The second-floor bathroom.

If I can get there without someone seeing me, I can hide inside until Kace comes to find me.

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