Page 45 of Operation: Unify

“Where is Randy? What did they do to him?” Lacy yelled.

“I don’t know. I didn’t see him anywhere. He said in his text that he sawthem, so maybe Cal went after him?” He didn’t know and didn’t have time to think further than that. Tod must have made a U-turn and followed them. He was behind by a few blocks, but still coming.

“Where are the police?” Lacy held tight to the seat as he turned again.

“I don’t know. Since I have to keep driving, they probably can’t find us.” She’d been talking to the dispatcher, but something had happened to his phone, and he’d missed it, probably when he’d had to act quickly.

A car yanked out in front of them and hit their brakes, forcing Connor to slam on his or rearend them. It left no space between him and the car. Tod stopped right against Connor’s bumper, trapping them.

“Stay down there.” He held his hand to her shoulder, not that she was trying to rise.

Tod came to Connor’s window and motioned for him to lower it. All the possibilities for what could happened went through his head. Was it better to leave it up and risk glass flying into the cab? His window wasn’t going to stop a bullet either way. He rolled it down two inches.

“You two have messed around. Now you’re going to find out.” He pulled his weapon from the waistband of his pants.

Connor was painfully aware that his was still locked under his seat. Lacy reached between his ankles, holding herself steady with one of his boots and staying in the dark. He felt her tug the lockbox free. Unfortunately, the key was on his key ring, and he couldn’t hand it to her without Tod seeing him.

“Turn off your engine and step out of the car.” Tod waved his gun for Connor to step out.

Lacy quickly pulled back to her side with the box. He took the keys from the ignition and laid them on the seat with the lockbox key pointing at her. He held up his hands as a show. He wasn’t going to make any rash moves.

“Where is she? I saw her in the truck with you.” Tod yanked the door open.

Connor shifted his body, protecting her from Tod’s view. Tod pointed his gun at her. “Get out of the truck.”

She climbed over the seat and out the driver’s side following Connor. He wasn’t sure what they planned, but they’d been fairly brazen up until now. He wouldn’t put it past them to just shoot Connor and Lacy and leave them in the street.

“Why did you kill Melinda’s aunt?” Lacy asked, huddling closer to Connor but keeping her hands up.

Tod laughed. “Melinda had contacted her against my wishes and told the old woman that she was scared for her life. That woman told Melinda she could come and stay there until they could find a way to move back home. I had to stop that. Melinda is my key out of this place and into the bigtime.”

“Shut up,” Cal lumbered up to them from the front car. “Randy is busy. He’ll be busy for a long time.” Cal snickered.

Connor felt Lacy tremble next to him. The realization hit him that this was partially his own fault. If he’d left earlier with Lacy, they wouldn’t be in this position. He’d wanted to avoid Wayside because of the possibility that Lacy could get caught. Yet here she was, caught and risking her life.

“But why? How? She has no money. I don’t understand how this all fits.” Lacy kept her voice quiet, non-threatening. Was she hoping the police would find them in the street? It was a good enough plan, if it worked.

Tod snickered. “Insurance on her and insurance on the hotel. The end game had been that she would be the only victim in a hotel fire that would pay out over ten million in insurance between the two.”

“Shut your mouth,” Cal repeated. “Why does she need to know anything?”

“What does it matter? She’ll be dead soon anyway.”

Connor’s mind whirred to life. “You realize that by killing us, you’ll make sure you go to prison for a long time, right? As of now, you’re only facing attempted murder. There’s a big difference between attempted murder and first degree . . .”Connor hoped that talking sense would make these two think a little bit about what they would face.

“That would mean we’d have to get caught.” Tod laughed. “I don’t plan to.” He cocked his pistol. “Lean against your truck, hands behind your head.”

Lacy let out the softest whimper. He wished he knew if she’d had a chance to get his weapon. He wished he was in control. He had to trust her. She had it in her to defend them, but he didn’t know her plan.

“You too. Against the truck.” He waved the pistol again.

Lacy took that instant, while the barrel of the gun was pointed away from both of them, to draw her gun from her holster and his from her pocket. “Freeze.” She aimed at Tod since he was closest to them.

Cal took off jogging toward his car. Since he hadn’t pulled a weapon, there wasn’t anything they could do about him. Connor willed her to keep an eye on Tod as he took his gun from her. He’d watch what Cal was up to.

Tod didn’t lower his weapon. “This is interesting. Wonder who is the quicker shot?”

Lacy took aim at him. “I’ve been shooting since I was nine years old. That means I have a PhD worth of life experience.”

---