Page 36 of Lethal Game

As they walked through the front door of the hospital, her steps slowed. "Where is the car parked?"

"Right in front. And the valet has had his eye on it since I parked." He gave her a knowing look. "You don't have to worry about the car."

She didn't think she was going to stop worrying about the car or anything else. And as much as she wanted a break from the hospital, she was also afraid to leave. The world seemed like a very scary place right now.

When they got to the black SUV, he paused. "Before we get in the car, I want you to turn off your phone. I don't want anyone tracking you."

"What if the hospital needs to reach me? If my mom's condition changes, I'll have to come back."

"I've given the nurse new contact information for you. Any calls will be relayed to an encrypted phone at the safe house. You won't miss a call about your mother. I've made sure of that."

"Well, it seems like you've thought of everything," she said, although she wasn't just thinking about the hospital not being able to reach her. She would be cut off from her father, too. But she doubted he'd be getting in touch again soon. And she'd be back here tomorrow and be able to use her phone again.

When Jason started the car, she felt a wave of panic.

"It's going to be fine," he told her, clearly reading her mind. He let the car roll a few feet, then tapped the brakes, even though it wasn't needed. "See…We can stop if we have to."

Despite Jason’s calm, Alisa’s hands clenched in her lap as they descended the hill. Her breath quickened, dread curling in her stomach. It was only a five-minute drive to the intersection below, and she'd made this drive a thousand times without a second thought, but it was dark, the road was empty, and all she could think about was the terror she'd felt earlier in the day. Her breath started coming fast, her heart pounding against her chest so hard she felt a little lightheaded. She was also sweating, a full-blown panic attack taking over her body.

Jason put a hand on her leg, but she pushed it away. "Please keep your hands on the wheel," she said tersely.

"No problem," he said, quickly putting both hands on the wheel. "The intersection is right up ahead, and I'm slowing down."

She could feel the car slowing and that helped ease some of her anxiety. When they finally stopped at the light, and traffic was moving normally through the intersection, she took her first full breath. "How long will it take before I'll be able to go up and down that hill without a panic attack?"

"Probably longer than a few hours," he said, giving her a smile. "But you're a strong woman, Alisa. You'll get past it."

She gave him a bewildered look. "I don't know why you'd think I'm strong."

"You fought for your life against Kashin. You came back to the hospital the next day to take care of your mother. You jumped into action when you heard about the fire, and even after we took that crazy ride down the hill earlier, you went straight back to the hospital to make sure your mother was all right. Through it all, I haven't seen a single tear."

"I've never been one to cry a lot. My nose gets red, and my eyes get puffy. I'm a really ugly crier."

Amusement ran through his gaze. "So, vanity is the reason you hold it all in?"

"Partly. Plus, my dad always told me crying was a waste of time. The best way to feel better was to come up with a plan of action against whatever or whoever was making me want to cry."

"Taking action is usually the best solution for any problem."

"Speaking of action, what else did you find out when you went to your office?"

"I'll fill you in when we get settled," he replied.

"Okay. I assume you went to my apartment. How did it look?"

"Perfectly normal. Nothing appeared out of place, as far as I could tell. I packed you a bag. I grabbed some clothes out of your closet and drawers. They should get you through a day or two. Hopefully, this will all be over soon."

"Hopefully," she echoed as she sat back in her seat, feeling a little less anxious now that they were driving city streets.

She noticed Jason checking the rearview mirror every other block. She assumed he was making sure that no one was following them. He seemed to be very good at his job, and he was so different from anyone she knew. He was a man of action. He ran toward danger instead of away from it. In the last few days, she'd realized she only needed people in her life she could count on.

Not that she knew who she could count on anymore. Her mother, yes, but she was sick. Her father was a big question mark. But Jason was solid. And if she had to go into hiding with anyone, she was really glad it was him.

About twenty minutes later, he drove down a residential street near the Santa Monica beach, eventually pulling into the driveway of a duplex. He used a remote to open the garage and then pulled the car inside. Once the garage door had closed, he got out and walked to the back of the car to open the trunk. She got out of the vehicle and waited for him as he retrieved her small suitcase. When he reached the door leading into the house, he put in a code and opened the door.

They stepped into a mudroom that led past a laundry and into a kitchen. The townhouse was very nice, she thought with surprise. Everything was clean, modern, and beautifully furnished. It was a two-story unit with a living room, dining room, kitchen, half-bath, and study downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. She wandered through the house with Jason. She would have taken the smaller bedroom, but he put her suitcase in the primary bedroom with an attached bath.

When they went back downstairs, they moved into the study, where there were several monitors revealing camera angles from around the townhouse. After Jason checked the cameras, he put a code into a door at the far end of the room and opened it, revealing what she thought could be classified as a panic room. The door leading into it was fortified with steel. There weremore monitors, as well as an array of weapons in a glass case. There was also a refrigerator stocked with water and other emergency supplies.

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