Page 34 of Flynn

Another temporary location? He didn’t necessarily want to drive to any of his teammate’s homes. For one thing, he wasn’t sure they’d be there. But more importantly, he wasn’t willing to bring danger to their doorsteps.

Rhy lived in Brookland with his pregnant wife and one-year-old daughter. Flynn would never bring danger to the Finnegan homestead, but using the American Lodge even as a temporary staging area would make it more convenient for Rhy or any of the others to come to them.

They needed clothes, shoes, replacement phones, more cash, and time to regroup. Not necessarily in that order.

Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, he held his emotions in check as he backtracked twice to make sure they weren’t being followed. By the time they reached the American Lodge, a white two-story motel with twelve rooms on each level, every one of his nerves was stretched to a breaking point.

Was he making another mistake by coming here? Second-guessing every move he made wasn’t helpful. Flynn couldn’t afford to be paralyzed by overthinking their next steps. Yet he didn’t trust himself not to screw up again either.

“This looks nice,” Taylor said.

He managed a nod, reaching over to place his service weapon in the glove box. “I’d like you to stay here while I get our rooms. It shouldn’t take long.”

“Okay.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Keenly aware of his state of undress, he slid out from behind the wheel, taking a moment to secure the blanket around his torso. Then he grabbed his wallet. On his way to the lobby, he glanced around, hoping no one would notice. A man wearing nothing but a blanket would be easy to remember. Thankfully, there weren’t too many cars in the parking lot, giving him hope that Gary would be able to accommodate his request.

Gary was sitting behind the desk when he entered the lobby. The older man’s eyebrows hiked up upon seeing Flynn.

“What in the world happened?” Gary asked. “Looks like you’ve been swimming.”

“Yeah, you could say that.” He was relieved Gary had taken his bedraggled appearance in stride. “I need a couple of connecting rooms.”

“Of course, rooms 11 and 12 are open on the first floor.” Gary frowned as he set his water-soaked wallet on the counter. “No need to pay now, I can understand if you need to dry out first.”

“Thanks, but I don’t know how long we’ll be staying.” He unfolded the wallet and drew out several wet bills. “Sorry about them being wet.”

“Money is money,” Gary said with a shrug. He took the wet bills, set them out flat to dry, then slid two key cards toward him. “Is there something else I can do for you?”

It was comforting to know Gary was an ally, a friend when he desperately needed one. “Just keep an eye on the security cameras while I make some calls.”

“Yeah, sure.” Gary nodded solemnly. “Take care of yourself, Flynn.”

“Thanks.” He turned away, paused, then glanced back at Gary. “Did you know Steve and Robin Miller?”

Gary considered that for a moment. “Are you talking about the same Steve Miller who is the president of Brookland Bank?”

“Yeah. Exactly.”

“I didn’t know him personally,” Gary said. “But I have my business account with Brookland Bank. Why? Did something happen?”

He shouldn’t have been surprised that Gary used the local bank for his business. Yet hearing him say the words were still a shock. “Steve and Robin were murdered last night. I’d appreciate it if you would keep our being here under wraps.”

“I always do.” Gary frowned. “Murdered? I must have missed that on the news.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not sure how much information the police are telling the public about the incident.” Flynn held Gary’s gaze. “Please don’t say anything about us being here.”

“Us who?” Gary waved a hand, looking impatient. “You should know me better than that. Your secret is safe with me.”

Flynn nodded his thanks, turned, and pushed through the door. He told himself to stop being paranoid. Gary Campbell had been a friend of the Finnegans, their cousins the Callahans, and the entire tactical team.

Gary would never betray them. Just because he did his banking at the same place where the CEO was killed didn’t mean anything.

He slid in behind the wheel, set the wallet and key cards in the cupholder, then drove around to the far corner of the building. The connecting rooms were familiar as many other members of the team had used them in the past. The pair of rooms were located near the staircase leading to the second floor. Out of habit, he parked the vehicle out of sight from the parking lot.

“Stay behind me,” Flynn advised as he and Taylor got out of the SUV. The ground was cold beneath his bare feet, and he never realized how important shoes were until this moment. If they had to go on the run, they’d be sunk.

He tried to keep a positive attitude as he unlocked the door to room 12, then handed Taylor the key card. “Open your side of the connecting door between the rooms, okay?” She’d brought the laptop computer with her, which made him remember he needed to grab his gun.

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