Page 22 of Sanctuary

“Just pull over and I’ll drive,” he said, staring out the back window.

“No! I got this. Hold on,” I warned him, gritting my teeth.

At the last possible second, I yanked the wheel hard to the right. The SUV lurched, tires skidding on the gravel as we careened onto the narrow private road. The trees whipped past us, branches scraping against the sides of the vehicle.

“They must have missed it!” Connor exclaimed, a hint of relief in his voice as he twisted in his seat to look back. “But they’ll figure it out soon enough.”

I pressed harder on the accelerator, navigating the rutted dirt path. The SUV bounced violently as we sped through patches of mud and over exposed roots. The dense canopy above created a tunnel of green, dappled sunlight flickering across the windshield.

“How much farther?” I asked, struggling to maintain control on the uneven terrain.

“About a mile. There’s a fork coming up—take the left path.”

My relief was short-lived. In the rearview mirror, I saw the sedan appear around the bend, closing in fast.

“They’re back,” I said, my voice tight.

Connor pulled out his phone. “I’m calling ahead. They’ll have security ready.”

As we approached the gates, I saw them start to swing open. But they were moving agonizingly slow. The sedan was getting closer by the second.

“Come on, come on,” I muttered, willing them to open faster.

Just as we reached them, they opened wide enough for us to slip through. I gunned the engine, and we shot past, the gates clanging shut behind us.

The sedan screeched to a halt just outside, trapped. I saw two men leap out, their faces contorted with rage. But they didn’t try to scale the fence. Instead, they retreated to their car and peeled away.

I let out a shaky breath as we pulled up to the main house. Connor’s hand found mine, squeezing gently.

“You did great,” he said softly. “We’re safe now.”

But as I looked at him, I saw the worry in his eyes.

And I knew, sooner rather than later I needed to tell him what was going on.

Connor

“Rory, you should have seen how she drove! It was like she was a fucking rally race car driver.” I shoveled another forkful of eggs in my mouth, adrenaline buzzing anew as I recounted yesterday’s events to Rory. “I’m telling you, it was unreal. One second, we’re on the highway, the next we’re flying down these twisty back roads. Mia handled that SUV like it was an extension of her body.”

Rory leaned back in his chair, nursing his coffee with an amused smirk. “Sounds like quite the adventure. And here I thought librarians were supposed to be boring.”

I snorted, reaching for my own mug. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled my nostrils, a welcome comfort after yesterday’s chaos. “Trust me, there’s nothing boring about Mia. The way she took that last turn onto our private road. I thought for sure we were going to flip, but she had it under control the whole time.”

My mind flashed back to that moment - the flying gravel as the tires tried to gain purchase, the world tilting as we swerved, Mia’s face a mask of intense concentration. I’d seen trained security personnel with less skill behind the wheel.

“And you’re sure these were the same guys from before?” Rory asked, his expression growing serious.

I nodded, my excitement fading as I remembered the gravity of our situation. “Pretty sure. Same type of car. They knew exactly who they were chasing.”

Rory’s brow furrowed. “And you still haven’t looked at what’s on that USB drive?”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “No. By the time we got back, I was dead on my feet. Crashed for almost 14 hours straight. When I woke up it was past midnight, Mia was in bed. So, I watched a movie on Netflix and fell asleep till an hour ago.”

“Well, don’t you think it’s about time you did?” Rory raised an eyebrow. “Might give us some clues about who these guys are and what they want.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I muttered, pushing my empty plate away. “Mia and I were going to look at it together. Speaking of which, have you seen her this morning?”

Rory shook his head. “Not since early. Said something about going for a run to clear her head.”

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