Page 70 of The Flame of Carson
“I bet.”Stacey whispered as they entered the elevator for the parking garage.
Gage mentally cursed.“Stace...”
“Gage, it’s fine.I mean we knew...”
“Let’s get in the truck to continue this conversation.Alright?We’re too public here.”
Stacey merely nodded.The last two weeks, a part of Stacey had been worried about them returning to work.Sure, they knew they had too, but the silence of their stalker the last two weeks had her a bit worried.As they entered the garage, she and Gage casually looked around, checking out their surroundings.Celeste had been right.Once Stacey just gave in to her new heightened senses, it did feel like a good fit.A few minutes later, they were in his truck and Stacey was pulling out of their parking place.Once they exited the garage and were heading to her house, she spoke.
“So, tomorrow we return to the public world?”
“Yeah, we do.The plan is for you and me to go about our normal routines.Tony and Elias are still trying to nail the geographical profile on this asshole.That filter he’s using is making things slow going.Ethan figures that if we both go back to work, we can use that to our advantage.”
Stacey frowned as her mind processed what he was saying.“Wait, you mean not let on that we know he’s actually after you and not me?”
“Yes, exactly.If we can, by not tipping our hand, we can get ahead of him and figure out his next move.Since I’m stuck with this stick, I’m obviously not doing anything other than paperwork for the next few days.Ethan was going to talk to your boss in the morning about security for you.”
“But wouldn’t that draw suspicion?”
“No, not really.This guy knows that Blackout is involved, he said so on the call.To him, this would be a logical move after what happened to me.Babe, you need to play the part.We need you to not give any clue about what we know.Let him think, that you think, you’re still his target.”
Stacey fell silent as she continued to drive.They wanted her to pretend to be fearful for HERSELF and not Gage.To pretend that she did not know that this guy was really after the man she loved.Could she do that?She tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she turned onto her street.God, she hated this.Hiding and being a victim went against everything in her nature.She was a fighter, always had been.She was nobody’s victim.
“Gage...”
“Honey, I know this is chapping your ass, hell it’s chapping mine.You and I are not victims.We fight.But if we want to stop this guy, this may be our only way.He’s proved that he’s not afraid to take chances.When he blew up my house, there could have been civilian casualties.That tells us that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his endgame, whatever that is.”
“I’d say, it’s seeing you dead.”She hissed, pulling into her drive, and putting the truck in park.
He reached over and took her hands in his.“That may be.He said that you would know fear and pain.Me dying is not his ultimate goal, that’s the icing on the cake.He wants to make me suffer.That will happen if innocent people are hurt.If YOU are hurt.He’s been planning this.That’s what my gut is telling me and the guys.”
“So, I have to just go along with this plan of Ethan’s huh?Act like nothing has changed when the truth is EVERYTHING has changed!”Stacey hissed.
“Yes.”Gage said firmly.
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Lance exited the elevatorand walked down the hall toward his office.He passed Gage’s office and saw his friend standing at the window looking out over Austin.“Gage?Everything okay?”
“She’s mad Hawk.”Gage sighed, not turning around.
Lance let out a breath and walked over to his friend’s side.“She doesn’t want to do it this way does she?”
“Hell, no she doesn’t and neither do I.”Gage growled.“Damn it, Hawk.I just want to find this fucker and end this now.”
“We all do buddy.Ethan said the meeting with her boss went well.Tomorrow members of Charlie team will be there.”
“Who?”
“Winslow, Adkins and Tevere.”
Gage nodded.He knew all three men pretty good and knew they would do their jobs and protect Stacey.“When will Ethan tell Stacey?Or has he?”
“Yeah, she knows.When Ethan met Chase, she was there.As far as I know, Chase doesn’t know that she’s not the actual target and we’re keeping it that way.”Lance replied.
“Then all we need now is some luck.We get ahead of whoever this is, and we can better plan.”Gage said.
