Page 4 of Nicole's Shelter

As best as she could tell, no one was following her. Of course, the powers that be had likely tagged her car with GPS and she knew they could do the same with her phone, no matter that she’d turned down the service when she’d bought the thing.

But after all this time being compliant and cooperative, those magicians who controlled her life would surely underestimate her determination to be free of them, regardless of the personal risk.

A small voice in her head told her this was a ridiculous mistake, insisted she was throwing away a steady, secure life on a whim. She told the voice to shut up, but it persisted in reminding her that to take this step, to push on down this path, meant justice might never be served.

“To hell with the system,” she said aloud as she took the ticket at the airport long-term parking garage.

She’d forfeited more than any one person should for the sake of justice in a case that no federal attorney felt any rush to pursue. Well, she’d had enough with their excuses and the rigors of their programs. None of it would bring back her mother and her sister. Nothing they did now would restore everything she’d lost along the way.

Retrieving the card and cash from the floor of the car, she grabbed her purse. She was tempted to leave behind her wallet and everything with her current name in it, but decided that would only tip her hand. Instead, she locked the car and hurried toward the terminal as if she was running late for her flight.

Passing the trash bin near the stairs, she tossed in her cell phone and car keys. Mentally, she crossed her fingers they’d assume kidnapping and spend precious time chasing down the wrong leads.

* * *

From his parking space two rows away, Rick checked his phone for any reply from the office. Where the hell was Eva with the details when he needed her?

He knew Nicole hadn’t come to the airport to make a previously scheduled flight. And no one meeting an incoming flight would choose the long term parking garage.

She was up to something, running scared if he was reading the signals correctly.

He turned off his phone and slid it into his jacket pocket as he stepped out of his car. At the trunk, he checked his pistol, hoping he wouldn’t be forced to toss the convenient Hi-point 9mm compact pistol and the .22 revolver at his ankle in order to pass through airport security. Slipping the backpack over one shoulder, he closed the trunk lid and used the key fob to lock the car.

He used his phone as a flashlight to check the trash can and a cold curiosity settled in the pit of his stomach when he saw her keys and cell phone. That kind of behavior signaled a rather permanent change was in the works.

Why?

He picked up his pace, worried about losing her. That was a report he didn’t care to send to his boss. Cypress Security hadn’t failed yet, and Rick didn’t intend to start now, even if this was currently an unofficial, peripheral inquiry.

He spotted her at a ticketing kiosk and made his way to stand in line at a different airline while he watched her.

With her dark expression and large purse, she gave every indication of being a harried business traveler whose reservation had gone missing.

He stayed in line when she stepped away from the kiosk. Remained there while she paced to the wide windows overlooking the unloading area and rummaged through her purse for a phone he knew wasn’t there.

He gave her points for performance and scanned the crowd wondering who she hoped to fool.

The cameras, it had to be. No one else was too interested in her. Did she have reason to be this paranoid, or had she just been watching too many crime dramas on television? Nothing she’d done this evening lined up with behavior he expected from a media packaging professional with a photography hobby.

When she exited the terminal, he counted to five before he followed.

“Cameras are still on you,” he muttered, catching sight of her crossing to the taxi stand. She wasn’t doing herself any real favors here. Ditching the car was smart, maybe, but taxis could be easy to track with all the numbers and security upgrades.

She was clearly trying to get away from something or someone and he felt inexplicably compelled to help her.

When she reached for the door of the next cab in line, he threw a shoulder into the back of the businessman behind her. The guy tripped off the curb and into the cab as his cell phone went skittering to the pavement. Ticked off and confused, he clearly didn’t know whether to save the phone or attack Rick.

Rick helped him make up his mind with a right cross to the jaw. “That’s my girl!” He grabbed Nicole’s wrist, pushing her toward the front of the cab. Her eyes went wide with recognition, then panic. “She’s with me.”

As he’d hoped, he suddenly had his hands full with a chivalrous Mr. Business. The man glanced at Nicole who shook her head denying the claim, then he lunged for Rick.

“You’re crazy! Leave her alone!”

Rick released Nicole, taking the hard shove, and stumbling back. He grabbed the guy’s lapels and took him along as they bounced against the cab and caromed off of other bystanders until the crowd was simply a writhing mob of irritable, defensive humanity.

Perfect.

Security would be here any second and no one would have any kind of coherent story to tell.

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