Page 42 of Shielding Maya

Jasiah eased from his cabin and closed the distance between him and Maya. As he neared her he could hear she was on the phone with Tate.

She ended her call and stared at him for a few moments. "We're heading down the mountain to chase him."

"I'm coming with you."

"Jasiah..."

"Shut up. Get in my truck."

Her eyes shot a dagger or two but she hustled toward his truck. Myles and Spencer jumped in theirs. He jumped in his truck and Maya instructed, "Go down the last road. Myles will take the first road and Spencer the second road."

He nodded and sped off toward the last road. They'd named these roads over the years. The first road was nearest the military base at the bottom of the mountain. The middle road was in between the last road and the first road. The last road was the furthest away from town, and the final road to be built. They'd built it themselves and it had taken some time. But they wanted a way to come down the mountain without being in the vicinity of town. He maneuvered his truck around the three cabins on that side of the mountain, then turned down the last road. As they drove down, his eyes roamed back and forth.

"Did you see him leave?"

"We saw him run through the woods as if he'd been doing it awhile. Heard a car start and take off."

"Okay."

He made the first turn in the road without issue. He went as fast as he was comfortable, car chases being rather new to him.

After clearing the second corner he yelled, "There he is."

"Get closer." Maya demanded.

She tapped her ear. "We have eyes on him."

He couldn't hear the return conversation if there was one, but her eyes locked on the road before them and he did his best to navigate the curvy road as quickly as possible.

"There," she called out.

He followed the white car, began to gain on him then, as if in slow motion, he slowed the car, reached his arm out the driver's window and pointed a gun back in their direction.

Maya yelled, "Get down!"

He ducked his head and swerved to the right, out of shot of the driver. After a shot was fired and he was far away from their location, he stepped on the gas pedal and hit the white Malibu in the back. The car careened across the lanes of traffic, spun in the road and pointed in the opposite direction.

"Jasiah, turn around."

He did as he was told, she made a call on her cell phone. "Tate, Jasiah and I are chasing Malibu Man. He shot at us, now heading into town. Myles and Spencer are coming down First Road and Second Road. Not here yet."

She put her phone down and spoke to Myles and Spencer in her comm unit. "Tate has Henry and Addy meeting us in town."

She glanced briefly at him, then calmed her voice. "You're doing great. Just keep following him. We'll stay on him as much as we can. The others will all be close soon."

He nodded and continued to follow Malibu Man. "He's turning on Glenwood."

She told the operatives on comm units the direction Malibu Man was heading and he navigated the corner as easily as possible. His heartbeat couldn't have roared any more than it was. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

Maya sat forward. "He's going into the hospital. Oh my God. All the people there."

Jasiah gritted his teeth and turned into the hospital parking lot. "Stop here." Maya yelled.

He was barely to a stop and she jumped out of the truck and ran toward the hospital. He stopped his vehicle, turned the key off and jumped out to run after her.

He caught up to her at the entrance to the hospital. They ran in and saw Malibu Man turn a corner and run down the hall. He took a door to the stairs.

Maya stopped. "I'll bet he's heading to the basement to find the senator's body."

---