They stepped out onto the street, into the mass of people. Rose walked hesitantly, as if each step was difficult. He tried not to notice the stains on her clothes, but even in the dark he could spot the blood spatter. Lighting was poor, but if anyone examined her, they couldn’t fail to see the spots. Families clung to one another, fear on their faces as men with guns searched their homes. He and Rose moved with infinite slowness through the throng. His heart pounded, and he avoided eyes.
Halfway to the truck, Rose stopped abruptly, hunched over with both hands on her obviously swollen belly, panting. If he hadn’t known she was acting, he would have panicked. An older woman murmured to her in Spanish, asking questions. Rose replied in a gasping voice that she was too early, and the labor was intense.
The older woman marched up to one of the cartel sentries and whispered to him. It was evident she knew him. The man looked annoyed and shook his head twice, but the older woman persisted.
You deliberately stopped in front of her, Kane guessed.
That’s her son. She’s been providing information to him about the movements of the police and soldiers. I made certain I was extra nice to her, bringing her groceries and helping her out just in case I needed an ally.
He had to hand it to her, she planned for every contingency. She was casting an illusion even he had to believe. She looked Mexican, her hair longer and thicker, and he supposed he did as well. She also looked ragged and very, very pregnant. Each step was labored. She panted. She looked as if she might give birth any moment.
The guard gave in with a dark scowl and motioned them forward. The older woman handed her keys and pointed out a battered sedan, telling her to be careful.
You should get in the car and begin sliding across the seat on the driver’s side. The moment we’re apart, the illusion will dissolve, and if anyone is looking, they’ll know something isn’t right. Start the car. I’ll drive because I know the back roads and a place we can hole up for a short while. If we get away clean, we can use the car and then ditch it as soon as we’re in the clear. If they see us, we’ll have to ditch the car sooner, and I’m not in good enough shape to walk far.
Kane nodded and pulled open the driver side door, bending with her as if handing her inside, keeping contact in an effort to preserve the illusion as long as possible. He inserted the key and turned it to start the engine. For a heart-stopping moment the engine stalled, and then it turned over. He jumped into the seat and scooted over as fast as a big man could in the small space.
Chapter 3
“Go!” Kane commanded as he settled into the passenger seat, pulling his gun from beneath his shoulder.
Rose slammed her foot on the gas and took off as fast as possible in the old sedan. The doors and windows rattled as the battered vehicle shuddered its way onto the street. She didn’t glance in the rearview mirror to see if they were drawing attention. She wanted to get off the streets as fast as possible and onto the trail leading into the desert. To do that, she had to outrun anyone chasing them.
The sedan belched smoke and shuddered as she whipped around a corner and took a second one sliding. “Are they following?”
“Keep going,” he instructed, the grimness in his voice the only answer he was giving her. He crawled over the seat and smashed out the back window.
Rose took another turn and then a fourth. She glanced in the rearview mirror. “Are you certain?”
“They’re trying to catch up.” And they had better and faster cars. Kane kept that to himself. Their only advantage was that whoever was pursuing them was uncertain if the occupants of the sedan were racing to a hospital as had been reported, or if they’d really seen something suspicious.
“We’ll ditch the car if I can get some space,” she said. “I planned an escape when I first moved here. Of course, I thought I’d have a better vehicle choice.”
“If I forget to tell you later on, Rose, you’re one hell of a woman.”
She laughed softly. “You might hold that thought until we actually get away clean.” She jerked the wheel again. “Can you see anyone?”
“Just glimpses. They aren’t on us.”
“I’ve been running without lights. I don’t think they’ll see us take this trail, but if they backtrack, they’ll find the tire tracks.”
Before Kane could ask what she was talking about—he didn’t see any trail—she’d spun the wheel again, throwing him across the backseat. The car slid in a wide arc, fish-tailed, and spit sand into the air. She didn’t let up on the gas but drove even faster. Kane cautiously lifted his head to peer out the back window. The woman was going to lose him if she kept it up. He’d nearly gone flying.
“Climb back up here. We’re going to have to jump.”
She stated it so calmly he almost didn’t comprehend. His head snapped around. “Are you out of your f**king mind, Rose? You’re pregnant. You can’t jump out of a moving car.”
“Well, it’s that or go with it into the ravine. I prefer the sand. Move it, soldier. You’ve got about fifteen seconds.”
She wasn’t kidding. The woman was insane, already opening the driver’s door and bailing before he could stop her. Kane kicked open the backseat passenger door and dove. He hit hard and rolled, his lungs burning for air. The sand clogged his mouth and he spit, staring up at the night sky, wondering what the hell had just happened.
The sedan continued forward, shooting off the cliff to fall into the deep ravine carved from hundreds of years of flash floods. He heard the crash as it bounced off rocks and scrub trees, but strangely, the sound was somewhat muffled. He rolled over and came up on his knees, looking frantically around for Rose. She lay thirty feet from him in a fetal position, knees drawn up to her chest, her hands locked around them. His heart jolted hard.
He ran to her and crouched down beside her. “Rose?”
He swore he could hear each separate beat of his heart. She groaned softly, and he let out his breath. She slowly turned onto her back. Blood smeared her face from the sand burning it as she hit the ground. She’d obviously covered her belly instead of her face. Her breathing was loud and ragged as she fought for air.
“Don’t move, Rose.” His voice sounded strangled. Without the enhancements of her illusions, she looked like a broken doll, smashed on the sand. His first instinct was to gather her in his arms and just cradle her against him where she’d be safe, but it was too late for that.