He felt Mae relax in his arms. Her mind had been whirling moments before which was why he faked sleep. She needed to relax. In fact, they both needed sleep.

  With the storm raging outside, they should be safe for a few hours.

  His eyelids grew heavy. Later, sunlight struck and warmed his hand. Something tickled his nose and he pushed it away feeling a warm body in the process.

  Someone started shaking him. “What?”

  “Levi? Levi? Could you wake up? I-I think someone else lives in this culvert.”

  Levi cracked one lid. A wild looking dog was staring at them. He wasn’t baring his teeth, which was good. But he was a mangy with matted dirty fur. The poor thing was thin, very thin.

  Levi had one snack bar left in his pocket. He dug it out and threw a piece to the animal. He came forward, tail beating the bottom of the culvert. After he consumed the bite, the dog walked closer and Levi let the dog eat out of his hand. Then he patted the dog’s head.

  Mae had moved to the other side of Levi. He couldn’t figure her out. She’d followed him around like she was spying but she seemed scared of everything.

  “Sorry buddy, I’m all out.”

  “C-can we go?” Mae was steadily scooting backward toward the entrance.

  “Probably a good idea. It’s light enough that our gang friends should be in hiding. Businesses should be open.” If they will let us in.

  Their clothes were torn and filthy. Twigs and leaves decorated Mae’s hair like she was a fairy princess in some fantasy story.

  They stepped into the sunlight. Levi shielded his eyes. Some of the trees around the culvert had died and lost their leaves. It left a perfect opening directly to the carousel.

  “We’re almost there.”

  They avoided the carousel directly and walked toward the road. The dog followed closely behind them. Mae kept sending furtive glances behind them. They stumbled through a bush drawing quite a bit of attention.

  People stepped back and waved their hands in front of their faces. Some moved to the other side of the sidewalk.

  Mae avoided a cop who was standing on the corner. Levi would have requested their help if it had been up to him.

  Soon he was going to ask her why she was avoiding the obvious resources of help. If they made it that long that was.

  ****

  Mae lowered her gaze and tried to walk away from the officer. She could use her credentials to request help but then Levi would be immediately arrested. She wasn’t ready with his defense yet.

  Business owners seemed to frown every time they approached their door, so Levi moved on and Mae followed. As well as their new friend.

  “Do we look that bad?”

  “Um, I feel like this is a trick question.”

  “Well, we need help.”

  He looked around. “I have an idea.”

  Levi clutched her hand and they walked at a brisk pace toward a brick building at the end of the street. By now the dog had left them and disappeared in some alley.

  Mae wished the dog hadn’t scared her, but he had. Did she look as rough as the animal? The thought wasn’t appealing.

  They drew closer to the building. She swallowed. “Are you sure?” The building would probably be locked. And why would they help her? Them?

  “Trust me.” He squeezed her hand.

  Levi twisted the doorknob to the church and entered the well-lit narthex. A gentleman at the front of the church turned to face them.

  He smiled. “Welcome. How can I help you?”

  “We’re in trouble. We really need to use your phone.”

  “Of course.”

  The pastor didn’t question but led them to this office. “Take all the time you need.”

  “Bless you, brother.”

  He left them in his office. Maybe he had cameras pointed at them. Or maybe he was listening from outside. Mae was looking for the hidden stuff while Levi lifted the phone.

  She didn’t find anything so she asked, “Do you know him?”

  “No.”

  Levi was punching numbers. He muttered under his breath, hung up, and started again. She could hear the dial tone on the other end.

  Levi’s eyes widened. “Leah! Oh, I’m so glad to hear your voice.” Pause. “Someone is chasing me.” Pause. “No, someone else.”

  Mae had a sense he’d mentioned her in the past, not good. She thought she’d been so careful. And if he knew about her pursuit, why hadn’t he said anything?

  “Where?” He looked at Mae.

  She found a card for the pastor on the desk and handed it to Levi. He read off the address.

  “We’ll be here.” He put the phone in the cradle. “Your turn.”

  “I-I think we’ll just wait on your friend.”

  He cocked his brow and his lips parted but she got the sense he didn’t say what was on his mind.

  “Let’s go find the pastor.”

  The pastor was back in the sanctuary. “Did you reach your friend?”

  “I did. Thank you.”

  “Is there anything more we can do? Maybe a hot shower? A change of clothes? A meal?”

  “You can do those things?” her voice sounded incredulous, she knew that, but she couldn’t help it. She believed in God. She even prayed and she’d been to church a few times, but she’d never seen anyone take people in that looked like them.

  “Of course. Let me get Shirley to help you and I’ll take the gentleman.”

  A lady appeared from nowhere. She was as jolly as she was round. It was a little disconcerting.

  She followed the lady out of the room and down a long hallway. Levi casted a glance over his shoulder once as they were separated then turned to look at the pastor.

  Shirley led her into a room that looked like a giant closet.

  “Here are some clothes. Choose anything you like. Then feel free to use the showers in this room. Once you are finished, I’ll be back to take you to the dining hall.”

  Mae nodded. Not like she could do anything else.

  This was turning out to be quite an experience. One she wasn’t likely to forget. No matter how hard she tried.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Levi used the shower, allowing the hot water to cascade over his shoulders and down to his feet. The tiled floor was covered in grease and grim.

  He dressed in the provided clothing. They had taken measurements, but the shirt stretched across his shoulders perfectly, and he buttoned it to almost to the top button. The jeans were also the right length. Socks and shoes were a definite plus since his had seen better days.

  Once finished he exited the room and waited at the open dining room doorway.

  God had led them to a church with a homeless ministry. This was why the pastor hadn’t batted an eye at their sudden appearance.

  The gentle touch to his shoulder made him jump.

  “I’m sorry, brother. I wanted to guide you to your female companion. And also to say thank you for your service. “

  Levi started to respond, but the pastor continued. “I saw your tattoo.”

  He’d forgotten all about that.

  “I know you’re not homeless.”

  Levi cocked his brow.

  “Your demeanor, your phone request. If you need more, please let me know.”

  “Thank you. I won’t forget your kindness.”

  “Please don’t remember me, but remember or help another.”

  Levi nodded as the pastor pointed out Mae. She wore a dark burgundy dress shirt with short sleeves and a pair of dark jeans. Her hair was free of debris and had been combed and arranged. She was truly beautiful. More so than he’d remembered.

  She moved to his side and clutched his arm, moving her mouth close to his ear. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Never mind. Let’s eat and watch for your friend.”

  He followed her to the line and grabbed a tray. They filled it with good smelling food then joined a table loaded with people. Men, women, and children welcomed them between bites. There was a running dialogue about politics, football scores and teams, and golf. No one spoke about being homeless or the tragedies that had befallen them.

  Mae joined in a few conversations. He sensed her discomfort but she managed it well.

  After his last bite, he lifted his gaze to the door and there was Leah. She was moving across the room with Tom hot on her heels. She hadn’t brought her baby and he was glad.

  “Levi, what is going on? You call and say you’re being followed then next thing I know you’re seeking asylum at a church and calling about being chased. I called the police after your thirty minutes like I said, but when I asked for an update, they wouldn’t tell me anything.”

  Mae tensed beside him.

  He took her hand and squeezed. What continued to possess him to give her comfort he wasn’t sure. He just knew he needed to, wanted to.

  Leah looked back and forth between them but she didn’t ask. Tom wasn’t so reserved.

  “Spill it. My son is with my dad for the first time without us and I want this one over quickly.”

  Levi took his hand back and placed it at his side. “Someone is trying to kill us, but I have no idea who or why.”

  ****

  Mae cringed at the slew of words Tom Donovan shared. He was upset, rightly so. He didn’t want his family dragged into whatever was going on. She could share the info she had, she’d tried on several occasions, but now she thought she should reach out to her superiors first. It was glaringly obvious that she didn’t know all the details.

  “Can’t we stash them in the hotel? Maybe under a fake name? Give us and the other guys some time to investigate.”

  Tom muttered even as he pulled out his phone and began to dial.

  Leah and Levi were chatting privately. Mae felt left out but that was probably going to happen more often as soon as Levi discovered her true purpose for being in his life.

  “Mae Girasol, I didn’t get to say it early, but it nice to meet you.” Tom was offering his hand. His eyes seemed to bore into her soul.

  “Hello, nice to meet you as well. Thank you for coming to our aid.” She took his hand, he pulled her close.

  “You’re welcome. And remember this, the truth will set you free.”

  “What?”

  “Tell him who you really are before someone else does.”

  She swallowed and nodded. He relaxed his grip and leaned back.

  The other two had stopped talking and Tom faced them. “The hotel is ready. We’ll take you over and get you signed in. When we find out more, we’ll come get you. No calls or texts or getting on the computer. Nothing digital that might lead these people back to you.”

  Mae understood his meaning. Tom thought the NSA was behind the assignation attempt. She didn’t think so but she couldn’t be sure. They had threatened to become more aggressive if she didn’t gather information soon.

  Maybe better than telling Levi the truth would be to just talk to him more about what he knew or didn’t know. He would tell her then she could put the entire thing to rest.

  If the men trying to kill them wasn’t the NSA like she thought, then that meant the NSA might protect them against the threat. At least that was what she wanted to believe.

  “Let’s go. Time’s wasting.”

  Leah guided them out. Levi stopped and thanked the pastor. Mae took one last look around the room. The people sitting there seemed so normal. Most had probably just fallen on hard times. Maybe when this was over, she could volunteer to serve meals or something. Or maybe there was more she could do. She would need to pray on it. Right now, she had the desire to pray more than ever.

  They exited the door and entered into the bright sunshine. She had forgotten the time of day. Inside the back of Tom’s luxury sedan, she finally relaxed. The pressure of running for the last couple of days had taken a great toll on her mind and her body. If she could lie up in a hotel and relax in a white cushy robe, maybe go work out at the gym for a few days, then she might feel more like herself.

  She tensed. Leah hadn’t mentioned what kind of hotel. Maybe it was one of those seedy joints where roaches bound together in the wall was the only thing holding the building together.

  She shuddered.

  “Are you cold? I can have Tom turn down the air.”

  Levi was rubbing her arm with his hand as if trying to warm her.

  She shook her head. “No, just a stray thought about bugs. I’m okay.”

  “Bugs…”

  She didn’t elaborate; instead, she prayed that it was the fluffy white robes she had to look forward to.

  The car drove under a hotel and parked. It wasn’t one that she was familiar with but it didn’t look like a dive so that was good.

  The trunk of the car popped open. Tom dragged out two duffel bags. “Here are some clothes for your stay.”

  Mae was curious how they had known her size before bringing clothing, but she didn’t question. If he’d found out about her NSA job it would be easy to find out about her clothing size.

  They took the bags.

  Tom escorted them to the elevator which opened onto the first floor and into a fancy lobby with chandlers and ornamental carpets. He approached and signed them in.

  Definitely no bugs.

  Once he was finished, he handed Levi the key. “Room 723. Go there and stay. We’re going home and calling in some favors. I’ll let you know what we find out.”

  Tom shot her a direct glance. He already knew who she was but he wasn’t sharing it yet. For whatever reason, he was giving her time to do it.

  Perhaps she should heed his advice. If she lost her job, she didn’t know if she really cared. They had put her in a position that she couldn’t react to properly. Maybe she needed a change.

  ****

  Bill and Ericka went back to the local police station. They’d been allowed a room to use as they investigated.

  Ericka looked at traffic cams. A familiar RV had been abandoned along a side road that ran the length of a well visited park in town. In the video two people exited the RV.

  It was definitely them.

  She followed for as far as the camera would allow and paused the footage. She drummed her fingers on the tabletop. She whispered, “Where did they go?”

  Bill heard her. “Best guess they went through the park.”

  “At night?”

  “Yeah.” Bill paused. “I think we should pull all stabbings and shootings in that area for last night. In order to get through the park, they would have needed a miracle.”

  Ericka left to make the request. She’d seen some pretty wild things in her day, but this was taking the cake. How did two people keep avoiding so much danger?

  As soon as they found Levi and Mae she planned to ask.

  ****

  “Have you found them?”

  He answered in Russian then forced himself to speak in English. “No.”

  “If the FBI finds them all hope will be lost and you and I will suffer, do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  He understood perfectly. If they didn’t get the details for OPAL before it went online then their country would be compromised and they would be none the wiser. The portable automated laser was either optimized or operational, they were not sure. If it was operational that meant that it could be brought in by a single person, set up and programmed to strike any target without a person sticking around. And this laser didn’t engrave things; it killed things with no one to take the fall.

  Ivan was running out of time to destroy the one person who knew how it worked. Max Cooper had given all the details to his friend, Levi Anderson. It had been in the report. First order of business was to destroy Levi Anderson. Second order of business would be to find the plans and make their own OPAL. Then all their worries would be over and they would be safe.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Tom had been generous. The suite consisted of two separate bedrooms with a common area between. Levi was grateful. He’d already gotten closer to Mae than he should have been. This would allow them the distance that he needed.

  “Tom outdid himself.” Mae was walking around the room oohing and ahhing, and running her fingers along the smooth tabletop and the backs of the soft furniture.

  “Yes, he did.”

  “Are you related to him?” Mae stopped. She held a filigree candy dish between her fingertips as if memorizing the design. When he didn’t answer, she lowered the bowl to the table and adjusted to face him. Her hands moved in front of her, she held them together wringing them over and over.

  “Um, no.”

  “You’re not related?”

  “Nope. His wife, Leah, worked at the hospital as a…well a type of counselor, while I was recovering. She’s my friend.”

  “Oh.”

  It sounded confusing to him as well, but he didn’t know how else to describe it.

  “Levi, could we perhaps order some supper and then sit down and have a talk?”

  “All right. I don’t see why not.” His gut was twisting with worry, but it was probably best that they get the difficult conversation out of the way. Finally, she might admit that she’d been following him and tell him why. He’d told her everything already. It was her turn.

  They separated momentarily and took their duffels bags to their respective rooms. Levi returned first and grabbed the hotel menu. Mae returned and he scooted closer to her, enjoying her peaches and cream scent. Had they had her same shampoo at the church or did she just smell like that naturally?

  He smiled and held the menu up so they could both see it. Getting to stand so close to her was a privilege he wouldn’t overlook. It wouldn’t be like this forever.

  Nothing ever stayed the same.

  They looked over the hotel menu. Tom had told them to order from a certain number so that only approved kitchen staff would bring up their food. Levi cringed over how much all this was costing Tom. Sure, his family owned the hotel, but none of this stuff was free. If they weren’t using it then someone else would be paying for it. Maybe one day he could pay Leah and Tom back for their generosity, although he doubted it. With his pitiful salary he was lucky if he could pay his own bills, much less pay back a debt.