Thor shifted his focus to the left. Hannah’s gaze followed. Was that...? It sure looked like Rafe. Nevertheless, she stayed hidden. When Gram was with them she had a lot less trouble relaxing in the company of the supposed convict. His story gibed with Andy’s and there were plenty of other reasons to believe him, of course. It wasn’t just that. The closest she could describe it was an inner survival instinct. She wanted to trust Rafe completely, really she did.

  “Who are you trying to convince?” Hannah whispered to herself. Thor responded by giving her a quick glance before zeroing in on the approaching man and beginning to wag his tail.

  Intense relief washed over Hannah like a warm, tropical wave and thanksgiving rippled along her nerves. It was Rafe. And, to her great surprise, she was genuinely happy to see him. So what had become of her caution, her hesitancy? She didn’t know and she didn’t care.

  She heard him call, “Lucy? Hannah?” as she brought Thor to heel and stepped into view.

  The instant Rafe spotted her his countenance bloomed into joy, complete with a silly grin. He pivoted then jogged toward her.

  There was no way Hannah was going to avoid the kind of fond greeting she expected from him. On the contrary, she was so filled with relief and her own happiness she opened her arms to him and accepted his embrace as if they were long-lost friends.

  All he said at first was her name. That was enough, particularly since his tone was so gentle. Their hug was easy, too. Although it didn’t last nearly as long as Hannah had hoped, the emotion they shared was clear.

  Finally, he set her away, hands on her shoulders. “Hannah. I was afraid I’d lost you.”

  Blinking back happy tears she tilted her head toward the store entrance. “Gram saw this place and figured they’d have some of the things she wanted so we came over. We were going to go back for you. I know we were.”

  “I hope so.”

  “What happened? Did they find the tram?”

  “Yes. Some security personnel showed up and took it away.”

  To her delight Rafe stayed very close, their shoulders almost touching. Hannah agreed with his obvious desire for proximity. She kept Thor on a short lead while she spoke quietly. “I’ll be happier once Gram’s contacts bring us wheels but I have no idea where we’ll go from here, do you?”

  Rafe was shaking his head. He slipped one arm around her. “Not a clue. I’m hoping I can get through to my superintendent soon. We’re flying blind until we get better intel.”

  “And word about Andy’s daughter,” Hannah added. “That has to be everybody’s first priority because elapsed time increases the danger to her.”

  “True.” He gave her shoulders a squeeze. “In one way I’m sorry you’re involved, but if you stop and think about it, we do make a pretty good team.”

  “You and Gram do,” Hannah said flatly. She leaned into him, feeling intrinsically connected and drawing strength from him in spite of her earlier misgivings. “I’m not that important.”

  “Yes, you are. If you and I hadn’t gotten involved in the first place, you could have been eliminated as soon as Deuce was free and we wouldn’t have federal help, either.”

  “Surely, the government has its own anti-trafficking forces. Citizens are being transported across state lines and even overseas.”

  “They do. And we’re in contact with them, at least my superiors are. The thing is, you and I and Lucy are boots on the ground, so to speak. Because we’re in the thick of things we have different opportunities to break up this particular smuggling ring. It won’t end everything. Nothing short of Armageddon can do that. The way I see it, every bite we take out of the system is a victory.”

  “I can’t imagine how scared those young people like Kristy Fellows must be. It’s mind-boggling.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  Sensing his deepening concern and frustration, Hannah didn’t know what to say, how to soothe him. He was right about the unspeakable horrors of the crime they were fighting. It was so vast, so organized, their job seemed insurmountable. Which it was. That wasn’t the point, was it?

  “So, one Deuce Fleming at a time, right? And then another and another. That’s a good thing.”

  “Humph. Yeah. Let’s get the first one behind bars before we celebrate, shall we?”

  “Of course.”

  “Will you be okay if I go inside and look for Lucy? There are a few things I want her to buy for me and she’s the one with the money.”

  Hannah risked a slight smile. “So, what you’re saying is that you’re going to dump me for a wealthy cougar?”

  “Something like that.” His mouth twitched as if he was repressing a grin of his own.

  “Okay. I’ll let you go this time. Just don’t forget to come back for me.”

  “Never,” Rafe said soberly, giving her a poignant parting glance. “You’re unforgettable in many ways, Hannah Lassiter.”

  Glad he’d left her without saying more or waiting for her to comment, she watched him walk away. A casual observer wouldn’t see anything unusual about him. He was that good at pretending to be carefree and therefore anonymous. She’d called him a chameleon before for good reason. And there lay the conundrum.

  Who was he really? Inside all the pretense, what kind of man was Rafe McDowell. For that matter, what was his real name? She doubted it was Rafe. Yes, he was an officer of the law. And, yes, he had been on a covert assignment inside Lyell. That she could accept. The worrisome details now encompassed her personal involvement. As he had said, they needed each other if they hoped to put an end to Fleming’s operations, particularly his human trafficking. She was totally on board for that.

  When this assignment ended, however, what would become of him? He’d go on to the next job and then the next, wherever he was sent, meaning his presence in and around St. Louis was temporary, at best. Which meant...?

  “Do not fall for him,” Hannah muttered, knowing she was absolutely right and suspecting it was already too late.

  She shook her head and made a face before adding a cynical, “Yeah, right.”

  * * *

  Locating Lucy in the store wasn’t as easy as Rafe had assumed it would be. Not only was she fairly short, her clothing was nondescript enough for her to blend in with every other regular shopper.

  When he finally did spot her he approached quietly. “It would help if you had white hair.”

  “Take that up with my DNA,” she said, frowning at him. “Why are you in here?”

  “Hospital security picked up the tram. I figured it was better to join you again instead of waiting to be discovered hiding near the hospital. Why? Were you planning to ditch me?”

  “Not at all.” Lucy gestured at the shopping cart she was pushing. “I got us some hoodies, new phones and energy bars, flashlights and extra batteries, bottled water and soda pop. What else?”

  “Weapons?”

  “In a drugstore?”

  Rafe nodded. “You could trade those cans for half liters of soda so we’ll have the bottles. Go buy matches. And something flammable to use for wicks.”

  “Not very good for defense,” she said.

  “Unless we’re stuck somewhere. We need gloves, too.”

  “I have latex ones in the cart.”

  “Work gloves, too. Hannah’s...our hands may need protecting.”

  “I did think of her needs. They don’t have much of a grocery selection in here. No dog food. I already checked.”

  “We need to hit a couple of ATMs, too. It’s not sensible for you to be the only one carrying cash.”

  “Already thought of that. The car they’re sending us will have new, untraceable credit cards and IDs for all three of us.”

  “You included me? How?”

  That brought a wry chuckle. “You’re forgetting who I worked for. Big Brother knows everything about everybody.”

  “I can’t say that’s too comforting but in this case it’s handy. What else have you done while I was dumpster diving and watching your backs?”

  The older woman eyed him up and down. “Not actually diving, I hope. Which reminds me. We need hand sanitizer and wipes.”

  “And a first aid kit,” Rafe added. “A big one.”

  “The car should be well equipped with things like that,” Lucy said. “I’ll pick up the rest of the stuff and meet you outside. Go protect Hannah.”

  “With my life,” Rafe said quietly.

  Eyes narrowing and jaw clenching, Lucy nodded and said, “I’m counting on it.”

  THIRTEEN

  Seeing Rafe returning without Gram worried Hannah until he explained.

  “Okay, fine,” she said, resting one hand on Thor’s head and wiggling her fingers to scratch behind his ears. “How are we supposed to recognize the good guys or the new car they’re bringing? I mean, they’re not supposed to look like Secret Service agents in black suits and aviator glasses with listening wires sticking out of their ears, are they?”

  Rafe chuckled. “Probably not.”

  She inched farther behind the rack of spring plants, wishing there was a better hiding place available. “I don’t like standing out here like this. One of the St. Louis patrol cars drove through this parking lot a few minutes ago. I didn’t realize what the white car was until I saw the blue lettering and picture of the arch on the side.”

  “Widening the search. I was afraid of that,” Rafe said.

  “If he comes back he may spot us. You need to go warn Gram and tell her to hurry.”

  “We could move to a more secure location.”

  Hannah huffed in frustration. “Oh? Where? I don’t see anything except open space.” Continuing to monitor the parking lot as she spoke she kept imagining potential enemies. Every vehicle that rolled slowly past sent her pulse racing, even the ones with geriatric drivers, mothers with small children or groups of teens whooping it up.

  “School must be out,” Hannah remarked, indicating a passing car with the bass of its radio so loud it rattled windows.

  Rafe looked at his left wrist out of habit, then shook his head. “I keep forgetting I’m still in prison mode. No watch.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” Hannah said. “What’s to keep the police from shooting you as an escaped convict? The news about us and Fleming must be all over the TV and radio.” She shivered. “Come to think of it, they’re probably hunting me and Thor, too.”

  “Hopefully, Warden Hotchkiss has taken charge of press releases and we’re safe for the present.”

  “You don’t know that he’s on our side. And what about the shooting in Andy’s room? They probably think we did that, too, in spite of whatever the warden may say. He can’t tell them everything without taking a chance on Fleming finding out and tracing us.”

  “I’m pretty sure that ship has sailed,” Rafe said. “From now on we need to look for chances to go on the offensive. Otherwise we’ll be running until we make a mistake and he catches up to us.”

  “That’s not very comforting.”

  “It’s not intended to be.”

  Lucy’s return was a relief for Hannah and presumably for Rafe, too. She pushed a loaded shopping cart toward the flower display rack, then ducked behind with the others.

  Hannah gave her a hug. “I thought you’d never come back.”

  “I told you I would.”

  Eager to do something, anything, Hannah grasped her grandmother’s arm. “What now?”

  “Find someplace away from people where we can safely activate a couple of these phones,” Lucy said, gesturing at the plastic shopping bags. “I need to coordinate with my people.”

  “I thought you already did that,” Hannah said, confused. “Aren’t we waiting for a car?”

  “Such things aren’t necessarily easy to provide,” she countered, “which is why I bought us all black hoodies. Even in a big city it can take hours to put together a delivery like the one I requested. We don’t have spy supply stores on every corner, you know.”

  As Hannah made a face she was sure she heard Rafe stifling a chuckle. Well, so what? How was she to know how these things worked? Obviously the portrayals on TV and in movies were exaggerated.

  “There’s no need for the two of you to make fun of me,” Hannah said flatly, looking from one to the other. Sadly, neither of her companions argued their innocence, leaving her convinced she was the odd man out. It was as if all the other players in this deadly game knew the rules while she was the one blindfolded and groping in the dark. She might as well have been, she reasoned, given her lack of law enforcement training.

  Starting away, pushing the cart, Lucy circled the building. Hannah followed with Thor, assuming that Rafe was behind her. When Lucy halted in the delivery area of the stores Hannah discovered that he was not. Panicky, she searched the distance for him. “Gram?”

  Lucy patted the air to wave her quiet. “Hush.”

  Time seemed to slow to a snail’s pace. Finally, Hannah spotted a familiar figure ahead of them. He was gesturing and pointing at a loading dock. Clearly, Gram and the pretend convict had worked out a form of silent communication that she, Hannah, was not privy to. Well, fine. Let them cut her out if they didn’t think she was smart enough or capable enough to be included in their subversive actions. As long as they all survived this waking nightmare, she’d swallow her pride and go along with whatever they had in mind. She might not like being excluded, but she’d manage to tolerate it. For now.

  Lucy started moving faster, almost jogging behind the rattling shopping cart. Hannah kept pace with Thor trotting obediently at her side. Portions of the pavement were still damp and there were puddles in low spots.

  “All right,” Lucy said when she was inside the raised concrete sides of the dock. “Good choice.” Rummaging in a bag she handed everyone a new hoodie to put on, donned hers, then pulled out two cell phones and gave one to Rafe. “Activate it and call your superintendent.”

  As Hannah watched, her grandmother opened a second package and began to work with another phone.

  “I know how to do that, too,” Hannah said. For a few seconds she thought no one had heard her. Then, Rafe reached into the plastic bag and brought out a third phone. Without asking, he passed it to Hannah with a slight smile. “Knock yourself out.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Hannah saw Lucy frown at him, but she didn’t try to take the phone back. That was a plus. Hannah wanted, needed, to feel useful and valued. Yes, it was a bit selfish. She knew that. It was also a sign that at least one of her companions valued her presence as more than just the human on the end of the leash handling a smart K-9. Properly trained, her dogs filled jobs people couldn’t do, of course, such as tracking and intelligent defense. Some had even been used to locate victims buried by disasters or children lost in the wilderness.

  The usefulness of the animals wasn’t in question. The usefulness of their trainer and handler was. Hannah knew she had an important job to do regarding the dogs’ training. What she needed now was to feel just as useful in and of herself.

  She smiled at Rafe as she removed the phone’s packaging. It was a basic unit which needed a Wi-Fi connection in order to be activated. The others were obviously connecting to nearby sources, probably in the store where Lucy had shopped. Hannah let her device do a search, then chose the strongest signal. Completing the installation and activation slightly ahead of the others gave her ego a tiny boost and brought a grin.

  She held up the phone. “Ta-da!”

  Gram acted less than impressed while Rafe gave her a thumbs-up and leaned closer to share his screen. “Here’s my number. Put it into your phone and give me yours so we can talk if we get separated.”

  Complying, it occurred to Hannah that separation was a possibility no matter how hard they tried to stay together. The thought of being on her own when assassins were on their trail sent a shiver down her spine. The day had been fraught with danger already and it wasn’t over yet. Considering what might take place on the next day and the next was terrifying. It also helped ground her by increasing focus.

  “All right,” Hannah said when she also had her grandmother’s new number. “Somebody please tell me what to expect now. Are we going to stay here or what?”

  Pressing the phone to her ear, Lucy turned away to speak more privately. Rafe, on the other hand, put his phone on speaker and let Hannah listen in as he tried once again to contact his superintendent. Her heart hitched when she heard him succeed.

  “Yes, Colonel,” Rafe said. “Circumstances developed that caused me to join Fleming’s escape. It’s complicated. I visited Andy and...”

  Hannah saw Rafe clenching his jaw and gripping the phone tightly at the muffled sound of an angry tirade. She didn’t have to clearly hear each word to know the superintendent was not happy.

  “Yes, sir, I am with others at present. No, sir, they’re not part of Fleming’s gang. I’m afraid that bridge burned when we were overheard at the hospital.”

  Again, Rafe paused, this time pressing the phone to his ear. Hannah was watching his face and saw his expression changing. Finally, he shook his head and said, “Impossible. With all due respect, Colonel Wellington, I can’t.”

  Hesitating, listening to the cell phone, Rafe said, “Let me rephrase that. I will not abandon these people. They are involved through no fault of their own and have helped me as much as I’ve helped them. We can use this situation to our advantage. I know we can. Fleming is furious at all of us. He’s already sent minions to eliminate me and the women. Together, we may survive. Alone, it’s less likely.”