Every muscle in my body tensed as we pulled out of the garage. I waited until the door had closed before turning the car around in the driveway. I gave Naomi a cursory glance and took a deep breath, pressing the gate controls as I approached.
No one was visible in the vicinity and after pulling through the gate, I pushed the button, waiting until the gate clicked closed, then I gunned it, turning toward the nearest highway route. I kept glancing in my rearview, expecting a tail, but there was nothing on the road behind us, or in front of us, for that matter, and I gave a relieved laugh as the house disappeared from view.
“Knock on wood,” I said and gave Naomi’s hand a squeeze. She responded with only a strained smile before she continued her darting scan of the landscape.
“I don’t think...”
“Shush. Not until we are a safe distance away, okay?”
I nodded consent and focused on the road. The only cars that pulled out behind us turned down different roads and by the time we pulled onto the highway, I relaxed enough to fully exhale.
When we passed the Welcome to Massachusetts sign, I glanced at Naomi again and shrugged. “I guess my checking in for our flight out of Hartford may have given us just enough of a window to get out of there,” I said and the muscles in my shoulders relaxed a notch.
“When did you do that?”
“Right before I reprogrammed the basement keypad,” I said and glanced at the clock on the display. “The plane will start boarding in another half hour. Just long enough for us to put a little more distance between us and the airport.”
“He’s not going to buy that we went to Michigan with the cars?” she asked.
“No, not with us killing his dogs. I have a feeling they were sent on a suicide mission just to prove we were still there.” I finally voiced my thoughts and the wound on my leg flared, sending an itch that made my hands grip the wheel tighter.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, hellhounds talk?”
Her question made me raise an eyebrow in her direction. “What?”
“When you asked the hellhound what he wanted, he spoke.”
I couldn’t help the laugh. “No, baby, it just growled up a fucking storm.”
She laughed as well, but something about the tone of it, pulled my gaze to hers. “Actually, they were sent to bring your head back, at least that’s the answer I heard.”
The shock of her words left me quiet and I glance at her, wondering just what kind of freak she was. The worry in her eyes calmed me. If she was a freak, it didn’t matter. She’s the one that saved my sorry ass. Again.
“My head, huh?” I asked and she nodded. “I can see that,” I replied and took her hand bringing it to my lips. “If you hadn’t come, I’d be dog chow by now.”
“You were doing a pretty good job with the crowbar.”
I chuckled. “If you say so.” Whether she admitted it or not, I knew I wouldn’t have survived and the garage floor would have been stained with my flesh and blood. I shivered at the thought.
The traffic was pretty light and we pulled off the highway exactly three hours later and I pulled into the first gas station off the exit ramp and parked by the pumps. Naomi scuttled out of the car towards the building, walking fast with her thighs together and I grinned. The car still idled and I turned the ignition key, shutting off the engine and stretching before I reached down and popped the gas cap. As I pulled my wallet out, I paused, wondering if using a credit card would alert Lucifer to our whereabouts.
“Shit,” I mumbled and opted for cash, pulling a twenty out of the billfold and heading inside to pre-pay. While I was inside, I grabbed a couple of bottles of water and stepped to the counter as the bathroom door opened and Naomi came out. She grabbed a candy bar and some mints and added them to my tab.
I paid just as the door jingled and as I turned, I handed Naomi the bag with the drinks. She took it and looked up at the man in the doorway, freezing on the spot. Her widening eyes made me take a closer look at the stranger.
The man stared at me, just as wide-eyed as Naomi.
“Oh, hey, Agent Williams, how are you?” the kid behind the counter asked and the man sent a nod in his direction.
“I’m good, John. Didn’t you need to check something in the stock room?” he said and a cold shiver traversed my spine as the kid nodded and disappeared into the back of the store, leaving the three of us alone.
A base warning at the pit of my stomach said to run, to get away as soon as possible and my heart clenched in my chest. I reached into my jacket, wrapping my hand around the handle of my revolver but the flutter of wings caught me off guard and I stepped back, my eyes darting around to find the source.
“Be careful, Steve,” the voice whispered and Naomi stepped back as well, her hand shooting out to grab my elbow.
When my gaze landed on Agent Williams, he was assessing me with narrowed eyes.
“Why don’t you give me the gun, son,” he said and put out his hand.
I blinked as I pulled the gun out of my pocket, almost as if I had no control, but instead of handing it over, I pointed it at him.