Finally, Lizzy tapped the screen and switched to a text document with several names accompanied by contact information, including his employer.
“They found what was inside the shipping containers,” Lizzy whispered. “You thought they might be smuggling something, drugs, whatever. But it was much worse. This is definitely worth your life.”
Even when she released him and tugged him back into a walk, he had trouble shaking off the shock of it.
“Look, it’s a lot to absorb and I don’t blame you for worrying. This is your family we’re talking about, and your life. I’ve done okay on my own but to make sure this goes the way it needs to, I need reinforcements.” Her gaze caught him up and held him with soul-deep sincerity. “We’re not military or police, tied up in red tape, having to follow procedure. The Centurions will do the right thing. So once we do this tonight, we’ll make sure your family is safe, and then you need to do the right thing too.”
She wanted him to testify. This was the first time she’d expressed her opinion of whether he should or shouldn’t. But this news, those dead people, mattered to her. If he didn’t testify, they’d have died with no one to take responsibility for their deaths.
So far, Lizzy hadn’t led him in the wrong direction.
“Best chance to make the trade and get all of you out safely.” She didn’t make him a promise. He was glad she didn’t try to give him hollow reassurances. “You can’t do this by yourself and I’m not enough to keep you safe and your family too.”
“I’ve seen you do some amazing things all by yourself.” He smiled and was rewarded by a small return smile from her.
“I can do a lot of things solo. I like it that way.” She huffed out a breath. “But this requires a team.”
They continued down the street, stopping in the shelter of a fountain to sit and watch people walk by.
After a moment, Lizzy spoke. “If I wanted to stick to the exact letter of my contract and only keep you safe, I’d have to tie you up or sedate you until the trial. It’d be for your own good.”
“I’d never forgive you.” Even the thought of it made his stomach clench and he considered running down the street, away from her. But worse than not knowing where he’d go, he wouldn’t know who to ask for help.
It would be stupid and he would end up dead.
“I wouldn’t forgive me either.” Lizzy leaned back as her gaze swept across the high buildings and rooftops. “So we step up our game and upgrade this to a team operation.”
He was grateful. So much so, he didn’t have the right words. Thank you seemed too simple. And it felt unlucky to say it yet.
*
Lizzy gave Kyle time to work through whatever was going on in his head. Apparently, he was good to go because he stood and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, tugging her along a few feet. “Well, it looks like we’re headed back to Pike Place Market.”
“For what?” She lengthened her strides to match his, noting the pace of the tourists and businesspeople around them. It was the end of the workday and the streets were becoming much busier.
Good. Easier to get lost in the crowd. Though she was going to have to stash him someplace and go back for her gear at the other hotel.
“You wanted to slip into the private party tonight to talk to your teammates.” Kyle didn’t resist when she pulled him onto a side street to change their course.
“Yeah, there’s not a lot of time for me to figure out what catering company they have and get hold of a server’s uniform.” She wondered if she could be so lucky to have Maylin’s company catering the event. There was a chance. Maylin was one of the top caterers in the city.
“Ah, but that’s your usual approach.” Kyle made a tch,tch sound. “You said we needed to become harder to predict, blend in more. Be harder to find.”
“Yes.” For a man who’d almost died the other day, and been caught next to an explosion intended to flush him out today, he was sounding way too upbeat.
All right, she was being dramatic. Edict hadn’t found him yet, hadn’t realized he’d been so close.
Kyle nodded. “I’m done hiding and ducking for cover. From here on out, I want to outsmart our opponents. Walk right past their noses before they realize we’ve been there. Today, they threw a temper tantrum because they found where we were and didn’t find us, based on what you told me. I wish to drive them into insanity wondering where we are.”
“Don’t get full of yourself. Today was lucky. If we hadn’t been part of that tour group, you could’ve been spotted coming out of the store when the blast drove us all out into the street.” He needed caution and a healthy fear for his goddamned life. Hell, she was afraid for his life.