He spotted Dent driving his gray Lexus out of his garage. The milky predawn added shadows to the quiet suburban street.
Reid sat up in the driver’s seat. As Dent turned right at the end of the block, he followed. After hours of energy drinks and boredom, expectancy surged blood through his veins. The landscape of subdivisions changed to open road. Cars sped by. Reid kept Dent’s car in view but stayed several vehicles behind. He couldn’t let the program manager out of his sight. Dent either had DELILAH with him or planned to pick the formula up on the way. Eventually a window would open to phase in and scoop it up. Or he’d make one. He’d phase the formula back with him. West had an expert on standby to diffuse the nanotech.
They merged onto the interstate. Pre-rush-hour traffic sped freely down the lanes. A tractor-trailer carrying a load of long pipes blew past. Shutters shook the wheel. Brake lights flashed one after the other in front of him. The solid hit of fiberglass and breaking car windows kicked up his heart rate. Wheels squealed on the pavement. Cars veered and spun out of control.
Shit. Reid steered away from the collision. The SUV vibrated as it crossed over the rumble strip. He jammed on the brake and jerked to a stop. He got out the car. The odor of gas and burned rubber permeated the air. Reid ran toward the three-car pileup and the tractor-trailer.
A large metal pole crushed the hood of the Lexus near the windshield.
Blood dripped from the side of Dent’s head and over his closed eyes. The dashboard trapped his legs. They’d have to cut him out.
Reid opened the driver’s side door. “Frank, it’s Sergeant Montgomery. Can you hear me?”
A dark haired woman ran to Reid’s side. “Ambulances are on the way.”
Dent groaned. “DELILAH.”
Reid’s heart galloped. “Where is she, Frank? Stay with me. Is DELILAH in the car?
“In the back.”
“There’s no one else in the car,” the woman said. “He must be delirious.”
“Keep him talking.” Reid opened the back driver’s side door. A metal case lay on the floor. Sirens wailed in the distance. He couldn’t do anything more for Dent. Reid snagged the case. As he sped into the golden tunnel of the phase, wetness spilled on to his hand. A fiery sensation raged up his arm and boiled in his chest. Still he held onto the case. Even as a cold brush of energy shoved him into darkness.
Chapter 7
The future
“I’m okay. I can handle this.” Lauren adjusted her cellphone next to her ear. She took the suitcase out of the trunk of her car.
“I know. It’s not that I think you can’t.” Ari sighed. “I just hate that you’re up there alone. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Almost two years had passed since her father had died from a heart attack. Him leaving her the cabin in his will was as unexpected as his death. Caretaker’s fees strained her bank account. The Realtor’s inquiry about selling had prompted her to act. She’d gathered her courage to face what he’d left behind, hopefully answers.
Lauren hefted the strap of her carry-on over her shoulder. “Yes. It’s time.”
“All right, but don’t forget to text me. Otherwise, I’ll have nightmares about some wild animal carrying you off into the woods. I’m serious. If I don’t hear from you at least once a day, I’m calling the police.”
Ari wouldn’t just call the police. She’d demand a search party. “Yes, Mother.”
“Stop being a smartass, Blondie.”
The line disconnected prematurely. The joy and pain of solitude and spotty cellphone reception.
Lauren rolled her luggage up the stone walkway. Fatigue weighed on her shoulders. The last few miles from civilization to nowhere were brutal. The promise of sleep had kept her going. She’d get plenty of rest in between cleaning out her father’s things. The Realtor had said listing the cabin as furnished would help it sell. That meant she didn’t have to worry about moving larger items. She had two weeks, and she’d allotted a week to sort through his things. The final week, she’d enjoy the uncomplicated beauty of the woods.