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And the screams of his fellow soldiers that echoed in his dreams.
They were halfway to the house when he caught sight of a light brightening the horizon behind them. He instantly drew Fiona off the road and into the woods. When they were swallowed by the foliage, he left her by a tree and crept back to lay eyes on the oncoming vehicle.
The headlights grew brighter as the car approached. He didn’t move, watching as the car grew closer.
The gunmen? Or the driver Rex had hired?
That the driver was using headlights had him leaning toward the guy Rex hired. But he wasn’t about to take a chance.
The vehicle rolled by without stopping. He glimpsed the license plate and quickly checked the information Rex had sent via text.
A match. He rose and called to Fiona. “That’s our ride.”
She didn’t answer but quickly rose from her hiding spot to join him. Together, they jogged up the road toward the house on the right-hand side. The car was over on the side of the road, the engine idling as the driver waited as instructed. Even though the license plate was a match, Doc went up to the driver’s side window to peer at the driver.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“James Donnell. Are you Regan Harmon?”
“Yep.” He loosened his tense muscles and gestured for Fiona to join him. He opened the driver’s side passenger door for her. Once she slid in, he joined her. “Thanks for the lift.”
“That’s why I was hired.” James met his gaze in the rearview mirror. “You need to tell me where to go from here. My instructions didn’t include a final destination.”
That was exactly what he’d wanted. Color him paranoid, but he hadn’t wanted to telegraph his location prior to the driver arriving. “Thanks, we’d like to go to the Camelot Motel. Do you know where it is? Southwest side of the city?”
“Yep, I know it,” James said with a nod. He executed a U-turn, taking the highway north and east.
“Have you stayed there before?” Fiona asked.
“Not exactly. But the place is located halfway between downtown Lexington and the outskirts of the city.” He shrugged. “I figure it’s a good place to stay off the grid.”
Her brow furrowed, but she didn’t argue. “I know it’s not a priority, but I wouldn’t mind getting some replacement clothing.”
“That’s on the list for the morning.” He glanced at her. “There’s a mall not far from the hotel. It’s nothing fancy, but it should work well enough.”
“Fine with me. I’m not picky.” She frowned. “At least, I don’t think so.”
He’d accepted the fact that she wasn’t faking her amnesia. He highly doubted she could run from armed men without spilling the truth. Yet it was comments like that that gave him pause. Logically, it made sense that a person might be able to identify a favorite color or food without remembering her past. Yet he hoped that when Fiona did remember that she’d tell him everything.
The trip to the Camelot Motel took fifteen minutes. There was little to no traffic until they grew closer to the city limits. He searched the cars around them but didn’t see anyone that appeared to be a threat.
He’d covered their tracks as much as possible. The gunmen couldn’t possibly have followed them there.
Yet Doc couldn’t completely relax. Not yet. He’d gotten permission from Rex to use his Grayson’s Guardians credit card, which would add another layer of protection.
They’d be fine until morning.
When he could see the sign for the motel, he reached up to tap the driver on the shoulder. “You can let us out here.”
From the corner of his eye, he caught the dismayed expression on Fiona’s face. James didn’t look surprised; Rex must have prepared him for anything. A minute later, James found a safe place and pulled over.
“Thanks again.” Doc didn’t waste cash tipping him, knowing Rex had taken care of that too. At that point, he’d need his limited cash for more important things. He climbed out of the car, waited for Fiona, then stood holding her hand as James drove away.
“Why are we walking the rest of the way?” She frowned as he moved forward. “Seems silly to walk when he was perfectly capable of driving us.”
“We’re not going to the Camelot Motel.” He nodded toward a nicer hotel that wasn’t too far away. “You won’t be disappointed. We’re staying at the Derby View Suites instead.”
“Really?” She looked surprised. “I’m not sure why you changed the location, but that place does look nicer.”
