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“Do you trust her?” Rex asked bluntly.
“So far, so good.” He trusted Fiona but couldn’t argue that her amnesia was awfully convenient.
Rex didn’t respond for a long moment. Then Doc heard typing in the background. “Okay, looks like there are a couple of rental properties in Nicholasville.”
The city was far from the action, but there was no point in arguing. Maybe being thirty minutes outside the south end of Lexington city limits would work to their advantage.
“Okay with me.” While searching for a place to turn around so he could head in the opposite direction, he added, “A remote location is more important than the number of bedrooms or plush accommodations. I’ll nap on the sofa if needed.”
“Understood.” More clacking of computer keys. Since they had a destination in mind, he retraced their path so that he could head southwest toward Nicholasville. “Okay, I have a place secured. It’s a small two-bedroom house west of the city, a few miles from a very small airport.” A hint of humor crept into Rex’s tone. “One of the reviews complains about the noise from the runway. That’s probably why it’s not booked.”
“Works for me.” The only reason to worry about the noise from the airplanes was if it masked the sound of gunmen approaching. Now that he’d smashed his phone and had a rental car, he doubted that would pose a problem.
And if it did, he’d deal with it. This wasn’t a long-term vacation rental. All they needed was a place to get some rest.
“Booked it for two nights, just in case you need it,” Rex said. “I’ll text you the address and entry code information.”
“Thanks, Rex.”
“You’re sure you don’t need me to come down as backup?” Rex asked.
He seriously considered the offer for a long moment. Having someone helping him would be a relief. Yet he generally worked alone when going out on jobs for Grayson’s Guardians. Since he’d decided to approach this scenario as if he was doing another job for Rex, he decided there was no reason for his boss to head down.
“We’re good. I’ll let you know if that changes,” he added. “You’ve helped more than enough. It’s nice to have you coordinating things from Chicago.”
“Okay. Stay in touch.” Rex ended the call.
The trip down to Nicholasville took much longer than it should have. In part because of a multicar fender bender that kept them at a standstill for almost thirty minutes before they were finally able to pass the accident site.
Doc had felt vulnerable sitting on the highway without moving, but he had to admit that if the gunmen were somewhere nearby, they were stuck in the same traffic jam. He’d kept a wary eye out for any vehicles that looked like the black SUV he’d seen last night, but that turned out to be a nearly impossible task.
When he finally took the less-traveled highway toward Nicholasville, he breathed a sigh of relief as the open road stretched before them. He had no doubt some of the race attendees would also be staying in Nicholasville as well and knew he’d have to factor that into their time frame for heading to the race the following day.
His phone dinged with the address and entry code to get into the rental property. He glanced at Fiona. “Look at the address and enter that into the GPS screen, would you?”
“Sure.” She leaned forward to type the information into the maps screen on the center console. “Looks like we’re still a good thirty minutes out.”
“I know. We’ll stop and grab something easy for dinner, along with coffee for the morning.” He eyed the map on the console. “Looks like the grocery store is about fifteen minutes away.”
“Sounds good.” She sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. He frowned as she tipped her head against the window. Fiona looked completely worn out, but they hadn’t done that much walking. Not compared to the previous night.
He left her sitting in the car with the engine running as he ran inside to get some basic supplies. He didn’t go crazy, considering they’d be heading to the racetrack the following day.
Fiona lifted her head to look at him when he returned, then rested her head against the window again. He made a mental note to check on her once they reached the rental property.
Maybe he’d missed an injury. The possibility concerned him. Despite his nickname, he wasn’t a doctor. He only knew enough to treat traumatic wounds long enough to transport an injured soldier to a makeshift hospital.
Nothing more.
They were about ten minutes from the airport when Fiona lifted her head. She blinked, then said, “Secretariat.”
“What?” It took him a moment to recognize the name. “Oh, that’s a famous racehorse, right?”
“Yes. Secretariat.” She grimaced and rubbed her temple. “I was dozing when the name popped into my mind.”
His pulse quickened. “A memory?”
“I’m not sure. The name flashed in my mind along with the knowledge that Fiona’s Folly’s bloodlines trace back to Secretariat.” She frowned, then said, “Although I think a lot of successful racehorses have similar bloodlines.”
