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A spike of fear sent the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.
‘What should we do?’
‘We gotta get out of here.’ His attention was still focused on the apartment. ‘Have you got any cash on you?’
‘Yes, and our passports.’
His eyes never broke their surveillance but his shoulders tensed. They didn’t usually walk around with their passports. He swallowed whatever reaction he had. ‘Good. We need to split up.’
‘And go where?’
‘I’m thinking.’
‘Seems we’re out of time. Let’s just stick with the plan and go to Florence.’
‘No.’
Sarah wanted to scream. She wanted to believe that going to Florence was the right call. But she'd believed that talking to John would give them the answers they needed too. Their blood was on her hands. Every fiber of her being insisted she default to her original settings, let Alex make the decision. Afterall, he’d never wanted to find John in the first place. Was he right about this as well?
A knot of panic settled in her belly. Alex didn’t have a plan this time. The sun was beginning its descent and the shadows were creeping slowly across the remains of the day, reminding her they were out of time. They had no other choice.
‘I’m going to Florence. And so are you. There is no other option. We will meet Tom at the airport in two hours.’
Alex turned to face her, anger sparking in his eyes. ‘Sarah, we cannot go with that cop. I know it seems like the perfect solution. But just think about it; it’s too fucking perfect. It can’t be real. I don’t trust Nable and neither should you.’
She shook her head. No way, not this time. ‘So, what’s your plan, huh?’
He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, his tongue darting out and wetting his lips.
‘You don’t have one, and The Devils are in our apartment right now.’ She reached for his hand, holding it tight. ‘Tom is our only option.’
Sarah held his stare. Footsteps sounded behind Alex, his shoulders tensed.
‘For now,’ said Alex, his nod short.
She wanted to hug him, she was so relieved. Instead, she tightened her grip on his hand.
ChapterThirty-One
Alex tensed, his eyes wide. The footsteps grew closer, but sifter as if the person was taking care not to be heard.
He mouthed a single word. ‘Go.’
She had barely made it to the next street when she heard the gunshot. And then the whole world came alive. She heard doors open, felt the eyes staring out of windows, searching the dusk for answers and then closed just as swiftly.
Sarah ran hard, heading for the marketplace.
She thought she’d find crowds to hide in but it seemed as though every street she ran down was deserted, the sound of violence clearing the tourists and locals alike. She kept running as night moved in.
Sarah breathed in uneven gasps as she ran across the square. Sweat poured from every surface of her body, dampening her hair as she ran across the city and outside the walls. She was in the equivalent of suburbia.
She turned down an alley, trying the doors to shops as she moved past. Finally, the handle of a door turned, she pushed it open and found herself inside a launderette. The washers and dryers were still. She could just make out their outlines in the darkened room. The only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall across from her. And her jagged breathing.
Sarah closed her eyes, pulled the gun from her pocket and clasped it between her hands against her forehead as she consciously fought to gain control of her breathing and slow her rapid-fire heartbeat.
After a few moments, her heartbeat and breathing returned to normal. The night air caused her sweat-slicked clothing to cool her body. The ticking of the clock became the only sound. Sarah forced herself to hear beyond the clock to the deserted street outside. She needed to keep moving but had to be certain she wasn’t followed.
A subtle shift in the air warned of the entrance of a second person. She tensed, holding her breath.There!The softest click as the back door re-latched. Had he seen her enter the building? Did he know she was here? Maybe Alex had been closer than she realized.
