Chapter 30

"Keep the lights on," Seb said, as Orlan stopped the truck. "Until we know who they are, let's keep them blind."

Vance wouldn't have given away Orlan's location, but Seb couldn't count on him not involving Holt. If he texted his boss the location where he was going to, she could have informed the men she believed were FBI agents.

Antoine had men in the area. He would have sent someone immediately to intercept Vance and Alexis. They'd take Alexis, but would kill Vance and his friend. Seb was sure they wouldn't spare Holt's daughter. If Antoine's employers were as powerful as Leo believed, his men would leave no loose ends.

He scrubbed at his face. Orlan would have put those pieces together as well. It would explain his white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel as they raced down the narrow dirt road at a suicidal speed.

"Whoever it is has the same issues as us." Orlan flicked a finger on a hand draped over the steering wheel to the vehicle in front of them. Their brights shone directly at them. "We're just as blind."

"I'm comfortable with an equal playing field," Seb said, pulling his Glock out of his ankle holster. "We'll add a distraction to tip things in our direction to cover me leaving the truck. A bit of road rage should do it. Lay on the horn. Stick your arm out the window and give him the bird. Keep him focused on you."

"Road rage I can do. I was stuck with more than one newbie taking in the scenery rather than concentrating on driving the Humvee."

"Five, four, three…" Seb reached for the door's handle and pushed it open while the horn blared. He slipped into a shadow along the road to give his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dark before moving deeper into the thick foliage.

He was careful where he stepped and watched for movement among the vegetation. Tussling with an alligator or Burmese python would put a damper on the evening.

The vehicle was a black SUV, the type the government regularly used. The windows were heavily tinted, so it was impossible to make out how many people were in the vehicle. Seb would be going in as blind as the occupants of the SUV staring into Orlan's lights.

He'd be out in the open when he crossed the road, but there wasn't any quick work around. All eyes in the car should be fixed on Orlan. He must have been watching his progress. His arm shot out of the car in a one-finger salute, and Seb dashed across the road.

He crouched behind the car and glanced at the plates. It would have been too easy if they'd been government. There was no way of knowing if he was dealing with a soccer mom coming home from a girls' night out or someone prepared to blow him away the second they spotted him.

He crouch ran under the SUV's windows to the driver's door and held his position, listening for voices from within the vehicle. Nothing. Seb visualized where the passengers would be seated. He'd be able to take out the driver and the passenger at the same time. If there was anyone in the back seat, it would be trickier, but doable.

Seb shifted his grip on the Glock as he sprang up and smashed the butt against the window. Tempered glass pebbles rained down on his boots. The SUV was empty.

"Seb?" He turned at the sound of his name.

The gun in Alexis's hand was pointed at him. Well, this was a tad embarrassing. They lowered their weapons at the same time.

He wondered if a steak dinner would be enough to convince her to keep the incident between themselves. If his partners found out, they wouldn't let it rest. He knew them. They'd be bringing it up for years.

"You're going to have to pay for the window," Alexis said, her mouth set in a grim line as she shook her head. "I borrowed the car from a friend and he will not be happy."

A friend?

She hadn't been gone long, and she'd already made new friends. Seb didn't know what upset him more–her getting the drop on him or that the friend is a he.

"You got a lot of explaining to do," Seb growled as he holstered his Glock. He wanted to know who this new friend was.

"And so do you," Alexis ground out the words and glared at him. "Starting with…" She made air quotes despite the Glock in her hand. "She needs to disappear. And then after that, we'll get to the part about leaving me behind."

Seb groaned. She had been awake during his call to Javier.

"It's Emery we were talking about. Javier checked out the name she gave you. She's in more trouble than she realizes. We intend to help her disappear."

"Oh." The fire in her eyes dimmed, but didn't die out.

"Where's Vance?" Seb asked, diverting her attention away from their second issue.

"It's a long story," Alexis said, looking uneasily at the Glock in her hand, not sure where to put it. She pushed him aside and tossed it through the broken window onto the driver's seat. "Short version. His friend is driving him to the medical center in Everglades City. They should be right behind me. So, if you could move your vehicle to let me pass."

Seb wrapped an arm around her and waved at Orlan to turn off the truck lights. "It's not happening. We're going to Miami together. I'm sorry," he said as he wrapped his second arm around her. "The thought…"

"We don't have time for you kids to kiss and make up," Orlan said as he approached. "Open the door and turn off the lights."

Seb released Alexis and opened the driver's door. He flicked off the lights as a truck rounded the bend. When its brights washed over them, the truck stopped.

"I recognize the vehicle. That's Holt. I keep his truck running." Orlan walked toward the truck.

"Tell him I'll pay for the window," Seb shouted after him and then refocused his attention on Alexis.

She jerked her thumb at the truck behind them. "Vance said he'd help me get to Miami, but he was setting me up. Antoine sent the alert to the U.S. Marshal Service as well."

"Vance had discussed his dilemma with Orlan. When we found you were gone, Orlan shared that piece of information."

"We took the Jon boat. While Vance was texting his boss, a gator jumped into the boat. It got Vance's arm."

"How bad is it?" The guy was a jerk, but he didn't deserve to lose an arm.

"His arm is mangled, but he'll live. Once they put his shoulder back into place and the broken bone heals, I guarantee he'll use the story to impress the ladies." Her lips puckered in disgust. "I'm sure he won't mention how close he was to being dragged into the water if I hadn't convinced the gator to let go."

Seb would never describe Alexis as quiet and shy again.

"I'll take Holt's SUV and get Vance to the medical center in Everglades City," Orlan said as he jogged up to them. "You take my truck. If you run into local law enforcement, they won't stop you. They'll recognize the vehicle. Make sure the ladies duck down." He took the grungy ball cap off of his head and slapped it down on Seb's. "If you slouch down, no one will know it's not me."

"I can't leave Sofia here, Orlan," Seb said, knowing she'd only bring trouble to his doorstep when Manetti located her, and he would. "Javier uncovered her real identity and dug up the name of her father-in-law-to-be. He isn't someone you want to deal with. I'll fill you in later."

"I expect you to." Orlan gave him a curt nod. "Take Tamiami Trail rather than Alligator Alley. From what I've seen, Antoine's men won't have the patience for that road. They'll opt for the faster, four-lane highway. But take it slow. There'll be more wildlife than usual crossing because of the full moon."

"I'll let you know how the op plays out," Seb said, shaking the man's hand. "Thanks for the help. You know how to get a hold of me."

"I'll turn the truck around. You may be a hotshot SEAL, but I know the terrain better than you." Orlan grinned as his truck roared to life, Emery in the driver's seat.

Adrenaline rushed through Seb as she backed over the thin sliver of a shoulder and onto the thick vegetation lining the road. She was ditching them.

Orlan's hand dug into his shoulder. "Let her go. We all need to choose our own path. If she needs help, she knows where to find both of us."

They watched as Emery turned the old truck around. Seb doubted either he or Orlan could have done a better job. Her head popped out of the driver's window. "Decide what we're doing and let's go."

"Well, I'll be damned," Orlan said and laughed. "I told you she was a keeper."

"We'll keep in touch." Seb lifted his hand and followed Alexis to the truck.

He gestured for Emery to step out of the car. She shook her head and rolled the window down. "They don't know who I am. It could buy us time if we're stopped."

She was right, and she'd certainly shown them she could handle the vehicle. Seb opened the truck door for Alexis, walked around the truck, and then got into the passenger seat. Emery didn't wait for him to fasten his seatbelt before she drove them down the dirt road.

"Orlan figures Antoine's men will stick to Alligator Alley, thinking we'll choose the quicker route. We'll take the Tamiami Trail," Seb said, as the truck bounced along the rough road. The shocks were only slightly better than Ruby Anne's car. "We can't count on that. If it were me, I'd place men on both highways. We'll need to be alert."

Emery nodded and then said, "You took off, Alexis. You owe both of us an explanation."

Seb looked over his shoulder at her. Slumped back in her seat, her eyes were closed, and she was massaging her temples.

"Yes, I do. And an apology." She sighed, kept her eyes closed as she recounted the events on the water and meeting Holt and his daughter. "Claire is sweet and smart. The poor thing couldn't estimate how many stitches Vance would need and was shocked she didn't know. She said she'd have to add it to her list of research topics."

Alexis's laughter filled the truck, and Seb felt the cloud over his heart lift. Despite everything she'd been through, she'd be okay.

Emery spotted the flashing blue and red lights first. "Antoine placed men on both highways."

"Slow down so we get a good look at the roadblock," Seb said, his eyes on the road ahead. "Alexis, you need to curl up on the floor so they don't see you."

As they got closer, they could make out the police car blocking their lane and the LED flares funneling traffic into the other lane. A wood barricade blocked the lane.

The Sheriff's Department would have chosen the spot for visibility, allowing people traveling down the highway plenty of time to see the check stop. It also allowed Seb to assess the situation ahead. As they got closer, he could see another vehicle pulled onto the opposite shoulder, past the barricade.

Emery moved her hand to turn off the brights, and Seb stopped her. "You forgot to switch them off. The Deputy Sheriff would have heard that excuse before. Slow down and buy us some time."

Seb could now clearly make out the vehicle beyond the barrier—a dark colored SUV. The Deputy Sheriff was easily identifiable. There were two men with him, wearing slacks and windbreakers. Seb would bet if they turned around, he'd see FBI written across the backs of the windbreakers. You could buy them off the Internet.

"You want me to race through the roadblock?"

"They'll only follow us." Seb tapped his knee as he judged the distance between the police cruiser and the SUV. "We need to take care of the problem now."

Seb quickly laid out his plan and squatted on the truck's floor as Emery stopped several feet away from the police cruiser. "I'll be out in the open when I run across the highway to the SUV. There's no way to avoid it."

"They won't be looking at you. Watch for the signal." Emery smiled and flipped a switch. Seb could hear the men outside swearing. "Hunting light on top of the cab."

The men shouted at her as she opened the driver's door. Seb slipped out of the truck at the same time as she stepped onto the pavement.

"Lights. Turn off your lights." All three men held their arms up, protecting their eyes.

"Sorry. Give me a minute. I hit the wrong button."

Seb sliced through the valve stem of the second tire as he heard the truck door opening. He moved silently to the side of the police cruiser facing the shoulder as Emery killed the truck's lights, plunging the road into darkness. Blocked from the men's view, he sliced the valve stem of the remaining two tires.

"You need to move the barricade. The competition closes in less than an hour. I've got a Burmese python in the back of the truck that's sure to be the winner." Emery's voice carried a sense of urgency. All three men stared at her.

Seb stood, and Emery threw her hands in the air in frustration. He figured it must be the signal and ran across the road.

"It's because I'm a woman, right? You don't think I can handle an eighteen-foot Burmese python? Let me show it to you and maybe you'll move your asses out of the way so I can make the competition deadline."

"Ma'am. Ma'am. That won't be necessary. I'll just move the barricade."

Seb crouched down behind the SUV and bit down on his lip to stop himself from laughing. The New York accent marked the guy as one of Antoine's men. According to Orlan, the deputies in the area were born and raised in the Everglades.

Cutting the SUV valve stems would not make a statement. Seb opened the waterproof sling pouch he'd converted into a waist bag before they'd left the sailboat. He pulled out the leftover grenade.

Waste not. Want not.

Seb lobbed the grenade under the vehicle and raced down the road's shoulder as he counted down, flinging himself onto the ground when he hit zero. He covered his head with his arms as the explosion ripped the air.

He heard Emery gun the truck, and he picked himself off the ground. When the truck stopped beside him, he yanked open the back passenger door. Alexis was crouched on the floor in front of the seat beside him.

Emery pulled onto the highway and floored the vehicle, not waiting for him to buckle up.

"Impressive," he said as he helped Alexis up.

"Back at you," Emery grinned.