and wait for my sign.”
“What’s your sign?” she said after a gulp.
“You’ll know it when you see it.”
“But...”
“No buts. We have to play some things by ear.” Like what the purpose of an hours-long tail was. If it was to take them out, Vaughn had to believe they would have already attempted something. The hanging back and just following pointed more to an information-grabbing tail.
It took a few miles, but a little town with a gas station finally appeared on the horizon. Vaughn kept his speed steady as he drove toward it, worked to keep himself calm as he pulled into a parking spot.
“We get out. We act normal. You watch me, and you follow absolutely any and all orders I give you. Got it?”
Natalie blinked at the gas station in front of them, and he could tell she wanted to argue, but the woman apparently had some sense because she finally nodded.
Vaughn got out of the car first, and Natalie followed. She didn’t exactly look calm, but she didn’t bolt or run. She met him at the front of the car.
Vaughn didn’t like it, but they had to look at least a little casual. Maybe these guys knew exactly who they were, but playing a part gave him a better shot of putting doubts in their heads.
So, he linked fingers with Ms. Torres and walked like any two involved people might into the building. Her hand was clammy, and he gave it a little reassuring squeeze. He leaned close to her ear, hoping the two men outside were paying attention to the intimate move.
“Go along with anything I do or say,” he said, low enough so that the cashier couldn’t hear.
She didn’t say anything or nod, but she didn’t argue with him, either. In fact, she held tightly on to his hand.
When he took a deep breath, all he could smell was the smoke that must still be in her hair from early this morning, but underneath there was some hint of something sweet.
Lack of sleep was making him delirious. “Go find a snack, honey,” he said, doing his best to infect some ease into his exaggerated drawl. With only a little wobble, she let go of his hand and walked toward the candy aisle.
Casually Vaughn sauntered to the counter. He glanced at the scratch-off tickets displayed, then glanced out the doors where the white sedan was parked, one of the men filling it up.
Vaughn flicked his glance to the bored-looking cashier. “Ma’am,” he said with a nod. He slid his badge across the counter to where the cashier could see it. She didn’t flinch or even act impressed or moved. She popped her gum at him.
He wouldn’t be deterred. “I need you to call the local police department. I need you to give them the following license plate number, description and my DSN.”
She didn’t make a move to get a pen or paper. Vaughn glanced out of the corner of his eye to where the white sedan and two men in big coats and big hats stood. One eyeing his truck, the other eyeing the store and Natalie.
Vaughn flicked his jacket out of the way so the cashier could also see his gun. “This is official police business. Call the local police department and give them the following information.” He inclined his head to the pen that was settled on top of the cash register keyboard. “Now.”
The woman swallowed this time, and she grabbed the pen.
Vaughn looked back at Natalie who was shaking in the candy aisle. He rattled off the information to the cashier.
He kept tabs on the men outside who were obviously keeping tabs on him. “Make the call now. Whatever you do, don’t tell those men out there. Got it?”
The now-nervous cashier gave a little nod and picked up the phone on the counter next to the cash register.
As he moved away from the counter, one of the men started walking toward the door. Still, Vaughn didn’t panic. He’d been in a lot stickier situations than this, no matter what Ms. Hypnotist thought of his past experience.
He approached Natalie, watching to make sure the cashier got the information to the local police before the man entered the door.
It was a close call, but the cashier had some survival instincts herself and she hung up just as the man walked inside.
Vaughn took Natalie’s arm. “Let’s go to the bathroom.”
She arched a brow, all holier-than-thou, even though terror was clearly lurking in the depths of those big dark eyes. “Together?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded toward the back of the store where the bathroom sign was. “Move. And whatever you do, don’t look behind us.”
She started to walk toward the bathroom, still shaking, still braving it out. He’d give her credit for that.
Later.
“You know, every time you tell me not to do something, I only want to do it more?”
“Okay, don’t look straight ahead. Don’t step into the women’s bathroom, and certainly don’t let me follow you inside.”
Surprisingly, she did exactly what he wanted her to do.
* * *
NATALIE COULDN’T STOP SHAKING. She knew it showed weakness, and she tried to be stronger than that. For Gabby. For the hope that Gabby was still alive to be found.
But, she was so scared she wanted to cry. Someone was following them. Ranger Cooper seemed more than capable, but that didn’t make it any less scary. It didn’t erase her house being gone, and it most certainly didn’t erase the fact someone was apparently following them.
Ranger Cooper immediately locked the door behind them as they stepped into the women’s restroom. He was a blur, moving about the small room and the even smaller stalls, and she had no idea what he was looking for.
So, she simply stood in the center trying to find her own center. Trying to focus on what she was doing this for. On who she was doing this for. She’d pursued details of Gabby’s case with a dogged tenacity that had alienated every friend, significant other and her own grandmother. Even Mom was close to losing any and all patience with her.
But how could they give up? How could she give up? Maybe she’d never anticipated this kind of danger, but that didn’t mean she was going to shake apart and hide away. Gabby was somewhere out there.
She had to be. He keeps the girls. Maybe it wasn’t Gabby’s case, but maybe it was. She needed information, which meant she needed Ranger Cooper.
After a full sweep of the bathroom, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed something into it. Natalie simply watched him because she didn’t know what else to do. She counted each time his blunt, long finger touched the screen to keep herself from panicking.
When he glanced up from his phone, those steely blue eyes meeting hers with a blank kind of certainty, she thought she might panic anyway.
“We can’t waste much more time,” he said, his voice as low and gravelly as she’d
