Page 8 of Carlos

An arm came around the woman’s throat, cutting off her words. Zoe leapt back and gasped as she saw Conner put the officer into a choke hold. As she slumped over, Conner gently laid her on the bathroom floor.

“Well, that’s enough of that.” Conner reached into the woman’s utility belt and pulled out her handcuffs and keys. He cuffed her arms around the column between two stalls. Then he took the handcuff keys and undid the ones on Zoe’s wrists. He dropped both items into the trash can.

Zoe gasped out. “What are you doing here?”

“Saving your life,” he answered. “We don’t have a lot of time. My team is getting everything into place now.” Conner looked down at his watch. “The judge paid a hitman to take you out after court this afternoon.”

Zoe’s jaw dropped open. “What?”

Conner went to the lady’s room door and peeked outside into the hallway. “You’re going to need to walk fast. Can you do that?”

Not sure what was going on but trusting Conner, Zoe nodded. “My baby?”

“I’ve had someone in place to guard Davey since the night you killed Davis,” Conner answered. He seemed too calm, too sure of himself. What the hell was going on? “It’ll take time but we’ll get Davey away from the Ruttersons too.”

He approached her and gave her his jacket. He placed a hat and sunglasses over her head. A press badge then went around her neck.

“Wait,” Zoe pleaded. “What is happening? Where are we going? I can’t escape?—”

“Did you not hear me when I said the Ruttersons took a hit out on you? Zoe, if you stay, you die.” The fire alarm suddenly blared. Conner raced to the bathroom door and peeked into the hallway. It was now filled with smoke and screaming people seeking the exits.

He held out his hand to her. “It’s your choice, Zoe, but now is your only chance.”

After leaving the courthouse, Conner and three other men escorted her to a motel. Zoe didn’t know where, but it was way off of the highway. It was only after they got there that Zoe recalled Davis had put trackers in all of her shoes.

They left her shoes behind and narrowly escaped after a gunfight was exchanged between Conner’s people and whoever was hunting her.

It was nearly a day after her escape that Zoe finally got some answers. “Conner, what is going on?”

Conner sat down in front of her. They were now driving cross country in a large motorhome. “First, I’m not Conner. My name is Owen, I’m Conner’s twin.”

Zoe’s jaw about hit the floor. “What? No. You… You died.” She had been there when Mr. Arnold had received the news that one of his grandsons had been killed in action overseas. She knew Conner had been an identical twin, but…damn.

“Conner is working on an alibi in case anyone spotted me at the courthouse yesterday. We’re getting you to a safe house in Montana. I have a buddy there who is going to look out for you. His name is Jack.”

Her mind was spinning and not everything he said made sense to her. “What about Davey?”

“He’s coming too. Like I said, it’ll take some time.” Owen leaned forward, his arms on the table. “Look, Zoe. No one can know I’m alive. I’m doing all of this as a favor to Conner. Once I get you to where he wants you, I’m out of here. I can’t be seen and I can’t be involved. I’m sorry if that sounds harsh, but that’s the way it is.”

Since Zoe still had no idea what was going on, she could only nod. “Thank you,” she offered. “For saving me. I can’t believe the Ruttersons put a hit out on me.” The whole thing was so surreal. Everything, from the moment she’d pulled that trigger.

“Several,” Owen corrected. “We neutralized two of them but it’s an open bounty, Zoe. You’re going to need to be extremely careful. The police and the Marshals are looking for you too. Zoe Rutterson is a wanted fugitive.”

She winced. “So what happens now?” Maybe Davey was better off away from her. Should she tell Owen to bring him to her parents?

“I got you a new identity. Davey too.” He reached up into an overhead cabinet. “You are now Clara Everwood. Davey is Kyle Everwood.”

She took the manila envelope from him with a shaky hand. “I was arrested. They have my fingerprints on file, my DNA. This is great, thank you, but it’s not going to change who I am if I’m caught.”

He leaned closer and, with a wicked smile that matched Conner’s, said, “Then I suggest you don’t get caught.” Zoe swallowed hard and Owen sat back again. “We swapped out your samples. If they were corrupted then someone would be tempted to look into the matter. We only exchanged them so if they’re ever compared to the ones taken at the time of your arrest, they won’t match.” He gave a half-shrug. “Davey’s DNA can’t be fooled. He’s half Rutterson. You need to do everything in your power to ensure that his DNA is never compared to any of his living relatives.”

“Have you heard anything about Davey? Is he safe yet?” Zoe had not liked leaving him behind but, after the gunfight at the motel, she’d stopped pushing the matter. She was beyond grateful Davey had not been around flying bullets.

“They’re extracting him tonight,” Owen told her. “I’ll let you know as soon as I do that they have him.”

“Where in Montana are we going?”

Owen gave her a devilish smile. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”