Page 6 of Final Sins
Through watering eyes, he saw the truck fishtail to a stop in front of the door, engine running, passenger door flung open. He dove inside, barely getting his legs clear before Gravy stomped on the accelerator.
The truck peeled away from the relative cover of the hangars, tires kicking up gravel. Jason twisted in his seat, straining to see through the smoke for any signs of pursuit. The ringing in his ears made it impossible to discern if they were under fire.
“You see anything?” he yelled, not even sure if Gravy could hear him.
Gravy shook his head, eyes wide and fixed on the road ahead. They bounced and jolted their way to freedom.
As the adrenaline began to ebb, the throbbing in his injured side intensified. He pressed a hand against the wound, grimacing. They weren’t out of danger yet, but for now, they were alive and moving. It would have to be enough.
They fishtailed onto the access road, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. Jason allowed himself a small sigh of relief. Round one to the good guys. Now, if they could just make it to the mysterious extraction point in one piece ...
They’d need to ditch this truck soon, find a way to patch up his injury, and somehow contact his team without leading their pursuers straight to the extraction point.
Just another day at the office.
4
Jason wincedas the pickup hit another pothole, sending a fresh wave of pain through his side. He pressed his hand harder against the wound, feeling the warm stickiness of blood seeping between his fingers. The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in deepening shades of purple and indigo.
Gravy’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel. “We’re not gonna make it, are we?”
Jason’s lips thinned as he did the mental math. “Not by 1700, no.” He reached for his pocket, intending to check the time on his phone. His hand met empty fabric, and a cold realization washed over him. “I can’t believe it.”
“What?” Gravy’s voice pitched higher.
“My phone. It’s still in the plane.” Which meant his team had no way to track him.
Gravy whistled. “That stinks. Bet it was a nice one. They always give special ops dudes the best equipment.”
Jason decided against explaining that he hadn’t actually been employed by the military for years. And yeah, it was a nice phone. Totally hand-designed. Paige, their cybersecurity expert was going to kill him.
If he didn’t die first.
He shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position. “You got your phone, right?”
Eyes on the road, Gravy patted his pocket. “I got the burner my dad gave me. I figured I should leave my real phone at the house.”
“Smart thinking.” At least one thing was going their way. For now, he’d have to believe the burner was untraceable. “How’s our fuel situation?”
Gravy glanced at the gauge. “Half a tank. Maybe.”
“Terrific.”
The truck lurched as Gravy swerved to avoid a chunk of fallen rock. Jason bit back a groan, tasting copper on his tongue.
“You okay over there?” Gravy’s eyes darted between Jason and the winding mountain road.
“All good.” He managed a tight smile. “Keep your eyes on the road, Dale Earnhardt.”
Gravy snorted, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. “So what’s the plan? You have a plan, right? You’ve always got a plan.”
Jason gazed out at the darkening landscape, considering their options. His side ached, but he’d live, assuming they didn’t end up at the bottom of a ravine or in the crosshairs of whoever had ambushed them. He could contact his team, but by the time they got there, he’d either have Gravy to safety, or they’d already be dead.
“We push on,” he said finally. “With luck, we’ll make the rendezvous by 2100.”
“They said 1700. What if they won’t wait?”
“Then we get creative.” He had to assume Gravy’s father had bought some kind of escape plan for his son. The extraction team wouldn’t get their final payment until Gravy was safely tucked away. They’d wait.