Chasing Shadows (Shadow Strike Book 1) by Jamie Garrett

Author:Jamie Garrett [Garrett, Jamie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-19T18:30:00+00:00

17

The phone rang before I even shut the car door. Fumbling, I grabbed my cell, nearly dropping it twice before managing to slide my thumb across to answer.

“Ava!” Chase's voice exploded through the speaker, strained and frantic. “Oh thank God. Are you okay? What the hell happened?”

I wedged the phone between my ear and shoulder as I jammed the key into the ignition with shaky hands. “Chase, I'm okay—”“

He peppered me with rapid-fire questions. “Did they question you? ““What did they want? Do you need help getting out of there safely?”

“Please, wait—” I tried to interject.

But he barreled on, words tumbling out faster than I could respond. “Just stay right there, I'm coming to get you. We'll figure this out, I promise. But don't go anywhere alone.”

“Chase, stop. Just...I need to get out of here without changing my daily routine any more than I have.” My voice wavered on the last word and I fought to keep it steady. “I’ll drive straight over to your office in my own car. Leaving any other way might look suspicious after...everything.”

He fell silent on the other end. I pictured him raking an anxious hand through his hair. But I had to do this my way. I hung up before he could argue. The phone shook in my quaking hand. I was getting out of there. For now, that’s all that mattered.

I pulled out of the parking lot, the familiar rows of cars and buildings sliding past my window. As soon as I turned onto the main road, my eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, scanning the cars behind me. A dark sedan pulled up two cars back. My shoulders tensed. Was it the same one I saw yesterday? No, just a coincidence—the make was different.

I switched lanes experimentally. The sedan didn't follow.

Still I found myself compulsively checking the mirror every few seconds, analyzing every vehicle. A flickering part of my brain knew I was being paranoid. But I couldn't shut it off.

When a pickup truck drove behind me for a couple blocks, my mind raced. Were they timing my route? Taking pictures? It turned down a side street.

I took a few unnecessary turns just to be sure, doubling back at one point. Nobody followed.

But my racing thoughts wouldn't let up, replaying everything that happened back at the lab. Were they watching me now?

I was almost there. I just had to make it to the sanctuary of Chase's office without losing it completely. My gaze flicked up to the rearview mirror again and I pushed down harder on the gas.

As I drove, my thoughts kept going back to that moment at Henrik's workstation. The suspicious look on Dr. Stevens face when I’d turned around. My fumbling excuse about needing data from an old trial.

Had he actually bought it? He seemed to have accepted it reluctantly. But what did he do when he got back to his office? Did he search for the study? Double-check my access clearance?

My stomach churned with doubt. That cover story was so flimsy.

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