Page 20 of Close Protection

"What happens when they realize we weren't?"

"They'll expand the search, starting with the most logical escape routes." Julia's eyes never stopped moving, constantly monitoring their surroundings even as she observed the scene below. "Which is why we took the least logical one."

A silent understanding passed between them; Julia had deliberately led them in a direction their pursuers wouldn't immediately consider, buying precious time.

One of the figures below spoke into what appeared to be a radio. The other gestured toward the forest on the opposite side of the road.

"They're calling for backup," Julia said. "And they've identified our most likely escape route—if we'd behaved predictably."

"But we didn't."

"No." Julia's mouth curved into something almost resembling a smile. "We didn't."

The figures retreated into the trees, moving in the opposite direction from Julia and Ivy's actual position. Only when they had completely disappeared did Julia relax marginally.

"Now what?" Ivy asked.

"Now we wait until full dark, thencontinue to the cabin." Julia settled back against the rock face. "It's another three miles, but we'll approach from an unexpected angle."

"On foot? In the dark?"

"Unless you'd prefer to call a taxi."

The dry response startled a soft laugh from Ivy. "I think I'll manage."

Julia nodded. For a brief moment, Ivy glimpsed the woman from the hotel—thoughtful, almost gentle beneath her composed exterior. Then the professional mask slipped back into place.

"Rest while you can," Julia advised. "It's going to be a long night."

Ivy leaned back against the cool stone, acutely aware of Julia beside her—close enough that their shoulders nearly touched, yet separated by professional boundaries neither could afford to cross again.

The forest settled into twilight around them, alive with subtle sounds. Somewhere in the distance, an owl called a lonely, haunting note that perfectly captured Ivy's sense of isolation.

She was utterly out of her element here, dependent on Julia in ways that made her uncomfortable. Yet beneath her resistance, a reluctant truth emerged: if she had to place her life in someone else's hands, she could do far worse than Detective Julia Scott.

They remained on the ridge until full darkness settled, the forest around them transforming into a landscape of shadows and sounds. Ivy's legs had grown stiff from maintaining her position, her body reminding her that she spent her days behind desks, not crouching on mountainsides.

"It's time," Julia said finally, rising with fluid grace that Ivy couldn't help but envy. "They've moved their search to the eastern slope. We'll circle north."

Ivy stood, suppressing a wince as her muscles protested. "Lead the way."

The forest swallowed them in darkness as they moved silently through the underbrush. Night had fully descended, the cloud-covered sky offering neither moonlight nor stars to guide their way. Ivy followed Julia's silhouette, a slightly darker shape against the surrounding blackness. She'd long since stopped questioning howthe detective navigated with such confidence—another skill Ivy hadn't anticipated when she'd invited a stranger to her hotel room two nights ago.

"Watch your step here," Julia whispered, extending a hand to help Ivy across a shallow stream. The water gurgled softly beneath their feet, masking the sound of their passage.

Ivy's fingers closed around Julia's out of necessity, not preference. At least that's what she told herself as the brief contact sent an inconvenient shiver up her arm. Exhaustion and fear were making her vulnerable to sensations she couldn't afford.

"How much further?" she asked when they reached the opposite bank.

"Less than a mile now." Julia paused, head tilted, listening to something Ivy couldn't detect. "We're making good time."

Good time. As if they were on a weekend hike rather than fleeing professional killers. Ivy suppressed a slightly hysterical laugh. Three days ago, her biggest concern had been preparing her presentation for the grand jury. Now she was trudging through a mountain forest in city clothes, her lifeentrusted to a woman she'd known sexually but not personally.

"They won't find us?" She hated the tremor in her voice, the betrayal of weakness.

"Not tonight." Julia's confidence was unwavering.

They resumed walking, the rhythm of their movements settling into Ivy's bones. The physical exertion kept her warm despite the dropping temperature, though her feet had gone numb in her inappropriate footwear.

---