Page 15 of Doc
“Tell her to forget what she thinks she knows.”The taller Pagan’s gaze flicked to where Nova huddled behind the barrier.“If she wants to stay healthy.”
“Get out of here.”I refused to lower my weapon.“Now.”
The men retreated slowly to their vehicles, Bailey walking backward, maintaining eye contact the whole way.I didn’t relax, didn’t lower my guard for an instant as they climbed into their respective rides.
The truck’s engine roared to life first, headlights swinging in an arc as it executed a three-point turn.The sedan followed, but as it passed us, Bailey rolled down his window.
“You know,” he called, “her mother thought she was smart too.Thought she had it all figured out.Remember how that ended.”
Then they were gone, taillights disappearing around the bend, the sound of their engines fading into the night.I remained frozen in position, gun still drawn, listening for any sign they might circle back for a surprise attack.
Only when the road had been silent for a full minute did I finally lower my weapon, though I didn’t holster it.My pulse pounded in my ears, a steady drumbeat of controlled adrenaline I’d learned to manage in combat zones.
“Are they gone?”Nova’s voice came out small but steady.
“For now.”I turned to face her.Her face was pale in the moonlight, freckles standing out like constellations against her skin.But her eyes were clear, focused.No signs of shock, at least not yet.
“We need to move.”I extended my free hand to help her up.“They might come back, or they might have friends watching the other end of the road.”
Nova took my hand, her fingers cold against my palm.She rose from behind the barrier, her legs visibly shaking now as the adrenaline wore off.Despite this, she straightened her spine, chin lifting in that stubborn way I was coming to recognize.
“Bailey,” she said, the name a quiet confirmation.“My mother had that name in her notes.Connected to missing evidence, along with Officer Mercer.”
I nodded, gently guiding her toward the truck while maintaining my vigilance.“We’ll add it to what we know.But right now, we need to get somewhere safe.”
The name Mercer sounded familiar, but I couldn’t remember why.We reached the truck, and I opened the passenger door, helping her inside before circling quickly to the driver’s side, weapon still in hand.Only when I was behind the wheel, doors locked and engine running, did I finally holster my gun.
My hands were rock steady as I put the truck in drive and pulled away from the scene, but inside, my heart hammered against my ribs.Those men hadn’t just been warning us off -- they’d been deciding whether or not to kill us, weighing the consequences of two more “accidents” on this lonely stretch of road.
And based on Bailey’s parting words, I knew someone related to this mess had already made that decision once before.
I drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting near my holstered weapon, gaze constantly flicking between the road ahead and the rearview mirror.Every set of headlights in the distance sent a jolt of adrenaline through my system.Nova sat rigid beside me, her breathing still shallow and quick, her hands clenched into tight fists in her lap.The metal fragment we’d found -- what we hoped was evidence that could finally prove her parents’ deaths weren’t accidents -- was secure in my pocket, but it had nearly cost us our lives.The question now was whether the price would continue to climb.
“I don’t think they’re following us,” I said after several miles of empty road behind us.My voice sounded unnaturally loud in the silence of the truck cab.
Nova nodded without speaking.She turned her face toward the passenger window, moonlight sliding across her profile in silver and shadow.Tension cut sharply along her jawline, and her lower lip trembled as she fought to control it.
I spotted a service road ahead, half-hidden by overgrown brush -- the kind of turnoff hunters might use to access the woods.Perfect for what we needed now: a moment to regroup, to plan our next move.
“Hang on.”I slowed and made the turn without signaling.The truck bumped down the uneven dirt path for about fifty yards before I cut the engine, leaving us shrouded in darkness and silence.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke.The adrenaline was still coursing through my system, making every sound sharper, every movement more pronounced -- the soft hitch in Nova’s breathing, the rustle of her jacket as she shifted in her seat, the distant call of an owl from the surrounding woods.
“They know,” Nova finally whispered, her voice breaking the silence like glass shattering.“They know we’re figuring it out.Before, they were watching and suspicious, but now…”
I turned in my seat to face her, my eyes having adjusted enough to make out her features in the dim moonlight filtering through the trees.“Yes, now they know we’re actively putting things together.”
I glanced down at her hands and saw dark smears coating her fingers.Even in the low light, I recognized the substance immediately.
“You’re bleeding.”Instinct took over as I reached for her hand.
Nova looked down, seeming surprised to see the blood.“I guess I gripped that fragment too tight.”
I leaned over and flicked on the dome light, illuminating the small cab in harsh yellow light.A jagged edge of the metal had sliced into her palm, leaving a thin line of blood that was already beginning to congeal.My medical training took precedence over everything else -- the danger we’d just escaped, the evidence we’d found, the complicated feelings I was struggling to keep in check.
“Let me see,” I said, my voice shifting automatically into what the club called my “doctor mode” -- calm, authoritative, impersonal.
She held out her hand, palm up.The cut wasn’t deep, but it needed cleaning.I reached into the glove compartment for the first-aid kit I always kept there, more comprehensive than most.
