Spy Games (Tarnished Heroes #1)(65)

“Man in a white car, binoculars.” Her knees practically shook.

Irene slid her hand through the crook of Sarah’s arm. “Never run unless you have to. It draws attention. Calmly, quietly, walk with me toward the bathroom.” Irene’s composure was a balm to Sarah’s frazzled nerves.

Together, they strolled down the short hall when Sarah wanted to bolt.

“Did you get a look at him at all?” Irene pushed the rear door to the coffee shop open, letting them out into an alley.

“No, nothing.”

“Okay, to the right.”

They picked up their pace, turning left on the street.

It could be the mole, or moles.

It could be Wei.

Sarah had no idea who she was looking for, but she knew why they’d want her. At this moment, she was the only person who could access that case.

“Here. Take this.” Irene pressed the lip balm camera into Sarah’s hand. “We’re going into this shop up here and I want to watch the street. Don’t look behind you, don’t make eye contact. For now, they only suspect we’ve made them.”

It took every ounce of courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other and not bolt down the street, screaming for help.

She hadn’t been this scared since that moment in the alley when she’d thought for sure she was about to die. Only then, she’d had Rand to come to her rescue. Sarah had no idea where he was now or when he was coming back. Or if he was coming back.

Irene could be right. There could be others out there, wanting them to fail.

It was all too much. So big and nebulous. All she could worry about right now was putting one foot in front of the other.

Irene guided her into a shop. The display window was crowded with mannequins wearing a variety of yarn creations. Bundles of soft looking fibers filled bins, baskets, and shelves all over the shop.

“Hello, welcome to Cozy Knits,” the sales clerk said.

Sarah waved instead of speaking. She couldn’t get words out.

Irene dropped her arm and began examining a particularly fluffy bundle of beige yarn while Sarah stood back and watched. Irene pulled out one, then another, appearing to consider them.

“White car, on the right,” Irene said softly.

Sarah swallowed and peered out from between the mannequins. Sure enough, the same white car was idling at the corner, windows up.

“It’s a rental,” Sarah said.

“Yup.” Irene pulled out her phone. “Come on, there’s a door on the other side of the shop.”

“What are we going to do? Shop them to death?”

“If we’re going to not only get the case back, but figure out who was behind this, we need to know who’s in that car.”

Sarah had a sick sensation in the pit of her stomach. How, exactly, were they going to figure out who was in the car?

She didn’t think she was going to like that answer.

…

Wei studied the shop fa?ade, the windows, but it was too cluttered to see his targets.

He was being kept in the dark. There were things Ping wasn’t telling him that he needed to know, like how he’d gotten the information about this meet. It was damn frustrating to know that he was only operating with a small piece of the picture.

Sarah Collins was the key to unlocking the information they needed.

They’d set a trap, but wouldn’t know if their quarry was closing in until the time came to snatch them up.

If he had the opportunity to get her now…he couldn’t wait.

What if there was some other snag or hiccup that occurred because he didn’t have all the pieces?

He pocketed the syringe and loosened the catch on his knife. With this many people around he wouldn’t want to use a firearm. Too many ears to hear. Besides, he needed Sarah alive. The agent didn’t matter as much.

Wei merged back into traffic and parked around the corner, out of sight from the shop. They’d seen the car, but not him. Now, would they go out of the front? Or the back?

He got out, heading back toward the corner where he could have a clear visual of the front of the shop and where the alley let out from behind the shop. There would be a third escape option out the other end of the alley.

The intersection was clogged with people waiting to cross the street in either direction.

He peered toward the shop entrance.

They could have escaped while he was parking the car, but he didn’t think so. Cornered prey didn’t often bolt at the first clear sign of escape. They were like the hare in the grass, waiting, waiting, waiting until they couldn’t hold still any longer—and that was when the wolf struck.

Wei scanned the sidewalk to his right, toward the alley, then to his left, toward the shop.

Nothing.

The minutes dragged on. He had to be patient. Even if they left out the other side, all was not lost.

The shop door opened. A woman wearing the federal officer’s black coat marched away from him, her stride certain.

Not his quarry. He glanced right. There. The navy blue track jacket.

Wei only caught a glimpse of her, but she was the right size and the right coat. He strode after her, weaving his way through the foot traffic.

It would do him no good to catch up to her in the middle of a crowded street, so he hung back, keeping a dozen or so yards behind her, biding his time.