Set Me Free (A Fugitive #2)(22)

Alex chuckled, shaking his head.

Lucy took it from his hand. "A driver's license." She tipped her head, impressed.

Elliot shrugged with a little blush. "I was just mucking around with some graphic stuff and thought I'd give it a go."

"Have you used it before?"

"Once. I bought a 6-pack and it passed easily enough."

Lucy hesitated, licking her lips before swallowing. "Don't let them look at it for too long. Remember, confident, short sentences that demand belief. You guys think you're up for it?"

Zach looked at Elliot before nodding at Lucy.

She snickered, dropping her head. "You're gonna have to do better than that."

Elliot snatched the card from her fingers. "We'll be just fine, don't you worry about it."

She rolled her eyes. "Pick something that looks FBI-ish. I also need you to see if FBI cars have any kind of stickers or labels on the windshields and replicate them for me if they do."

"Got it." Elliot bobbed his head, looking more confident than he probably felt. This eased Zach's nerves a little. If he could fool Lucy then maybe they had a shot with the rental car place the next day.

"Right now I think we need some sleep." Alex clapped his hands as he looked around the table.

Everyone nodded, but no one seemed to agree. Nerves were wound so tight the idea of slumber seemed impossible. Instead the TV was flicked on and they sat up watching old Westerns until they fell asleep where they lay.





*****





The next day moved by in a flurry. Zach and Elliot organized the car while Alex and Lucy shopped their hearts out. That afternoon she disappeared into the bathroom and didn't come out for over an hour. When she emerged, Zach had a brunette for a girlfriend. His flash of disappointment didn't last long as she looked over at him with those blue eyes of her. Her hair could be green and she'd still be stunning. With a grin, he rose from the table and met her by the bathroom door.

Running a finger down her hairline, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

"You make one hot brunette."

She chuckled. "I guess we match now." Her eyes sparkled as she tentatively leaned towards him. He captured her lips easily, not caring that his uncle and best friend were no doubt watching.

If she'd let him, he would have kissed her for the rest of the night, but she pulled back and pressed her nose into his face. "I have fake IDs to finish."

With a reluctant grunt, he let her go so she could tie back her hair, get changed into a crisp blue shirt and pose for a photo. The Polaroid camera clicked and whirred producing a clear image of Lucy against the white wall of the motel room.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was whittled away making IDs and going over last minute details. They had chosen the names of agents that already existed, just in case they were scrutinized more carefully at either checkpoint, although Lucy was still hoping to avoid that.

"It's all about distraction. Saying the right line at the right moment can make someone forget to do something or slip up on a task they would usually follow through with." Lucy looked at Alex. "Swapping gender works well, so if the guard at the gate is a guy, I'll do the talking and vice versa on the inside. Whoever does the distracting, the other person needs to back them up with whatever storyline or angle their going with. The distractor takes the lead, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get that." Alex leaned back so his chair was balancing on the back of two legs.

"When we sign this stuff out we want to be talking the whole time so that they forget to look up our ID numbers. One of us can just scribble a name and we can get the hell out of there." Lucy frowned. "You sure you're up for this?"

"You kidding me?" His chair thumped back to the floor. "I can con, little lady. I'm a reporter. I know how to get the goods." His eyebrows rose emphatically, making Lucy grin.

"Good to know." She squashed her smile and shot Zach a look before rising from the table and heading out to the balcony.

Zach found her a few minutes later, her arms resting against the metal ledge. The air was hot and borderline sticky. Lucy had lost the navy shirt and stood there in nothing but jean shorts and a shoe-string tank. She looked hot enough to devour, but Zach quelled the thought immediately. As nice as the distraction might be, it wouldn't get them any closer to their final goal. The last thing Lucy needed was a boyfriend pawing her suggestively. Zach could feel the tension radiating off her as she gazed at the small, lima bean shaped pool, one of the only amenities of the Dunes Inn on Wilshire Boulevard.

"How are you feeling?" He ran his hand up her back and began kneading her neck.

She let out a pleasure filled sigh and dropped her head forward to give him easier access. He moved behind her and worked her tight muscles. Her soft groans of pleasure made him feel triumphant, as did the feel of her body beneath his hands. He could picture himself doing this for years to come, which made a flash of fear skitter through him.

Tomorrow could put a very fast finish to his meandering dreams about the future.

He pinched her shoulders tight.

"Ow." She squawked.

"Sorry." He stepped back as she turned to face him.

"You okay?" She touched his chest, running her fingers over his shirt before resting them on his shoulder.