Page 68 of Protecting You
His eyebrows lowered. “What?”
“Don’t get caught.”
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
That afternoon while Alyssa worked, Callan had studied satellite images that showed the layout of the property. The house was relatively close to the street, which gave the impression that the lot was small.
Not even close.
According to city records, the structure sat on a little over two acres. The lot was about a hundred feet wide but very deep. An eight-foot fence bordered the backyard on two sides.
Callan could easily scale an eight-foot fence, but could Alyssa? Probably, considering how tall and fit she was, butprobablywasn’t good enough.
He’d discounted going over the fences.
He and Alyssa wouldn’t get ten feet from the house if they tried to escape down the driveway.
Which left one option. They would have to take the longest route—across the expansive backyard, through the garden, and then into the forest.
It was close to three hundred yards, but according to satellite images—and Malcolm’s reconnaissance—the only thing separating this property from the one behind it was a low rock wall. No doubt if Ghazi had owned this property, he’d have extended the fence along the back edge, but he didn’t.
The escape should be easy peasy.
As long as they weren’t spotted leaving the house. And as long as there weren’t cameras he and the team hadn’t seen. And as long as nobody noticed they weren’t in their room.
Don’t get caught.
Alyssa’s words were still resonating when he pointed to bushes that marked the far edge of the garden. Between here and there were nothing but grass and a long, narrow mulched flower bed, where spring bulbs poked out of the ground.
Once they made it beyond the bushes and into the cover of the old forest, they should be safe.
“Run straight over the flowerbed to the bushes and into the woods. I’ll be right behind you.”
She nodded, her eyes wide, not with fear but focus.
“Go.”
She bolted, and he followed.
Alyssa stopped behind a couple of trees about fifteen yards into the forest. She was breathing hard.
He caught up with her. “Fast but quiet, emphasis on quiet. I didn’t see any guards this deep, but that doesn’t mean they’re not here.”
At her nod, Callan started forward. The ground had been cleared of brush, making it easier to move through—and easier to see through. He jogged carefully, not willing to risk being seen or getting injured. He did his best to keep trees between them and the house.
It was easier than he’d expected. Ghazi had bought their little act?—
A shout carried from behind. Arabic words that shook him to the very core.“They’ve escaped!”
Another man responded.“Find them!”
Lights came on—landscape lights high in the trees that he hadn’t seen from the bathroom window.
They might as well have been spotlights.
“Go!” He urged Alyssa in front and stayed on her heels.
They were deep enough into the woods that they shouldn’t be seen, shouldn’t be caught.
