He scanned the apartment one last time, eyes lingering on his bookshelves, framed diplomas, and a small collection of antique maps hanging on the wall. It was a lifetime distilled into possessions, many of which he might not see again if things escalated further.
"No, nothing else essential."
I opened the door, checking the hallway in both directions before stepping out. Empty.
I placed myself between Alex and any potential threat as we approached the stairwell. "Stay close."
Outside, dusk had fallen over Seattle, painting the street in charcoal shadows and muted blues. The black SUV I'd noted earlier was gone, but the beige sedan remained, occupied by a single figure behind the wheel.
I unlocked the passenger side of my truck first. "Don't look at the car. Get in and stay low."
Alex slid into the seat and ducked his head as I closed the door behind him. I circled around, hyper-aware of my exposed position, before climbing in and starting the engine.
The sedan's headlights flared to life as we pulled away from the curb.
I pounded the steering wheel. "They want us to know they're watching us." I took a sharp right at the next intersection, then another, navigating away from direct routes to my apartment. "It's a tactic. Make the target feel exposed and helpless. Force a mistake."
Alex gripped the edges of his seat. "Is it working?"
I glanced at him. "What do you think?"
A thin smile appeared on his face. "I think they underestimated who they're dealing with."
"You're not staying there anymore—at your apartment. Not while this is happening."
Alex turned toward me. "Michael—"
"You're staying with me." I wouldn't argue. "Tonight and for as long as necessary."
"I can't just—"
I interrupted him again. "You can, and you will." I reached over and gripped his knee. "I'm not asking."
"Okay."
***
As we drove through the darkening city, rain began to spatter against the windshield—fat drops that smeared the glow of streetlights. Alex exhaled. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For believing me and not telling me I'm overreacting." His voice dropped lower. "For being willing to fight for me when most people would run the other way."
I tightened my grip on his knee, not trusting myself to speak.
The city lights blurred around us as we drove toward the only sanctuary I could offer—imperfect and temporary, though it might be. Alex sat beside me, one hand still gripping the edge of his seat, the other holding his phone—powered off now to prevent tracking.
"Are we still being followed?" Alex asked after the third unexpected turn.
"No. Not actively, at least."
Alex shifted in his seat and turned his head to face me. "How do you know all of this? I mean the counter-surveillance techniques. You can identify threats most people wouldn't even notice."
The automatic response started to form on my tongue:Standard police training. Nothing special.
I stopped the words from coming out. Alex deserved better than the practiced lies I'd told others. "SWAT training only accounts for part of it. Before joining the Seattle PD, I served in a specialized military unit."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Special Forces?"
