The Midnight Hour - Brenda Jackson [48]
"Drake, this is Hawk."
Drake raised a brow, surprised. The funny feeling deep in his gut flared to life again. "Hawk?"
He had spoken to the man a few weeks ago after returning from South America. When Casey had refused to give him any information on Tori, he had contacted Hawk to see if he knew her whereabouts. Hawk never said whether he'd known Tori's address or not. What he had said was basically the same thing Casey had said. Due to Agency policy, he was unable to give out any information on a former agent.
"Drake, I don't have time to explain and I need to make this quick. How far are you from San Francisco, California?"
Drake smiled faintly. "It just so happens that I'm right across the Bay. Why?"
Hawk sighed deeply. He didn't need to ask Drake why he was in California. Evidently like he'd told Kent, Drake had taken matters into his own hands and tracked Tori down himself. That thought didn't sit well with Hawk. If Drake could find her, so could someone else.
"Hawk?"
"Yes?"
"Why did you ask how close I was to Frisco? What's going on?"
There was a slight pause before Hawk said, "Tori Green might be in trouble."
Drake frowned, his attention alert and focused. "What kind of trouble?"
"I think someone has put a hit out on her. I can't go into a lot of details with you, Drake, but I need your help in keeping her alive until we find out who's behind it."
For the first time since moving to Stinson Beach, Tori was aware of how dark the two-lane road leading from the beach was at night, especially around two in the morning. So far her Maxima was the only vehicle on the road and a part of her felt good about that. Once she crossed the Golden Gate Bridge into Frisco she planned to avoid less traveled roads like this one. She had no idea where she was going but decided to just head east.
She replayed back in her mind pieces of Hawk's conversation. She had worked with him long enough to know he wasn't one to make rash decisions and relied on his gut instincts about things. She hadn't felt easy since the attempted breakin into her home and even before Hawk's phone call she had planned to sleep with her pistol beside her in bed.
She suddenly felt her body tense when a car pulled out of a side road and began following her. Glancing back in her rearview mirror she saw it was traveling a safe distance behind. She sighed deeply, her gut clenched with anxiety, although she was trying not to let her nerves get the best of her. She wanted to believe that whoever was in the vehicle was someone who enjoyed the nightlife and nothing more. A few minutes later she knew that was not the case when the vehicle picked up speed at the same time the driver suddenly killed the lights.
"Don't worry, little one. Your mother is going to keep you safe," Tori whispered as she reached across the car seat for her pistol and flicked off the safety at the same time she pushed her feet to the accelerator to speed up. Speed signs were posted for sixty-five miles an hour but she was doing eighty-five with all intention of doing more if she had to. She wasn't sure what she was dealing with and her Beretta may not stand a chance against a high-powered rifle or any type of automatic weapons.
Releasing a curse from her lips when the car behind her increased its speed again, she attempted to concentrate on her driving on the hilly road, trying to make it to the highway that would take her across the Golden Gate.
She blinked when up ahead she saw another vehicle approaching, which looked like a SUV or a truck. She hoped the driver following her wouldn't try anything while another vehicle was around. However, there was no doubt in her mind that once the truck passed her by, the driver would make their move.
Somehow she had to try and lose whoever was following her. She didn't have the option of getting the local police involved. There would be too many questions with too little time to provide answers.
She glanced back in the rearview mirror. The vehicle