Page 61 of Until the End

She was quiet, letting that sink in, then turned, looking out the rear window. There were no vehicles riding their bumper in hot pursuit, but beyond what she’d seen in car chases on TV shows and in movies, she didn’t know what to look for.

“I don’t need distractions,” he snapped. “So be quiet for now. But when we get to the house, you better have a damn good reason for this stunt.”

She had a laundry list of good reasons. Her medication, money, passport…

Fine, it was only three reasons, but they were essentials her life and freedom depended on.

Only she didn’t think Castle would share her perspective.

* * *

Castle had conducted a hard surveillance detection route for the last thirty minutes to see if anyone was on them. Getting a potential tail to expose themselves was never easy, unless the person was an idiot. And those guys certainly hadn’t gotten their trained-to-track-and-kill certificates from a Cracker Jack box.

A motorcycle a hundred feet back was playing it so Charmin-soft that Castle couldn’t be certain. At the next intersection, he pulled an illegal U-turn. The motorcycle followed.

A definite tick, but alone. The guy put more distance and vehicles between them, loosening the leash. Perhaps assuming he could tighten it again with minimal effort.

That prospect needed to be tested.

Castle accelerated, barely making it through the next light before it changed, and hooked a right. He caught a glimpse of the motorcycle driver cutting up onto the sidewalk with zero qualms about taking out pedestrians.

The bike afforded flexibility and maneuverability a car didn’t, putting Castle at a major disadvantage. His heart pounded from the chase as well as from the possibility of not being able to shake this guy.

Castle hit I-395 South and crossed the Potomac out of DC. No backtracking. No evasive measures. He wasn’t going to lose this guy on the open road.

An exit was coming up for US-1: the Pentagon, Crystal City, and Reagan National.

For the plan forming in his head to work, he needed more distance between their vehicles. Castle gunned it, taking the ramp. He headed straight for the Crystal City Mall. The restaurants inside didn’t close for another couple of hours, and the parking garage stayed open 24/7.

Speeding down the two-lane road, he whipped over into the right one designated for the garage, cutting in front of other vehicles. He pressed the button for a ticket and zipped inside.

The motorcycle was trapped in line behind two cars. The parking garage was massive, with no fewer than four exits. Castle could take any level to an alternate exit and be back on the road long before their tail had a chance to play catch up.

This was the one scenario where giving a subject too much lead had backfired.

19

Reston, Virginia

10:13 p.m. EDT

Castle brought the car to a jerky halt inside the two-bay garage of his town house beside his Hummer. The automatic door rolled closed behind them.

He was confident he’d shaken the tick, and they hadn’t been followed since the parking garage. It was a good thing Sanborn had recommended using a Gray Box vehicle. Otherwise, those operators would’ve had his personal license plate, putting them two steps away from having his home address.

Castle glared at Kit and hopped out of the SUV. He was usually never at a loss for words, but he didn’t have a clue where in the hell to start. He wanted to shake her and praise her and shake her some more.

To his surprise, the woman had true grit. Courage wasn’t about not being afraid. Everyone felt fear, but not all people faced it and charged into action regardless. To his surprise, the little spitfire had gone from screaming to drinking a cement milkshake and hardening the fuck up. She’d been scared shitless, no doubt about it, but she hadn’t let that stop her. She’d pressed on—right off the balcony.

Jeez. The balls that had taken.

Make no mistake, he was livid—so peeved his teeth ached—but he’d never been more turned on in his life.

One thing was for certain. That was the last time he’d ever underestimate Kit Westcott.

“Why?” Castle slammed the door closed, trying not to blow a gasket. He stormed around the car in front of her, throwing out a string of savage expletives. “What was so damn important that you risked our lives? Wasn’t seeing every member of the Outliers murdered in cold blood enough for you to understand how dangerous this is?”

Bone-deep hurt glistened in her eyes as her mouth slackened and she rocked back on her heels. In the next breath, her eyes narrowed to thin slits and that fiery spark turned into a flamethrower. “Don’t you dare throw them in my face. You don’t have the right. I loved them. They were the only family I had left!” Her voice caught, her body shuddering, as if saying another word would cause physical pain.