Free Accomplice by Kristi Lea Page A

he
drawled.
    Jess took a step backwards, cursing herself. Just
a few more blocks to the bus station. Her feet were killing her from this
morning’s hike, and she just wanted to take a shortcut. It was ten o’clock in
the morning, for heavens’ sake. Since when did tourists get mugged at ten
o’clock in the morning?
    “I don’t have any money.” She took another step
backwards.
    “It’s not your money the boss is after. He just
wants to have a chat with you. Jessica.”
    The oxygen left her lungs in a whoosh. She took
another step backwards and nearly tripped on a bump in the blacktop road. “Who
are you? Who is your boss?”
    The man smiled. “A friend of yours. Come on and
get in. I’ll take you to him. He says he wants to talk about a necklace.”
    She turned and ran.
    The thug behind her shouted something. Heavy
footsteps pounded after hers as she dashed as fast as she could back towards
the side street. If she could get back to the main drag, she could get away. Or
at least scream her head off until the goon went away.
    Her lungs burned and her legs screamed in pain.
    Still the footsteps neared.
    She was nearly to the corner. Just a few more
steps. She pushed her legs as fast as she could. She had never been much of a
runner.
    She jerked forward and fell to her knees as the
man grabbed her backpack and yanked her down. She caught herself heavily with
her hands, barley missing the ground with her cheeks. She tried to pull away
and shrug off the bag, but he gave another savage yank that nearly lifted her
off the ground.
    Then a shadow passed over her and she heard a
growl like some kind of animal and the goon released the hold on her pack. She
scrambled to her knees and then to her feet and began running. After a few
steps, she chanced a glance behind her. Another man.
    She got the impression of a light-colored linen
sport jacket, jeans, and golden brown hair. The newcomer seemed to be getting
the best of the man from the car. But she had no intention of thanking her
savior. She left the two men to their fight and ran as fast as she could back
down the alley until she re-emerged onto the street, in between a Starbucks and
a bakery that advertised fresh baked dog treats.
    A couple of women in church hats gave her a
strange look as she tried to catch her breath. She ducked inside the Starbucks
and found her way to the bathroom as fast as she could.
    It wasn’t until she had the door safely locked
behind her that she sank down to the polished concrete floor and gave into
heavy, heaving sobs, the charred scent of brewing coffee making her empty
stomach turn over.
    Someone pounded on the door and Jessica’s stomach
clenched in fear.
    “Is someone in there?” The voice was female.
    Jessica stood up and flushed the empty toilet. She
ran the water in the sink and splashed cold water on her face to wash off a
smudge of dirt—from the alley or mountain, she didn’t know.
    One strap of her backpack was torn, but there was
no help for it. She had left the rest of the duffel bag in her hotel room, not really
expecting to make it back before checkout time.
    Taking a deep breath, she tried to put on a calm
face, an indifferent one. One that hadn’t just run in terror from two attackers
in an alley. A face that wasn’t about to leave what was left of her identity
behind and start a new life in a new country.
    She scanned the street quickly for signs of any
blue cars before she ducked out of the doorway. There was a large church on the
opposite corner. If she was lucky, she could get lost in the crowd of
parishioners.
    Her foot tapping impatiently, she waited for a
green light at the crosswalk. A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped at the
familiar-sounding timbre of the man’s voice.
    “Jessica.”
    The FBI had found her.
    He had found her.

Chapter 10
     
    The brown of Noah's eyes was deeper than she remembered
his pupils large and dilated. His temples and cheekbones were flushed red with
exertion, though the rest