Free Extreme Exposure by Alex Kingwell

he peeked around the corner. “He’s gone inside. Let’s go.”
    The parking lot held about fifty cars, angled into tight slots in three long bays. Light poles every dozen feet lit the lot up like a Christmas tree. She held back a curse. How the heck did he think he’d be able to steal one without getting caught?
    With one eye on the hotel’s front entrance, she crept after him up the far side of the parking lot. He stopped at the third bay, crouched down.
    A car drove along the road toward the parking lot, the same way the cop car had come. It turned into the first bay, drove on to the second bay. She exchanged glances with Matt, and they crawled around to hide between two cars. After a few seconds, the purring of the engine stopped. Doors opened and the laughing voice of a woman cut through the night air. Sticking her head up, Emily watched a man put his arm around a woman who teetered in high heels, obviously drunk.
    When the couple started walking to the hotel entrance, Matt got up, moved along to an old car in the middle of the bay. “Probably an employee car,” he said when she had caught up. “I’d rather steal from the rich, but we wouldn’t be able to hotwire a new one. You keep watch.”
    Putting the knapsack on the ground beside him, he took off a shoe. Emily peered over the trunk of the car beside them. Not seeing anything, she glanced at Matt, who had removed a shoelace. He made a loop and threaded it through the door.
    She whispered, “Where did you learn this stuff? Or do I want to know?”
    “I took a three-day course on escape and evasion. Never did get to use it overseas, but it’s coming in handy right now.”
    He shot her a smile. Her stomach did that flip again, and warmth crept up her neck and into her face. He was gorgeous, so much so she couldn’t take her eyes off him. “I’ll have to sign up when this is over.”
    Easing the car door open, he fished a multi-tool out of his backpack, got in, and leaned across the seat. A few mumbled curses later, the car rumbled to life. The muffler sounded like somebody had dropped rocks in it. He snatched up his knapsack and motioned for her to get in the passenger side.
    As she moved around the car, the cop came out the hotel’s front entrance. Pulse pounding in her throat, she whispered a warning to Matt. Ducking down, they stared at each other, tried to listen for the cop but the car’s muffler was too loud.
    He said, “We have to go. We might attract more attention if we’re idling in the parking lot and I don’t want to shut it off. Duck down.”
    Heart beating furiously, she slid down in the seat. Matt picked up a ball cap from the backseat and put it on, then backed the car out and drove down the bay. The muffler made it sound like the car had tin cans attached, like a car with a sign bearing “Just Married” attached to it. The cop would stop them for sure.
    Heart beating furiously, she said, “Is he watching?”
    “Yes.” He exhaled heavily. “I hope we don’t have to make a run for it.”
    “Oh, God.” He couldn’t be serious. She felt the car turn left, and left again after ten long seconds. “Anything?”
    Watching the rearview mirror, it was a half-minute before he answered. “You can get up now. He’s not following.”
    She inched up, buckled her seat belt, waited for her heart to slow before speaking. “I just don’t get it. Why are they going through so much trouble for a canoe?”
    Avoiding her eyes, he scratched his head. “That was my fault.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “It was a nice canoe, looked brand new. It’s made of Kevlar.”
    “Kevlar? You picked a bullet-proof canoe? Did you think we were going to be shot at?”
    “I had one once. They won’t stop a bullet, but they’re light and fast.” A sheepish look was on his face. “But I think this one belonged to the mayor.”
    “What?”
    “The mayor has a cottage on the other side of the cove.”
    Relief flooded through her. “You should have told