Chances Are - By Christy Reece Page 0,40
which she and Jake feared put her at a disadvantage of not being seen. It was a hidden door and from the outside one couldn’t even tell it was a door. However, if she used a different exit, that might look suspicious. The last thing they needed was the killer to suspect she was anything other than a typical hard-working woman, just as his other victims had been.
She went through the door and was instantly cold. Mother Nature had the entire city in her frozen grip. For the past week the temperatures had hovered in the mid-twenties in the daytime and mid-teens at night. Weather reports predicted single digits tonight.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she headed out of the alleyway toward the apartment, the even sounds of Jake’s breathing in her ear her only comfort. After she left the busy street, her way home was a lonely, sinister path. An occasional horn from a ship pulling into the harbor or the burst of boisterous laughter from the district she’d just left were sounds that had become familiar.
Exhaustion wrapped around her like a wet, soggy blanket. Fatigue, along with Jake’s warning, made the night seem more ominous than usual. She straightened her drooping shoulders and shook off her disquiet. When she got back to the apartment, she’d take a hot shower and—
The distant click of rapid footsteps rushed adrenaline through her veins. Before tonight, not once had she heard Jake or anyone else following her. That could only mean one thing. Someone, a stranger, was coming up behind her.
“I hear him.” Jake voice was soft and calm in her ear. “You’ve slowed down a little. Just keep walking like normal. Ingram is up ahead of you, to your right. Kelly is behind me to my left. Someone is directly behind you. It’s too damn dark to see where he is but just act natural.”
Act natural? Her heart thudded with dread, her limbs felt weighted and awkward. It was as if she’d never had any kind of training. As if this wasn’t her job. She took deep breaths to try to control the growing panic and whispered soundless reassurances to herself. Jake was with her, ready to pounce if this guy got too close. And Riley and Justin were nearby, too. They could be at her side in seconds. In the back of her mind, Angela acknowledged that Noah had been right. Training in a safe environment was different than being in the field. She couldn’t imagine doing this alone, without a partner to watch her back.
“Sounds like he’s to your left now.”
Her steps sped up to match the rhythm of her heartbeat. She was like any other lone woman who heard a strange noise in the night. The need to escape was almost a compulsion.
“Okay, you’re walking too fast now. Slow down a bit. Let’s see if he’ll catch up with you.”
Breath puffed out in panicked spurts. Terror zipped up her spine. Every survival instinct within her told her to run. Was this it? Was she about to be attacked? Her mind went blank. She forgot every lesson she’d ever learned. What if Jake couldn’t get to her in time? What if she couldn’t see the killer coming?
“I think I see him. In the park, beneath that clump of trees. Don’t look that way.”
No sooner had he spoken when she felt a rush of air and something clipped her arm. Thrown off balance, Angela tried to catch herself and ended up sprawled face first onto the pavement.
She heard Jake’s curses and more running feet. Ignoring the pain in her hand from where she’d tried to catch herself, she sprang to her feet and looked around wildly.
“Excuse me, Miss, are you all right?”
A small shriek escaped her as she turned to see a policeman a few feet away.
“Yes, I think so. I don’t know what happened.”
“I saw it all. Some kid came running toward you, then jumped up on a skateboard and swooped by you. It’s a wonder he didn’t knock you flat.” He came closer and peered down at her. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
Her teeth chattered, making it difficult to speak but she managed the words, “Yes, yes, I’m fine. Thanks.”
“If you’re really okay,” Jake growled in her ear, “say the words, ‘Thank you for your help, but I’m all right.’ Otherwise I’m coming over.”
“Thank you for your help but I’m all right.” And she was, really she was. Other than a pounding heart, a throbbing hand, and the