my eyes. Stupid question. Locks only stop people who don’t break the law.
“Right, and I can’t go in and get my phone now because it’s kind of an alibi, turned on and sitting in my apartment while... other things happen.”
“Drive to the apartments on the other side of your building. I’ll walk through to get to their vehicle. Circle around and fall in behind me after I pull out. I’m headed towards Druid Hills. Probably one of the apartment buildings on 19th, but I’ll have to make a decision once I’m there.” He took a breath and met my gaze. “Worst case scenario is you getting caught driving this van with the IDs in it, and the wood with the mud that’ll match the dump site. If you get pulled over, get out and run. Take the phone. Get at least two miles away and let the control room know where you are. If you have to go kitty to get away, so be it. If you can carry the phone in your mouth, do. If not, destroy it. If you have to go cat, keep to the shadows and run a few miles away before turning back to human. Steal some clothes if you can. Head to the nearest yellow or green gas station and hide behind it. We’ll find you by scent. Oh, unless you’re near one of our properties, in which case just show up, wave to the camera until the light acknowledges you’ve been seen, and then hide until we arrive.”
Shifting into animal form around humans would bring the Concilio, who would also lock me away. Or worse. That was never going to happen, but I didn’t bother telling him. If I couldn’t get away, I’d find a way to get the cops to kill me.
Chapter Three
Squatch
I was scaring the fuck out of her with my instructions, but it couldn’t be helped. Still, I felt the need to try to soothe her.
“I don’t foresee any problems, kitty-cat. Follow me at a distance. Pick me up about a half mile past where I drop the Pathfinder off. Just watch the odometer and keep driving, and then pull over at the first good spot after you hit the half mile mark — or just before it, if you know there won’t be another opportunity for a while. Kill the lights and engine. Make sure the driver’s door is unlocked. Take the keys with you to the back, have a seat, and wait for me. When I get in, toss the keys so they land in the passenger seat, and stay in the back out of sight. Two people in baseball caps look suspicious.”
I gave her another kiss on the cheek. “It’s going to be fine. We dump the Pathfinder and go to my place. One of my brothers will incinerate the bags and clean the van.” Inside and out, but she didn’t need the details. I touched under her chin. “Emotion is something you can’t afford just yet. Let the tiger come forward a little more. Focus on your surroundings. There’ll be plenty of time for the luxury of emotions later.”
She pulled a breath in, blew it out, and nodded. Her scent evened out. The cat was stronger, the woman there, but no longer terrified.
“Sorry. I’m good,” she told me, and her brown eyes told me she could do this. For the first time, I realized she wore contacts. Cat shifters shouldn’t need contacts, but I couldn’t dwell on it just then. I needed to focus on finishing this without attracting attention.
“Follow at a distance,” she continued, “drive past where you stop, and wait. Escape if I have to. Yellow or green gas station. Hide. The MC will find me.”
“Good enough.” I started to leave, but I had to give a final reminder. “Hand to your face. Bill of the cap down. Bored. Tired. Not hiding.”
“Stealth. The tiger’s good at that. Let’s go already.”
I grinned, double-checked to make sure the knit cap covered me below the hairline, pushed the door in until the automated system caught and closed it quietly, and made my way to the Pathfinder.
Besides having no textiles inside, the van has no interior lights, it has a switch to turn off all exterior lights, and it has an add-on so the doors close automatically without making a sound. It’s one of the most popular models, so it doesn’t stand out. This makes it the perfect vehicle for doing illegal things, but it also means the