Shameless - Sybil Bartel Page 0,24
André replied. “He’s only an hour forty-five behind you.”
“Are you fucking shitting me?” Shade practically barked. “Since when is he L&A? Or even stable. That fuck has a screw loose. He’ll shoot me in the back before he’d take out any tangos.”
“He owes you a favor, and he was a Ranger. A good one,” André added calmly. “He’s geared out and ready to roll.”
“No,” Shade clipped. “Second option?”
André paused. “Harm.”
“Jesus fucking Christ.” Shade shook his head. “You’ve lost your goddamn mind.”
André ignored his insult. “He’s in the mountains up by Asheville. He could make it to your destination in three hours.”
“Could.” Shade snorted. “Have you talked to him? Does he fucking talk these days? Christ, when was the last time he was around a warm body that wasn’t animal?”
“He owes me,” André stated.
“No fucking way,” Shade countered. “I’m not a goddamn halfway house for lost causes. I’ll handle my side of the situation. Get Ronan up here and have him deal with Cara. Tell Roark to fly him.”
“Tried. Weather’s already set in. Roark couldn’t even get him to Jacksonville.”
Shade muttered a curse under his breath. “Give me a sitrep. What am I looking at, weather wise?”
“Nor’easter. Two to three days. Seventy mile per hour winds, heavy snowfall predicted.”
“Good,” Shade stated, surprising me. “There’s no way their vehicles will make it up the mountain, and Ronan can intercept.”
“That’s the plan, but I caught Cara on your six in one of the highway patrol traffic cams, only fifty miles behind you. Vincenzo’s men are behind her by an hour, and two more are on their way. You sure your end point is still secure?” André asked.
“I’m not sure of anything when it comes to the Vincenzos.” Glancing in his rearview mirror, Shade pulled his gun out of his holster. Holding the wheel with his knee despite the now freezing rain, he checked the magazine before slamming it back home. “I’m low on ammo until I get up the mountain. Tell Ronan to come stocked. Vincenzo’s men had semiautos. I’ll rendezvous with him if I need more firepower in case of an alt evac.” He shoved his gun back in his holster.
“Candle or Harm could get there quicker,” André argued. “Both could bring you ammo.”
“Not repeating myself.” A gust of wind blew against the SUV, making it swerve, but Shade quickly corrected. “Tell Ronan to hurry the fuck up. If Cara is on my tail and knows where I’m heading, I don’t know how long she’ll linger at the bottom of the mountain once the roads become impassable. There’s only one motel in that area, and she’s smart enough not to stop there and wait for Vincenzo’s men to find her. If she can’t get to me, I don’t know where she’ll head, and I don’t want her in the wind. I want this wrapped up as fast as possible.”
“Ten-four,” André agreed.
“One last thing. If you can get a hold of a woman’s winter coat, have Ronan bring it. Once he’s neutralized his end of the situation, we’ll all head back. Powering the burner down now. I’ll check in when we get there.”
“Copy that,” André replied.
Shade hung up and turned off his cell phone.
The freezing rain was hitting the SUV now in earnest, and anxiety feathered across my nerves. “Can the Escalade make it up whatever mountain we’re heading toward?”
“Yeah,” Shade answered absently, easing off the gas and getting out of the passing lane.
“You sure?” I didn’t know anything about nor’easters, but the weather had quickly deteriorated.
“You’ll be fine.” Turning the wipers on a faster setting, he didn’t glance at me.
“Thank you for asking about a winter coat.”
Glancing over his shoulder, he moved to the right lane. “You got any warmer clothes in your suitcases in the back?”
“Some.” It hadn’t been cold when I’d first arrived at rehab.
“Before the roads get any worse, climb in back and put something warmer on.”
Alarm spread. “We’re getting out of the car in this weather?”
“Not planning on it until we get to the cabin, but we need to be prepared.”
Oh, God. “Cabin?” That sounded remote. And shitty. And cold and desolate and like a really, really bad idea. “I’m thinking now is a good time to turn around.” This was insane.
“Babe, trust me when I tell you, driving right into the hands of Vincenzo’s men when I’m low on ammo isn’t a great idea.”
“So let’s go somewhere else. Anywhere else than a cabin up in the mountains.” I could be reasonable. “I’m flexible.” I had my credit