Brian beside him, even if all they could do was talk in low voices and listen to music on their separate phones. Weird, how I used to prefer being alone, and now… it’s like there’s an empty space beside me whenever Brian isn’t there. He still wasn’t sure he should’ve given in. If trouble started, the last thing he wanted was to put Brian in the middle of it. But he’d let Brian choose.
This was Brian’s second night of surveillance, and the novelty had clearly worn off fast. The poor guy was beat. Nick threw him a quick glance, noting the way his head was tilted on the window. He was going to wake with an awful crick in his neck.
Down below, the dog barked again, a more excited rhythm. A second dog joined in. Nick nudged Brian and pulled out his earbud. Brian woke with a snort, glanced his way, and kept quiet.
A swoop of lights marked a vehicle coming up the long drive from the house. Nick had parked where he could see the entrance to the driveway and note anyone coming or going. Sam’s pickup was visible as it swung out onto the main road and pulled away.
“Are we going to follow him?”
“Yep.” Nick gestured at the tracker on the floor by Brian’s feet. “Grab that. He’s in his truck, so we can give him time to get out of sight.”
Brian picked up the control box, where the yellow light was going red. “I still can’t believe you put a tracker on Luger when I was gone.”
I was desperate. “It was a longshot. Keep an eye on the screen, like I showed you. Let me know if he turns.”
“Got it.”
Nick started the car, turned on his lights, and pulled off the shoulder, following Sam.
“Still, it shows…” Brian said.
“Shows what? Is he stopping?”
“Huh. No, keep going. I mean, it shows you didn’t really think Damon was that bad. If you thought he would try to bring me my dog. Right?”
“Taking care of one person, being good to them, doesn’t mean you’re not a bad guy.” He didn’t want to talk about Damon. I didn’t call Olson and tell her he was around again. I didn’t punch him out. That’s all he gets. “Can you tell if we’re falling behind? Where’s he headed?”
“Looks like we’re keeping up. I think. The map’s a bit confusing.”
Shit. Yeah. He’d forgotten how the dyslexia made it hard for Brian to read maps. “Watch the gap between our symbol and his, and tell me if he turns.”
“Got it.” After about five minutes, Brian said, “I think he’s farther away.”
“Okay.” Nick hit the gas harder, hoping that the sheriff and her men were busy elsewhere.
“Now he’s turned off the road to a different one.”
“Which?”
Brian raised the tracker, peering more closely at it. “I’m not sure. Left turn. No, Right. That way.” He pointed right. “Sorry.”
“Hey, still easier than holding that thing and trying to watch it while driving.”
Brian relaxed noticeably. “I guess. Coming up soon to where he turned.”
Luckily crossroads were fewer out here, so there was only one real choice. Nick made a rolling stop and hung a right.
“We’re getting closer again.”
He eased off the speed. Traffic was light at this hour. They’d only seen a couple of other cars. No sense in getting up Sam’s bumper and making him nervous. Headlights were visible a long way through the patchy woods and small fields that lined the winding road.
“He turned off again. That way.” Brian pointed left. “Doesn’t look like a road on the little map. Holding still.”
“Let me know when.” Nick eased down to thirty, along a stretch of older houses with big yards and lots of trees. Most places were dark and sleeping.
“There.” Brian pointed left. “That one. Or the next. The line is kind of thick…”
“I’ll go past, then we can zoom in and find out.” He drove several houses down, until he found a driveway he could pull in and turn without being in someone’s front yard. He stopped on the shoulder, took the device from Brian, and changed the zoom. “Okay, one more time.” An eighteen-wheeler passed on the road in a rush of lights and sound. Nick waited for the two cars stacked up behind it to go by, then pulled out.
The house Sam had driven to was silent and dark. Nick parked down the road, cut his headlights, and got the binoculars out of the glove compartment. They weren’t a big help in the dark, but he