The alley went down two blocks and came out on a cross street. She didn’t make a sound as she moved, and she moved fast. She wanted to be almost home before David locked that front door. If Tuttle was waiting for her, she’d be in her house, locked up tight before he could find her. The danger, of course, was that he already knew where she lived and was waiting for her, but she’d cross that bridge if she came to it. The more she ran, the more she was certain Tuttle wasn’t with Rafe. He creeped her out, set off her radar, but not in the way Rafe’s men would have.

She slowed her pace, needing to save energy. As she neared the end of the alley, she pulled a small can of wasp spray from her purse and transferred it to her left hand. She stopped at the edge of the alley and moved to the street, staying in the shadows. There were a few straggly bushes trying to live without water nearest the long row of buildings. A few were nearly as tall as she was. None had been pruned and she found it easy enough to slip under the branches and stay inside the planted area that ran alongside the sidewalk.

An SUV cruised by slow and she froze. Movement drew the eye. She tried to blend with the bushes around her. Fortunately, she always wore dark clothes to work, just in case she had to disappear. She believed in being prepared and she’d worked toward this moment. She’d always known it was a risk to settle in one place. She didn’t believe Frank Tuttle was Rafe’s soldier, but he was too interested in her and she didn’t dare take a chance, not when she cared about the people who had given her so much.

The SUV had darkened windows and she couldn’t make out the driver, not even with her superior night vision. The vehicle didn’t have government plates, but her throat went dry. Tuttle had to be a cop. Her radar had gone off. He was definitely watching her. She was almost positive he wasn’t one of Rafe’s soldiers. But a cop was just as bad.

She pressed a hand to her stomach, hard, and drew in deep breaths. Nowhere was permanent in her life. No one. That was how it had to be. She knew that. She just liked it there. She liked Malcom. She liked David. She loved her job, the warehouse and most of all her friendship with Ridley.

She hurried home, watching carefully, scanning not only the rooftops and fire escapes, the balconies, and every other high place, but the streets, alleys and surrounding buildings. She took her time, not wanting another mistake.