I processed airline options on the way home. All she needed was a flight—the quickest possible flight. If she wanted to proceed on to Papua New Guinea, I’d worry about connections later. I arrived home but paused before getting out of the vehicle, scrutinizing the house. What if Pape was waiting for us?

I walked to the door, unlocked it, and turned the knob. My heart raced. I cracked the door opened and scanned the inside. Nothing. I slipped off my shoes, inched into the living room, and looked down the hall and into the kitchen. Things seemed undisturbed. I headed upstairs, still listening for unwelcome noises, and quietly started to gather Abby’s belongings.

Then it hit me. Why hadn’t I just sent her straight to the airport? We could’ve met there. What good is this blasted brain if it can’t make a decent split-second decision? It was too late to reach her now.

I finished throwing her things in her suitcase and ran downstairs and out to the curb. The light was fading, but from what I could tell, everything looked normal.

Five minutes later the car rounded the corner and pulled up in front of my house. I opened the hatch, flung the suitcase inside, and jumped into the front seat, shooting a quick glance at Abby next to me.

“DFW Airport.” I slammed the door. The car pulled away. I craned my neck to look behind the car, scan around the neighborhood. Was that movement two blocks down? A pair of lights?

“Creighton—”

I stopped looking ahead and behind the car and focused on Abby. My heart was in my throat.

She looked perplexed. “Sabin said Pape is after us. I thought Pape was being handled by the FBI.”

I glanced behind us again. The pair of headlights lingered in the distance. I had no reason to believe it wasn’t my neighbors, but tension pulsed through me. “Well…he wasn’t.” We were traveling down Columbia Avenue toward the freeway.

“Could you look into his memory stream?”

“No, but I looked at Cleary’s again.”

“And?” She sounded irritated, obviously wanting me to explain our sudden flight.

Our car entered the freeway and picked up speed. The car in the distance disappeared. “And you could be in danger.”

“That’s what Sabin said. But I don’t—”

I pressed my hand to her lips. “Abby, this man wants to kill you. I don’t know how to protect you. We need to get you out of here.”

Her beautiful eyes were wide, and she nodded slowly. She kissed my fingers and gently moved my hand, clasping it in hers. “I understand that. We’re on our way to the airport. What else can we do?”

I breathed deeply, trying to push away my fear. “I’m sorry, Abby. I’m…I’m just worried about you.”