Yes."
Elation washes over me and I wait for the car to move. When it continues to idle, I roll my eyes again. "Will you please take me there now?"
" We will not make it to the destination without stopping for fuel for this substandard vehicle."
An ironic smile twists my lips. "How is this substandard? It's an Escalade."
" It operates on fossil fuel. It's a P.O.S.," SOA replies with attitude in his tone.
Despite everything, I smile. "We should get gas then," I agree. "Do you want me to drive?"
" No," SOA states as the windshield brightens to full-transparency.
" You say that like there's something wrong with my driving."
" You speed, you fail to maintain a proper distance from the vehicle in front of you, you demonstrate improper lane changes, you talk on the phone while you drive, and you drift."
I frown. "I don't drift."
" You drift. I will drive."
As the truck pulls back onto the road on its own, I clutch the steering wheel in fear. The wheel begins to retract from me. "Do not touch the steering wheel while I'm driving." SOA orders.
I flinch and drop my hands from it. I bite my thumbnail anxiously for a few minutes until it becomes clear that the truck isn 't going to plunge off the road. When I begin to relax a little, my phone rings. I pick it up, see that I have one bar of connectivity, and glance at the display. It reads: "Private." I move my thumb to answer it.
" Do not answer that call," SOA orders. The windshield darkens again so that I can see his face on it.
My eyes widen. "Why not?"
" The caller is attempting to trace the call and locate your position. You need to destroy your SIM card."
" My what—who's trying to locate my position? How do you know that?"
" They are triangulating your position now. Destroying your SIM card is your only option to avoid detection. You will find it in the back of your phone. "
I scramble to open the back of my phone when my window opens. "Throw your phone out the window. At this velocity, the impact will destroy it."
I don 't know if it's because it's Mattie's voice telling me to do it or his image on the windshield, but I immediately toss my phone out the window. As I look out the back, I see the phone bounce on the pavement and break into piece. The truck brakes and stops in the middle of the road. Then, SOA reverses the Escalade and backs over my phone for good measure.
The truck pulls away again and I ask, "Do you mind telling me what the total hell just happened?"
" They are looking for you."
" They? Who're they? Stan?"
" Not Stanley Parker. Maybelle Younger and her associates."
" Maybelle? You mean Mattie's ex-girlfriend May?"
" The very same."
" Why does Mattie's stalker want to track me? He's the one she's always wanted. She's obsessed with him."
" She is attempting to locate the remains of Matteyo Dillinger."
" What!" I breathe in disbelief. "Why?"
" I do not have that information."
" Then how do you know this?" I ask incredulously.
" She is in the penthouse apartment now. She is destroying everything in her search for his ashes."
" She's in his apartment now?" I ask in disbelief.
" Correction, she is in Matteyo's former apartment, which now belongs to you. I have security access to the Chicago residence," SOA states. His image disappears from the windshield to be replaced by a security camera feed of the penthouse. Several very fit men in dark suits are breaking up the furniture, turning over tables, and cutting fabric from the elegant chairs. I locate May in the middle of the room with her ear to her phone as another dark-suited man uses a laptop next to her.
I watch as May paces back and forth, her long legs avoiding the chaos all around her. She tosses her perfect blond hair, appearing to grind her teeth in frustration. After several more moments, she throws her phone across the room and puts her hands on her hips.
"Why are they looking for Mattie?" I wonder aloud as I watch them topple bookcases.
" That information is classified. I
Elation washes over me and I wait for the car to move. When it continues to idle, I roll my eyes again. "Will you please take me there now?"
" We will not make it to the destination without stopping for fuel for this substandard vehicle."
An ironic smile twists my lips. "How is this substandard? It's an Escalade."
" It operates on fossil fuel. It's a P.O.S.," SOA replies with attitude in his tone.
Despite everything, I smile. "We should get gas then," I agree. "Do you want me to drive?"
" No," SOA states as the windshield brightens to full-transparency.
" You say that like there's something wrong with my driving."
" You speed, you fail to maintain a proper distance from the vehicle in front of you, you demonstrate improper lane changes, you talk on the phone while you drive, and you drift."
I frown. "I don't drift."
" You drift. I will drive."
As the truck pulls back onto the road on its own, I clutch the steering wheel in fear. The wheel begins to retract from me. "Do not touch the steering wheel while I'm driving." SOA orders.
I flinch and drop my hands from it. I bite my thumbnail anxiously for a few minutes until it becomes clear that the truck isn 't going to plunge off the road. When I begin to relax a little, my phone rings. I pick it up, see that I have one bar of connectivity, and glance at the display. It reads: "Private." I move my thumb to answer it.
" Do not answer that call," SOA orders. The windshield darkens again so that I can see his face on it.
My eyes widen. "Why not?"
" The caller is attempting to trace the call and locate your position. You need to destroy your SIM card."
" My what—who's trying to locate my position? How do you know that?"
" They are triangulating your position now. Destroying your SIM card is your only option to avoid detection. You will find it in the back of your phone. "
I scramble to open the back of my phone when my window opens. "Throw your phone out the window. At this velocity, the impact will destroy it."
I don 't know if it's because it's Mattie's voice telling me to do it or his image on the windshield, but I immediately toss my phone out the window. As I look out the back, I see the phone bounce on the pavement and break into piece. The truck brakes and stops in the middle of the road. Then, SOA reverses the Escalade and backs over my phone for good measure.
The truck pulls away again and I ask, "Do you mind telling me what the total hell just happened?"
" They are looking for you."
" They? Who're they? Stan?"
" Not Stanley Parker. Maybelle Younger and her associates."
" Maybelle? You mean Mattie's ex-girlfriend May?"
" The very same."
" Why does Mattie's stalker want to track me? He's the one she's always wanted. She's obsessed with him."
" She is attempting to locate the remains of Matteyo Dillinger."
" What!" I breathe in disbelief. "Why?"
" I do not have that information."
" Then how do you know this?" I ask incredulously.
" She is in the penthouse apartment now. She is destroying everything in her search for his ashes."
" She's in his apartment now?" I ask in disbelief.
" Correction, she is in Matteyo's former apartment, which now belongs to you. I have security access to the Chicago residence," SOA states. His image disappears from the windshield to be replaced by a security camera feed of the penthouse. Several very fit men in dark suits are breaking up the furniture, turning over tables, and cutting fabric from the elegant chairs. I locate May in the middle of the room with her ear to her phone as another dark-suited man uses a laptop next to her.
I watch as May paces back and forth, her long legs avoiding the chaos all around her. She tosses her perfect blond hair, appearing to grind her teeth in frustration. After several more moments, she throws her phone across the room and puts her hands on her hips.
"Why are they looking for Mattie?" I wonder aloud as I watch them topple bookcases.
" That information is classified. I
Similar Books
The Would-Begetter
Maggie Makepeace
Noah
Kelli Ann Morgan
One Wild Vegas Night
SJ Thomas
Bob Skiinner 21 Grievous Angel
Quintin Jardine
Saving Persephone (The Haberdashers Book 4)
Sue London
Stealing the Bride
Mary Wine
Golden State
Stephanie Kegan
Angle of Attack
Rex Burns
