LINE CROSSING

Adrian's POV Samantha's brother disappeared into the forest, his last words hanging there like a cold threat. We cannot turn back once we start. Samantha's face was obviously strained, but she wasn't the only one unhappy about what Alex's involvement would bring. Alex might be dangerous. more peril than she had ever known. I recognized his manner—a man who examined every movement and considered others as chess board pawns. the kind of person who helped only when it directly benefited him. Now we were hooked to him, depending on him to bring Jared down. But what would the cost be? Samantha moved beside me with tightly folded arms across her chest. She tried to keep it together, to be tough, but I could see the cracks. With every second that went by, the tension was mounting and everything was racing too quickly. "You're okay?" My voice quieter than usual, I asked. She nodded, but her tight jaw betrayed her. True. She stopped herself, basically hitching her breath slightly. I never want to see him again. Not unlike this. Approaching her closer, I stopped for a moment then rested a hand on her arm. She stayed in position and even in the middle of this upheaval; that small deed seemed like a victory. We will survive, I said gently. Whether or not he is here. Samantha stared at me, still clearly flitting with uncertainty. "I just wonder if we are doing something morally. Including Alex into this seems like we are pushing boundaries. I wouldn't contradict either. Alex was not a man you could have trusted easily. Even if he would help, there would be connections tied. And nobody knew what may break off if those threads were pulled. You did what you had to do, I said. Still, we have our eyes open. We have to exercise caution not just for Jared. Samantha exhaled, her shoulders just gently relaxing. I know. Said another way, His name is my brother. No matter how much I try to distance myself from him, some of me still wants to think he's not as bad as he seems. She turned aside and bit her lip, clearly showing strain on her face. Family was not easy to leave even when it was dangerous. Better than what I could have possibly said, I thought. We will manage him, I said with tremendous assurance. We still don't trust him, though. Samantha nodded gingerly, but I realized it went beyond just trust. There was deeper, more personal anguish. One not likely to fade quickly. Though right now wasn't the moment, I wanted to ask more to know the complete background between her and Alex. Before Jared returned, we had to go back to the cabin; the shadows were lengthening. I said, "Let's head back," turning toward the car. "We have to decide what to do moving ahead and reorganize with Lucas." The only sounds on the quiet ride back to the cabin were the motor hum and the crunch of gravel under the tires. Samantha was lost in thought; I stayed away from pushing her to talk when she fixed her eyes out the window. She needed time to sort things out. Hell, of which we both did. Lucas was waiting for us; his arms crossed and his eyes sharp when we finally made it to the cabin. He nodded fast, but I felt his body strained. Something appeared odd. As we got out of the automobile, Lucas said, "We've got company." My gut knelt. "Jared? Lucas nodded with a trembling head. "Not yet. But someone has been staring out the side. Though not yet moved, they are close. I swept the treeline watching for movement under my breath. Long shadows produced by the sun's dropping below the horizon clearly made objects difficult to see. Lucas, though, felt these things really strongly. If he said we were under surveillance, I believed him. Samantha said, her voice tight: "We cannot stay here." "We have to move should they be close." Glancing at her, I saw her nervousness. She pointed out the right thing. We cannot afford to stay here waiting for Jared or whatever else was out there to attack first. We have to keep unpredictable and ahead of them. "There is another safehouse some miles from here," Lucas said. More security than this one offers. We will be harder to find. She nodded. "Let's go. Not now. Samantha refrained from arguing. Already on her way to check over our little possessions at the cabin, she was. I watched her for a while and felt the weight of obligation squarely fall on my shoulders. I had promised her I would protect her, but every second that passed Jared was tightening the noose. And now, Alex in the picture, things were more complicated than they had ever been. Lucas strolled up next, his voice low. "What does Alex have in mind?" We use him, I said, straightforwardly. We still keep him at arm's distance though. Not in this for us is he. Lucas nodded, but he also seemed stern. "This is getting messy, Adrian. " I turned to face him, teeth closing. "It's been messy from the start." We packed quickly and kept quiet, efficient movements. The air was tight; every small noise from outside triggered my senses. I kept searching for the other shoe to drop so someone observing could know where to go. Nothing materialized, though. The route to the next safehouse was much under contention. Lucas led this time; his eyes constantly switched to the rearview mirror. Samantha sat on the passenger side next to me, her fists tightly clenched on her lap. She had not talked much since we left the cottage, but I could feel conflict seething inside her. She was torn between the terror of Jared and the risk of trusting her brother. And I couldn't point her in any direction. Attempting some solace, I said, "We're almost there." She nodded vaguely, but her head was clearly elsewhere. She stopped a while then at last spoke, her voice cool but forceful. " What if Alex lacks sufficient?" Startled by the kind voice, I turned to face her. We do not load Alex with everything. Still, he has only one instrument at our disposal. One is he. Samantha let out a shaky breath. "Jared seems ahead of us no matter what we do all the time. Like we are working directly into his hands. I reached across and gently squeezed her hand. " He is not flawless. We'll work out how to outsmart him. She just gazed down at our clasped hands for a minute, silent. Her shoulders softly relaxed as she then almost invisibly leaned in my direction. Though scarcely very much, it was something. a small crack in the wall she had surrounded with herself. But as I felt the tension release, Lucas's voice pierced the stillness. "We have trouble." Tracking Lucas's eyes, I turned back toward the road. Black SUV blocked the little road heading to the safehouse ahead. I could see black people inside even though its headlights were out. Jared's guys. I swore under my breath and slammed on the brakes to stop a few hundred yards from the SUV. We stumbled. Samantha stood still beside me, horror widening her eyes. She asked, "What do we do?" lightly. My mind whirling, I grabbed tighter on the wheel. We had no time and could not turn around; the road behind us was too narrow. In a few seconds, they would be on us. We fight, I said, grim in voice. My heart pounding as I reached for the revolver stashed under my seat, I prepared for the inevitable collision. But something unanticipated happened just as I was getting ready to open my door. Ahead of us the SUV turned, and from the driver's side someone stepped out. NOT Jared here. Of his men, none are among them. Beside me, Samantha watched her brother and screamed, terror widening her eyes. Her voice trembling, she replied, "What is he doing?" I did not answer, though. As Alex approached, his soft grin started me to tremble. I felt as though I was drowning; we had just stepped into a trap.