Silent Run

responsible for getting him released so quickly. At first I tried to tell myself that he wouldn’t come after me, that it had been too long. I went to see Andy. I confided to him my fears. He told me I should be ready to leave town just in case. He made up some fake birth certificates for Caitlyn to match my IDs. Three days later, Andy was dead. His house had been ransacked. Andy was the only one who knew where I lived."
    â€œSo you ran."
    â€œYes. I wiped our apartment clean, because I didn’t want anyone to put you and me together. I didn’t think Andy would have left any clues in his house, but I couldn’t be sure. You were out of the country. There was no one to leave Caitlyn with, so I grabbed her and I ran. I took a bus to San Mateo, another to San Jose, a third to Santa Cruz. I hid out in a motel there, thinking I would buy myself some time until you came back from your trip."
    Jake started shaking his head. “That’s enough, Sarah."
    â€œBut, Jake, you have to know that I tried to contact --"
    â€œI don’t want to hear any more,” he interrupted. “I don’t know whether you’re lying or not. But I can’t drive and listen to this, and right now we need to get to Caitlyn. So just shut the hell up."
    Sarah sat back in her seat and stared out the window, knowing what she’d known all along: that Jake would never forgive her.
    Jake’s stomach was churning, his heart racing, his mind spinning with a million questions, but he couldn’t ask them now. There was a ton of midmorning traffic on the maze of LA freeways, and he needed to concentrate on getting out of town as fast as possible. He forced a lid down on the anger bubbling through his veins. He couldn’t afford to lose his cool. There was too much at stake. And while part of him did not want Sarah to utter one more word, another part of him knew he still needed more information.
    â€œHow do you think Victor figured out that you and Andy were friends?” he asked. “You said you didn’t tell Victor about your past."
    â€œI didn’t, but he did have my real name, Jessica Holt. After I disappeared he must have figured out who I really was. I thought Andy was safe, because he actually lived under another name, too -- Xander Cross. But Victor’s had eight years to make the connections, and I’m sure he was extremely motivated."
    â€œWhich means Victor probably knows where Teresa is, too."
    â€œI hope not,” Sarah said. “Teresa goes under the name Tracy Hutchinson."
    â€œGood God! Does no one live under their real name?"
    â€œActually, Tracy was her real name; she just liked Teresa better, and she got married for a few years, hence the Hutchinson. Andy didn’t even know where Teresa was. Mrs. Murphy found her for me."
    â€œThe same Mrs. Murphy who was beaten up,” Jake said, his pulse roaring again.
    â€œShe didn’t have it written down anywhere,” Sarah protested, but he could see the uncertainty flicker in her eyes.
    â€œDo you know that for sure?"
    â€œYes, I do. I had told her I was interested in finding Teresa, and she said she’d ask around discreetly. She gave me Teresa’s address a week before she was attacked."
    â€œShane obviously traced Mrs. Murphy to you. That’s how he showed up at your apartment."
    â€œBut he couldn’t have seen Amanda take Caitlyn to Teresa’s house, because if he had Caitlyn, he would have used her to get to me. Victor would have used Caitlyn. She’s safe. She has to be."
    â€œI hope you’re right."
    â€œI didn’t have a lot of choices after I saw Shane in LA. Maybe it was wrong to have Amanda take Caitlyn to Teresa, but I knew Shane was going to come after me again, and if I left Caitlyn behind, he’d find her. I didn’t have anyone else to turn to."
    â€œExcept me,” he couldn’t help pointing out.
    â€œYou were too far away. San Francisco was a seven-hour drive. I didn’t think I could get that far without a better plan."
    He wanted to argue that she could have found a way to make contact with him. She could have gone through one of his friends, called him at work. Lord knew she was creative at the lies. She could have reached him if she wanted to. But it was pointless to rehash what hadn’t happened.
    â€œOkay, so where were you going when Shane chased you up the coast?” he asked. “Were you heading to