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“Drive!” Jennings shouted.
She pulled out of the spot and drove in the direction Jennings told her.
“Keep driving.” He punched his back into the seat but kept the gun on her. “Go west on Route 29.”
She did as he told her and put Washington in her rearview mirror. She looked for any agents who might be following, but if they were, they were doing a good job of keeping a low profile. But Jennings had her taking a lot of turns, and he kept looking behind them too. Once she hit a more rural section, Jennings requested that she pull over.
“Why?” One more glance at the rearview. No one was there. The road was barren.
“I said, pull over.”
“Right here? Where are we anyway, getting close to Gainesville, Virginia?” She was talking more for whoever was listening in on her wire. But if backup didn’t show soon, this could be where she died. At the side of the road, her body tossed into the ditch. She pulled over, the gravel of the shoulder crunching beneath her wheels.
“Just get out of the car.”
“Why? We have open road.”
“Do it!” he screamed, and his voice battered her ears.
“I’m getting out.” She undid her belt and opened her door.
He got out too and was around to her in a flash. He grabbed her arm and was nudging her onto the edge of the road.
Just before he got a hold on her, she spotted a metal nail file in the cubbyhole of the door. She snatched it before closing the door behind her. It wasn’t a gun, but it could be used as a weapon, nonetheless.
“Strip,” he told her.
“What? No.” She was quaking. If she took off her shirt, there was the risk he’d find her wire and tracker. Then she’d be dead. “We can talk about this. You wanted the gold, Lonnie. I got you the gold.”
“Just shut up! Coat, vest, and shirt off now!”
“It’s nearly zero degrees out here. You don’t need to be this person.”
Jennings laughed. “I killed my friend, lady, I don’t care if you get cold.” He waved the gun in her face. “Take it off.”
It was consent or fight for her life. Surely, if he found either device, he’d kill her. And all because she fucking messed up by sayingwefound the gold. She brandished the nail file and lurched forward. Her desire was to injure him and assume control of the gun.
But he jerked out of reach and pulled the trigger.
She dropped down. The report was deafening, and the round barely missed her. It was a miracle it had.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jennings grabbed her arm with the file and squeezed her wrist until her hand released it and it dropped to the ground.
She cried out as her vision flashed white.
“Now, take off your damn shirt!” He thrust the gun toward her, adding emphasis to his verbal threat.
She held up her hand in surrender and started to stand. She considered attacking him again, but common sense filtered in. If she did and failed, he wasn’t bound to miss a second time, and where would that leave Olivia? No, it was best she played along for a while longer.
“Fine. I’m taking it off now.” She shucked out of her coat and let it fall to the ground. Then her bulletproof vest.
“Hurry up.”
Next, she unbuttoned her long-sleeved shirt, revealing her bra.
“Off with it too.”
She unhooked it from the back, slid out of the straps, and grabbed it down one of the sleeves.