Sworn to Protect (Vows of the Heart) by Kathryn Loch Page B

you.”
    She gazed at him a long moment, seeming to understand his resolve, and squeezed his hand. “Okay, but when the doc tells you this was a waste of time, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
    He laughed softly. “That would be the best news I’ve had in a long time.” He started the car, quickly pulling away.
    The problem was the GPS on the vehicle. Ethan had to find a way to disable it, otherwise they’d be able to track him wherever he went. Well, there was no help for it now. Getting Bethany medical attention was first on his list. He lifted a shaking hand and rubbed his eyes. She was alive, thank God, and he was going to keep her that way.
    ****
    The small town near the safe house was fortunate to have its own doctor with a quaint emergency care facility. The doctor lived upstairs and there was a phone at the door which rang directly to him.
    Ethan’s call dragged the sleepy man out of bed and within moments, he had Bethany inside. The doctor checked her. Thank goodness, the concussion was only a mild one and the doctor soon sent them on their way.
    Ethan sat in the parking lot for a moment, again worrying over the GPS. He scowled, staring at the glove box. Some things just weren’t adding up.
    He opened the glove box and pulled out the envelope with the cash. Why would the captain arrange to give him $500 in cash when he knew Ethan would be heading to a safe house and wouldn’t need it?
    Unless the captain had thought Ethan would require the money to get the hell out of Dodge. What if Edwards suspected another mole in their department, just like Ethan did? What if he said what he did over the phone because someone else was in the room with him? He might not be sure of the mole’s identity, so he couldn’t tip his hand prematurely. But Edwards could do certain things to help Ethan stay one step ahead.
    He glanced at the envelope again, noticing for the first time some writing in the corner. He squinted, the print was tiny but unmistakably Edward’s hand.
    Ethan saw a word - CLEAN, followed by a four digit number, and then another word below the number - SHERIDAN. What the hell? His fingers moved on the envelope and he felt something hard. His heart jumped as he pulled out a key. Earlier, Bethany had checked the envelope but not thoroughly. She had simply leafed through the bills and counted the money.
    Ethan grabbed the map. The safe house had been circled in black marker. But as he gazed at the map, he saw the faint mark of a yellow highlighter. So faint, he almost missed it. Ethan peered closer. The street marked was Sheridan. He looked again at the envelope. The number was a street address and the key was to a door.
    Edwards had given Ethan an alternative. He studied the word CLEAN and realized something more. Edwards had broken regs and disabled the GPS.
    Thank God!
    Feeling better than he had since this insanity started, Ethan turned the key in the ignition and drove away. The safe house Edwards had provided might remain so long enough for Bethany to recover from her head wound. They wouldn’t be able to stay long. Since Edwards had given them a key, the safe house was known in the ATF, but it would take some time for the mole to discover.
    He debated going to the second safe house only for a moment. Ethan had one last ditch option , but he resolved not to use it unless he absolutely had to. It might prove more dangerous than Cordova’s mole.
    ****
    Bethany dozed lightly in the backseat, but every bump in the road sent a jarring pain through her skull. They seemed like they were driving forever, but Ethan had a plan, and she had absolute faith in him.
    The memory of his kiss bloomed vibrantly in her mind. She had thought she was dreaming, hallucinating because of the blow to her head. Then she discovered his kiss was intensely real. There was more to Ethan than met the eye. What made her even more curious was the fact that he intentionally projected an image of someone who didn’t give a shit. Why?