That Day by Karen Deen (best novels to read in english txt) 📕

know deep down I will live to regret this decision, but if that means I spend the rest of my life begging Asha to forgive me, then I’ve succeeded in keeping her alive.

To me that’s the biggest win.

I also need to get changed, but I think I should leave her alone for a moment so she can just have time to work through in her head whatever she’s thinking. Bundling up all the water bottles in a bag, I walk around the back of the house to place them beside the trash can. It just looks like a bag of garbage, so if Asha sees it for any reason, she won’t know it’s the water.

The crack of a twig off to the side in the shrubs spikes my nerves.

Feeling my phone buzz in my pocket, I don’t want to look but it keeps going. I draw it out, not taking my eyes off where the noise came from for very long.

Scott: We need to talk

Scott: Walk towards the bushes

I stand still; I’m not eating into this bullshit.

Scott: Don’t be a dick, Bull, we are on the same side.

Slipping back into our code names pisses me off, but I’ll play along.

Kurt: Which side is that, Hawk?

Scott: The side keeping Asha alive.

I need to find out what he’s up to, and the only way I can do that is by talking to him. I step closer but stay out in the open enough that he can’t reach me.

“What the fuck do you want?” I keep my voice low so no one else could hear me.

“Something’s not right. I don’t know what it is, but I have that feeling that shit’s about to go down.”

“Wow, and you expect me to listen to such vague crap from you?” I can’t believe he is trying to get me to listen to this.

“Shut up and listen. I know you blame me for what went down all those years ago. But you have to believe me, it wasn’t me.” Scott’s voice is harsh and real, but it means nothing to me now.

“What the fuck is this? Your pathetic apology that should have come at the time?” My blood is pumping through my veins and my head is now racing with images I can’t have today. I need to be completely in the moment here.

“No, dickhead, this is me telling you that you need to trust me. Like you always did. Trust I have your back and Asha’s. Something isn’t right.” I can hear the frustration roll in his words, even if I can’t see his face.

The silence in the car is deafening as my clients know they can’t speak. All my concentration needs to be on the words in my ear and what is going on behind me.

“I saw brake lights and smoke from their tires. They won’t be far behind me.” Although my adrenaline is running and brain is racing trying to make sure I know what I’m doing next, I remain calm. I’ve been in this situation before, and the only way to get through the fight is to keep your head in the game.

“In three minutes, you will take the next left and follow it down until you head back under the bridge to the underside of the interstate to double back on your pursuit. Then keep heading west for about ten minutes and I will get Hawk back in your direction for backup, with eyes on the pursuing car.” Ghost’s voice is flat with no emotion. He’s always the voice of reason in my ear, whether he is standing by my side or on the other end of the phone.

“Roger.” Counting the seconds in my head, I keep my eyes peeled to the road and the rearview mirror. My foot pushing the gas pedal that little bit harder.

“Thirty seconds, a McDonald’s restaurant, then two buildings past that, go left.”

“See it. Hawk got eyes on them yet?” Thank god it’s nighttime and the streets are nearly empty.

“Negative,” Ghost replies.

“Fuck,” I mumble under my breath.

I know every time there is silence in my ear that Ghost has swapped channels and is talking to the other agents.

The crackle in my ear makes me breathe a little easier, knowing he is back with me.

“Ten minutes, you are going to pull into a church that is on its own on the roadside with no buildings around, just trees and fields as far as you can see, and drive around the back. Sitting there is a church minivan. Hotwire it, take off your jacket while you drive so you look different. Then you are to head back towards where you came from and an agent will pick you up.”

“Roger that.” I glance at the clock on the dash so I can gauge when I’m getting close.

“Hawk has eyes on the target and is trying to divert them from you.” Now that makes my heart settle a little.

He has my back.

We must be getting close, eight minutes since I’ve heard from Ghost. The buildings have spread out and there is just forest on either side of the road.

No street lights.

Nothing out here.

“One minute out, on the right.”

“Update on Hawk,” I demand.

“Lost communication.”

“What the fuck.”

“Head in the game!” Ghost yells at me.

Shit. Concentrate on what I need to be doing and nothing else. I can only solve what’s in front of me.

The steeple is peering out above the tree line in the distance.

“Be ready to jump,” I yell to my passengers.

All I hear is a gasp but nothing else.

Fear had taken even the slightest noise from them.

“I’m not stopping the car, I’m slowing, then I need you to jump out the door and run to the van. I will let the car keep driving so it looks like it’s still in motion.” I can hear a small whimper, and I’m sure there are tears with it.

Something feels off about this whole situation.

The hairs on the back of my neck are up and there’s that burn in my gut that lets me