Templar's Creed Excerpt

Excerpt from Templar's Creed:

In the dark, cool interior of the florist's van, Evelyn dripped sweat like they were sitting in an oven instead of a car. For twenty minutes, the employee drove them along the route Rhett had specified. So far, they hadn't been stopped. The sound of the helicopter faded not long after leaving the area of the hotel and every time she leaned forward to peek out the front windshield, she saw nothing alarming or startling.

No black SUVs, no blockades, no armed men.

She judged their position to be right around the interstate again, a few miles down from the last place they tried to cross. Once they got past there, some of her tension would ease. Not all, but some. The close call shook her up more than she wanted to admit.

Beside her, Rhett was a solid wall of silence and concentration. A gun rested across his thigh. He'd systematically checked all the other weapons with determination she was becoming used to.

Evelyn marveled over his preparations, the way he carefully arranged other items she couldn't see inside the black bag.

“You have money on you, right?” he asked, too quiet to be heard by the driver.

“Yes. What I had on me and what you gave me earlier.” About four thousand dollars all together, she estimated. Rhett hadn't taken the time to count it out. He'd simply sliced the bills down the middle and handed her half.

“Remember, if anything happens, I'll distract and you get the hell away from here.”

She frowned. “I'm not going anywhere--”

“Evelyn,” he said, a warning in his voice. “You take a gun, an extra clip, and get away. There's enough money to get you into a car, or a hotel room. Something.”

“I think it's better if we stay together--” He cut her argument off with nothing more than a hard stare.

Evelyn refused to wither under it. She stared back, inwardly loathing this part of the process. Who was she kidding? She didn't like any of it.

“Sir?” the driver said from the front seat.

“Yeah?” Rhett answered without looking away from her.

“They're stopping the cars up here.”

“How far?” Rhett snapped a look forward, shifting his attention.

“About a quarter mile up.”

“What else do you see?” Rhett got into the bag and withdrew three more guns. Two he laid right on her lap. “The safetys are on.”

“Uh...looks like a random checkpoint? They're pulling over some cars, not others.”

“Any black SUVs or other out of the ordinary looking vehicles?” Rhett asked, leaning forward to get a glimpse out the front window.

“What are those tank like cars called? Hummers? Two of those and a few unmarked sedans, by the look of it. Undercover something or others, I bet.”

Evelyn, steeling herself, picked up one and tucked it into the front waistband of her jeans. The other she palmed, accustoming herself to the feel of the grip again. A bead of sweat slithered over the edge of her lip and across the seam of her mouth.

“Just act normal, like it's an every day delivery. If they ask to look in the van, stall them as long as you can. If they find us, pretend you had no idea we were in here and tell them you were driving where ever on personal business, not for the florist's shop,” Rhett added. “If they make you open the back doors, dive out of the way immediately after you do.”

“Why not say I'm going to pick up some flowers we're out of?” the driver asked.

“Because they'll check your story, and if you can't back it up, they'll bust you. This way, you're just a victim instead of an accomplice.”

The driver grew silent when he heard that.

“How much farther now?” Rhett didn't let the silence linger long.

“About eight more cars and we'll be there.”

Evelyn pressed her spine against the side of the van, licking the salty bead of sweat off her skin. She longed for the peace of the Kineta hotel room. For a little while, she'd been able to believe all would be right with the world.

“Okay, there's a guy in dark shades walking back to each car, asking the drivers something through the window,” the driver reported.

“Thanks. Don't say anything more now. If they see your mouth moving with no passenger, and no phone, they'll get suspicious faster. Leave the window down so I can hear what they say.” Rhett gathered himself into a crouched position that didn't expose him to anyone's view.

Evelyn met his eyes and held them. She could read his thoughts as well as if he was speaking aloud: If they take me down, get away. Don't stay behind.

She gave no promises in return, couldn't force herself to agree. He thinned his lips in displeasure.

The van inched forward, tires cracking over debris on the asphalt.

A moment later, a man's voice drifted in, Greek flowing quick and free from his tongue. “Has anyone stopped you to ask for a ride today?”

“No one,” the driver said in an airy tone. “What's going on?”

“Have you seen these people?” The sound of paper crinkled as it passed from one hand to another.

Evelyn sucked in a silent breath of air. Pictures of them, it had to be.

“No sir, I haven't.” The sound of paper trading hands came again.

Several seconds ticked off an imaginary clock. Evelyn felt the weight of each one like individual anvils, pressing her shoulders down.

“Do you mind if we check the van? Just a cursory inspection and then you can be on your way.”

“Oh, sure. I have to use the key on the keychain—do you want me to pull over up here or just get out now?” the driver asked.

The second Rhett heard the request to search the van he tucked the extra gun in his hand in his waistband and fished out two odd, black cylindrical objects from the bag. He set those down and tugged out a wide, mesh belt of black that he strapped around his waist. More of the cylindrical grenades and several extra clips of ammunition sat in easily accessible pouches.

Panic started to creep through Evelyn's system. A confrontation was coming, no way around it now. Violence, face to face combat, made her nauseous. She glanced at Rhett. The quickness with which he prepared suggested he must have performed hours of training under strict time constraints. Here she could barely move, barely breathe, and he was busy prepping for war.

Picking up the two cylinders on the ground, he met her eyes and whispered, “Flash bangs. Bright and noisy but not lethal. It'll buy us a few seconds of surprise. While I pin them down, you run. No arguments, Evelyn.”

She wanted to do just that. Argue with him. Over Rhett's instructions, she heard the officer say, “No, you can just get out here and do it.”

Pulling her feet under her, Evelyn mimicked Rhett's crouch. The butt of a gun dug into her ribs, the other a solid weight in her hand. The pep talks started, an inner monologue of self encouragement and reassurance.

You can do this. Don't freeze. Don't panic.

Not today. Today she was going to fight her way free with Rhett. She wouldn't leave him behind no matter how mad it made him.

Keys rattled in the lock of the back doors. Evelyn swiveled to face them.