Chapter 7 - The Hunt in the Rain
By midnight, the storm had escalated into a severe gale warning. Wind whipped rain across the glass of David’s SUV as we cruised slowly through the dark, neon-lit alleys of downtown Seattle.
My heart hammered against my ribs with every passing second. Aiden—Ethan—had my card. He had my cash. If he was smart, and he clearly was, he would avoid major hotels with cameras and look for somewhere quiet.
"Check the old industrial parks near the waterfront," I told David, monitoring my phone. "Aiden mentioned the Harbor Street shelter was full. That shelter is right next to the abandoned railyard on 5th."
"There," David pointed toward a shadow moving beneath a rusted metal awning near an old grain silo.
Two small figures were huddled together under a thick tarp, trying to stay out of the wind. David pulled the SUV into a dark alleyway, turning off the headlights.
We threw open our doors and stepped out into the freezing rain.
"Aiden! Milo!" I called out softly, keeping my hands visible so as not to startle them.
The figures jumped. Aiden stepped out from under the tarp, holding a broken piece of metal pipe like a baseball bat, shielding Milo behind him.
"Stay back!" Aiden yelled, his voice cracking with fear. "I'm warning you!"
"Aiden, it's me," I said, stepping into the dim light of a streetlamp. "It's Eleanor. The woman from the diner."
May you like
Aiden lowered the pipe slightly, recognition flickering in his eyes, but then his gaze moved past me to David. His eyes widened in absolute terror.
"You..." Aiden gasped, pointing a shaking finger at David. "You're the doctor from the pictures! The one who left us there!"
