Chapter 6
Panic threatened to paralyze Clara, but years of running a small business through hard times had forged a resilient core within her. Running was not an option—not with the black SUV parked across the street, and certainly not with the dog standing loyally by her side. She needed information, and she needed a plan.
Moving quickly, she grabbed her keys, locked the front door of Paws & Polish, and flipped the sign from Open to Closed. She drew the heavy fabric blinds over the front windows, plunging the street-facing side of the shop into shadow while keeping the back grooming area illuminated. The Golden Retriever trotted after her, its footsteps silent on the linoleum. When she knelt to secure its collar—a simple nylon strap she had fashioned from a spare leash—the dog leaned its heavy head against her shoulder, offering an anchor of steadfast calm in the middle of a gathering storm.
"We need to find Arthur," Clara whispered into the dog's soft fur. "Where did he go?"
She remembered the rusted pickup truck and the direction it had taken—north toward the old industrial park on the outskirts of town, an area filled with abandoned textile mills and decaying warehouses. It was a place where people went to hide things they didn't want found.
Clara retrieved her heavy waterproof coat from the back room, slipped the microfilm and the titanium capsule into a zippered interior pocket, and grabbed her car keys. Her reliable sedan was parked in the alley behind the shop, shielded from the view of the street and the ominous SUV.
May you like
As she opened the rear exit door into the alley, a sudden gust of wind whipped rain into her face. She bundled the dog into the back seat of her car, tossing a clean towel over its damp back. "Stay," she commanded gently. The dog settled immediately onto the floorboards, its dark eyes reflecting the amber glow of the alley's lone functioning streetlamp.
Clara climbed into the driver's seat, her hands steadying as she turned the ignition. The engine purred to life, the heater instantly blowing warm air across the dashboard. She didn't turn on her headlights immediately, letting the car roll backward down the dark alley until she reached the side street. Putting the transmission into drive, she tapped the gas pedal and headed north into the driving rain, leaving Paws & Polish—and the black SUV watching it—behind in the dark.
