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.Which gave Max a chance to watch for another vehicle.Assuming the worst case meant he had to presume the CIA had already discovered where he’d left Erin’s rental car.A quick rewind on the security tapes from the remote parking lot meant they’d also know exactly what Max had driven off in.The camper-pickup was now a liability.And they’d likely be watching other airport parking lots, too.Good thing there were plenty of other choices.He circled the block and pulled around behind an old filling station.The CLOSED sign in the front window wasn’t what caught his eye.The portable sign near the road had.CONSTRUCTION AUCTION SAT.NIGHT, it read.Arrows pointed to the adjacent fenced-in lot filled with dump trucks, backhoes, cement mixers, and an assortment of passenger vehicles that looked destined for a junkyard.Erin sat up.“Why are we stopping here? Did you remember where you’re supposed to meet Taz?”“No.We need a different vehicle.”“So you’re just going to steal another one?” The contempt in her voice was undeniable.She probably thought he was a weasel.“Yes.I’m stealing another car.” At least he was an honest weasel.He attempted to reach for her thoughts, but it backfired with a spike of pain.He winced.She unbuckled her seat belt and scooted close.“Max, we need to get you to a hospital.”“That’s not going to happen.Voluntarily at least.Look, you asked to come along.If you’d like to part ways now, you can stay here.” He didn’t want her to leave, not until they’d found Taz.Maybe not even then.“I do want to help you.” She sounded sincere.“I just don’t want to cause anyone else harm or end up in jail.”“You won’t.Gather our things.I’ll be right back.” Climbing out of the truck, he grabbed a few tools from the back of the camper.The building didn’t have an alarm, and in less than a minute, Max jimmied the lock and slipped inside.Greasy gears and spare parts were scattered all over the floor.The desk was covered with tools and oil cans, but beside it was a small file cabinet marked KEYS/TITLE.Max pried the handle lock off and tugged the drawer open.Several sets of keys were tagged TAURUS.He grabbed all of them, then lifted a pair of bolt cutters from the desk.Erin sat on the truck’s bumper, their bags at her feet.“Hang tight,” he said.The bolt cutters worked magic on the locked fence chain.He pulled the truck inside the lot and closed the gate.The first two cars he tried had dead batteries.The third fired right up.They didn’t speak again until Max was headed back to the interstate driving a dusty blue Taurus.“Is that what they teach on The Farm?” she asked.She was, of course, referring to the CIA’s covert training facility, nicknamed The Farm.“Do you mean breaking and entering, or how to use bolt cutters?”“Either.”“I don’t remember.”“Amnesia or selective memory?”“A little of both.”“So what next?” she asked.“When we were being held, Taz and I agreed that if we escaped and were separated, we’d go to a special meeting place.”“You remembered!” Her voice was animated as if she was pleased he was opening up to her.“That’s great.Where?”“I don’t know.I’m getting everything in half measure.That’s one of the halves still missing.” Max glanced at the rearview to assure no one followed.“You mentioned hypnosis earlier.Could it help me retrieve the missing parts of my memory?”“Possibly.Have you ever been hypnotized before?”“No.What do you need to do it?”She sat up straight.“Mainly, we need a quiet place.Somewhere you feel comfortable enough to relax.The process itself is fairly simple.I’ll guide you, verbally, through a series of mind and body relaxation techniques with the intent of getting you into a trancelike state.Then I’ll make suggestions that you recall previous exchanges with Taz.”“And what if I’m not gullible enough to hypnotize?”She gave him a look.“You need to be open to the idea, or it won’t work
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