Where the Ghosts Lie

Chapter Ten

Toby led Nolan into Grace's room, where she sat on the floor amongst a plethora of supplies, sorting it all frantically. Her face had gained its color and her demeanor was a lot more stable, but she looked extremely worried. She wore a cream-colored leather jacket and her curly hair was tied into a messy ponytail.

"Nolan, I got some new clothes for you." She said, tossing a bundle to Nolan.

He caught it and examined the things strewn across the wooden floor. There were three cell phones, handguns, knives, earpieces, and boxes of ammunition.

"Well you sure didn't waste any time." Nolan remarked.

"Nope." Grace arranged three backpacks in front of her and began tossing the supplies inside. "We need to get out of here as soon as possible. Oh, I also bought snacks...just in case." She announced with a wink that brightened her face for half a second, displaying three packages of chocolate.

She leaned around to look at Toby behind Nolan. "Ah, they fit!"

Nolan hadn't noticed that he was dressed in new dark-colored pants and a thick long-sleeved shirt.

"Like a glove." Toby said, rolling up the sleeves and looking at Nolan. "You're up next."

He changed clothes in Grace's bathroom, happy to get rid of his still-bloody shirt and ripped jeans. He pulled on a thick-knit shirt that had two round buttons at the collar and a black leather jacket. It fit perfectly.

When he walked out, Grace was busily filling the backpacks with the weapons and cell phones.

"Let me go get my rifle." Toby said, jogging quickly out of the room.

Once he was gone, Nolan turned to Grace. "Did you talk to Howard about letting you out of the mission?"

She paused for a brief moment. "I did. He said it would be best for me to stay." She said simply.

Nolan nodded, but wasn't convinced. Something was off in that situation.

When Toby came back they made their way out of the inn as quietly as possible.

"I also rented a car in town." Grace explained hurriedly, leading the way to a parking lot located a few buildings down.

"How long was I asleep?" Nolan muttered to Toby.

"Only twenty minutes or so." He shrugged. "She's fast."

Nolan got into the driver's seat of a black SUV.

Grace scooted into the back and handed out backpacks as they sped along the road.

"James said he'd send us the coordinates to the suspected location in a few—" Toby looked down at the phone Grace had given them when a soft ding! sounded.

"The Kavala Private School. That's where they think it's planted." Toby read, tapping the screen and accessing the map James had attached.

"A school?" Grace repeated. "What day is it? Saturday? There shouldn't be any kids there...but wait, how did Colossus plant an EMP in there without getting in major trouble?"

Nolan sped up along the main road. "Maybe it's mobile. How far away is it?"

"About an hour and a half...it's all the way across Kavala." Toby said.

In a way, Nolan was glad they had a bit of a drive. "Is Howard going to send backup?"

"That's what he said." Grace replied. "I...talked to him while I was out. He told us to wait near the area until it arrives. It could be a couple days."