Page 21 of Guardian

“Card.” Logan tossed Winter’s credit card into the tray beneath the glass window that separated them, and watched as the clerk turned a handle to retrieve the card on her side.

“Debit or credit?”

“Credit.”

While the clerk entered the transaction, Logan exchanged a quick look with Winter, then glanced over his shoulder to the door through which he could see the bus to Chicago. The bus driver was helping passengers load their bags into a compartment underneath the seating area.

“Please sign here,” the clerk said.

Logan looked back at Winter, pulled the credit card receipt, the pen, and the credit card from the tray and stepped aside. “Winter?”

She took the pen and signed the receipt, then shoved both back into the tray for the clerk.

A moment later, Logan held two tickets for the bus to Chicago in one hand, Winter’s credit card in the other. He stepped away from the window and brought his head close to Winter’s.

“I want you to pretend to put your credit card back into your pocket, but drop it instead.”

She stared at him, stunned. “What?”

“Do it. This will be the last time you use it. It’s no use to us anymore. I’ve noticed a few guys in here that are just the type to pick it up and use it. That’s what we want. Somebody else using your card to cover our trail.”

“But they’ll ruin my credit.”

“That should be the least of your concerns. You’re running from demons.”

Winter sighed. “I guess you’re right.”

“I am. Now do it.”

He watched as Winter attempted to slip her card back into her jacket pocket, but dropped it to the floor instead.

“Good. Now let’s go. We’ve got a bus to catch,” he said and took her hand.

He led her to the bus and walked to the area where the bus driver was loading bags into the luggage compartment. Logan handed him his bag and watched him place it inside the compartment. When Winter made a motion to hand her bag to the driver, Logan stopped her.

“We’ll keep this one with us.”

He smiled at the bus driver then led Winter toward the line of people getting onto the bus. But instead of getting in line behind the other passengers, he led Winter past them and around the bus.

“But, the bus,” Winter protested, looking over her shoulder.

“We’ll take a different mode of transportation,” he assured her. “The bus was just a diversion.”

“But your bag—”

“All part of the plan. My cell phone is in there. If they’ve locked onto my GPS, they’ll think we’re indeed on our way to Chicago.” Winter didn’t need to know that by they he meant his own colleagues and not the demons. It would buy them some time until he’d devised a plan for how to convince the council to let Winter live, and figured out where to go in the meantime.

“Together with the fact that we bought tickets with your credit card, they’ll believe we’re headed to Chicago and will try to follow us.”

Winter’s expression changed to one of admiration. “This is not the first time you’ve done this, is it?”

“It won’t be the last either.” He steered Winter toward two parked buses.

“What are we doing?”

“Listen carefully.” He looked around, but nobody could see them here. And there were no cameras either. He’d checked. “I’m going to make us both invisible now. You need to keep holding my hand so I won’t have to expend too much energy. While we’re invisible, don’t talk unless there’s an emergency. People can still hear us. And they can bump into us. Understood?”

“You don’t want any of the traffic cameras in the city to pick us up,” she stated, understanding.