Nowhere to Hide
881 Words
Maya’s grip tightened around the doorknob. The motel room was pitch black now, the only light coming from Ava’s laptop screen—until she slammed it shut.
The silence outside was suffocating. No footsteps. No voices. Just the hum of distant traffic filtering through the thin motel curtains.
But they both knew.
Someone was out there.
Ava’s fingers curled around the knife. “We go out the back.” Her voice was low, steady.
Maya swallowed, nodding.
They moved quickly, Ava leading the way. She unlatched the motel window and pushed it open with a soft creak. The air outside was thick with the scent of rain and asphalt.
Maya hesitated for only a second before climbing through. The moment her feet hit the damp ground, Ava was right behind her.
The alley behind the motel was dark and narrow, lined with dumpsters and flickering streetlights. The kind of place where shadows stretched too far and noises played tricks on the mind.
Ava grabbed Maya’s wrist and whispered, “We keep moving. No looking back.”
But Maya did look back.
And that’s when she saw it.
A figure, standing at the edge of the alley, half-hidden in the darkness.
Tall. Still. Watching.
Maya’s breath caught. “Ava—”
Ava didn’t stop. “I know.”
They turned the corner, stepping onto a quiet street. An old gas station loomed up ahead, its neon sign buzzing faintly in the night.
Ava pulled Maya toward it. “We need a ride.”
Maya was barely keeping up, her pulse pounding in her ears. “How do you know we’re not walking right into another trap?”
Ava didn’t answer. Instead, she pushed open the door to the gas station, the chime above them ringing too loudly in the stillness.
The clerk barely glanced up from behind the counter. He was young, probably no older than twenty, scrolling through his phone.
Ava walked straight to the coolers at the back, grabbed two water bottles, and leaned in toward Maya. “We need to check your phone.”
Maya’s stomach twisted. She already knew what Ava was going to say.
“The tracker,” Maya murmured.
Ava nodded. “We ditch it. Now.”
Maya hesitated, gripping the device that had been practically glued to her hand for days. But there was no choice.
She turned, scanning the station. Then her eyes landed on the back of the store—right near the entrance to the restroom.
A man.
Broad shoulders. Hood pulled low over his face.
Not moving.
Just watching.
Maya’s fingers went cold.
She turned back to Ava, her voice barely above a whisper. “We’re not alone.”
Ava stiffened. Her eyes flicked up, meeting Maya’s, and without another word, she moved. Fast.
She grabbed Maya’s phone, stepped toward the nearest shelf, and slipped the device into a stranger’s shopping bag.
Maya’s breath hitched. The man near the restroom shifted slightly, angling his head—as if listening.
The gas station door chimed again.
Another figure entered.
This one was different. He didn’t bother hiding his face.
Rugged. Late thirties. Dressed like he belonged anywhere and nowhere at the same time. His gaze swept the store, and when his eyes landed on Maya—he smiled.
Not a friendly smile.
A knowing one.
Ava grabbed Maya’s arm. “Time to go.”
Maya barely had time to register what was happening before Ava shoved the water bottles onto the counter, threw down a few bills, and yanked Maya toward the side exit.
The air outside felt colder than before.
Ava didn’t stop moving. “Come on.”
Maya chanced one last glance over her shoulder.
The rugged man had stepped outside now, standing beneath the flickering gas station lights.
Still smiling.
And then—he raised his hand to his ear.
Ava cursed. “They’re coordinating.”
Maya’s heart pounded. “How do they keep finding us?”
Ava pulled her toward the road. “Because we were never off the grid.”
Maya’s breath hitched.
“We need a car,” Ava said. “Now.”
Maya turned, scanning the street. A silver sedan sat parked nearby, engine off, but the driver inside.
Ava made a split-second decision.
She sprinted toward it, knocked sharply on the window, and flashed her best ‘I’m-in-trouble’ expression.
The driver—a man in his fifties—looked hesitant but rolled the window down an inch. “Can I help you?”
Ava didn’t hesitate. “Yes. We need to get out of here. Right now.”
Maya stepped closer, lowering her voice. “Someone is following us.”
The man frowned, glancing toward the gas station.
The rugged man had stepped further into the street now, walking toward them.
The driver must’ve seen something in their faces, because suddenly—he reached across the seat and unlocked the door.
“Get in.”
Maya didn’t need to be told twice. She slid into the backseat, Ava right behind her.
The moment the doors slammed shut, the driver put the car into gear.
As they pulled away, Maya twisted around in her seat.
The rugged man had stopped walking.
But he was still watching.
And he wasn’t smiling anymore.
To be continued…
- Writer
