Chapter 30. A Calculated Move

Daniel POV

I managed to grab roughly an hour of sleep before forcing myself awake and heading back out. It hardly felt like enough rest, but at this point, every extra minute of shut-eye counted. When I slid open the truck door, Skyler was already there, reclining in the driver’s seat with his head tipped back and his eyes closed. Through the thin channel of his earbuds, the snarling bass of some aggressive metal track thrummed in steady pulses. His body lay still—so still that for a second I wasn’t sure if he was even conscious. Rather than risk startling him by leaning over or tapping on glass, I reached through our mind-link.

I’m here, I thought. Yeah, I know, came his quiet reply.

I opened the back door and tossed in my duffel bag, heavy with spare clothes and gear. It thudded onto the seat beside him and settled. The faint jingle of zipper pulls echoed in the quiet cabin.

Since my father’s despicable verdict against Elizabeth, I hadn’t crossed paths wi