"Yep." Saul's stride didn't falter.

This guy had polite brush-offs down to an art. "Were you born here?"

"Yep."

It was a small connection, but it made Reegan smile. "Me too."

"Oh yeah?" Saul shot him a glance as they turned the corner onto a slightly quieter street. "What part?"

Res district three, Reegan almost blurted. "East of here." He watched Saul absorb and process the information. It wasn't the safest part of town these days. It wasn't exactly ritzy in Reegan's time either. "I moved when I started college."

"Where'd you go to school?"

Reegan clammed up. Enough oversharing. Eventually he'd slip, and based on what he'd seen of Saul so far, the other man wouldn't let a mistake like that go. In fact, he'd pick it apart until Reegan's half-truths and partial answers were forced into the light. The last thing he needed was Saul knowing Reegan attended Georgetown, a school only a few miles away. There'd be no explaining that.

He felt Saul's eyes on him, waiting for an answer. "It was a long time ago."

The corner of Saul's mouth twitched. "Fair enough."

Reegan breathed a sigh. They'd both keep their secrets for now. Although Saul's, however haunting, weren't going to be the ones to get them killed.

They checked a handful of hotels. Some of the buildings they stopped at didn't even have a sign out front, yet Saul seemed to know exactly what door to use and what to say to whoever was standing there. A few people recognized him. Reegan saw more than one do a double-take, but the old acquaintances never made trouble. After the third time it happened, Reegan relaxed a bit. Saul oozed competence in more than just driving. Maxie's instincts had paid off.

They turned a corner and Saul stopped, pointing at a set of concrete steps that led to a cracked glass door. "Last stop. It's getting too late to do much good."

Reegan bit back a frustrated sound and glanced up to the hotel's neon sign. One of the few buildings that had one. The Blue Moon Inn. He did a double-take. "I'm sensing a theme."

"Me too." Saul stood beside him, also staring upward. "Do you believe in coincidence?"

Reegan knew just enough about time travel to understand things weren't as random as people liked to hope. How that connected to day-to-day coincidence was a philosophical discussion for another time. "I do tonight."

Saul's shoulder bumped Reegan as he pushed past. "Stay outside for this one, okay? I don't want to intimidate anybody."

"You think I'm intimidating?"

"Just being outnumbered can make someone twitchy. I don't know anyone here. I have no idea what we're dealing with." He jogged the three steps to the door and pushed through into a dingy vestibule that Reegan assumed was the lobby. The doors sported a layer of yellow smoke residue that had settled darker orange where the glass was cracked. No matter how Reegan tilted his head, he couldn't see anything but shadows moving on the other side. Being left out made him nervous.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Saul, but Silvia's life wasn't the only one on the line here. The odds were against them, and Reegan wanted to improve that however he could. He wasn't going to judge the man because of a broken bottle of booze and shabby office. Carving an existence out of crappy circumstances was a universal plight. Hell, it was Reegan's plight.

After what felt like an hour, Reegan glanced at his bio bracelet. Only ten minutes had passed, but that was more than Saul should have needed for a few questions. Where the hell was he?

A figure pushed through the door and jogged down to the sidewalk. Reegan pressed back against the brick, tense, but the shadow had a familiar profile. "Saul," Reegan called, voice pitched low, and the figure swung his way. Saul didn't look like a cop, not how Reegan pictured them, but he moved like one, his stride that combination of relaxed ease and coiled tension that most people were never able to achieve. He did lots of things like that. Pushing aside his Pavlovian reaction, Reegan grabbed Saul's arm. "What took you so long?"

Saul peeled his fingers away. "I showed the guy inside Silvia's picture. He said he hadn't seen her."

Reegan's heart sank despite his annoyance. "Then why were you in there for ten minutes?"

Saul leaned close. Their cheeks brushed, and Reegan almost missed the soft words that followed. "Because he was lying."

No need to ask how he knew. Reegan knew a liar when he saw one too. It didn't take a genius to pick up on the obvious tells. "You got him to admit that?"

Saul nodded, gesturing for Reegan to follow. They turned right at the end of the block and began walking in the direction of the car. The buildings grew darker, the street more empty, but Reegan tried not to let it bother him. Saul glanced around as they walked, eyes scanning the deep shadows of alleys and recessed doorways. "He admitted it. Didn't take much."

"You threatened him?"

Saul cocked his head. "Threatened him? With what?"

Reegan opened and closed his mouth, mind spinning for an answer, but there was no salvaging the situation. "You just...look big. That's all. Thought you might use that."

A long silence followed. They walked another block before Saul answered. "I do use that. But very rarely. Nope, all it took was fifty bucks. Everyone has a price, and around here prices are rock bottom."

He stopped, and Reegan realized they were almost at the car, though the street looked a different place than an hour ago. Most of the signs were dark, and the few streetlamps didn't make up for the lack of light. A few people walked the sidewalks, but none were laughing. Their eyes followed Reegan and Saul, suspicious and a little afraid.

Reegan hunched his shoulders and kept his gaze averted.

Saul faced him, hands on his hips. "She asked him about Georgetown. The best way to get there. Places to stay in that area. Do you know why she'd focus in on that neighborhood?"

"No idea." He cringed at the blurted lie. "Well, maybe."

Saul waited for Reegan to explain, then continued when he didn't. "He also said she paid for a room here, but ran out about ten minutes later, and he got the impression she wouldn't be back."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"No. Maybe she got spooked by something. Does she know you'll be coming after her?"

Reegan considered what he knew of Silvia and added what he'd learned of Victor D'arco earlier in the evening. "She probably suspects somebody will come after her." But who? However she tried to cover her tracks to Blast in the Past-and she had, the disguise proved it-her cover had failed fast. D'arco knew where she was. But how could Silvia know that? She couldn't. Not yet. She probably suspected Reegan was on her tail, though.

Reegan grimaced and lifted his head to meet Saul's eyes. "She's probably expecting me to come after her. She was my responsibility tonight, and I screwed up by letting her get away."

Saul's left eye twitched a few times, but his voice stayed calm. "You implied as much."

"But she's not running from me. I mean, that's not what drove this whole thing in the first place. I promise you that."

"Right. You said she had a fight with her husband."

Reegan paced a tight circle on the sidewalk. "Yeah, something like that."

As calm as Saul appeared on the outside, his eyes swam with agitation. "Is this guy violent? Dangerous?"

They were going to have this conversation now? In the middle of the street in the dark? "He wasn't particularly polite. I don't know. I already told you, I just met him tonight. I don't know him from Adam." The reminder of that meeting had him reaching for one of his bruised wrists. He rubbed it through the cuff of his shirt.

Saul watched the gesture with knowing eyes.

Reegan shoved his hands in his pockets, and for several long seconds a tense silence spun out between them. Saul broke it by turning on his heel and starting toward the Rover. "We're done here for the night." He arched his back in a stretch as he walked, and more than one vertebrae cracked. "I'm going home. Grab a few hours of sleep. You still insist on tagging along tomorrow?"

"Yes."

Saul didn't even blink. "Be at my office at ten. We'll get a fresh start then."

Seven more hours that he'd be stuck in the past. But he couldn't ask Saul to work nonstop, and Reegan needed rest too. Eventually the ripples he was causing would catch up to him, and it wasn't going to be pretty, but for now he'd have to deal with the harsh reminder that he was human. Mortal. In need of sleep.

He peered into the night, hoping for a miracle. A glimpse. She'd been here, and not all that long ago. How was she faring with the timeline? Her ignorance of the Novikov Principle made him break out in a cold sweat. Who knew the risks she was taking. Probably best not to dwell on that if he wanted to get any sleep.

"Fine. Ten it is."

Saul punched the lock button on his keys as they neared the car. The Rover beeped. "Where are you staying? I can drop you."

Reegan shrugged. "Wherever's close. One of the shitholes we passed coming in."

Saul's stride faltered. "Seriously?"

"Why not? It's convenient." And now that the prospect of rest was near, he wanted it badly. What could happen to him while he was sleeping? Unless there was a fire. Or a robbery. Or lightning struck. A passing meteor wasn't out of the question. Reegan pressed at his temples when his head started to pound. God help him, at this rate he wouldn't be able to close his eyes.

Saul took his elbow. "You're carrying several thousand dollars in cash. How long do you think it's going to take for that information to make the rounds once you pay for your room?"

Reegan pursed his lips. "I'll make sure to lock my door, Mom."

"I'm not trying to patronize you." Saul's voice had softened, but the message was no-nonsense. "But you're putting yourself in unnecessary danger. I realize you can probably take care of yourself, but if you really are trying to help Silvia, you need to stay intact."

Right. At least for another day or so, until D'arco put a bullet in him when he stepped out of the portal. That kept the situation in perspective. As for holding his own in a rough neighborhood, Reegan had grown up in the toughest res district in D.C. He didn't need anyone holding his hand. "Listen-"

Something whizzed by his face, setting his skin aflame. Bricks shattered on the building behind him. Stunned, Reegan flinched as his cheek began to sting and warm liquid trickled down his jaw and onto his neck. "What the-" He got hit from behind before he could finish his sentence, and that heavy weight carried him roughly to the ground. The air whooshed out of his lungs. For several seconds the panic at not being able to draw a breath swamped him.

"Stop struggling." Saul's voice hissed in his ear. "Stay down."

Not a problem. Reegan pressed a palm to his stinging cheek and lowered his forehead to the concrete. He heard shouting down the street. A pop, then another, farther away. Then the night went quiet. Even the baby in the apartment above had stopped crying.

Saul shifted off of him. "Are you okay?"

"Not sure." He touched his cheek. The smell of blood was unmistakable now. "I think I just got shot."

"Good guess."

Reegan turned his head, blinking his vision clear in time to see a gun appear in front of his nose. "Shit!"

"Quiet."

"You have a gun."

"And you don't. So shut up."

It was an unequivocal order, delivered in a tone Reegan knew better than to argue with. He closed his eyes and concentrated on pulling air into his lungs. By the time Saul lifted himself to the side, most of the dizziness had passed. "What just happened?" he asked, hoping Saul heard the muffled question.

Saul sighed as sirens began to sound in the distance. "Not sure. Drug deal gone wrong?" He shifted to balance on the balls of his feet above Reegan, gun still pointed into the dark. "There's some gang activity in this neighborhood. Could've been that. It doesn't matter. It wasn't about us."

"It sure as hell feels like it was about us." Hand still pressed to his cheek, Reegan let Saul help him to his feet. "If it wasn't, then why did I get hit?"

"You didn't. At least not on purpose. It was just a stray bullet. An accident."

Reegan wasn't able to suppress the hysterical laughter. He'd been here less than eight hours, and already the universe was after him. He jerked his arm free of Saul's hold and started stumbling down the street.

Saul caught up with him quickly. "Where are you going?"

"To bed. I've had a shitty day. I fucked up on the job, and I'll probably get fired for it. I've been lied to, threatened and shot at. The only thing going for me right now is...hell, I don't even know. I'm going to try sleeping and see if I can survive that." At the end of the street, a flickering neon sign beckoned. Hotel. Vacancy. Cheap.

Perfect.

He dug in his pocket as he walked, looking for anything to stem the blood dripping from his jaw. "See you in the morning."

A cool, soft cloth pressed into his palm. A bright white handkerchief. Reegan looked stupidly at it until Saul lifted Reegan's hand, hanky and all, to his bleeding cheek. "It just grazed you, but it still needs cleaned and dressed. Let me take you to the hospital."

"No, thanks." He turned away as a police cruiser raced by. He knew as much field training as the next guide. He could perform his own medical care.

"Jesus, you are a stubborn bastard." Saul blew out a frustrated breath as they reached the street corner. "Then come back to my office. I've got a kick-ass first-aid kit and a fold-up cot in the coat closet. Sleep for a few hours, and we'll head out together later."

"You don't need to do that. This wasn't your fault."

"I'm aware of that." He met Reegan's measured expression, then led him back to the car. "Get in."

Chapter Six.

Saul used a cotton swab to spread antiseptic over the cut bisecting Reegan's cheek. "You're lucky."

"Now that's funny. You just don't understand why."

The gentle touch withdrew, and a clean bandage appeared. Reegan gritted his teeth while Saul pressed at the adhesive edges. He'd offered to tend to the cut himself, had insisted on it, but Saul had ignored the request, stopping only to wrestle the rollaway cot from the coat closet before manhandling Reegan into the bathroom, stripping off his bloodstained shirt and pushing him onto the seat of the commode.

"I mean this could have been a lot worse. A few inches one way or the other, and you'd be dead."

"Is this a pep talk? Because it's atrocious."

He scored a lopsided smile in answer. One by one, Saul repacked the medical supplies into his first-aid kit. Bandages. Alcohol. Cotton swabs. He took his time, swaying into Reegan's personal space every few seconds, passing close enough for Reegan to feel the gentle whoosh of displaced air and catch a whiff of Saul's aftershave.

He endured the routine with rising frustration, and as soon as Saul stopped fussing and stepped back, Reegan escaped. He might have been injured, exhausted and on the run for his life, but none of that tempered his reaction to having Saul's hands on him or his face inches away. Not once while he was playing doctor had Saul given the impression he wanted to engage in the more energetic version of the game. Focused, hands steady, he'd tended to Reegan with cool professionalism. It chafed that Reegan had trouble controlling his impulse to touch when Saul obviously didn't.

His original plan, upon being forced back to Saul's office, had been to accept a Band-Aid and get out. But the sight of the rollaway bed leaning against the far wall, pile of linens on top, undid all his good intentions. He stumbled over and pressed his forehead against the stack of cool, clean sheets. "Hello, bed."

"It's pretty comfortable, believe it or not."

Reegan turned to see Saul lounging in the doorway, a clean white T-shirt in his hand. He stepped forward to offer it to Reegan.

"Thanks. Where do you sleep?"