by L. T. Ryan
So Jack put his hand on her shoulder and led her to the van. He nodded toward Bear, who opened the door to the truck’s cab and helped Alex down. Then Bear, Alex and Jon got inside the van, joined by Jack and Sasha. Ragged breathing led to steamed windows. Jon fired up the engine, hit the accelerator. Windows went down and cool air wrapped in smoke whipped around inside.
They were halfway down the street when Jack yelled, “Stop!”
Jon slammed on the brakes. The van veered toward the ditch, stopped when the front tire hit the grass.
“What is it?” Jon said.
“Mason didn’t get in,” Jack said.
Jon put the van in reverse and traveled backward almost as fast as he had forward. He went easier on the brakes this time and they came to stop next to where Mason was standing. The man got inside without a word and without making eye contact with any of them. Sasha slid over rather than making Mason climb over her.
Jack took one last look at the house. The firefighters had the blaze under control and confined to one small portion of the home. The charred remains rose into the night like a slumbering dinosaur skeleton. He thought about the men who perished inside and he wondered if Naseer had men in there who had managed to escape. Owen, for instance. They’d seen him earlier at the store, but there had been no evidence that he had been inside the house. Mason had told him they only found Naseer and two of his men. Where had Owen gone? Was the guy on the run with Mason’s partner?
Mason yawned, stretched his arms. He turned in his seat and leaned against the van’s sliding door. He looked toward Jack. The two men stared at each other for a moment.
“What?” Mason said.
“Nothing,” Jack said.
He had questions for the guy, but not now. He let his gaze drift and settle on Sasha. Their gazes lingered on one another for an uncomfortable moment. Then the woman had the same idea as Mason. She shifted in her seat and leaned back against the window and let her eyes slowly shut.
“Don’t close your eyes,” Jack said.
“Why?” she said.
“Your concussion.”
“But I’m sleepy.”
“Exactly.”
“Just five minutes, Dad.”
Jack shook his head, tapped Bear on the knee. “Flick her any time she closes her eyes for more than five seconds.”
They remained quiet for a few minutes. The sound of the tires gliding along the asphalt was like a 747’s turbine.
Bear leaned forward and said, “Can you check and make sure Mandy’s doing all right?”
“Gloria too,” Mason added.
Jack lifted an eyebrow. Had the forced time together helped the couple settle a few issues? Mason dismissed him with a flick of his hand.
From the front of the van, Alex placed a call to his staff and verified that Mandy and Gloria were safe and doing well. Jack wondered about Mia and Erin. He’d heard nothing of Erin’s condition since he last spoke with Dottie. Now that the raid was finished, his thoughts centered on the women and Mia. He cycled through his phone and found Leon’s number. He sent a text asking about Erin’s condition.
A two word response followed.
Doing OK.
That would have to do, Jack figured. He’d go visit her the first chance he got. Knowing that Erin had pulled through eased his mind. He leaned back, let his head fall to the side. The image of the burning house seemed etched into his mind’s eye. He replaced the flames with the faces that surrounded him, and the faces of those he wished surrounded him. A couple of the faces remained the same. Then, after several moments of focusing on Erin and Mia, a new face appeared. With hair as rich and red as the flames that engulfed the house, and eyes as deep as the emerald sea, Clarissa smiled and reached out for him. And in her imagined embrace, Jack drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 55
Hannah took off her thin blue jacket and placed it over Mia. The girl had laid down a few hours earlier, her body stretched across three chairs. The cool temperature and relaxing ambient lighting made the small room more conducive to sleeping than the main waiting room. It also helped that they were alone. At the same time, that fact made Hannah more than a little uneasy.
A group of men had shown up at Dottie’s an hour after Leon and Clarissa had left with Erin. They had come inside and set up in various rooms in the house, and said nothing. Dottie had spoken with one man at length, and he escorted Hannah and Mia to the hospital. And then he left.
They had been kept in the dark about Erin’s condition since their arrival. Clarissa had spoken briefly with them, but Leon had yet to be seen. To make matters worse, they wouldn’t allow Mia to see her mother. This frightened Hannah, and she had begun to expect the worst. She put on a brave face for Mia, but with the little girl asleep, she no longer had to.
So she rose and went to the window that overlooked the city. Tears distorted the view. Lights burst into a kaleidoscope of colors. She choked back a sob, wrapped her arms across her chest and hugged tight. Tears slid down her cheeks. They were as much a result of the moment as a reaction to the cumulative events.
What would happen to Mia, she wondered, if Erin didn’t make it? Surely, the child could not live with Dottie. Not now, not with everything Erin had discovered about the woman. The truth had come out about Jack being the father, but she considered him to be in no position to raise a child. She doubted he could take care of himself, let alone a kid, if forced into a regular lifestyle. She didn’t know him all that well, but it was obvious the guy wasn’t cut out for the nine to five.
Hannah lifted her head and adjusted her gaze toward the horizon. The first traces of the sunrise appeared in the distance. Dark blue faded to pale. She glanced at her watch. Five-fifteen a.m. Would they hear something soon?
She turned and walked toward Mia. The girl had pulled herself into a ball and now occupied the better part of two seats. Hannah settled near Mia’s head. She stroked the girl’s hair, letting the ends pass through the folds of her fingers and cascade down around Mia’s head.
“Mummy,” Mia whispered.
“Shh, get your rest, sweetie.”
Mia pushed herself up, looked at Hannah, smiled. She scooted closer, then laid her head down on Hannah’s lap. The girl fell asleep a few moments later.
Hannah eased back in her chair. Her gaze settled on the eastern skyline. It grew lighter and lighter. Pale blue had been replaced with tinges of pink and orange. The city, as she could see it, looked fresh and new.
This will be a great day, she thought.
The feeling in her stomach told her that was wishful thinking.
She turned her head to the left. A man stood in the hallway. He stared at them through the window. Hannah flinched at the sight of the guy. He stood tall, over six foot. Even in the dim light, his blue eyes stood out. He kept his hands in the pockets of his khaki pants. His gaze switched between her and Mia.
Hannah sat up straight, pulled Mia closer. She had no escape route should the guy come inside the room. One door that led to the hall. One window that led to a ten meter drop. She glanced toward the door, saw no way of locking it from the inside. She looked back toward the man. He remained in place, his gaze fixed on her.
The urge to cry had come over her again. She fought it back. Her mind raced to place the man. Had he been at the house? Perhaps he’d been sent to watch over them. Wasn’t that the point of Leon’s team, anyway? To keep her and Mia safe?
The guy’s head jerked to the right, then snapped back into place. He pulled out his right hand, tapped on the glass, then pointed at Hannah. He mouthed something, but she couldn’t make out what he said. Should she get up? Go to the door? Scream?
She hugged Mia tighter. By this point, the girl had awoken and taken note of the man.
“Who’s that?”
“I don’t know, baby.”
“What’s he want?”
Hannah didn’t answer.
The guy looked to his right again, then turned to his left and walked away. He dr
agged the tips of his fingers along the glass as he went.
Hannah took a deep breath. Her shaky exhale did not go unnoticed by Mia.
“What’s wrong? Who was that man?”
She let go of Mia and rose. “I don’t know.” She pressed her face against the window and looked down the hall in the direction the guy had gone. Fluorescent light fixtures lined the ceiling. Their yellow-white glow reflected off of the linoleum floor. The man was not out there, though. Had he ducked into another room? Made it to the end and already rounded the corner? Would he come back?
She decided they had to leave the room and find someplace where others would see if something happened to them.
“Mia, I think we should go.”
Mia said nothing. The girl’s breathing had become loud and fast.
Hannah took a step to the left and placed her hand on the door handle. It turned on its own.
CHAPTER 56
The door didn’t immediately open. It felt stuck, or blocked perhaps. Clarissa pushed her shoulder into it once, twice. Finally, on the third attempt, she managed to get it open and wedge her left leg inside.
“Go away,” Hannah said.
“It’s Clarissa,” she said.
The door jerked open and Hannah threw her arms around Clarissa’s neck. The woman began sobbing. Her tears coated Clarissa’s cheek.
“Are you OK?” Clarissa said.
Hannah didn’t reply. She continued to cry.
Clarissa hugged her tight and repositioned so she could see the entire room. She smiled at Mia, who looked as frightened as Hannah sounded.
“Did you recognize that man?” Clarissa said.
“No,” Hannah said in between ragged breaths.
“I was coming down to check on you two and saw him standing at the window. He didn’t look like he belonged. I yelled at him, asked who he was. He didn’t say anything. I started running, that’s when he took off. He turned the corner before I got to the door.”
“So he’s not one of Leon’s guys?”
“Him? No.”
“What did he want with us?”
“I don’t know.”
“What if he comes back?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not leaving you two.”
The words seemed to settle Hannah. After all, she’d seen what Clarissa was capable of.
“How’s my mummy?” Mia asked.
Clarissa moved Hannah to the side and went to the girl. She seated herself next to Mia. Took the child’s hand in hers.
“Is she OK?” Mia asked.
“Your mom is a fighter,” Clarissa said. “She’s very tough. The doctor in that small village made a little mistake.” She held her thumb and forefinger close together to emphasize the point. “But these doctors here, they took care of it. She had a quick surgery to repair her leg. She got through it fine and has been resting ever since. She should be able to leave in a day or two.”
“So she’s OK?” Mia said.
“She’s OK,” Clarissa said.
Hannah collapsed into the seat next to Mia and brought both hands to her face. Clarissa realized the woman had never been through anything like the past few days.
“When can I see her?” Mia said.
“As soon as she wakes up. You’ll get to visit with her for a bit, then I’m taking you two away for a while.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to stay with my mum.”
Clarissa stroked the child’s hair. “You will. She’s going to join us soon, along with Leon. We’ll be safe and we’ll wait this craziness out. Once everything is back to normal, you’ll go home with your mom.”
Mia eased into her seat, closed her eyes. Hannah did the same.
Clarissa watched the hall for a while. No one passed by. She shifted her gaze to the window and watched the sun rise and the sky fade from blue to pink to red to faint orange. Would this day be better than the past few? She knew she had to check in with Sinclair soon. She planned to tell him everything that had occurred. He’d find out eventually, so there was no point in hiding any of it. It’d be better that he heard it from her. Nothing that had happened could be pinned on her, either. If her cover had been blown, so be it. He could fire her for all she cared.
She wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep when the door opened. Before she opened her eyes, she had her pistol in hand and aimed at the man who stood in the open doorway.
“Relax,” he said.
She blinked a few times and then smiled at Leon. “Sorry. There had been a man watching the room when I arrived.”
“A man? What did he look like?”
“Kinda tall. Blond hair, blue eyes. Maybe in his forties.”
Leon shrugged. “That’s probably ten percent of London.”
“At least.”
“He never came back?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Erin’s up and would like to see Mia.”
Clarissa reached over and shook the girl by the shoulder. Mia sat up, smiled at Leon. Hannah woke, too. They all rose and left the room. Leon led them through the maze of halls, into an elevator, through another maze of halls. Ten minutes later, they stood outside of Erin’s room.
“Just one at a time,” Leon said.
Mia stepped into the room. The little girl cried and was comforted by her mother.
Clarissa moved away from the doorway. She leaned against the wall, pulled out her cell phone. She stared at the screen, as if she expected someone to call at that moment. No one did. It wouldn’t be long, though. She was sure of that.
Mia came out of the room. Tear tracks stained her cheeks, but the smile plastered across her face told a different story. She reached out and hugged Hannah, who then went in to visit with Erin.
Clarissa went to Mia and took the girl’s hand in hers. They waited in silence with Leon a few feet away.
Hannah stepped into the hallway and said, “She’d like to see you.”
“Me?” Clarissa walked past Hannah and into the room.
Erin righted herself in the hospital bed. She nodded, smiled and patted the mattress. Clarissa went to her, leaned with her hip against the bed.
“You’ll take good care of my baby, won’t you?”
“The best care,” Clarissa said.
“I trust you, Clarissa. And I’m sorry about the things I said about Jack. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Clarissa shook her head. “No offense taken. In the end, I believe you’re right. I think that’s the reason I ran from him.”
Erin reached out and placed her hand on Clarissa’s. “You shouldn’t.”
“Shouldn’t what?”
“Run.”
“Too late.”
“It’s only too late when it’s too late. And it’s not for you two. Not yet. He’s close by. When all this is over, you need to go to him. He’s ready now, I can see that. He wasn’t when the two of us were together. Too many demons to expel, I suppose. I can tell that he wants something, someone. A new life. He didn’t want that when I was around. You, Clarissa, are the game changer. I’m certain of that. Promise me that you won’t run again. I care for Jack, but there is nothing for me and him. There can be for you and him, though.”
Clarissa smiled. The woman had read her thoughts and feelings and made sense of them and reported them back to Clarissa in a way that clarified them for her. Erin was right. Clarissa wanted to be with Jack. She was ready. Jack was ready. Together, they could start the life she dreamed they could have together.
“I should get moving,” Clarissa said as she rose and turned toward the doorway.
“Clarissa,” Erin said.
She turned, said nothing.
“Take care of my baby.”
Clarissa nodded, then left the room.
Leon handed her a piece of paper. “Don’t open it until you get to the bus station. If something happens, or if someone appears, tear it up, get rid of it. Understand?”
“OK.” Clarissa tucked the paper into her pocket wi
thout looking at it.
“Everything you need is written there. The bus to take, the stop you’ll get off at, and directions from there.”
“OK, I got it.” She pushed past him and took Mia’s hand.
“I’ll be along as soon as they discharge Erin,” he said. “Hopefully today, but maybe tomorrow. We’ll likely be without Dottie for a few days. I don’t know yet. But once we’re all together, we’ll start the next leg of the journey.”
“To where?”
Leon shook his head. “Not yet.”
They exchanged phone numbers and said goodbye. Leon lifted Mia and hugged her. Then he sent the girl and Hannah down the hall to wait.
“Take this,” he said as he handed Clarissa a small backpack.
The bag was heavy, yet not bulky. “What is it?”
“My spare Browning. You need it more than I do right now. It’s a great backup piece, or if worst comes to worst, Hannah can use it.”
“Think she knows what to do with it?”
“She grew up in the woods with a crazy survivalist for a father. She knows.”
Clarissa slung the bag over her shoulder, then reached out and hugged Leon. She kissed his cheek. The stubble on his face bit into her lips like tiny shards of glass.
“Go on, get out of here,” he said. “We’ll see each other no later than tomorrow night.”
Clarissa turned and caught up to Mia and Hannah. She continued on with caution, investigated every hall they passed, looked into every room with an uncovered window. The man hadn’t returned, but that didn’t mean he’d left. For all she knew, he could be close by watching, waiting.
They exited the hospital. The morning air was warm and fragranced with exhaust. She knew where they had to go, but had no idea how to get there.
“Where to?” Hannah asked. Perhaps she sensed Clarissa’s indecisiveness.
“Bus station.”
“I’m hungry,” Mia said.
“I’m sure there’ll be something to eat there,” Clarissa said.
“But I want to eat now,” Mia said.
Hannah knelt down. “Mia, we have to get going now. There’s no time to stop. OK? We’ll eat as soon as we can.”