by Robin Roseau
“And you’re fifteen. You won’t be able to rent a car. So unless Zoe can rent it for you, you won’t be renting any cars. First, let’s assume she has her driver’s license and a credit card. What are the dangers of renting?”
“We’ll show up in the records. If it’s some sort of government agency after us, the rental agency could stall us until law enforcement arrived. Also, because we’re in the records, we won’t know who has access to that information.”
“What else?”
Monique cocked her head. “I don’t know.”
“There are several dangers,” Elisabeth said. “Do you need help?”
“Accidents.”
“Yes. I hadn’t been thinking of that. Dangers closer to emergency status.”
I watched her think about it. I didn’t know what Elisabeth was looking for.
“A hint,” Elisabeth said. “I am thinking of two, both of which have to do with distance.”
“It’s a long drive home,” Monique said. “We would be very tired, raising the risk of an accident.”
“Who would drive the car?”
“I would,” Monique said.
Elisabeth pursed her lips, and Portia shifted in her seat.
“Or not?”
“Do you have a driver’s license?” Elisabeth asked.
“I have a permit. If Zoe sits in the front seat, as a licensed driver, I’m legal to drive.”
“Your permit is from Wisconsin. Do you know the rules for unlicensed drivers in other states?”
“No.”
“Neither do I.” Elisabeth paused. “That’s a risk that you should probably accept, but what’s the danger if you’re driving?”
“I can’t watch traffic as well. In case we’re being chased.” She paused. “Zoe should drive, at least until we clear the immediate area.”
“You’re a young driver, and Zoe is human. It’s been a long day of travel, and Zoe is showing a little stress besides. Neither of you are going to be able to make it straight through, even if you share the driving. What do you do?”
“Once we’re out of Florida, find a place to sleep for a few hours.”
“Like what?”
“Rest stop?”
“Bad idea. Rest stops get checked. Why not a motel?”
“For the same reason renting a car is dangerous, but at least in the car, we’re moving. A motel is a fixed location.”
Elisabeth nodded. “You need to find somewhere a parked car won’t be unusual. And you need to stay on watch. Let Zoe sleep. Two hours, no more, then wake her up and have her drive for four hours while you sleep. Then you take over.”
“Yes, Elisabeth.”
“All right, there’s another nearby danger in driving out of here. It also has to do with distance. Do you know what it is?”
She thought about it. “No, I’m sorry.”
“Where are we?”
“Key West.”
“All right. Do you know the route out of here?”
“Um. Take the highway to Miami.”
“What do you know about that highway?”
“Um.” She didn’t say anything.
“All right. The keys are islands. There is a highway all the way from Miami to Key West. But there are bridges between each of the islands. It’s the only route, and so if anyone is looking for you, they can pick anywhere and watch.”
“Ohhh,” said Monique. “Should I have known that?”
“We talked about it during the briefing, but I didn’t stress it. I should have. What are you going to do about it?”
“Try to disguise ourselves. And tailgate a big truck so it’s harder to see us. With Zoe driving, I can slip down in my seat so I look smaller.”
“Are there other options?”
“I don’t know.”
“May I?” I asked.
“Sure,” said Elisabeth.
“Boat. It’s good weather. I wouldn’t rent a car. I’d steal a boat.”
“You won’t steal one with enough gas to make it to Miami. What would you do about that?”
“Keep an eye on it and then land at one of the other keys, then send Zoe to buy more gas.”
“I’m supposed to stay with her!”
“So you take her with you,” Elisabeth said. “You won’t make it to Miami before dark. Are you going to steal a boat you can run at night?”
“No. But we can find somewhere safe to anchor. I bet we can tie up below the causeway or in the lee of one of the keys.”
Elisabeth glanced at me. “Portia?”
“I’d go by boat,” she said. “If you steal something, it has to be something below notice, but I might be tempted to talk my way onto something bigger.” She paused. “Two women could sweet talk their way to Miami. I don’t think that’s a good choice for Monique, at least until she’s a little older. Another choice would be to sweet talk a trucker. I might have to promise favors, but if it gets us out of the area, that’s not so bad.”
I knew what kind of favors she meant; I wasn’t sure if Monique did.
“All right,” said Elisabeth. “Let’s say you get to Miami. Then what?”
“Find a phone and call home.”
“Good. Let’s say for some reason you can’t.”
“Then we drive.”
“What route?”
“Um. I’d have to look at a map. I suppose the shortest route.”
“The shortest route is through Georgia. The Madison pack is unwelcome in Georgia.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that.”
“Also, you are again taking the obvious route. So what I’d want you to do is drive out via Pensacola. Drive to Mobile then head northwest until you cross the Mississippi. Cross back at St. Louis. Then take the best route to Eau Claire. Stay out of Georgia and Iowa.”
“Elisabeth?” I said. I didn’t know if she’d be upset if I asked questions.
“Go ahead,” she said.
“How likely is this?”
“Close to zero. But close to zero is not zero. And even if absolutely nothing happens, someday Monique is going to need her training. We don’t know when, and we don’t know how. You may be there; you may not be. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I said. “May I keep going?”
“Sure,” she said.
“What if I don’t have my driver’s license and the weather is too rough for a boat?”
“Good question. Monique?”
“Steal a car,” Monique replied. “Something not too flashy. But there’s a lot of risk.” She paused. “I know what Portia meant about sweet talking a trucker. That’s probably safer.”
“Elisabeth…” I whined.
She actually turned to look at me. “In a situation like the type we’re discussing, I would expect you to discuss alternative ideas with your security detail, but in the end, you will do what you’re told. Am I clear?”
“But-”
“Am I clear?” she asked more forcefully.
I lowered my eyes. “I don’t like it.”
“Do you think we do?” Portia asked. “And I’m not just talking about Monique.”
“But-” I paused. “She doesn’t have a license but she has a permit. I presume that means she’s fifteen. I would be the adult.” I looked up and stuck my jaw out.
Elisabeth studied me. “Replace Monique with Angel,” she said. “Then what?”
“I have no reason to believe Angel is any more capable of getting me home than I can get myself home. I’m not entirely helpless.” I smiled. “Why is your-” I broke off. I almost said ‘enforcer’, which may not have been a good word to use in public. “-employee not using the resources at her disposal?”
“What resources?”
“Access to GreEN’s network,” I replied. “Key West is a mecca for environmentalists. If there are fewer than fifteen GreEN members here, I’d be surprised. Get me in front of a computer and I can get us on a boat or borrow a car without all this dangerous subterfuge.”
Elisabeth nodd
ed. “Monique, what is your response to Zoe’s comments?”
“She’s right,” Monique said. “I’m-”
“Young and full of potential,” I inserted. “And physically far more capable than I am. But it is a mistake to treat me as entirely incompetent.”
Elisabeth nodded. “I would like an answer to my question. What if it’s Angel instead of Monique?”
“I would trust Monique to spirit me out of immediate danger,” I said, “and I wouldn’t fight her, Angel, or anyone else. But if we’re then talking about getting home, then I would expect to be involved in the decisions.”
“And if you can’t reach accord, who has final authority?” Elisabeth asked.
I looked down again. I didn’t want to answer. When I didn’t say anything, Elisabeth snorted for a moment, then asked, “All right. If it’s you and me, who has final authority in a situation like that?”
“You,” I said in a small voice.
“You and Portia?”
I sighed. “Portia. And before you ask, Karen or Serena.”
“Rory?” Rory was significantly younger than I was, and seemed very young at times. I didn’t have much confidence in his judgment. On the other hand, Elisabeth knew him far better than I did, and she trusted him.
“Rory, but that’s harder to answer,” I admitted.
“Angel?” Elisabeth asked.
I didn’t answer.
“Zoe,” Elisabeth said gently, “there’s only one answer, and you have to admit it. This is important.”
“She’s half my age with even less experience. I bet I’m far more traveled than she is. I bet she’s never been arrested.”
Elisabeth scoffed. “That’s true.”
I looked up. “I bet I’m more qualified to get us home than she is. I bet I’m more qualified than Rory, too. I know I’m more qualified than Monique. And I just might be more qualified than you are. Did you think of using my network?”
“No,” she admitted. “I didn’t.”
“I bet you just would have charged ahead, barking orders without even telling me what we were doing.”
“Was that a joke?”
“Was what a joke?”
“Barking orders?”
“Oh. No. I’m sorry. But you would, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes, probably.”
“And would your way be better than asking someone from GreEN to help?”
“I can’t say with absolute certainty, but if we had taken time to discuss it, and if we could take the time to find a computer and look for someone’s help, then yes, chances are very good we would do so.”
I smiled sweetly. “So, tell me. What’s the right answer?”
“The right answer is for you to do what you’re told,” she replied.
“By Monique?”
Elisabeth looked uncomfortable.
“I’ll make it easier. In a combat situation, I’ll do what I’m told. So now Monique has spirited me away, and we’ve determined we can’t reconnect with anyone else. We’re on our own. Do you really think our best chance is if I shut up and do what I’m told?”
She sighed. “No.”
“Don’t you hate it when the answers aren’t simple?”
She looked over at Portia. “She’s as annoying as Michaela.”
From the other table, Michaela leaned over and rapped Elisabeth on the top of her head with her knuckles before returning to her conversation with her daughters. Elisabeth rubbed the top of her head and grinned.
“So tell me, Elisabeth,” I said. “What do you want me to do? Monique and I are hiding in the bushes a half-mile away, arguing about how to get home. We both have our backs up. Tell us what to do.”
Elisabeth snorted quietly again. I simply smiled sweetly at her.
“Will you behave in an emergency?” she asked.
“Elisabeth, I’ll behave, period, as long as what you’re telling me to do makes sense. What do you want me to do?”
She sighed. “In a combat situation, you’ll do what Monique tells you.”
“All right.”
“Otherwise use your judgment. But we’re still doing this exercise for Monique.”
“Of course,” I agreed. I was surprised Ms. Chain-of-Command had actually told me I didn’t have to do what the enforcers told me. I was sure it galled her.
But Monique’s grilling faded away when the food came, and we spent the rest of the meal sitting quietly. The wolves watched for nonexistent danger. I watched the wolves.
I had enjoyed the verbal sparring with Elisabeth, but I hoped for somewhat more interactive meals during the rest of the trip. If Elisabeth and her enforcers were going to be too distracted to talk to me, maybe it was time to get to know Nora.
* * * *
Two hours later found us in our bedroom. Elisabeth still seemed tense and distracted. I moved into her arms and tried to offer another distraction, earning myself a brief, dispassionate kiss. I stared up into her face afterwards, but I didn’t find any answers.
Well, she had warned me I might not get the attention I wanted. I slipped out of her arms and got ready for bed.
She did climb into bed with me. “Roll over, and we can cuddle,” she said. I didn’t think “cuddle” was a euphemism for “make you scream in pleasure”, but I dutifully rolled over and found myself enveloped in her strong arms. I wriggled at her a little bit then settled down.
It had been a long day and stressful besides. Stress and fatigue fought a silent battle for a few minutes, but gratefully, fatigue won, and I slept.
I woke some time later, groggy and, for a minute, unsure where I was. I rolled over and discovered Elisabeth’s side of the bed was empty and cold. I slept badly for a while, waking up to every unfamiliar noise. Elisabeth’s side of the bed remained empty.
It was some time later that I woke again, and I wasn’t alone.
“You came back,” I said.
“I’m sorry,” came the reply. “It’s Portia.”
That woke me up. I rolled over. Portia was lying on top of the bed, watching me.
“What are you doing here?”
“Elisabeth took my duty,” she said.
“That explains why you’re in a bed and she’s not,” I replied. “It doesn’t explain why you’re in this bed.”
“I can sleep on the floor.” She started to roll away, but I reached out and caught her arm. Then I remembered what Elisabeth had said, and I pulled my hand away.
“I just want to understand,” I said.
“I need to sleep,” she said. “And you need someone in here with you. I can sleep on the floor.”
“No,” I said. “It’s fine. There’s enough room. Crawl under the covers. But why do I need someone in here? I’m perfectly capable of sleeping alone.”
“Security.”
I rolled over. “You people are paranoid.” She hadn’t moved. “If you’re staying, crawl under the covers.”
“I’m fine, Zoe.”
“Suit yourself,” I replied.
We lay quietly for a while. I was wide awake, and I stared at the wall. Finally, Portia said, “You’re not sleeping.”
“Clearly, neither are you.”
“I can sleep on the floor,” she offered again.
“I am not in the habit of lying, Portia,” I replied. “I said it was fine. But if you’re that uncomfortable, sleep where you want.”
“I know this is weird to you. I’m trying not to add to it.”
I rolled back to face her again. The light was dim, and I couldn’t see her that well, but I could see well enough. “I haven’t forgotten what you did for me,” I told her. I wasn’t sure what else to say. As far as I was concerned, I was alive because of her choices, and I was convinced it had been on the verge of going the other way.
“It was nothing,” she replied.
“We both know it was more than nothing,” I said.
“Roll over,” she ordered. “I’ll rub your back.”
“Crawl under the covers,�
�� I countered. “And I’ll think about it.”
I saw a flash of teeth as she smiled. A moment later, she was climbing into bed, and I was rolling away.
It took a while to sleep, but finally I did.
Diving
The diving was magnificent, everything I had dreamed of and then some.
I’d read my Advanced Open Water Diver manual. This was the path to an advanced beginner diver rating that PADI dive shops required for dives deeper than sixty feet. Karen’s explanation was simple: training is important.
And so, Saturday morning we drove to a place called Well-Seasoned Divers, a small dive shop in Key West. We met Abbey and Grey Flack, the husband-wife owners of Well-Seasoned. They seemed very friendly. Lara had chartered the entire shop for our exclusive use for the duration of our visit.
Well-Seasoned had a large dive boat, big enough for all of us. We collected our gear and received a briefing from Abbey, and soon enough we were on board their boat, heading to our first dive of the day.
I’m not sure I could have been more excited, although not as excited as the pups. They loved being on the boat.
The enforcers had been tense, but they began to relax once we were away from the marina, and by the time we arrived at the dive site, they were smiling and joking around.
We anchored at the dive site, a sheltered location near a coral reef. Karen gave a briefing to Portia, Monique and me while Abbey talked to the more advanced divers. We then pulled on our gear and entered the water.
Karen led our group, collecting together on the surface before we followed a line to the ocean bottom.
It was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. The bottom here was sandy, and we would have a short trip to the coral, but even where we were, there were fish. Hanging around us were perhaps a half dozen torpedo-shaped fish that reminded me of Northern Pike, but bigger. They hung in the water, apparently not moving, watching us.
Karen moved to me. She had a small slate, and she held it up for me to see. “Calm down.”
I wasn’t calm?
Then she turned the slate back to herself and wrote some more. “Slower breaths.”
I guessed I was a little excited. I focused on calming myself. After a minute, she held up her hand in the universal “OK” sign, thumb and index finger touching to form an “Oh” and the other three fingers raised. I gave her the same sign back.