“You told them about that?”
Tempest nodded. “I told them you bit it right back and were spitting fur for a week.” Tempest beamed. “Uncle Stone can actually laugh.”
Would he still laugh if he knew she hoped to find one of his dogs so she could avoid her townhouse for a bit longer, then force his pet inside before she went in to see if Peter was really there?
“Let’s go find those huskies,” Ariel said.
Chapter 12
“Where are we going?” Tempest gasped, after they’d speed-walked several blocks.
Ariel gestured toward the stand of pines ahead. “The park by the Chena seems like a good place to look.” She’d seen Stone take the dogs there, previously. The first time, his behavior had been so unexpected – why walk a dog, when it had a yard to ‘do its thing in’ – she’d followed him and watched as he and the largest dog played Frisbee until they were both so worn out they collapsed in a laughing pile. She’d stayed behind the pine’s thin trunk, afraid to leave for fear they’d see her. She had been equally unwilling to leave the scene of a man who cared for his pet that much. “It stands to reason that given an opportunity, the animals would go there to play on their own.”
“Right,” Tempest scoffed. “Play.” She snorted. “Remember how Father always said that a dog was merely a walking stomach? If they’re here, they’re here for the food.”
“Maybe.” She glanced at the open area where Stone and his dog had played, marveling how different he was from Peter, at least where his pets were concerned. Of course, it was probably unfair to call Peter’s half-starved guard dogs, pets.
“What were you thinking about on the flight back?” Tempest asked.
“Nothing.” They stepped off the sidewalk and followed a vague trail through the sparse grass.
Tempest snorted. “You didn’t even take lip balm, so what was that dust inspection about?”
Ariel sighed. “I’m tired and I want a bath.”
“Then why are you looking for dogs instead of soaking?”
“If we were missing Mozart, wouldn’t it be nice if Stone helped us look for him?”
“Well, yeah, but he’s too smart to get lost.”
Something white moved beyond the park’s picnic tables. Ariel shaded her eyes with one hand and pointed with the other. “Is that one of them?”
Tempest squinted then grinned. “Hey, Agamemnon!” When the dog didn’t respond, she gave a faltering imitation of Stone’s piercing whistle. “Come here, boy.” She knelt and threw her arms wide.
After four thudding heartbeats, the dog took a step toward them. Tempest whistled and called, again. The same dog she’d seen knock Stone to the ground, broke into a canter, then a full gallop. As sixty pounds of black and white fur covered muscle focused on Tempest, the hair on the back of Ariel’s neck stood up, but fangs and claws were on Tempest before she could move.
Tempest shrieked as the dog pounced on her, then somersaulted backward onto the grass, the dog landing on top of her. Ariel screamed and tried to grab the dog’s collar. The dog sprang upward, twisted in mid-air, turned, then landed next to Tempest and dashed around her. Ariel tried to catch the beast a second time.
She failed, again.
Tempest sat up. The dog rushed at her. Tempest screeched and caught it, as it plowed into her. Soon, the two bodies were rolling in the dirt.
It took a moment to realize that the dog’s tail was wagging and Tempest’s screams were delighted.
Ariel sank to her knees and waited for her blood pressure to lower. As the two tussled and played, she bit her lip over their sheer happiness. The same joy she’d witnessed between the dog and Stone. Perhaps she should consider getting a dog. Tempest had certainly begged for one often enough. She studied the muscular furry body and wondered if the dog could check their apartment for intruders without eating Mozart. She sighed as she realized she wasn’t even certain how she could convince the animal to come home.
Tempest sat up as she brushed dirt off her shirt. “Get off me, Agamemnon. It’s time to go home.”
The dog sat down, tongue lolling out of the side of its mouth and watched Tempest with woeful eyes, as if he understood that he’d soon lose his freedom. Strange how simple some sorts of freedom were and how anyone could see a fence. It must be so nice, not to imagine watchers behind every tree and a trap in your house, just waiting for you to come home.
Or maybe she was simply being paranoid. Again. “I think he likes running free,” Ariel said.
“Do you?” Tempest ticked his ears, then stood up and patted her thigh. “Come on, boy.”
The dog remained seated.
“Pull-ease.”
Ariel studied the mulish creature. “Do you think he’d cooperate if I used my belt for a leash?” And an even more crucial question was, if she used it for the dog, would her pants fall off, because of the twenty pounds she’d lost?
Tempest blinked in surprise. “What if he ran off with it?”
Ariel laughed. “I hadn’t thought of that possibility.” She studied the dog. “It’s not like it’s my money belt.” Something she kept their most necessary documents and emergency funds in, and only took off when in the shower or was working out with the boxing bag, and knew her torso would become slick with sweat Moisture was not good for documents, which made the difference between life and death. “Do you think he’s likely to try to run?”
Tempest blew a limp lock out of her face. “He’s stubborn.” She wagged a dusty finger at the black muzzle. “You will not be naughty.”
Ariel took off her brown, braided belt, then untucked her shirt and flared it over her pants. Losing all that weight in the past year had given her confidence, an entirely differed profile, and made her feel better than she had in years – until now, when she was faced with the possibility of becoming a public spectacle.
Tempest grabbed the belt and easily slipped it under Agamemnon’s collar. The dog appeared to accept that playtime was over. “Come on, boy.” With apparent submissiveness, Agamemnon got up and began walking beside Tempest. Ariel clutched her waistband and followed them. Tempest glanced back at her. “He’s a lot like us, isn’t he?”
“How?”
“He’s gotta stay locked up to be safe.” Tempest’s forehead crinkled into three small ridges. “He’s never really free to do whatever he wants, like maybe chase a squirrel or whatever dogs dream of doing. And we aren’t any freer … not really.”
So her sister had noticed the similarities, too. “We’re able to make more choices than he is,” Ariel said.
Tempest snorted. “If you were free, you’d finish your residency and become a pediatrician, like you planned. But if you used your degree, you’d have to admit you’re Sherry D-“ Ariel put a finger to her lips. Tempest’s eyes widened and she shut her mouth, but after a quick look around and seeing that the dog was the only one listening, she added, “It’d be a way for Father to find us and you wouldn’t want to leave any patients behind when we had to hide.” Tempest gave her a superior look. “And if you were free, like you think you are, you’d have your own house and never move again.”
“Know me pretty well, don’t you?” Ariel tried to smile, but the stark truth of her sister’s observation made that impossible.
“Of course.”
“What would you have that you don’t have now?”
“I'd have a bunch of animals. Maybe raise dogs, like Uncle Stone.”
Ariel nodded. Convincing her they needed to leave Mozart behind was going to be hell, but maybe if she shared her half-made plan in the right way, she could persuade Tempest it was better for the bird and them. Of course, she could promise her a puppy… Ariel studied the dog, wondering if dog’s personalities varied as much as people’s.
When they got back to the townhouses, Tempest put Agamemnon inside the gate, slipped off the belt, then tossed it to her before Ariel could suggest they take the dog home with them. As she caught the belt, she felt her pants droop. Hastily, she
looped the belt in place and cinched it tight.
She looked up, just as Tempest entered their apartment. Ariel froze an unuttered scream cutting off her breath.
Mosquitoes buzzed and ravens cawed, but Tempest didn’t scream. Neither did she hear the sound of a struggle nor gunfire. Dare she hope that hiding their anxiety behind the mask of weight loss, brown contacts and hair dye had tricked him? Please, God, let it be so.
Step by step, Ariel approached the townhouse door. Her hand slipped on the knob. She rubbed the perspiration on her pants and opened the door an inch.
“Mamnoon am, Agha,” Mozart said.
“You got that right, feather-brain, I’m your Excellency,” Tempest said. Ariel opened the door far enough to see behind it, then stepped inside. “But you gotta learn to speak English and say hello like a real American parrot would. She poured sunflower seeds into his bowl, while he squawked and fanned his wings.
Ariel leaned her forehead against the door and started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.”
Tempest snorted and slammed the cupboard door closed. “You were laughing at me, weren’t you?”
Ariel shook her head and wiped her eyes. “I’m laughing to let off steam.” She took a deep breath and confessed, “All the way back, I kept imagining coming in here and finding Peter waiting for us.” She ran her hand over her face. “Coming in and finding everything normal-“ She sighed and wiped her eyes, again. “I needed to let of steam and I just started laughing.”
“You really thought he’d be here?”
Ariel shrugged.
“And you let me walk in?” Her voice hit a high C. “Into a possible ambush!”
“Not intentionally. You move pretty fast.”
Tempest studied her. “So you did think he recognized us, but you didn’t want to admit it.”
“If he’d been certain, we’d be dead and he’d be gloating.”
“But you knew he suspected.”
“Freaked out because he followed us.”
“We have to move again, don’t we?” Ariel nodded. Tempest fingered an ebony spike. “Just when I was starting to get into this punk look, too.”
“It is cute.” Ariel sat down on the stairs and looked at Tempest. “Know what I want?”
“Real freedom.”
Ariel concurred. “Since he obviously isn’t here, now, I think we’ve got a bit of time to plan our next move. If we do it right, we’ll never have to relocate again, and we’ll even be able to throw away these contact lenses.”
“And never dye our hair again?”
“Only if we wanted to.”
“I don’t know if I'd recognize myself if I saw blond hair or blue eyes looking back at me.”
“Half the time I think of my reflection as the roll I’m playing, sort of like the image is a separate identity.” Ariel ran her hand over her dark wavy hair.
“So what do you figure? That since we’ve always dyed our hair when we changed our names that if we went back natural, Father wouldn’t recognize us?”
“Something like that.” She glanced toward the door to the basement. The need to kick their body-bag and take out the frustrations she’d masked over the weekend nearly overpowered her.
Tempest plopped down on the step next to her. “I’m not a baby, any more.”
“Okay, here’s the idea.” Ariel took a deep breath. “First we call Elizabeth and see what her detective knows. Then, if Peter hasn’t altered his pattern, we know we have time to plan our next move.”
“But I thought he lost father in Chicago.”
“That doesn’t mean he hasn’t picked his trail up since then.”
“I’ll skype her right now.” Tempest scrambled to her feet. “And I won’t say my name. I know the drill.” Tempest exhaled. “If she’s not there, waiting for her to call back is the absolute worst.”
Ariel motioned for Tempest to go, then she made a beeline toward the basement with the intention of kicking and punching the bag until she was too tired to stand upright.
Chapter 13
Elizabeth cleared her throat. “When he was questioned, Peter was properly shocked by the ‘accident’ and claimed he had no idea what had happened until the next day, when the sheik’s body was pulled out of the Bay.” Elizabeth’s sarcasm crackled with malice. “
Tempest plumped her bed pillow, centered it on her bed then sprawled face down on it.
“So they’re ruling the man’s death as an accidental drowning,” Ariel said.
“A real surprise, isn’t it?” Elizabeth said. Ariel shook her head. Either Peter was one of the best assassins in the world, or he was one of the luckiest at avoiding police investigations.
“We might’a been there when he did it,” Tempest whispered, her face flushed, as she fought to hold back a flood of tears.
“What did you say, Dear?”
Tempest cleared her throat and inched closer to the microphone. “There were two people fishing when we got to that river, but Father was alone when we got ready to leave and he followed us back to the airplane. I thought I was gonna pee myself.”
“You could have walked in on him while he was committing another murder,” Elizabeth said, her tone grave. Ariel tasted bile. She stood up and took two paces toward the door, then realized she wasn’t going to throw up - yet.
“We thought he could have recognized us, when he followed us, but if he thought we’d seen him kill that man…” Tears gushed down Tempest’s cheeks, so Ariel left the thought hanging in the air.
“Get out of there,” Elizabeth said. “Now he’s got two reasons to need you dead.”
“This is just like last time…” Tempest wailed, “Even if we did say anything and he got arrested, he’d be out on bail in minutes.” She snapped her fingers. “And if it went to trial, he’d tell the jury more lies about me being a vindictive little bitch and say I’m trying to punish him for something.” Sobs wracked her thin body. Ariel crossed her arms over her stomach and fought down a panic attack as, she too, relieved the bitter memories.
“It’s only a matter of time,” Ariel said, “but I don’t think we have to leave today. I think we have time to make a decent plan.”
“Don’t wait,” Elizabeth said, her tone tense.
“Grandma, I’m scared.”
“We need time to make a good plan,” Ariel said, even though the only thing she wanted to do was to leap into the Suburban and drive out of town just as fast as possible. “First off, he doesn’t know what we saw and if we stay quiet, maybe he will realize that a second ‘accident’ so soon could attract more unwanted attention than he likes. Secondly, we were in Deadhorse and flying on a private plane. We acted cool and calm, and didn’t give away that we recognized him or had seen anything suspicious.”
“And thirdly, Father is Father and he just plain likes an excuse to kill things,” Tempest concluded. Ariel winced at the truth.
“I don’t like you staying in such an awful place,” Elizabeth said.
“I like it here, I especially like Uncle Link - he’s soooo nice. I just love him to death. Uncle Stone raises huskies and I think he’s sweet on Ariel, but he’s too shy to say so.”
“Tempest!” Ariel said.
“Well, it’s true!”
Elizabeth cleared her throat, then asked, “Are these men really worth dying for?” Tempest’s face blanched and silently stared at the speaker as if it was a rabid grizzly.
Loud knocking came from downstairs. Ariel jumped. “Elizabeth, someone is at the door.” She went out, closing Tempest’s bedroom door behind her before she ran down the stairs.
Halfway down, the person hammered on the door again. “Coming.”
She opened the door to find Stone leaning against the frame. “Hi. Can I assume you and Amber were the ones who returned Agamemnon?”
She nodded.
“Thanks. I found Electra at school. She was playing Frisbee with a bunch of kids. I hated to break it up.” He gave
her a lopsided grin that warmed her core. “Where’d you find the King? Cramer’s kennels?”
“Beg pardon?”
“Agamemnon was the King of Mycenae.” He looked away from her, then softly admitted, “I’ve always liked Greek Mythology.”
“He was chasing rabbits near the river.” Why was she making him stand on her stoop, where any spy could photograph them at his leisure? “Want a soda?”
He grinned and stepped inside.
Ariel fled to the kitchen. He followed her. She grabbed two Pepsi’s from the refrigerator and handed him one. His hand caressed her fingers as he took it.
“Thanks.” His eyes sparkled with warmth. Ariel backed into a corner and tried to look calm. Stone raised his can in a silent toast. “How come you teach science? Talented as you are, I'd think you could make a living off your art.”
“You know what they say about starving artists.” She shrugged. If it hadn’t been for lab sketches, she’d never have discovered the soothing hobby. “I like to eat and teaching pays enough to do it.”
He gave her a contemplative look, as he took a sip.
She edged around him. “Would you like to sit in the living room?” She escaped before he answered. Scooting across the living room, she sat on the inflated chair next to Mozart’s perch.
Mozart screeched and flapped his wings when Stone entered the room. An emerald feather fluttered free. Stone caught it in mid air, twirled it between his fingers, then tucked it into his shirt pocket, as he sat down opposite her. The cheap inflated plastic squeaked in protest.
“I forgot to thank you and Link for inviting Tempest and me. We had a wonderful time.”
“You’re welcome.” He took another sip, but never took his gaze off her.
Ariel swallowed. “I know this sounds crazy, especially after what happened up at the Refuge.” He raised a quizzical brow. She grimaced. “My fear of guns must have been pretty obvious.” He grinned and inclined his head. “Well,” she stammered, “since you showed me how to use the thing, I’ve been thinking that it might be good for me to have one of my own – for when Tempest I and go on walks alone.” Ariel bit her tongue and told herself to slow down. She wet her lips. “Would you be willing to help me pick out a gun and recommend someone to teach me to use it?”
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