by Tara Brown
And we were the good guys, bringing the poor helpless doctor to the Burrow before the world could force misdeeds from her. Except she wasn't helpless, and we weren’t helping anyone but the few who believed the New World Order wasn't such a bad plan.
It was so cliché. The people at the top of the food chain always did see the masses as a burden. Population culling hadn’t been invented by these people. It was an old idea, maybe started by the Nazis. Maybe even before the Nazis. I didn't know. But I knew that we had to stop it.
Jack pulled off the Autobahn, taking an exit to a smaller highway. He drove into countryside like I had never seen. It was green—so green it looked photoshopped. The houses were small and white with red rooftops and black wooden beams. It was a valley with what appeared to be high mountains, but I had seen the Rockies in British Columbia so I knew how big mountains could get.
It was breathtaking here though to see the bright-green and village-styled communities and the dark forest all around us. The bark on the trees was black like it had been burnt, but it grew that way.
We drove along a river to a much larger town, more like a small city but very European looking.
“This is Gernsbach.”
“Are we in the Black Forest?” Janice asked, looking like she knew the area.
“Yeah.” Jack nodded. He seemed like he knew this place as well.
“Drusack has a house near here. You are aware of that I’m sure. Some place with the name Bad in it. I thought it was weird, but he said Bad actually means bath in German.”
“Bad Herrenalb, and yes, I am aware of it.” Jack laughed confidently.
“You are?” Luce didn't look convinced.
“I am.” He winked at her. “The moment Evie is better, she and you can sneak over there, kill him, and destroy whatever he has going on. There’s an airport ten minutes from my house. Fitz and your mom can meet us there with the jet if we get into trouble. We will flee the area the moment Drusack is dead and the bots are destroyed.”
“Thanks for telling us the plan.” Luce hit him in the arm. I realized then something was different between them. I had missed it before. The chemistry between them had faded or just died altogether.
“I formed it as we drove here. It’s not perfect and the equipment I have at the house is basic. We might even have to take a shopping trip. We don't want anyone to know we’re here.”
“You own a house here?” Luce looked lost and a little hostile.
“Yes.” He didn't seem to get the tone she was giving. “I told you I bought some real estate when I was nineteen. It was investments I made with the money from selling my websites. Just some dot-com money.”
Janice snorted and I sat back, completely baffled by the young man.
“And no one knows you own it?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I actually created a whole new identity for myself once; had it for tax avoidances.”
“You mean evasion?”
He winked at me in the rearview mirror. “Semantics. I mean, I used it to hide money and when I joined CI, I used it to be someone else when I needed to be. His name is Walter Eirew and he is a French photographer, a playboy, and a trust fund philanthropist. Born in France and holds houses in several remote parts of Europe.”
“So the polar opposite of you?”
“Right. Who expects the nerd in the basement to be a man of mystery and wealth? Have you seen my paychecks? They’re pathetic.” He cracked a cheeky grin, something that told me the man we usually saw was the act and the other personality might actually be him.
“Anyone else feel like we might be being led to our death or the worst betrayal ever?” Luce sneered at him.
Good old Jack was back instantly, “I—uhm think we should talk about this later.” He was trying to impress her and he had failed miserably. “At the house.”
Janice gave me a look. “Yikes.”
“Right.”
The drive to the house was spectacular. He left the town and headed into the hills until we reached an entrance with a brick wall. Jack punched in a code and the massive black gate opened for us. He drove in, pausing to watch it close and lock again.
I had to admit Luce had a point. I was a bit nervous about the fact that he hadn’t let us in on the real him, or the fake or other him. I had a bad feeing about the mansion as we crested the hill and it came into view. It looked like the sort of house a bad guy kept. A lair if you will.
Maybe it was a bat cave where he honestly lived a quiet superhero-styled life, but it might also be that he lived a dangerous one where he had double-crossed us.
There was no way to know until we went inside. He parked in front of the circle driveway and immediately an elderly man came hurrying out. He was dressed in a suit and looked shocked or worried. He got Jack’s door first. “Sir, we didn't know you were coming.” The man was English and very butler-like.
Jack stepped out, waving it off. “I decided to take a trip. Ve have been to a rave in Warsaw and are exhausted.” Jack’s accent was perfect Parisian French. I almost shit my pants. “Ve vont be staying long. My friend got very drunk and high and hurt her feet. Zey must be tended to. She must take ze waters.”
“Oh, of course she must. The house as always is ready for you.” The man smiled nervously. “I will have the rooms readied for the ladies.” He glanced at the trunk of the Mercedes. “No bags?”
“Non. Ve flew in. I stole zis car, burn it.”
The man’s eyes widened, but he nodded and got into the driver’s seat as we all climbed out. Jack turned and strolled into the house, looking very much like he belonged here in the creepy castle on the hillside. He suited the life of the young French aristocrat. It was very odd.
He turned back at us all, winking. “Este will show you to your rooms.” He turned and in perfect French told the woman to take us to our rooms and ensure they are satisfactory.
The girl curtseyed and hurried to the grand staircase.
His house made Servario’s many houses look plain. It was the same sort of theme—marble and rich and fancy with gilded shit everywhere. But here, there was grandeur I would expect in a castle and not in a mansion. The house had clearly been a Bavarian castle at one point.
The three of us followed the girl, me barefoot and injured, Janice still awkward and scared, and Luce pissed off in a dark and chilling way.
Jack hurried down the hall away from us. He didn't look back and he wasn't unsure. It was strange. I almost missed the other Jack.
My eyes went to the sky, checking the ceiling for cameras and other security systems by which we might have been scrutinized.
At the first room we were shown by the mousy brunette maid, Luce stormed in and slammed the door behind her.
The hall shook a bit.
“Sorry.” I winced and offered an explanation. “She’s very tired and cranky.”
The girl cocked an eyebrow so I said it again in French. Her lips widened into a smile. “Cranky.” She laughed, clearly never having heard that word before. “I like cranky.” Her accent was thick like English might have been reserved for television watching only.
She showed me the next room. I gave Janice a look. “Don't try anything.”
She smiled, but I couldn't miss the tears in her eyes mixing with the exhaustion. “Where would I go? I have no money, no passport, and everyone wants me either dead or in a cell.” She sauntered into the room and closed the door slowly. It clicked like it had been locked the moment it closed.
“Fucking diva,” I whispered and followed Este to the last bedroom door she opened. Inside was a magnificent bedroom. Something I was getting accustomed to seeing. The smirking arms dealer was the only thing missing from the space.
I dragged my tired ass into the room, went straight for the en suite, and started pouring a very deep tub in the large corner bath. I added salts and bubbles from the basket on the counter. I had been awake for a horrendously long time and was ready for some sleep.
The room was
a little dusty, but that was about the only thing wrong with it. The king bed was made military tight and the window was clean and cracked slightly so the crisp mountain air could filter in.
I sighed and stared at the scene, wondering if anyone else was humming The Sound of Music. A door slammed and I contemplated hurrying out to the hallway to stop whatever bad things were going on, but I didn't care. Come hell or high water, I was taking that fucking bath and sleeping. Fuck everyone.
Chapter Seventeen
Bad Evie
The bath had been a type of ecstasy but the bed was a whole other ball of wax. I moaned as I slipped into the soft sheets, so high in thread count they were nearly silk. My feet ached, my back throbbed, and my ribs burned. Everything hurt, but the moment my head hit the pillow I was out.
Dreams plagued me, fueled by worry and separation from my kids. Every thought was survival and betrayal and getting fucked on another pool table with no orgasm.
I woke tired and uncertain of how long I had actually slept when I noticed it was sunny again. The light shone through the blinds that someone else had closed for me, but I could see the bright day in the outline of them.
“Did you sleep well?” a man’s voice asked softly from the corner. I blinked, curious if I was still dreaming or if somehow a man was actually in my bed.
“I imagine it was hard to sleep, knowing so many things were going wrong all at once. Did you worry about your kids?”
My eyes popped open and my heart instantly thumped. Coop sat in the far corner, staring at me as a silhouette.
“What are you doing?” I asked, annoyed and groggy. “Where are my kids?”
“They’re downstairs, totally fine. And I am watching you sleep. Waiting for you to wake so I can kill you.”
“Well, get it over with; my head hurts and my entire body is on fire.”
“It’s probably left over from letting him touch you.” His tone was mocking, but there was a measure of hurt in there.
“Oh God, can we not do this? I am in agony. I’m pretty sure Servario and my dad and the fucking Burrow have screwed us over, yet again. I trust no one. We rolled up and Jack started his rendition of Louis the Hundredth and while Luce is ready to kill him, all I could think was holy shit, he’s betrayed us too. And you know what I did with that paranoia? I went to sleep. I had a bath and went to sleep. I didn't even care. So if you want to judge me for doing my job and hate on me for doing a good job, then go ahead, but take that shit out of this room. This is my room. Este gave it to me.” I coughed and winced from the pain in my broken ribs. “It’s a drama-free space.”
Coop got up and walked to the drapes, pulling them back and letting the midday sun in. I had slept for a whole day. I sighed, seeing him in his jeans and tee shirt looking all cute and muscled. He was exactly what I needed in that moment of weakness and self-pity.
He sat on the bed, as far from me as he could get and cocked an eyebrow as he lifted one of his large fingers at me. “You screwed up. Admit it.”
“No, I didn't.” I shook my head. “Have you talked with Jack yet? Or Luce?”
He bit his lip.
“Right, well let me fill you in on something. We are being screwed with brutally. The Burrow is the one who bombed Saudi Arabia.”
“Bullshit!”
“It’s true. Dr. Drusack is the name of the man who sat next to the creepy lady when we were being sworn in to protect the world and blah, blah, blah. He sat there stone-faced, treating us like we had violated something sacred by showing up there and knowing too much. Well, he also happens to be the same doctor who took just enough nanobots off of Janice to bomb the hospitals.”
Coop paused, making his thinking face for a moment. “So you are trusting a doctor we don't know over a member of the Burrow?”
His question was valid but I was right. “Yes. I saw her face. The moment she realized the bombings had occurred, she put two and two together. I suspect she has a memory like yours.”
“So the Burrow is part of the secret organization known as the Organization? This scientist is innocent of all blame in the deaths of tens of thousands of doctors and sick people in Saudi, and somehow your father and Servario are both guilty along with the Burrow, but she’s innocent?” He sighed. “It’s a bit rich, Evie. Even for Servario.”
“Where’s my mom?” Something told me she might know what the truth was in this mess.
“Downstairs with the kids. They are loving the giant heated pool in the backyard.”
I winced as I climbed from the bed, hobbling to the closet and praying for clothing. “Did you know Jack was rich and French and all that jazz?”
“Of course.”
“Of course.” I mimicked and pulled on a sweatshirt and some jogging pants. It was all a bit big but it was better than nothing.
“Jack doesn't keep women’s clothing here like some international perverts we know.”
I groaned. “Can we stop the childish behavior, please?” I turned, hating that I sounded like a mom suddenly.
Coop cocked a grin but I lifted my finger. “Think about what you are about to say. Think about the fact that I nearly killed Servario two days ago. And he hasn't pissed me off hardly at all.”
“I was just going to say that it’s good to see balls-to-the-walls Evie is back. She’s my favorite.”
“Fuck you.” I turned back to the door and limped out to the hallway.
“Oh come, Evie. Don't be so spicy.” He hurried to my side and lifted me into his arms. I groaned as he touched my ribs. Worry filled his eyes. “What did he do to you?”
“He protected his cover and I protected mine.”
He swallowed, not arguing that fact. He knew the cost of falling for someone. He was the very person who had once told me that loving someone you worked with made you weak.
Instead of talking about it anymore, I leaned my head on his thick shoulder and let him carry me downstairs gingerly.
Luce was stewing in the corner of the massive great room; Fitz was outside with the kids, swimming in the steamy pool; and Jack sat in the corner staring at Luce with a forlorn look in his eyes.
Clearly, they weren’t better.
Jules came up out of the water and waved, causing Mitch to turn and smile. “What did you tell them to get them here without a problem?” I asked.
“Holiday. They believe this is a chateau in France we have on timeshare from Jack’s family.” Coop smiled as he spoke, “They’re jazzed to be here.”
“Where’s Mom?”
Luce’s eyes lifted when she saw me. “She took Janice for a stroll. Said she wanted to talk to her. How are you feeling?”
“Oh Jesus! Really? Did you all forget about Steve and the flesh stripping?” I wiggled to get down from Coop’s arms and hobbled, motioning at Jack. “Come and show me where!”
“To be honest, I did forget about Steve.” Jack jumped up and hurried past me to a huge door down a long, wide hallway. He ran down the steps with Luce hot on his trail. Coop stayed with me as I barely made it down the long winding staircase. At the bottom a scream came from a long ways away.
“How big is it down here?”
“The house is fourteen thousand square feet, not including the basement. God knows how big it is. It was built in the fifteenth century—well, started anyway. When Jack bought it, there wasn’t much left of it. It was in ruin. He spent eleven million euros fixing it up and making it what he wanted it to be. It took the builders two years to get it right. He’s only had it up and running as a home away from home for a little while.
“It’s beautiful but weird he’s so rich.”
“He’s a tech genius; it’s not that weird. He’s like MacGyver. He got to the safe house in Portobello and had it completely safe for you guys within minutes and then back up and running with all the tools you would need. He even had MI6 on standby, using their own system to run an op to come and get you if you didn't get free of Servario within a set amount of time.”
“I guess.�
�� I shook my head. “Lucky he didn't use MI6 though—they think we’re rogue agents.”
“Not anymore. That's been fixed. You aren’t even in the system now. He’s a genius.”
The scream filled the hallway again, making me want to hurry to the poor girl my mom was likely filleting. But I didn't. I turned and looked at Coop. “I’m sorry.”
He paused, looking down and then nodding. “I know.”
I reached up, even wincing when my arms lifted. Everything still hurt. I cupped his cheeks and shook my head. “No, I mean I am sorry for everything. I can’t believe your sister did what she did, and I feel sick for your family. I’m sorry for us and the way things have been.”
“I’m sorry, Evie. I’m the one who should be. My sister endangered your kids. She sold you out. I want to say I can’t believe it, but I know it’s true. He’s a psychotic bastard, but I don't think Servario would lie to that degree. I know he would die protecting you. I can’t imagine how horrible it was to hit you, but he did it to protect you. He might be insane but he loves you. His claim that my sister sold us out is a stretch for me to believe, but I have too many memories that are suddenly explained. I also believe she is likely dead as a result of it.” He reached up and cupped my face, running his thumb over my fat lip. “I don't care about anything but you. I’m an idiot for it and I know that, but I love you.”
“I know. I just wish this were all less complicated.” My heart melted and all the bad things that had happened over the past few weeks melted with it.
“We can uncomplicate it. I can say things like I forgive you for the Servario thing, and I don't care if I ever marry or have kids.” He lowered his face to kiss me but the screaming got much worse. He paused and chuckled. “Your mom is a sick bitch.”