by Jillian Neal
“Put the tracker back on the Hummer,” Vindico ordered.
“What?”
“Put the tracker… back… on… the… Hum-mer.” He sounded annoyed he’d had to repeat himself.
“Ok, how about why?”
“I’m calling out five undercover cars from the New York Iodex precinct. I’m leaving with two elite teams as soon as we get off the phone. You’re going to have Emily’s uncles take her to the airport. Tell her to be discreet. Glasses, hat, one of those head-scarf things, I don’t care, just so long as she isn’t identified.”
“Carrington is waiting. She’s going to fly home with the Crown and Serena while you drive the car back. We’re going to see who shows up for a chase.” Vindico’s bloodthirsty delight rang in his tone.
“I want Emily to leave with Carrington in an hour, but I don’t want you to leave for two, or so. Give me time to get close enough to intercept you en route. They want to play cat and mouse, then I’ll be happy to clean out the traps.”
“Uh,” Rainer swallowed harshly as he glanced back at Emily. “Okay, I guess.” There didn’t seem to be anything to do but to agree.
“You strapped, Lawson?”
“Yeah, my pistol is in the glove box.” Rainer remembered that he’d packed it, per Vindico’s orders.
“What?” Emily gasped. She looked astonished that Rainer had come to New York with a gun she was unaware of.
“Good. Tell Emily to head to JFK. One of Governor Carrington’s guards will meet her at the entrance closest to Terminal 4. They’ll escort her to his plane.”
Rainer clenched his jaw in determined anticipation.
“See you soon, Lawson,” was Vindico’s parting line.
Emily was rapidly approaching panic as Rainer tried to determine if where they were standing was a safe place to give her the instructions.
“Let’s get in the car.” He urged after another cursory glance up and down the surrounding street. They all piled in, and he explained the plan.
“Rainer, I am not leaving you!” Emily huffed. “What if it’s Wretchkinsides? What if you get hurt? I need to be there. I can cast the car. I can keep you safe this time.”
“Em, no.” Rainer had been prepared for this battle. “I’ll be fine. I’ll have Iodex officers with me the whole time and, in case you forgot, I am an Iodex officer.” He said this more for himself than for her.
“Rainer!” Emily’s stubborn will set in.
“Emily Anne,” Tad patted her back from the seat behind her. “I have the duplicate ring right here. You wear this one, and let Rainer wear yours. The transference will work as long as it’s anywhere on his skin. I can get him a simple chain to wear it around his neck. As long as it’s touching his chest he’ll be able to throw the same kind of shield you threw on Monday.”
“No,” Rainer shook his head. That would not be happening.
“Yes,” Emily argued.
“Oh, good grief.” Nathan sighed. “If she’s supposed to be at JFK in an hour, then we need to get her there, so one of you is going to have to agree to something.”
In the end, Rainer won out, and Emily climbed into a cab with her uncles, to be driven to the airport.
Nathan had hurried to purchase her a wide-brimmed hat and she’d twisted her hair up in a quick bun. She had pouted as she stomped towards the cab her uncle had hailed, while Rainer blocked any view of the exchange with the Hummer.
“I’ll be fine.” Rainer hugged her tightly and kissed her good-bye. “You’ll be back on the farm in under an hour. The Crown Governor’s jet is the fastest enhanced plane in the whole Realm. I’ll be on my way, and the officers who are following me are already waiting.”
Her chin had trembled as Tad whisked her away.
He drew a deep breath and watched the cab ease back into traffic. She disappeared in a sea of yellow taxis and large buses.
The emptiness in his gut had him shifting uncomfortably. He tried to determine who might’ve tagged Emily’s car. Wretchkinsides certainly had men in New York. If the press hadn’t outed them, no one would have known they were in town. He’d been instructed not to move the car until Iodex was in position.
Rainer’s cell shook him from his vengeful reverie. He rubbed his eyes and answered on the third ring. It was Vindico.
“Lawson!” he barked. “Emily is on the farm. New York guys are set, and I’m almost to the Turnpike. There are several law enforcement cut-throughs where we can intercept you. Highway patrol is on the lookout as well. You just drive. Get out of the city as fast as you can. Anyone wants to play, make sure you have a clear shot before you pull the trigger. We’ll ask questions later.”
Rainer swallowed down his fear as he tried to envision himself aiming and shooting at someone while driving a car on a crowded interstate.
“Yes, sir.”
“Cast your phone to the radio frequency of 173.1 MHz, encrypted, and set it near you. That’s Iodex’s frequency. Everyone will hear you so, if you need help, just speak up. We’re tracking your cell so we know where you are the entire time.”
“Okay,” Rainer agreed. Emily is safe on the farm. She’s safe. The thought gave him the willpower to make the drive, though ominous terror still tensed constantly in his rhythms.
“You’ll be fine, Lawson. This is precisely what I’ve been trying to train you to handle. I wouldn’t have hired you if I didn’t think you had the balls to pull this off. Now, get it done.”
The call ended, and Rainer immediately casted his phone to the frequency Vindico had provided.
He lay the phone on the console beside him and drew a deep steadying breath. He cranked the car and willed his heart to stop shaking his rib cage as he eased into the gridlocked, New York City traffic.
He received slight nods from the officers who were riding with him. They never stayed close enough to be identified as his backup, but he appreciated the fact that they were there. They’d been on the Turnpike for almost a half hour when Rainer’s phone crackled.
“Sir, I’ve got a white, late model, Ford Econoline Cargo. Back windows are modified and covered. No tag. Been with us a little longer than I like,” one of the New York Iodex officers alerted Vindico.
“I hear ya, Coggins. Stay with it. See if there’s anyone that seems to be running with him. Lawson, you still ok?”
“I’m fine.” Rainer lied as he kept watch in his rearview mirror. He’d noticed the van as well, but it had slowed in the last few miles, and he could no longer see it.
“There’s a cut-through to your left in another twenty-five miles or so. We’ll join you there.” Vindico sounded almost sympathetic, but the excitement was still ripe in his tone.
“Yes, sir.” Rainer agreed, as did every officer in a vehicle near his.
He pushed the pedal harder. Something about having Vindico and Elite officers nearby made him anxious. He tried to remember to watch the road ahead of him, but watching his rearview was just as important, he decided.
There it was again. Rainer swallowed as the black Mazda Protégé came up fast on his left. He’d seen it several times.
“You see that, Lawson?” one of the New York officer’s voices rang in his phone.
“Yeah, Vindico, that’s the fourth time a black, Mazda Protégé has come up fast and then stopped just behind me,” he informed his boss and hoped that he sounded both competent and unbothered.
“Anybody see who’s in the car?” Vindico urged.
“Yes, sir. I’ve got two men, Caucasian, medium height and build, they look a little nervous, if you ask me,” the unmarked black Expedition that had moved into position on Rainer’s left, just beside the Protégé, informed Vindico.
“All right, give me a second. Stay on him.” Vindico demanded. His gruff voice came back on the radio a few seconds later. “Anybody got a tag on the Protégé?”
“Yes sir, that’s a Jersey tag number Zulu Oscar Kilo Nine Seven Papa. And the van’s still with us, Vindico.”
“Hold that,” Vindico o
rdered. Another mile passed and the van drew closer. The Protégé backed off slightly. The driver had answered his cell.
“All right, listen up, boys. Milepost 73 is a mile away from you. We’ll meet you in an abandoned parking lot a mile off the pike, to your right. Seems, The Rabbit Ears Adult Shop is no longer in business,” Vindico sneered. “Got an owner on the Protégé. Not who I was hoping for, but I’ll take this moron over one of Nic’s boys for today anyway.”
“Coggins, you and Snyder stay with Lawson. The rest of you take the next exit and head on home. Thanks for your help. This should be fun. Just drive, Lawson; you’re fine. Pull in the parking lot, and let’s play.”
“Yes, sir.” Confusion swam in Rainer’s rhythms as he tried to determine who was following him. It was obviously not one of Nic’s thugs, but who else would have tagged Emily’s car?
Rainer made the exit to the sound of squealing tires as the van swerved frantically to make the exit with Rainer. He searched for the empty parking lot as he made the right-hand turn.
“I see you, Lawson; just turn in and park near the building. We’ll make our appearance in a moment,” Vindico guided.
Rainer eased the Hummer into the parking lot. The Protégé turned, but the van’s driver seemed to think better of it.
“Gotta runner, Tuttle.” Vindico alerted over the radio.
“Saw it, got it.” Tuttle laughed as his squad car appeared behind the van a moment later with sirens blaring.
Suddenly Vindico, Portwood, Ericsson, and three Non-Elite officers raced in from the street. Blue lights and sirens filled the air as they blocked the exit.
Vindico sprinted to the Protégé and flung the door open. Rainer leapt out of the Hummer, gun drawn and anxious to see who’d caused all of this.
“You’re surrounded, Fenton,” Vindico laughed, “And you’re under arrest.” He spun the driver into his own car and slapped cuffs on his wrists.
Rainer recognized the passenger, but wasn’t certain from where. His mind reeled through the dozens of mug shots he’d memorized in the past week.
“Fenton? Who the hell is this?”
“This is Theodore Fenton. He’s the new hotshot reporter for Kinetix. Aren’t you, Teddy? Seems Kinetix planned on following you and Ms. Haydenshire back from your weekend getaway in hopes of getting a jump on a story about the two of you. That went well didn’t it, Fenton?”
“You can’t arrest me. I have freedom of the press,” Fenton cried pompously.
“You have the right to free speech, you fucking moron. Let me tell you what you don’t have. You don’t have the right to place a tracking device on a car that you do not own. You don’t have the right to follow an Iodex officer while he’s working.”
“And you’ve broken so many privacy laws and acts that I’m not going to waste any more of my day listing them off for you, but I feel certain that the National Governing Board will be very interested in this case. Might bring the trial to Arlington instead of letting Jersey handle the proceedings seeing as how it was one of the Governors’ daughters whose car you tagged. Bet Governor Haydenshire won’t think this is particularly funny.”
“Put them in a car, and have theirs towed. Take them to McCullough, and let me know when you get their papers filed. I’ll have Governor Haydenshire petition to have the trial transferred,” Vindico informed the Non-Elite officers from New Jersey Iodex. McCullough was the Gifted Prison near an abandoned mine in Franklin.
“Yes, sir,” they answered succinctly. They shoved the two men into a squad car and pulled away.
“Sorry about that, Lawson. I’m sure that wasn’t what you had in mind for today, but you’re probably used to that by now.”
“By the way,” Vindico moved until he was standing alone with Rainer by the Hummer. “Let me offer you a little advice.” There was a note of derision in the laughter. “Next time you decide that you’d like to finger-fuck your fiancée, maybe take that on back to your room.”
With an eye-roll and a half wave, he threw his leg over his Agusta and led the crowd of cars back to Arlington.
Rainer tried to tell himself that Vindico had assumed that’s what he and Emily had been doing the night before in the restaurant, and that he hadn’t known that for certain. He phoned Emily to tell her who’d been following him, and just to hear her voice.
“Yeah. Vindico called a few minutes ago to tell Dad that it was the press,” Emily sighed.
“I’ll be home in just a few hours.” He wasn’t certain which of them was more anxious for his arrival.
“Yeah,” Emily swallowed audibly. “Uh, remember that it’s Sunday night. So I guess just come to Mom and Dad’s.”
“Oh, right.” Panic rocketed through Rainer again. Vindico’s comment reverberated against his skull. “Did your dad see the papers?” He hoped against hope.
“Yeah,” Emily lamented.
“What did he say?”
“I got the ‘you need to remember who you are to this Realm, Emily,’ speech, but I kind of get the impression he’s waiting for you.”
“Great.” Rainer fought the urge to whimper.
They talked for the next few hours, and Rainer let her voice lull him into hopeful serenity until he pulled the Hummer into the barn, where all of the Haydenshire cars were parked.
Emily raced out to meet him. She threw her arms around him, and Rainer squeezed her tightly. The Governor could wait, he decided. He kissed her and took her hand, and they walked very slowly back towards the farmhouse.
Talk the Talk
Emily’s grandparents, Nana and Paps Anderson, drove up as Emily and Rainer were making their way up the walk. Rainer and Emily turned to help Paps out of the car.
“Well, I take it Taddy came through for us?” Nana quizzed as she hugged Rainer tightly.
Emily nodded and glanced down at her hand instinctively. “Yes, ma’am I tried on the other ring, on Governor Carrington’s plane, and it looks identical, but it does feel different. I can’t believe I never noticed there was anything weird with this one.”
“And you’re not married?” Nana huffed with a dismissive chuckle.
“No, Nana, I would never get married without my family there.” Emily gave a slight eye-roll. They entered the warm kitchen together. Mrs. Haydenshire smiled at Rainer and Emily as she directed Adeline to keep stirring the gravy.
“Tread carefully,” she whispered to Rainer as she came to give them hugs. Rainer grimaced and nodded as he mentally instructed his heart to stop hammering out of rhythm.
Emily’s father entered the kitchen. He narrowed his eyes at Rainer. Logan followed his father, and shot Rainer a grin that made it clear that Rainer was going to hear about everything that had been in the papers.
With a delighted smirk, Logan goaded, “Hey, Dad, I think I might take this old bread out and feed the guppies. You wanna come?”
Rainer glared at Logan. If given the chance, he’d strangle him.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” Governor Haydenshire nodded. “Still a few minutes before dinner, dear?”
After giving Rainer a sympathetic gaze, Mrs. Haydenshire nodded morosely. “Yes, but don’t be too long.”
“Rainer why don’t you join us,” the Governor ordered as he gestured to the back door.
Nana gave Rainer a reassuring pat on his arm as Emily’s head fell.
“Sure, Governor Haydenshire.” Rainer followed his future father-in-law out the back door, with Logan right behind them.
Rainer’s eyes slid to the side. “I will kill you for this.”
This only furthered Logan’s delight.
They traipsed to the lake and began the customary path around.
Logan tried to hide his smirk while he threw pieces of bread into the water.
“Well, why don’t we start with why the suite was reserved for Mr. and Mrs. Lawson?” Governor Haydenshire demanded without even giving a pretense for the walk.
“Tad made the reservations. Not me. He did it as a joke, and I just
didn’t correct them. It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time.”
“You’re not married yet, Rainer.”
“Yes, sir.” He sighed as the Governor launched into his lecture.
When he landed on the, “And where exactly were your hands when the waiter couldn’t see them, Rainer?” portion of the inquisition, Rainer panicked.
Logan grimaced and appeared to feel some slight remorse that he’d just pulled this stunt.
Rainer drew a steadying breath and met Governor Haydenshire’s pointed gaze. He held his eyes steadily as he promised, “Nowhere they shouldn’t have been.” He wasn’t certain if he was lying or not, but he never dropped the Governor’s glare.
“Good. However, half of those photos looked like they should have taken place inside of your hotel suite not in a public restaurant. Perhaps if you and Emily cooled it a little, the cameras would back off.”
“Doubt it,” Rainer mumbled under his breath.
“What was that?” the Governor demanded angrily.
“Uh,” Rainer cleared his throat. “I don’t think so, sir. I mean, they tried to trace Emily’s car. It’s never seemed to matter what we were doing.”
“Well, for my sake, why don’t we try it, and see if it might work?”
“Yes sir,” Rainer offered him another apologetic glance.
“Now, I would like to commend you, Rainer. Your decision to name Logan as your beneficiary not only took a great deal of thought and maturity, but it shows me that my baby girl’s safety is your top priority. I want you to know how much I appreciate that.”
“I’m not so certain you should be keeping that from Emily, though. I know you’re trying not to frighten her, but you’ll find in marriage, son, that sharing too much is always preferable to not sharing enough.”
Rainer felt his breath coming easier now. “I know, sir. I’m not trying to hide anything from her. I just wanted to wait to tell her. She’s still freaked out about what happened after practice, and then with the car today. I’ll tell her when things settle down. ”