She picked up his hand and replaced her own with it. Andrew felt the sting as he pushed the piece of fabric over his wound. Mia opened the car door and climbed out. She was covered in scrapes, but even with the tears in her long red dress she still looked beautiful.
“Why are you so dressed up?” Andrew asked.
He climbed out of the car. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed her appearance when he first saw her.
“It’s a long story,” Mia said.
Andrew noticed she wasn’t wearing any shoes. Her feet were covered in scratches. He started to take his off.
“Don’t,” Mia said. “They’ll never fit me.”
“Then I’ll carry you,” Andrew said.
“You look like you’re going to pass out again,” Mia said.
Andrew locked eyes with her. She was tired, but he recognized she’d never accept the shoes. He stood up again.
“Wait in the car,” Mia said to the man. “We’ll come back for you.”
He started to open the door.
“I promise,” Mia said. “If we were going to let you die we would have left you by the cliff.”
He seemed to accept her answer and leaned back in his seat. Carter climbed out of the car and joined them.
Mia looked away from Andrew and started walking. She was clutching a plastic bag. Andrew and Carter followed her. The three walked in silence for a few minutes. Andrew tried his hardest to hide the difficulty he was having walking in a straight line.
“I can’t believe you shot someone,” Andrew said. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face.
“It’s not funny,” Mia said. “I was trying to help.”
“I can’t believe you wanted to leave him for dead,” Carter said.
“You weren’t in Saint Louis,” Mia said. “That man killed Whitney. And I wouldn’t have left him. It just took a moment to come to the right decision.”
The right decision; Andrew didn’t think there was such a thing. Every choice carried significant repercussions that led to a series of uncontrollable events. This man’s presence could be dangerous for them.
“How do you know about this place?” Carter asked.
“I made contact with someone here,” Mia said.
“Man,” Carter said. “We’re busy taking up with the enemy and you’re making all the plans.”
“I found these people before we left America,” Mia said. “I met them online. Through the same website your dad found us on.”
Carter stopped walking.
“Before we left America? Do you mean before my house was invaded by government employees and my dad died in the car accident?”
“Your dad didn’t die in the accident,” Mia said.
“He’s dead though,” Carter said. His voice was getting louder. He took a step toward Mia. “This is all your fault,” he said. “You thought you could contact strangers online and it wouldn’t get traced back to us?”
“It wasn’t like that,” Mia said.
“Yes it was,” Carter interrupted. He took another step toward Mia. “My father is dead because of you. I wish I never met you.”
Andrew stepped in front of Mia. He didn’t know what Carter was doing.
“We don’t know that,” Andrew said. “Stay calm.”
“You’re going to side with her?” Carter asked. “I know you’re thinking the same way I am. You try to remember what happened and that noise comes crashing through. That’s because of her.”
“She saved us,” Andrew said.
“And the militia found us wandering the desert,” Carter replied sarcastically.
Andrew moved his eyebrows together. Carter turned and stormed off.
“Wait,” Mia said. She started to walk out from behind Andrew.
“He’ll be fine,” Andrew said. “He’s staying on the road. Let him walk alone.”
Then Andrew started moving his feet. Carter’s anger was misdirected. He was mourning his father, and Mia was an easy target. Still, Andrew didn’t think it was wise for her to have contacted people over the Internet.
“I didn’t mean any harm,” Mia said.
“I know,” Andrew said.
The two walked along the road in silence. Andrew thought about the previous day’s events. He had been happy as a soldier. It made him sick to admit that, but life had been easier. He thought about the decisions that were in front of him, ones he’d have to make for himself. Up ahead Carter stopped walking. Andrew hoped it was to make amends. The three needed each other too much. As Andrew and Mia approached him Andrew saw Carter wasn’t stopped; he was frozen.
“Carter, I’m sorry,” Mia said. “But we don’t even know how we were detected.”
Andrew looked at Carter’s eyes and followed them down to what he was staring at. Andrew took a step back as a man with a gun walked out of the trees. Mia gasped. Andrew spun around and more people with weapons drawn walked onto the road. He held his hands in the air. Lifting his hand off his wound caused a sting; Andrew felt the warm blood drip down his forehead. The three of them were surrounded.
Chapter 42
GRANT MARSDEN, TRENDSETTER: THE CASUAL CHIC LOOK IS SWEEPING THE NATION
—American Gazette
The previous week’s events were starting to take their toll on Grant’s work. He finally had a free day with no press visits or meetings at the Mission. He sat in his basement working on several projects that needed attention. He was tinkering with an injectable knife, which allowed an assailant to not only stab their victim but also inject a poison at the same time. He wanted an automatic release where there wasn’t even a button-push required.
Grant thought about the men in the training facility. These were people with formal education, working on classified projects. Grant could have easily ended up in their shoes, but he had picked up his trade in a more peculiar way.
What are you doing here?” the man asked.
“Looking for food,” Grant said. He had only been out of the orphanage for a few months. It was the first time he had been this close to a gun, but he wasn’t afraid.
“I should shoot you,” the man said.
“Then do it,” Grant said. He took a step forward. Grant had six years to live through until he enlisted.
“Why aren’t you afraid of me?”
“The way you’re dressed,” Grant said. “And the way you smell.”
The man raised an eyebrow.
“You look bad and you smell bad,” Grant said. “This is a beautiful house and it’s not yours. You’re trying to rob the place. If you kill me that means a loud noise, which will wake up the owner, who will kill you.”
The man grew flustered at Grant’s comments. Before he could speak a sharp whiz came through the air. The man lowered his gun and fell to his knees. Grant looked past him to see a man standing in silk pajamas and a robe. His dark hair was parted to the side with the previous day’s styling gel in place. The house’s true owner. Grant gave a smirk before the man shot him in the shoulder with a dart and Grant joined the dirty old man on the floor.
His concentration was broken when a knock sounded through the laboratory.
Grant rolled his eyes. His staff knew better than to disturb him down here. He had both phones in his pockets; if it was an emergency they knew to call. He ignored the sound but again it echoed through his private space. Grant got up from his table and stormed over toward the door. He looked at his security system and saw Brandon standing outside. Grant pushed the intercom button.
“Go away,” Grant said.
“Sir, I am so sorry to bother you, but you have visitors.”
“Tell them to go away,” Grant said.
“It’s . . . it’s . . . the grand commander and his family,” Brandon said.
Grant watched his employee’s face glow. He did not share the house manager’s emotions. Grant didn’t appreciate surprises and wanted to continue with his work.
“Tell Ian he can . . .” Grant rethought his situation. “Tell him I�
�ll be right up.”
When Grant was running the country many things would change, and one of those would be that nobody would ever be allowed to interrupt his privacy. Until the position was his, though, Grant had to play along. He slid on his blue moccasins and grabbed the cardigan he’d brought down with him, pulling the white sweater over his yellow polo. He unlocked the door to his studio and climbed up the staircase.
The house had been built to Grant’s specifications, and that included a secret tunnel system, making it easier to cross the giant structure. There were two entrances to his workshop; one was hidden behind a bookshelf in his office and only Brandon knew its location. Grant came out into the office behind his desk and started walking toward the foyer. There stood the First Family.
“Ian,” Grant said. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“I saw your schedule was clear and thought we’d pop in,” he said. “This place is a compound.”
“Just my humble home,” Grant said.
“This is my wife Nancy,” Ian said. “And I brought along my daughters Lyndsay, Tamara, Erin, and Nina.”
The four girls giggled and bowed. Erin and Nina were the seventeen-year-old twins. Lyndsay and Tamara were just slightly older. All four were stunning.
“A pleasure to meet you,” Grant said.
The five women bowed. Grant wondered which one was his future wife. Not that it mattered; any of the four would do.
“I wasn’t expecting company,” Grant said.
“We’d love a tour of your home,” Ian said.
Grant nodded and called for Brandon. “Have some lunch ready in the courtyard for us in an hour,” he said.
Brandon’s grin couldn’t be contained. He bowed and ran off toward the kitchen, knocking into a table on the way out.
“Let’s start upstairs,” Grant said.
The party moved up the stairs, the girls whispering to one another. Grant tried his best to keep a smile on his face, but the whole time his annoyance festered.
And finally we have the ballroom,” Grant said.
It was larger than most banquet halls and could easily handle five hundred guests. The floor was made of gold marble. No event had ever been held here, but that wasn’t the point of having a ballroom. The fact that Grant’s home was large enough to house one was reason enough to have one.
“What’s through there?” Nancy asked.
Ian turned and gave her a sharp look.
“I meant nothing,” she said. “Only your house is perfect and from the outside I can tell it’s still larger.”
“You are observant,” Grant said. “That’s the east wing. I keep it closed off. I thought more employees would live on site, so it’s mainly single rooms.”
“Your servants don’t live here?” Tamara asked.
“Some,” Grant said. “I refuse to hire unserved boys. They should spend their preservice time in the real world, not sheltered in a giant house. Most of the workers have wives they like to go home to.”
“What did you do for your preservice years?”
“I apprenticed for an engineer,” Grant said. “He planned roads and sewage ducts, nothing ladies should concern themselves with.”
“It sounds interesting,” Nina said.
“It’s not,” Grant said. “Let’s head outside to the courtyard. I have two swimming pools and some wonderful landscaping. I’m sure Brandon can round up some swimsuits.”
This made the girls clap their hands with delight. He ushered them out of the ballroom and looked over his shoulder at the door to the east wing. He didn’t want any more attention brought to it.
“Maybe while the ladies take in the outdoors you and I can continue with our conversations,” Ian said.
“My pleasure,” Grant said.
The grand commander started talking about foreign relations again. Grant was starting to see Ian less as a respected man and more as an outdated fool who made his teeth grind. This was the fourth time Grant had heard this speech in as many days. He couldn’t think of a worse way to spend his time than listening to the old man babble on.
Chapter 43
The core principles of Affinity are trust, respect, and equality.
—Internal memorandum from Affinity
Nobody said a word as the three were marched down the road. There was no way to escape these people. Carter dropped his gun as soon as the men came out of the bushes and Mia didn’t even have a shoe to hit them with. Mia was scared they were Joseph’s men, another convoy sent to take revenge. She looked over at Carter; his eyes were hard and his chin pointed upward. She couldn’t imagine the pain he was feeling.
Her attention switched to Andrew. He looked like he was in a different type of pain. His skin was pale, except for the dried blood. He was having trouble lifting his legs off the ground. Then it was too much for him. Mia gasped and tried to catch him, but he was too heavy for her.
“Andrew!” she screamed.
She starting patting his face. He wasn’t waking up. The men aimed their guns at the two of them.
“He needs help,” Mia said. “A doctor.”
The men stared at her.
“Please,” Mia said. “I’m not lying.”
She tried to pat Andrew’s face again, hoping he would come to. It was stupid to think he was unhurt after the car crash.
“We have another man with us too,” Carter said. “Back at our car. He’s been shot.”
Mia cringed; she’d forgotten about Grant’s henchman. Now if he died it would be doubly her fault. But Andrew still took priority.
“Please wake up,” she said.
She turned her attention to the men.
“My name is Mia Morrissey,” she said. “I’m an American. I made contact with someone called S. She told me to come to Guatemala. We’re all Americans. Please, help us.”
Someone pushed her aside. She was shaking.
“What happened to him?” the man asked.
“A car accident,” Mia said. “He was unconscious for a few minutes, but he came to. Please help him.”
The man held his fingers to Andrew’s neck. He pulled open each of his eyes and slapped Andrew’s face. There was no reaction.
“He has a pulse,” the man said. “It’s slow, but it’s there. Get Dr. Drum.”
One of the men took off running. The one examining Andrew started to speak.
“Turn their car back on,” he said. “Reset the thumbprint key.”
“Who are you talking to?” Mia asked.
The man knelt next to Andrew but looked at one of his counterparts.
“Run down to their vehicle, drive it up here,” he said.
Another one of the soldiers took off running.
Time felt like it was standing still. A jeep came speeding down the road. It stopped and two people jumped out. They were dressed in beige linen clothing. One brought a small kit with her.
“Move back,” the woman said.
One of the guards held his arms out and moved Mia away from Andrew.
“What’s happening?” Mia asked.
She stood on her tiptoes and looked down to see the woman waving something under Andrew’s nose. His eyes shot open and he started coughing.
“Move him into the back,” she said.
Two guards hoisted a disoriented Andrew up and placed him in the back of the jeep. Mia watched his eyes start to shut again. His two helpers climbed in the vehicle and drove off.
“Wait,” Mia yelled. “I can’t leave him.”
Her protests were unanswered as the car zoomed off. Mia was having a hard time breathing. She had lost him again. It was too much to handle. Her chest hurt as she exhaled. She stumbled back and one of the guards grabbed her wrist.
“You need to breathe,” he said.
“Where are you taking him?” Mia asked.
She struggled against the guard’s grip on her, but he only tightened his grasp. Their car came driving down the road. It didn’t slow down but followed the car Andrew was in.
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“Andrew,” Mia yelled again.
“They’re going to help him,” the guard said.
He used his free hand to swing his rifle around his back.
“You’re having a panic attack,” he said. “Breathe like I do. Watch my mouth.”
He started taking big breaths and Mia tried her best to mimic him. Once her breathing returned to normal he smiled.
“Who are you?” Mia asked. “What’s going on?”
“My name is Zack,” he said.
“Why are you kidnapping us?”
“We’re not kidnapping anyone,” Zack said. “Why are you driving through our space?”
“You jumped out at us with guns,” Mia said. “Then you took my friend away.”
“We saw your car,” Zack said. “This is private property. One of your friends is dressed like a combatant, the other is shirtless with a gun, and you look like you’re ready for a ball. We’re just protecting ourselves. We took your friend to get medical attention. Did you think we were going to treat him on the side of the road?”
Mia looked at Zack’s face. His blond hair was poking out from his helmet. He had crystal-blue eyes and must have been about thirty. She didn’t think he was lying to her.
“What are you doing here?” Zack asked.
“I was coming to meet S,” Mia said.
“S?”
“Someone I met online,” Mia said. “I responded to an ad for The Guatemalan Way.”
“A response that led the RAG agents to my house and got my dad killed,” Carter said.
Mia looked over at him. He was leaning against a tree and the two other escorts lowered their weapons as well. The threat of danger was gone for now.
“Not possible,” Zack said. “All our online correspondents are untraceable. We put a lot of work into that.”
“So this is the right place?” Mia asked.
Her heart rose.
“Not yet,” Zack said. “Why were you driving here? The instructions are to cross over the border and wait until we find you.”
“I met someone in Mexico,” Mia said. “She drew me a map to here.”
Zack’s eyes widened at this comment.
“She’s a strategist for the Irish government,” Mia said. “Her name is Riley.”
The Collection Page 17