A man exited the building beside which they sheltered; he was talking on his cell. “Thirty-five minutes until the bomb squad even gets here. The governor’s ball at the capitol had a threat, too. They’re figuring out how to divide resources. It’s crazy.”
Two bomb threats in one evening? asked Chrétien.
Now that sounds like Fritz, said Pfeffer.
Chrétien replied, I believe my cousin wished to empty the airport so as to gain access to the doctor’s recherche—his research, that is.
Let’s hurry, said Martina, suddenly panicked.
Ah, but you forget, Mademoiselle, Fritz knows not the size and shape and couleur—the color—of the package.
And we do, Martina replied, grimly.
Do either of you hear Fritz? asked Pfeffer.
I hear not his thoughts, said Chrétien. Perhaps it is not him, after all.
Wait, said Martina. She continued to listen carefully. After half a minute, she heard something. A chill ran up her spine. I hear counting. In his voice. It’s something I taught Hansel to do. None of us ever experimented with, um, keeping our thoughts to ourselves.
Chrétien paused, listening, Martina thought. Indeed, I hear now the counting. I had disregarded it as irrelevant. Thank you, Mademoiselle.
We need to grab that package, now, said Martina.
But Pfeffer disagreed. I wish to ascertain the parcel is aboard first.
The building’s empty, said Martina. Can you check using their computers or scanners or something?
Pfeffer seemed to grunt a small laugh. I haven’t met a computer yet that wouldn’t converse with me. But I think we should remain invisible until I find the right workstation. If Fritz is here, the less time we spend visible, the better. Are we ready?
Martina assented, as did Chrétien.
We stick to the plan, said Pfeffer.
Pfeffer took them inside a small office with “FedEx” printed on the door. Once inside, he passed from screen to screen.
This is the station I need, Pfeffer said. I’ll be right back.
He solidified, tapping his way through several screens. Second container in from the back, left hand side. Pfeffer’s thoughts were as crisp as they had been when he was invisible—something Chrétien had told Martina might happen, so long as they were still touching one another. It was remarkable. She wondered if it was possible to learn too many surprising things in one day. How little Helmann or any of them had known….
Pfeffer had just muttered, “Got you,” aloud, when something went horribly wrong.
Within the office, Georg materialized and shot Pfeffer with the tranquilizer gun Fritz had used in Nice. Seconds later, Fritz materialized beside Georg.
Taking the gun from Georg, Fritz muttered, “Go.” Georg vanished.
Go, go, go! Pfeffer cried silently.
“Hello, brother,” said Fritz.
And then he withdrew a gun from his jacket.
41
MIND PUZZLES
Sacramento, California
Go! Quickly! Pfeffer was hurling the thoughts at Martina, at Chrétien.
The two remained fixed in position, shocked at the swiftness with which Fritz had turned the tables in his favor.
We can’t leave Pfeffer here, Martina said to Chrétien. That was Neuroplex Fritz shot Pfeffer with. Pfeffer can’t vanish.
Pfeffer, evidently still able to feel Martina icy grasp, repeated his commands.
Go at once! Don’t stay for me! It would take both of you to ripple away with me, and if you try, Fritz will certainly get at least one shot off.
It was true. Neither of them could solidify and ripple Pfeffer to safety by themselves. Pfeffer was taller and heavier than Chrétien or Martina.
I believe we must do as Pfeffer suggests, said Chrétien.
Martina’s anguished No! overlapped with taunts made by Fritz, who seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.
“As much as I would enjoy killing you, brother,” Fritz was saying, “you’re of more value to me alive.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” replied Pfeffer, aloud. Silently, he cried out to Chrétien and Martina. Fritz cannot be allowed to see my research! He will use it to destroy all of you! Do you hear me? Go! Retrieve the parcel and return to Sir Walter at once! Both of you. Two have a better chance at success!
This was true. Their original plan depended upon two of them standing “guard” while Chrétien retrieved the parcel. One guard would be better than none.
We must go, said Chrétien to Martina.
We go, she agreed. Now!
All this transpired very quickly; less than half a minute had passed since Pfeffer had first materialized. They released their hold on Pfeffer, cutting off the flow of his thoughts, and Chrétien flew them arrow-straight to their destination.
The FedEx jet had been forced to remain on the runway, away from the more populous areas of the airport, to minimize any potential damage should a bomb detonate. The two ripplers passed through the screech of metal and other unpleasant substances before entering the plane’s interior. The taste of cardboard and plastic packaging passed through Martina’s mind. Georg was nowhere to be seen.
I hear him, said Martina. Georg. And then she heard another set of thoughts. Familiar. Home-like. Hansel. Her heart sank. She’d hoped he wouldn’t be here.
What is it? asked Chrétien.
Nothing, she replied. Just go!
Chrétien had been the one elected to grasp the parcel, as he was the swiftest of the three by far. Martina focused her strength upon her thoughts, upon keeping them from Georg’s or Hansel’s hearing. She felt the tug of Chrétien’s hand as he drifted toward the cargo container, second from the back, left hand side, holding a package twelve centimeters by twenty-six centimeters by twenty centimeters and sealed with green duct tape.
Chrétien rippled solid, lifting the cargo container door upward in a swift motion. Using a knife, he swiped through the cargo netting and plastic enclosing the packages. There were hundreds. They spilled everywhere. Martina looked anxiously for signs her brothers were aboard—they could hardly have missed the noise of the tumbling parcels.
Chrétien saw the package with green duct tape and reached for it. Martina thought she heard Georg. She looked nervously behind. In that brief instant, Fritz solidified in the plane, shot a dart at Chrétien, and vanished, all before Martina could even come solid to “aid” Chrétien.
Should she try to grab the package? What about Chrétien? She couldn’t leave him there, but they were of similar size and no one had thought to test which one of them was largest, heaviest. Their original plan had included Pfeffer’s presence, should anything befall Chrétien. Martina was just deciding she would try to grab Chrétien and vanish when something else happened.
At that moment, Hansel and Georg materialized, Hansel swinging hard at Chrétien. While Hansel wrestled with Chrétien, flashing in and out of invisibility, Georg grabbed the package. Martina had lost her chance. If she came solid, Fritz (still invisible) would see her and shoot her before she could get away with the parcel. If she did nothing, Fritz would get the package.
But then her moment of opportunity arrived.
Fritz came solid beside Georg, one hand grasping the tranquilizer gun, one hand outstretched for the package. In that instant, Martina made a choice, hoping it was the right choice. She materialized next to Fritz and grabbed for the tranquilizer, yanking it from Fritz’s grasp a millisecond before he rippled away again. She aimed at Georg, who held the package and, without allowing herself to think about it, shot him with Neuroplex. Georg came swinging at her, murderous intent in his eyes. Instantly, she vanished.
“Go, Georg, go!” Hansel cried, still wrestling with Chrétien.
“She shot me with one of Uncle Fritz’s darts,” said Georg. “I can’t vanish.” But Georg did something else instead. He aimed a kick at Chrétien’s head. Chrétien stumbled, tottered, and collapsed inside the cargo container, surrounded by packages.
Just as Martina was preparing to come solid and grab Pfeffer’s parcel from Georg, Georg tossed it to Hansel. “Take it!” he cried. “Take it and get out of here.”
Hansel vanished with the parcel.
Immediately, Martina could hear his thoughts of concern for Georg. Strangely, considering she’d just shot Georg, Hansel was equally worried about Martina’s safety. That settled it. She could try to negotiate with him.
Hansel, please, you can’t give that to Fritz! People will die, Hansel. Good people.
Hansel’s response was swift. This package holds the key to our salvation. All of us. You, me, Georg, Günter, Friedrich.
What? demanded Martina.
Inside is the formula for a permanent solution to our enzymatic disorder. Fritz told us Pfeffer’s been working on it.
Martina was incredulous. That’s what Fritz told you was on the computer in that package?
Yes, replied Hansel. And don’t be too sure Pfeffer will give any to you. Come with us, Martina. We’ll be together again. And once we have the treatment, we can leave Fritz. We’ll be free—just think of it!
Martina’s mind was torn. Could it be true? Could Pfeffer have lied about what it was Fritz wanted? What was really on that computer? It was like one of the mind puzzles Aunt Helga used to set for them. Use your minds! she would shout to the children.
And so, Martina did. Who was more likely to tell the truth: Pfeffer or Fritz? Much as Martina wanted the cure to exist, wanted for Pfeffer to have found it and lied and withheld it, she knew what was more likely.
Fritz lied to you, she told her brother. The research on that computer is for Immutin, the drug Pfeffer developed to permanently suppress invisibility. Immutin is what Fritz wants.
You don’t know this, said Hansel. You can’t. You don’t know Pfeffer. None of us do. But I know Fritz gave us a four-month cure for our enzymatic disorder. What has Pfeffer ever done for you?
What had Pfeffer done for her? Martina wanted to laugh. Pfeffer had given her a choice about taking Immutin or not. When she’d demanded to visit Mutti, Pfeffer had handed her a passport and a ticket. When Pfeffer heard about Mutti’s condition, he’d boarded the next plane. At every turn, he’d been right there, offering help.
And when he’d heard she could still ripple, a simple “not now” from Sir Walter had been enough to make him drop the subject. Pfeffer trusted her. Enough to include her on this mission. She wasn’t going to make a mistake again about who to trust.
Hansel, I know Pfeffer. He’s not the enemy. And I know Fritz. We both do. I escaped Fritz on my own when the Neuroplex wore off. Did he tell you that?
She felt her brother’s hesitation. No, admitted Hansel. I was a little confused how you got here.
Fritz had me locked in a little cell. He’s already left Matteo for dead. And I heard his thoughts about you and Georg. He plans to play you off each other, now that he doesn’t have me anymore. Tell me the truth, Hansel—did Fritz threaten to harm Georg if you didn’t cooperate?
Hansel’s answer was immediate. Yes.
You can’t trust him. He invented a lie about what’s on the computer to get you to help. If you stay with Uncle Fritz, you can bet he’s going to want to test Immutin on someone besides himself. Who do you think he’ll choose, Hansel?
Hansel was silent. She could feel the turmoil within him as waves of emotion: anger, regret, frustration.
Hansel, you know I’m right. Don’t give the parcel to Fritz. Throw it away if you like. You don’t have to give it to me. Just don’t let Fritz get it.
Another long pause. And then, at last, I’ll give it to you. I have to come solid to rescue Georg anyway.
Relief flooded through Martina. She’d forgotten about Georg. He was pacing along the narrow aisle of the airplane, waiting for something to happen. Back and forth, like a caged animal. Back and forth.
We have to do it carefully, said Martina. Fritz is dangerous. And if he realizes what we’re trying to do, he won’t hesitate to kill us. Her breath caught as she thought of the gun Fritz had held to Pfeffer in the FedEx office. Here’s what we do: on my cue, you come solid and throw the package down the aisle to me. Then you vanish and race to Georg. Then you grab him to safety. Okay?
What about you?
I’ll catch the package and vanish as well.
How will I find you?
Martina felt a wave of gratefulness. He wanted to find her again? Come back to Las Abuelitas. We can listen for each other. I’ll always find you, Hansel.
Just like when we were little. I hated how you could always find me when we played Hide and Seek.
Martina sent a brief peal of laughter in her thoughts this time. And then they agreed on a countdown, mapping each detail once more, describing to one another their exact position within the aircraft so there would be no miscalculations.
They waited until Georg was pacing toward their end of the craft. But just as Hansel came solid and threw the package to the space where Martina solidified, Fritz came solid in front of her, blocking the parcel’s progress. He raised a gun and shot Hansel. And then he turned to shoot Martina.
42
I’LL DO ANYTHING
Sacramento, California
Martina fired the dart gun first, vanishing a millisecond before Fritz’s bullet could reach her. Unfortunately, her shot flew wide. She waited for a second opportunity. She heard Hansel, gasping for breath. He was bleeding. Heavily. He’d been shot in the chest. But she might not have another chance—
Fritz bent to grab the parcel and Martina solidified again, too close to miss. But this time Fritz was expecting her. Reaching for the package had been a ruse; he struck her solar plexus and tore the tranquilizer gun from her hand.
Now he held two weapons and she had none. She sucked in half an aching breath and vanished, just as another gunshot rang out: Fritz missing her again. She heard Georg’s cry of hey, watch it! She cast another glance at Hansel and then nothing else mattered. Not even the package. There was blood, so much blood. She flew to Hansel’s side, coming solid and then whisking him into invisible safety.
In some part of her awareness, she saw Fritz reaching for the package, obtaining it. It didn’t matter. Hansel, she cried out.
Ahhh, sighed Hansel. Than … kyou.
Why was his speech slurred? People got better when they were invisible. If you were hungry, it stopped. If you had a bloody knee, it didn’t bleed anymore.
Hansel! Hansel, are you okay?
A long pause. Mar … tina. Silence.
It’s going to be okay, Hansel. You’ve lost a lot of blood. But I’ll get you to a hospital. The best one in California. You just have to give me a minute. There’s something I have to do before Fritz leaves.
Hansel wasn’t going to get worse, whatever his condition, while he was insubstantial. Agonizing as it was, leaving Hansel alone was the right thing to do. If she didn’t, something worse was going to happen.
Fritz hovered over Georg, injecting him with something. The anti-dote to Neuroplex that Mickie had mentioned? Fritz passed the parcel to Georg, saying, “Go!”
Georg vanished with the package.
Martina cursed. She’d lost the package. Hansel was close to bleeding out. She had no idea what Fritz had done to Pfeffer. And what of Chrétien? She glanced back to see his feet protruding from the packages, still as death. She would not lose anything else; she would not lose her last chance to save Matteo.
She came solid, calling out, “I’m unarmed, Uncle Fritz.”
Fritz spun around, an empty syringe in one hand. He seemed to be evaluating whether to vanish or reach for his gun.
Martina held both hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I’m not a threat to you,” she said.
As Fritz considered her statement, he withdrew a weapon. The dart gun. Martina felt a chill run along her spine, but she remained standing, her focus on Fritz’s trigger finger.
Fritz’s finger twitched and Martina vanished. Fritz scowled. Disappointed.
A second later, she solidified again.
“You have to tell me where Matteo is!”
A second passed in silence. Two seconds. Three seconds. Fritz didn’t try to shoot her again. He seemed to be considering something.
“Please,” she murmured.
“How badly do you want to know?” he asked, quietly. “You fought bravely tonight. That took courage. You’re one of the audio-savants, aren’t you?”
Martina nodded.
“Do you know, my sister Helga had plans for you, once. I wonder….”
“Please,” said Martina. “I’ll do anything.” Her voice was a whisper.
“I’m inclined to believe you would. Come closer, my dear.”
Martina stayed where she was.
“Or perhaps you won’t do anything I ask….”
Martina could hear his thoughts—they were of needles and poisons and how perhaps he ought to have chosen the real gun instead of the dart gun.
She took a cautious step in his direction, keeping her hands raised in surrender. “I want to see Matteo again. Truly. I’ll do anything.” Another cautious step forward.
“Yes, yes, we’ve been over this. How tiresome you are.” Inexplicably, Fritz placed the dart gun back in his pocket. “Do you know, I think I would rather have you than de Rochefort’s brat.”
Martina threw a glance over her shoulder. She couldn’t see Chrétien’s feet anymore. Which was odd.
“So here’s what I want in exchange for your little … request,” said Fritz. “As it happens, the chamber on my Neuroplex gun is empty, thanks to your inexpert shooting. But I have these.” Reaching inside a pocket, he pulled out a pre-drawn vaccine. “Before we discuss Matteo’s location, you will do two things for me. First, and only after I have vanished, you will inject yourself with Neuroplex.” Fritz bared his white teeth in a horrible smile. “Then I want you to shoot de Rochefort’s brat. Do these things for your Uncle Fritz and we’ll talk.”
“I’ll do it,” she whispered. “But only if you tell me first. Where have you hidden Matteo?” Her utterance was as commanding as she knew how to make it; it was the voice she used to demand of a frantic mother, What was the name of the poison your child swallowed?
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