by Jody Klaire
“Urs has one like that.” Renee cocked her head. “She said it was a one off.”
Stosur turned. “It is. If you know her, if you’re who you say you are, then you’ll know how to fly it.”
Uh oh.
The tone said a lot but the aura showed that Stosur didn’t believe us.
I stared at the ground between us and the chopper. There was a fine ridge. A ridge that crackled with enough volts to power the city by the intensity of it.
Renee took a breath and put the case down. “Fine.”
I held onto her shoulder. There was no way. “Renee, you can’t.”
Aunt Bess cradled me closer, hugging the box enough that the kittens meowed in protest.
Stosur raised her gun. “If you are who you say you are, what are you worried about?”
“Renee—”
She placed her finger over my lips and smiled. “Trust me.”
What could I say? How could I argue? “You know I do.”
She took a breath, squeezed my hand, and turned away. She marched forward and Aunt Bess held my shoulder to stop me going after her. I picked up the case, hoping it would give me something to grip onto.
The ground crackled.
I glanced at it and shut my eyes, hoping that Nan and every other force for good was gonna help her through. I couldn’t see how she could walk through that. I opened my eyes and winced as the crackles grew louder.
Renee kept marching.
I gripped on.
The crackle heightened.
She kept walking.
Over the ridge.
Straight to the chopper and opened the door with a cheeky smile.
I blinked at her.
Wow.
Her aura gushed with relief. She’d been terrified.
Wow.
“Convinced now?” she said without a trace of nerves.
Stosur lowered her weapon. She reached in her pocket and the ridge lowered, the electricity evaporating some place. “Huber is in Baltimore. Business.”
I looked from Renee to Aunt Bess and back.
“Can see why you love her, kid, she’s one fine woman.” Aunt Bess ushered me forward.
“Huber have somewhere to land?” Renee said, her lightshow firing no doubt at the dumb expression on my face.
“I’ll direct you.” Stosur motioned to Aunt Bess and me. “In.”
Great to see she was as Frei like as, well, Frei. “Can kittens fly?” I asked not liking the thought of the critters getting worried.
Stosur eyed the crate. “It’s noisy but they should be fine.” She held open the back. “It’s a short flight. Unless you’d like to stay and explain to my team why you darted their colleagues?”
I sure as shoots didn’t want that, not with their guns.
Aunt Bess sighed beside me. “Well, I can’t leave ’em.”
She helped me into the chopper. Renee got into the pilot’s seat as Aunt Bess and I climbed in the back. It was a lot more luxurious than the ones Renee had flown.
Stosur got in the co-pilot’s seat and I put on my headset, shaking so much that I rattled my ears with it.
“I can’t believe you done that,” I muttered at Renee as she settled in. I was half-awed, half-ready to throttle her for trying such a dumb, foolish . . . incredible thing. “How’d you do that?”
Renee turned and gave me a wink, her eyes twinkling with her smile.
“Easy,” she said, turning back around and placing the lock onto the console. The helicopter rumbled into life and the headset crackled with her voice. “The lock is the key.”
Chapter 61
FREI COULD FEEL her breath laboring. Her body shutting down. Her heart pounded a slow, heavy march. She could see the locked door above her. The way out. She had to get out of her head. She reached for it but the door disappeared. The hallway in Huber’s house emerged, pulling her under again.
She strolled down the stairs, her height had almost doubled. It wasn’t a problem, there was no need to hide from guards now.
“Miss Locks,” the hall monitor mumbled as she passed. “Mr. Huber and Megan are having dinner.”
She nodded. “I’ll join them.”
The monitor scuttled in front of her. A large woman. A woman who she’d been darting around since she could crawl. “Megan wanted it to be alone.”
“Megan doesn’t have a say, does she?” Frei held the monitor’s gaze, daring her to push it. Everyone knew that Huber was on her side, that she may work for him but out of choice. Whatever the owner’s papers said, no one owned her.
The monitor stepped out of her way and Frei wandered into the dining hall. Megan threw her cutlery down as she did so. Frei paid her no attention. After her sister, Megan was lucky she hadn’t impaled her on something. Only Huber . . . and her heart . . . stopped her doing anything as vile.
“I said I wanted privacy.”
Frei kept her gaze on Huber. He found it amusing, the twinkle she saw in his eyes said enough. “Then feel free to use your room.”
“Insolent slave,” Megan shot, scraping the chair as she got to her feet. “I have a good mind to—”
Frei snapped her eyes to Megan’s, every ounce of anger, repressed rage, frustration, pain all pulsed to her fingertips. Every pore of her being radiating the words, “try it, give me a reason,” without a whisper spoken.
Megan was shorter than her now, older, more unsure.
“Well isn’t this warm,” Huber said, slapping the table. Megan flinched. Frei was unmoved. “Good thing I had your favorite made.”
“And what would you know about my favorite, Huber?” Frei turned to him. “The only thing you see are my skills.”
Huber laughed. “That’s because you need more feeding up.” He snapped his fingers and a slave hurried out with her food. Huber had been expecting her.
She looked down at it—steak, mushrooms, fries. Worcestershire Sauce placed next to it. His favorite and, sad to say, hers too. “Lucky guess.”
He laughed again. “You’re too insolent for your own good, Locks.”
Frei shot a glare at Megan who retook her seat without a word. “I’ll be as I please. How you like it.”
She took the seat at the foot of the table. Megan flinched at the positioning. One way to stick it to her.
“Did you retrieve it?”
Frei reached into her jacket and pulled out the disk. It would give him ammunition on his rivals for years. “Did you doubt it?”
She placed the disk next to her dinner and ate. The sauce, the food, like another trophy. Another victory. Huber had to walk to her to get it. She knew he didn’t care.
She tensed as he entered her personal space.
“I told you before, I wouldn’t hurt you.” His voice was gentle. Distant, but gentle.
“I know.” She hated closeness. She hated anyone near her. He moved away and she finally relaxed.
“If I find out anyone has hurt you . . .” His words were for Megan not her. He didn’t know the half of it. Frei might have loathed Megan but she wouldn’t see her fall foul of his temper and she wouldn’t make him that man. He was despicable enough but he was the only thing she knew. She wanted him to stay that way. He was the only thing she could bank on.
“I found something extra.” She pulled out a jewel, large, flawless by the look of it. She knew it was worth money, that was all she was paid to pay attention to. It was money he would enjoy.
“Good girl.” He touched her cheek. She held in the need to flinch.
“You’re welcome.” She focused on her dinner.
She couldn’t care about the jewel, or money. She could eat when she was hungry and she didn’t have to hide or scuttle here. Huber accepted that. She accepted his praise. They had their agreement. He honored his part by building his reputation enough he could buy her sister back and she made him rich. Megan was just a pretty face.
Frei cast a bored glance at her sitting there, scowling, her temper simmering through her heavily painted eyes. �
�Enjoying your food?”
Megan didn’t raise her eyes. They both knew she hated salads, she had to starve herself, Huber didn’t like it when she put weight on. He didn’t like when she covered up either.
Huber sat in his seat and examined the jewel. “You say that now, Locks, but women have to work harder.”
“Why?” She saw no reason to.
“It’s a way to keep useful.”
Frei raised an eyebrow. “Because men are always so helpful to have around?”
Huber clapped his hands together. “Quite.”
He liked nothing better than to try and push her buttons but she wasn’t biting. That would involve feeling. She stared down at her dinner. She had to concentrate on why she was working hard. She had to get her sister back.
Chapter 62
LILIA SMILED AT the man chugging back coffee in the hospital waiting room. Although she could sense his shock and disbelief she didn’t need to. The utter shock which blanched his face was ample evidence. She was once again proud of her girls, they made quite the team.
“What do you mean you can’t remember?” Fleming however didn’t seem at all moved by the fact Renee and Aeron had saved the man’s wife.
“I see a lot of people. There were three women, two of them tall.” He shrugged. “Wish I’d paid more attention. I’d really like to hug them right now.”
Lilia walked over and sat beside him. She patted his hand and tried not to smile. He was lying. He remembered every detail. That, and he saw the family resemblance. “Will your wife be okay now?”
Fleming turned away at the tinkling beep of her cell phone.
The man nodded. “Yeah they said ’cause . . .” He eyed Fleming, he was wary of her, his tension flowed through his energy. “’Cause the ladies knew exactly where the break was, they could diagnose it quicker. She’s out of surgery.” He thumbed over the cup. “Can’t think what I’d have done if—”
“No need to think about that now,” Lilia whispered, keeping Fleming in sight. She glanced at the door, checking for the young agent who’d been sent for coffee. “My daughter will be pleased that your wife is doing well.”
He turned to meet her eyes. He wasn’t going to tell anyone, she knew that. “She knew.” He wiped his hand over his face. “I mean, she hadn’t ever met Maggie.” His eyes searched hers. “I swear it.”
“Yes, well, someone was looking after her.” She gave him her warmest smile. She didn’t know how he was holding up so well. She felt queasy even thinking about Eli being injured. It had been torture when Sam had been on the loose and captured him. Thanks to Aeron, thanks to Renee and Frei, he was safe now.
“I’ll say. If I didn’t think it crazy, I’d have . . . well, I’d have called them guardian angels.” He laughed to himself. “Yeah, it felt just like that.”
“That’s the wonderful thing about helping people,” Lilia said, once more patting his hand. “You spread light.”
He nodded. “They’re in trouble for helping?”
He meant Fleming. Lilia sighed. “They are looking for someone. Don’t worry, they’re just doing their job.” She hoped that her voice sounded more sure than she felt. “I apologize for my colleague’s abruptness.”
He shrugged. “Guess you’re all kinda busy, huh?”
Lilia nodded. He thought they were angels for some reason. It had much to do with his level of exhaustion and his frazzled senses mixing with the shock. He’d forget patches of it probably and discount the rest in time. Maybe.
“We’re leaving.” Fleming pointed to the door.
Lilia patted the man’s hand and got to her feet. “Make sure you rest up, alright?”
She left him and followed Fleming out into the corridor. Fleming’s grumpiness wasn’t characteristic. Not to the level that Lilia was seeing, feeling. Some of it was to do with Renee, yes, but most of it seemed to do with her superior.
“You know, covering things up from a father-in-law is hard but from one who has the benefit of FBI channels, it must be a nightmare.”
Fleming’s aura flinched and rattled. “He doesn’t know the extent of my relationship with Renee.” She strode out through the exit and snatched her cup off the waiting agent. “He can’t either.”
“Why?”
Fleming motioned for her to get into the back of the car and joined her. “He’d go looking for answers and you and I both know that you and your team won’t stand a chance if he does.”
“So all this is putting your career on the line?” Lilia asked as the agent hurried around to the driver’s side.
“Yes.” Fleming sighed. “Whatever you think of me, I loved her.” She scowled at the agent as he got in. She thought he was listening. She was unsure and worried. It wasn’t pleasant to feel that intensity from her. “I know she needs my help.”
Lilia nodded. She could see the truth glimmer around Fleming’s lips. Technically only the US military could fire Renee but that would mean revealing a long list of cover-ups, which had been put in place to protect her. It would mean Fleming realizing why Renee had gotten close to her in the first place. In all fairness to Renee, she’d never been informed that Fleming had been her POI, not the man she’d been sent in for. There had been no need. Lilia had seen that Renee and Fleming would fall in love and that Renee’s steady and inspiring care would convince Fleming that she could succeed.
Lilia wondered if she should have ignored the vision. Fleming looked far from happy. She’d made choices which Lilia couldn’t have seen.
“Let’s see if Ocean City gives us any more of a clue,” Fleming muttered under her breath as they boarded the plane.
“What if they are just on vacation, Abby?” Lilia asked, buckling up and giving her St. Christopher a kiss.
“They aren’t.”
“Why so certain?” She frowned. Fleming was hard to read at times. Lilia wasn’t as gifted as Aeron in that department. She’d gotten sprinkles of the woman inside but never the whole truth.
A true agent.
“I read Renee’s file. I know what happened to her and I know that she can’t fly.” She met Lilia’s eyes. “If she is risking the safety of those with her, not to mention breaking the law, then it’s not for a vacation.”
Lilia was sure she’d wiped that file. How had Fleming known that?
Fleming smiled a sad smile at her. “You tried to protect me and I appreciate that but medical files are stored in more than one place.”
Which she’d also wiped.
“Psych file,” Fleming whispered. “Very detailed.”
Lilia sighed. Montgomery was on leave too. She knew who Fleming was and would have stopped her looking but why would her staff?
“Before you ask. I’m livid you concealed it, heartbroken at the damage . . .” Fleming shuddered. It explained some of the anger at the very least. “I’m also disgusted with myself.”
“You aren’t him.” Lilia wanted to make sure Fleming knew that. “You didn’t cause her scars.”
“No, but I was unfaithful to prove a point when I had promised to marry her.” She fiddled with her wedding ring. “If I’d known what had happened, I would have honored my promise to her, regardless of whether that meant losing my career.”
“Which is why it was kept from you.” Another decision she’d made over her heart. It was like, as Aeron often said, a burden. It hurt her to know the pain that decision had caused but the results, the good Fleming had done, proved it to be the right decision. Only it didn’t make her feel better.
“Typical Renee,” Fleming said, her voice cracking with tears. “Always protecting everyone, no matter how much it hurts her.”
Lilia smiled. Despite the masks, the misinformation, the painstaking effort to cover the details of Renee’s life, Fleming had summed her up perfectly. A protector. An incredible one.
Chapter 63
BALTIMORE.
The guy that Frei had loved, Fahrer, had come to pick us up in a limo and Huber’s place in the city was in the affluent
part of town. I felt Frei’s memories growing stronger as we rolled into the city. She’d gone to college at the local Jesuit place after Caprock. That made me smile and explained why she’d understood my need to meditate so much.
She’d excelled in college and she’d graduated with the highest honor that any student could get. None of the folks there had known how young she was. By twenty, she’d looked and felt like a mature adult. Her demeanor had changed completely from the young wiry kid. She’d been a foot taller and gorgeous to boot but with a layer of steel that hurt to think about.
Most of it was Stosur’s mentoring. I watched Stosur gaze out of the window as we drove. I could feel her ripples of pride as she tracked her eyes over the city. She’d become the security chief for the gated community to be near her daughter. No one, not even Huber, had recognized her as the slave Jäger’s brother had owned. The original locksmith.
That was far freakier than anything I could do.
“Aunt Bess, why don’t you get some coffee? I wouldn’t want you involved in anything grimy.” I glanced at her, hoping that she’d get what I meant. Grimes, the guy my dad had trawling the city, needed help. The kind of help I got a feeling she could offer. If she could find where Frei had been held, at least we’d know who we were chasing.
Renee slid her phone out of her pocket, tapped a quick message out and re-pocketed it without so much as looking down. She pointed to a café on the corner. “Looks like a great place to get a coffee.”
Aunt Bess nodded. “If you don’t need me?”
I met her eyes. So much for a travelling artist. “I always need you. The kittens need some rest.” I smiled and she nodded with a grin. She read me better than I had noticed before. Not freaky wise just observant.
“You got it, Shorty.” She patted my knee.
Fahrer looked at Stosur for direction but she had read my attempt at a coded conversation too and smiled. “They’re probably in need of feeding . . . the kittens.”
Fahrer’s brow dipped but he pulled the limo over. Aunt Bess got out with the kittens.