Hindsight

by Jody Klaire

  Grimes frowned. “You did, when?”

  Bess chuckled. “When you were cooing over the kittens. I caught you.”

  “Ma’am, I think you are mistaken,” Grimes said, sucking in his chin. “I don’t even like cats.”

  “Yeah sure.” She screeched them around a bend, and Grimes crunched into the side door. “And it’s Bess. Ma’am makes me feel old. I ain’t in here.” She tapped her chest.

  His eyes twinkled. “Bess.”

  She smiled. If that impressed him, he’d be amazed at how many cookies she could consume in one sitting. She tapped the wheel.

  Cookies.

  Lilia could do with more cookies. She worried too much. She needed to relax more. Bess had covered tracks, broken into warehouses, and evaded pursuers more times than she’d had birthdays, and that was a lot of pursuers.

  Aeron would be just the same.

  Walk in the park.

  Like Bess, Aeron was a Lorelei after all.

  Chapter 67

  FREI SHIFTED, FEELING Jessie cough against her. She had the pistol in her hand and her eyes on the doorway. Her legs wouldn’t move anymore. She wasn’t sure if she could pull the trigger.

  “Jessie, if anyone gets close. You need to hide.”

  Jessie shook her head. Eyes wide like they were too big for her face. Wild hair. Wiry, small. So much like her at the same age. Scary.

  “Kid, I know these people. I know what they’ll do. I lost my sister to them. I lost a mentor . . . a friend . . . to them.” She rolled her head enough to look at her. “Please, don’t make me watch you get hurt too.”

  “Your sister?” Jessie studied her as if she wasn’t sure she believed her. It wasn’t surprising. She could barely make sense.

  “She’s missing. I don’t know where she is.”

  They were cornered. Their pursuers had followed the car. Whoever owned the warehouse wasn’t going to let them go that easily. It wasn’t like she could fight them. Which was what they’d planned. Frei knew what most of the buyers were like. They did this kind of thing for sport.

  Jessie chewed on her lip then set her jaw. “We’ll find her.”

  Frei couldn’t help but smile. “That’s not your job. Don’t go missing too. Please.”

  Frei gasped like a rope was around her neck. Renee’s voice rolled around in her head. The memory tightened around her. Squeezed.

  She picked herself up off the floor, watching the taillights fade.

  The boy was safe now.

  She took in the mess she’d left of the wall and brushed the brick dust off her jacket. Messy but it would have to do.

  “What are you doing?” Renee snapped.

  “You were meant to be heading to the base.” Frei sighed and turned to look at her.

  “I thought you were in trouble.” Renee had her hands on her hips, her gun and badge on show, an FBI jacket on.

  “No.”

  She threw her hands in the air. “No?” She stomped over to her. “I just watched you break out a felon. I watched you blow the side of a police station and that’s all you say, no?”

  Frei turned and strode around the corner. She hadn’t blown it, it was a fizzing explosive that had crumbled a section. Blowing it would have alerted the police. Blowing it would have just been stupid.

  “His rap sheet made my printer run out of paper, Urs.” Renee hurried behind her.

  Frei turned another corner and shoved Renee out of sight as sirens split through the air. She clamped a hand over Renee’s mouth as she listened.

  Police? No, ambulance, maybe?

  Renee pulled her hand away. “You have any idea what position you’re putting me in?”

  Frei looked down at her. If she told her the rap sheet was false, she’d have to explain why, then she’d have to talk about Huber, her sister, her . . . past. “My car is around the corner.”

  Renee narrowed her eyes. “I want an explanation.”

  Frei had seen the temper before. It never worried her. Renee was amusing when she tried it. “Good luck with that.”

  She peeked her head out. No police. She strode across the alleyway, her focus on her car.

  “Stop or I will bring you in.” Renee’s voice didn’t bother her.

  She kept walking. “Good luck with that.”

  Click.

  Frei halted at the sound of the pistol loading. “Shooting me won’t give you answers.”

  “Then don’t make me pull the trigger.”

  Frei looked over her shoulder. Renee could shoot better than most but she wouldn’t. “Are you coming?”

  Renee narrowed her eyes. “I told you to stop.”

  She dropped her hand to her radio and Frei sighed. “Nice of you to trust me.” She turned and walked back to the car.

  Ping.

  Frei looked down at the tire of her car as it hissed. She pulled open the door and got in.

  Ping.

  The front driver’s side hissed. Frei started the engine and slammed it into gear. They were run flats. She didn’t look in the rearview mirror, she couldn’t. She bit back the hurt. She would just go back to working for Huber, he’d help her search for her sister even if the boy had yielded no answers.

  She heard sirens and stuck her foot down.

  Renee must have called in the police. She thought they could catch her. Frei shook her head, rubbing at the tears.

  “Good luck with that.”

  Chapter 68

  RENEE FELT HER phone buzz in her pocket and pulled it out. Huber had listened to what she could tell him here. It was half the story because she didn’t want to talk about Jessie. She didn’t trust that Megan wasn’t listening in.

  “She could be anywhere,” Huber whispered as he stared at his computer screen. “There’s so many who would want her skills.”

  “Let’s hope none of them realize how much you will pay to get her back.” Renee looked at her phone. She frowned.

  Aunt Bess?

  She didn’t even have a phone.

  Renee could see it was a CIG phone from the way the message popped up. How did Aunt Bess have one? She said she didn’t even use phones.

  “Do you know whose men would wear this badge?” She showed the image to Huber.

  His face paled and he rubbed his hand over his chin. “Sven.” He met her eyes. “Jäger’s older brother.”

  “What a surprise,” Renee muttered. Jäger was a pain in her ass.

  Huber nodded and shot a furtive glance at the doorway. He got up and pressed the buzzer on his desk. “Fahrer, bring the car around.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  Renee glanced at Aeron. “We’ll need her firing on all cylinders.” She lifted up the phone so he could see the name of the poison. “And your antidote.”

  Huber’s eyes tracked over the screen. He pulled out his drawer and put a box on the desk. “She has a good resistance to most but continued exposure . . .”

  He didn’t need to say more. Renee knew neither of them could move Aeron so she strode to her and placed her hands on her face.

  The room faded in and out of view. Her hands rippled with warmth. She didn’t know how and she wasn’t going to think or question. All that mattered was that she woke Aeron up. Aeron blinked open her eyes. Energy seeped out from her and she met Huber’s gaze.

  “I know where she is.”

  Huber’s brow dipped as Aeron stumbled to her feet. “Explain that to me.”

  “No. You’re just gonna have to trust me.” Aeron slid her hand around Renee’s shoulder. She smiled down at her. “I told you to quit doin’ that.”

  Renee pulled a sachet out and squirted it into her mouth. She felt like she’d been stuck in a tank with leeches. She picked up the case from the side of Aeron’s chair and nodded to the door. “Necessary.”

  Huber led them out, down the hallway, and out of the front door. A car screeched to a halt. It didn’t even have a brand stamped on it. No, this was a custom car with wheels that looked like they could cut through the ro
ad.

  Huber yanked open the passenger side door and nodded to the back. “In.”

  Renee helped Aeron to clamber into the back and slid in beside her, her case still at her side. The car had low suspension, spacious room, and roared like a jet engine.

  “I hope you brought your weapons.” Huber’s voice held no trace of emotion at all. His energy was so quiet.

  Renee tapped the case. She was glad both she and Aeron had bullet-proof vests on. The car roared off and it took a minute before Renee realized that Fahrer wasn’t the one driving.

  “I take it you won’t be standing back this time either?” She shoved the plate Aeron’s dad had given her out the way as she checked the vest was still in place. The plate dangled so Aeron kept it tucked in.

  “No, not when my own grandchild is out there with her,” Stosur whispered.

  Huber started as if he hadn’t noticed and as the city slipped by at speed, Stosur took off her hat enough for him to see the bun. He stared at her with such awe and wonder that Renee shook her head. She guessed tantalizing everyone they met ran in Frei’s family.

  “I know she’s in that area.” Renee motioned to the map following the reading the tracker in Frei’s car had given her. Stosur tapped it and it glowed into life. The route map showed it would take an hour. Then it re-calculated as Stosur hit the gas. They’d get there in half the time.

  “Won’t you draw attention?” Renee asked. She glanced out the window, looking for a lurking patrol car.

  “No.” Stosur didn’t so much as glance their way or Huber’s and he hadn’t said a word.

  “The area is a five mile radius,” Stosur muttered. “I need something closer.”

  “That’s where Aeron comes in.” Renee met Aeron’s eyes. She could do this. If anyone could, Aeron could. “Jessie knows what to do.”

  “I don’t understand.” Huber turned to meet Renee’s eyes. He looked lost. He didn’t know about Jessie.

  “Jäger,” Renee said as softly as she could. “Good thing her mother was around to make sure he didn’t do any more damage.” What he had done was enough. She had no words to describe the hollowness his actions provoked in her stomach. Both she and Aeron had been through such hurt but Frei . . . How had she picked herself up from that? How strong was her heart to fight back?

  “You, it was you who got her out?” Huber once again stared at Stosur. “I couldn’t get to them. I tried. I swear that I tried.”

  Stosur met his eyes for a moment and Renee could see that their adoration for each other was mutual, unbreakable. “I would expect nothing less of you.”

  Huber nodded. His eyes filled with pain.

  “So how do we find her?” Stosur cleared her throat, her shield slammed back down. Renee felt jolted by it.

  Aeron leaned on her shoulder, just about able to keep her eyes open.

  “She’ll know,” Renee whispered. “You’ll just have to trust her.”

  Aeron closed her eyes as they hurtled along at speed and Renee opened up the case. She slotted together her assault rifle, hoping that she wouldn’t have to use it.

  Aeron had told Jessie to focus on something happy, something deep inside her so it didn’t just depend on Aeron.

  No, it depended on a scared, asthmatic teenager who had to somehow find her happiest thoughts.

  Chapter 69

  LILIA HAD ONLY been to Baltimore twice. She’d only ever been in a helicopter on a handful of occasions. Helicopters made her ears pop far more than planes.

  She sighed.

  “Lilia, tell me what is going on.” Fleming stared at her, expectant for an answer.

  Lilia maintained her pleasant ignorance. Inside, however, her brain was asking the very same question.

  Bess would meet them at the airport. She’d somehow have to come up with a reason why there was another Lorelei.

  “Huber,” she said, finding a source of inspiration. “He is a well-known businessman. It seems as if he’s a very generous man too. Bess has said that he has offered Aeron and Renee his car this evening and Bess got my message that you were looking for them.”

  Fleming let out a long growling breath. “Why have they been hiding their tracks and leading us on a merry dance if they aren’t covering something?”

  “Maybe they wanted to take their time.” She again smiled, knowing that Fleming was close to throwing her cell phone at her. “Renee is taking her to dinner and a trip through the local countryside. Aeron hasn’t seen much of the country.”

  “Sounds cozy.” Fleming would only need to think Renee was involved with another member of the CIG team and she would start throwing policies and procedures at them.

  “Aeron hasn’t had a very easy time of it. Renee understands what it’s like to be alone.” She knew it was a sucker punch. She felt the pain rocket through Fleming followed by a healthy dose of guilt.

  “Why are they evading us?” The helicopter dipped to land and Lilia slammed shut her eyes, hoping she didn’t lose her . . . breakfast? . . . hmmm . . . that would explain the lightheadedness.

  “Maybe they don’t know they are being pursued like criminals.” Lilia raised her eyebrows. “Why would they think they were in such trouble for taking a trip?”

  Fleming held her gaze. She was unrelenting at the best of times. The helicopter doors opened and Fleming got out. Lilia took a breath and followed her. A man stood waiting for them. Young-ish. Handsome. Bess stood beside him with a big grin on her face. She hadn’t seen her in too long. Attempting restraint, she smiled at the young man.

  “Mrs. Lorelei?” he asked, extending his hand.

  Lilia smiled, ignoring the scrutiny from Fleming. “How can we help you . . . ?”

  “Grimes,” he mumbled. “Eli got a message to me to tell me that . . . er . . . internal affairs are looking for your daughter.” He looked at Bess and Lilia knew full well that she’d been working her charm. She still had it.

  “And why did that lead you to . . . ?” Fleming raised her eyebrows at Bess.

  Bess’s withering look said it all. Unimpressed. “Aunt Bess, dear. Aeron and Renee wanted to help me rescue some kittens.”

  “Aren’t you the one who called earlier?” Fleming scowled. “You said there was a problem with the girls.”

  Bess nodded. “There was, we couldn’t decide which color water bowls to buy them.”

  Fleming scowled. “Excuse me?”

  “The kittens.” Bess was unmoved. Lilia adored her older sister. Always had, always would. “Kittens, felines, little furry things with claws and attitude.”

  Lilia stifled her laugh and Grimes turned away but she didn’t miss his shoulders or aura shudder with laughter. Yes, Bess didn’t care about structures or rank. The memory of her drinking a certain Colonel Charles Black under the table flickered through her mind. Lilia would have liked to have been there to see that. The memory would have to do.

  Grimes caught the glare from Fleming and his laughter vanished. “Eli said someone called Nan woke him up and he gave me a place to pick up Bess.”

  Lilia raised her eyebrow at her sister. First name terms already? Bess winked at her.

  “Did Eli say what Nan had said?” Lilia asked, striding past Fleming to the car and resisting the urge to hug Bess. Her own memories of getting knuckles rubbed over the top of her head rippled through.

  “Who is Nan?” Fleming’s heels clicked along as they got to the car. Thankfully it was a fast one.

  “Get in and buckle up.” Bess held out her hand. Grimes gave her the keys. “Tell them what Eli told you, go on.”

  Grimes sprinted to the passenger side as Bess took the wheel. Fleming grumbled as she tripped over take-out containers in the back and Lilia climbed in beside her. Neat and tidy just like Eli it seemed. What was it with the police and take-out?

  “Er . . .” Grimes rubbed his chin. “Icy is out cold. Mousey is trying to lead the cats away . . .” He contorted his face. “Shorty and . . . er . . . Billy?”

  “Blondie,” Bess c
orrected, flashing him a smile.

  Grimes blushed. “Yes, sorry, Blondie. They’re running late.”

  Lilia nodded to Bess. Bess took her cell phone out and handed it to Grimes. “How’s your co-piloting skills?”

  Fleming snatched the phone from him. She frowned. “A tracker. Why would you put a tracker on them?”

  “Mr. Huber’s car is kinda fancy. I love ’em but you gotta make sure shiny things stay that way.” Bess turned and smiled at Fleming. “Even if he’s good hearted enough to be a patron of the place rescuing kittens, he still needs to know his property is in safe hands.”

  “So we’re sticking with the kitten story are we?” Fleming gave the phone back to Grimes who fired off instructions. Bess slammed the car into life and Fleming held on.

  “The sooner we prove to you that they are on vacation, the sooner I can get back and feed the kittens. If you think his car is bad, you should see the state of his apartment.” Aunt Bess met Lilia’s eyes in the mirror. Her tone was calm like she was. She was never phased, never bothered. She’d spent so many years in high-octane environments that she appeared as if she was on a family outing. Lilia could read from her aura that her focus was purely on getting them close enough so that Lilia could find Aeron.

  She knew what Lilia could do and Lilia knew what Bess could do. She’d missed being a part of that team. It was a lot harder being the one who had to stay stoic and calm.

  Chapter 70

  FREI ROLLED OUT of bed, her feet light on the steps as she padded to the coffee table. Her cell phone buzzed its way over the surface, clanking against the empty whiskey bottle. No doubt Huber, last night had been a profitable one for him.

  Number unrecognized. She frowned. “Locks?”

  Static fizzed back at her. She yanked the phone away. Cut the call.

  She shook her head and threw the phone back onto the table. Her stomach rumbled. She should eat, she should soak up some of the whiskey.

  The phone buzzed again.

  Frei picked it up. “Hello?”