The Sarah Roberts Series Vol. 7-9

by Jonas Saul

  Their talk must have bothered him.

  She shut her eyes and leaned her head back. Before her cousin Russell, who also had a psychic talent, had died, he left her a letter. In it he told her to take this deal and go to Italy or she would be dead before April 22, her birthday. When Kierian presented the idea, she had agreed instantly, but everything about this deal bothered her.

  If it wasn’t for Russell’s letter, she would not be going to Italy with as little information as she had.

  It almost felt like she was going to her death instead of leaving to avoid it.

  The cell phone in Kierian’s jacket rang. Sarah popped her eyes open and got up. Kierian pulled the phone out.

  Is Aaron in trouble?

  “Who could that be?” she asked.

  “I only gave this number to Aaron.” He hit the answer button. “Hello.” A pause. “Okay, Aaron. Calm down.”

  Sarah reached her hand out to take the phone, her stomach churning.

  “I understand—just tell them the truth.”

  “Give me the phone,” Sarah said.

  “Here, talk to Sarah.”

  She grabbed the phone as Kierian turned back to the windows as if he was searching for something.

  “Aaron, what’s going on?” Sarah stepped away from Kierian and the strangers on the seats along the row she stood by.

  “I don’t know what to do,” he said. “I’m a block from my building. The entire place is surrounded by emergency vehicles.”

  “And you think this is related to last night?”

  “The odds are pretty high. The side road a few blocks up from my building where you and Kierian shot that guy last night is completely blocked off.”

  “Can you go somewhere until they all leave? Remember, as far as the police know, this was some kind of movie scene.”

  “Who knows if that was true.”

  “Yeah, but those men were definitely shooting blanks.” She turned to Kierian who was still staring out the window as if searching for something. He was on the balls of his feet now, twisting his head back and forth.

  “Or they were just trying to miss,” Aaron said.

  “Either way, you can’t go home right now. Can they see you?”

  “No, I’m far enough back that even the guys managing the road block can’t see me.”

  “A road block? That’s serious.”

  “It’s probably set up to keep the area secure while they investigate.”

  “Aaron, give me a second.” She walked over to Kierian. “Everything okay? You look concerned about something?”

  He shook his head. “Just looking for our plane.”

  “That’s it.” She pointed. “The big KLM jet parked at our gate.”

  “Just finish with Aaron. Then we have to talk about something else.”

  “Okay.” She turned away from him and stared out the window. “Aaron, could the road block be there to watch for the suspects and—” she stopped talking as a thought struck her. “Oh shit, Aaron.”

  “What?”

  “The guy was shot by two different weapons last night.”

  “So?”

  “Both those weapons are in the car with you. If they pull you over or find out it originated in your apartment, you could be in serious trouble.”

  “You’re right. Time to leave.” The engine revved through the phone. “They will know it’s my apartment by now. Mine’s the only one with the busted door. It’s probably still sitting wide open.”

  “What are you doing now?” She snuck a glance at Kierian who checked his watch.

  “I’m doing a U-turn—oh, no.”

  “What?” Sarah’s stomach filled with acid. She needed to sit down.

  “One of the roadblock cops just turned my way. Dammit, now he’s pointing at me.”

  “Aaron, get out of there.”

  “I’m trying, I’m trying, but another car has decided to do a three-point turn in front of me. I can’t move.”

  Sarah walked ten feet down the windows and sat on the carpeted floor by the gate’s door.

  “Talk to me, Aaron. What’s going on?”

  “You’re not going to like what I have to say.” His voice turned somber, defeated.

  “Aaron?” A tear formed in her eye. She wiped at it. “Please tell me you’re okay.” She pushed her head into the glass behind her.

  “It’ll be okay, Sarah.”

  “What’ll be okay? Tell me what’s happening.”

  “Three police cars just came around the corner up ahead. They’re stopping traffic from leaving.”

  “Do you think they’ll stop you?”

  “Sarah, six officers just got out of their vehicles. They’re headed this way. They’re staring at me through the windshield. It’s weird … like they knew I was coming or knew the car.”

  She looked at Kierian who moved to the aisle and was watching the long walkway that led back to the security check-in area.

  What could possibly be wrong with Kierian?

  “That’s impossible,” Sarah said. “You’re in an FBI-registered vehicle. No one would know it was you.”

  “Sarah, I’m going to put the phone on the dash. Just listen from here on in.”

  “No, Aaron, wait.” But it was too late. The phone made a clunking sound as Aaron set it down.

  Sarah got to her feet and started toward Kierian, the phone pressed hard into her ear. Through the phone, someone shouted for Aaron to get out of the car.

  “What’s going on, Officer?” Aaron asked.

  “Step out of the car, now. Keep your hands where I can see them.”

  “Shit, Sarah, if you can still hear me, they’ve got their guns out now. Okay, Officer, I’m opening the door. I will get out.”

  Sarah had almost reached Kierian. “Aaron, don’t. What if they’re more men from last night?”

  But he couldn’t hear her.

  “Hands up!” someone shouted.

  “They are,” Aaron shouted back. “Sarah, I’m scared. These cops aren’t acting normal. I’m getting out now,” he shouted. “Sarah, if you can still hear this, tell Kierian I’m probably going to need a lawyer—”

  “I said hands up!”

  A gun fired.

  “No,” Aaron screamed.

  “Aaron,” Sarah shouted into the phone.

  “Sar—” Aaron’s voice was cut off by gunfire. Then the phone died.

  Tears streamed down Sarah’s face as she looked at the dead phone in her hand. Eyes wide, on the edge of a panic attack, she looked at Kierian. His face was a wash of fear and embarrassment.

  “Sarah, keep calm. Everyone’s watching us.”

  “Kierian, call Aaron back,” she stammered. “They were shooting at him.”

  “Look, Sarah,” he started, but someone shouting cut him off.

  Down the center of the airport’s walkway, at least six armed police officers ran their way.

  “It’s time to leave,” Kierian said.

  “What?” Sarah said. “What’s going on?”

  He grabbed her arm but she yanked away.

  “What the hell is going on?” Sarah asked again. “I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me what’s going on.”

  “We have less than thirty seconds before those guys get here. There’s no time to talk. Are you with me or do you want to die in custody?”

  Sarah looked back at the approaching authorities. Then turned to Kierian. Aaron came to mind in that moment, and she remembered Russell’s letter. She hated cops but Russell said she had to go to Italy. Her decision was already made.

  “I’m with you,” she said.

  “Toss the stupid phone and let’s go.”

  She threw the phone aside and followed Kierian to the gate’s doors. He opened them and a security alarm blared. People recoiled at the noise and stepped away from the doors.

  They ran down a tunnel to the left of the one where their plane was parked and came to the open square door. Without hesitating, Kierian bent down
, grabbed the edge, and flipped over the side until he was dangling by his hands. Then he let go and dropped to the tarmac. Sarah did the same.

  Once on the tarmac, he turned to get his bearings. Then he pointed. “That way.”

  Pulling to a stop behind the large KLM jet was a small Learjet with United States official markings, an American flag decal by the pilot’s window.

  She wasn’t impressed by Kierian’s show of power. All she could think about was Aaron. Was he okay? Did the Toronto police just execute him?

  The side door of the jet opened and a small stairwell lowered to the tarmac just as someone yelled from the walkway behind them.

  Kierian hit the stairs first, made sure Sarah got on without incident, then jumped up and ducked inside himself.

  “They’re in,” a woman shouted as she yanked on the stairs and closed the door.

  The plane’s engines revved and it moved almost immediately.

  Sarah leaned on the back rest of a chair trying to catch her breath, her ribs protesting where they had been injured weeks before.

  “What … the hell … was that?” she asked.

  Kierian had flopped down in a chair and was watching the terminal through the window. “Must be your fake passport.” He looked at her, his face a deep red. “Their computers must’ve caught on.”

  “What fake passport? I thought you had my real one. I gave it to you.”

  He shook his head. “I couldn’t allow anyone to know you were coming. I had a fake one made for you but it was a rush job. I’m amazed it got us through security.”

  “You’re not serious?”

  “At this point, according to anyone who checks any flight records, an American named Sarah Roberts is not on any flight leaving Toronto and will not be. She has gone missing as of,” he checked his watch, “five minutes ago.” He looked up at her. “My colleague at the Bureau will call it in.”

  She took a seat opposite him. Something about his plan was sounding good. “Tell me why?”

  “You’re off the map, off the radar. This way no one can find you or know where you are. You’re the safest you’ve ever been.”

  “What about Aaron? What I heard on the phone wasn’t good. We have to do something.”

  “And we will.” He raised a hand and called the woman who let them in. “Sheila, find out what happened to Aaron. He was driving my car a block from his apartment building when the police stopped him.”

  She nodded and walked past them, making her way to the back of the plane.

  Kierian reached over and tapped Sarah’s hand. “It’ll be okay. Trust me. I’ve got everything under control.”

  He laid his head back and closed his eyes.

  She did the same, her thoughts on Aaron. There was nothing worse than involving loved ones in her tangled life. She had learned that lesson when her parents were kidnapped all those years ago.

  One of the pilots spoke into his radio about clearance for takeoff. He mentioned the tail number or some other number and the plane shot forward.

  Could it be possible Aaron escaped numerous attempts on his life by hardened criminals only to be shot by the Toronto Police?

  She refused to believe it. He had to be okay. He wouldn’t have gotten out of the car with a weapon in his hand. There would be no provocation to shoot.

  So why would they shoot?

  The vibrations of the plane, combined with her lack of sleep the night before, acted like a sleeping pill.

  She shot forward in her chair, wanting to be awake when news came of Aaron’s safety.

  But during the flight to Italy, all Sheila could gather was according to the Toronto Police Department, they had not apprehended a man named Aaron Stevens.

  In fact, no one knew that name at all.

  Chapter 5

  They landed in Italy to comfortable spring weather. It was already quite warm and sunny in Rome, not a cloud in the sky. The flight over had been smooth until they were entering Italian airspace where it got bumpier. Once they were cleared for landing, the plane taxied to a spot close to the terminal and Sarah woke up Kierian. He had slept almost the entire way.

  “The pilot had to file a flight plan,” Kierian said at the door as they were about to deplane.

  “And?”

  “It got altered on the way over Amsterdam.”

  “What does that mean for us?” Sarah asked.

  “According to Fiumicino Airport, we flew from a country inside the Euro zone—”

  “Which means no immigration,” Sarah finished for him.

  He stepped down to the tarmac and faced her. “How did you know that?”

  “I was in Europe a few years ago. When traveling inside the Euro zone, it’s like there’s no borders.”

  They started toward the terminal.

  “What part of Europe were you in?” Kierian asked.

  “Budapest, Hungary. I ended up in Italy for a little while.”

  Kierian reared back. “So you’ve been here?”

  “For a couple of days. Mostly a few hours’ drive north of Rome. I didn’t really get to enjoy it.”

  “Maybe this time things will be different.”

  They entered the terminal and started across the wide open walkway that led to the front of the airport, where they would find a taxi.

  “Isn’t anyone meeting us?” Sarah asked.

  “The original arrangements were for our flight in ten days. Since we sped things up, no one knows were here yet.”

  Sarah stopped short of the exit doors. “So we’re on our own? Completely?”

  Kierian stopped alongside her and placed his hands on his hips. “Is that going to be a problem?”

  “Kind of. What about weapons, money, lodging?”

  “I’ve got that covered. Sheila has a man bringing us a weapon to the hotel in,” he made an exaggerated display of checking his watch, “two hours.” He placed his hand back on his hip. “Anything else?”

  “Don’t get cocky.” She looked over his shoulder to watch the people behind her. “What about money? I have none. I need new clothes. I can’t fight crime in the clothes I threw on when running from those thugs in my apartment.”

  Kierian pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket. He flipped off ten Euro bills and handed them to her.

  She examined them to discover they were all hundreds.

  “A thousand Euros? What does that work out to in American?”

  “A thousand Euros is currently about $1,350.00 American.”

  “Oh, okay, that’s good.” She stuffed the money in her pocket. “I guess that about covers it for now.”

  “Good. I’m glad you’re happy.”

  Kierian opened the exit door and strode outside without caution. Not once did he check the people close to them or look for someone following them. He seemed too confident.

  She examined the surrounding area. Only families coming and going on vacation, businessmen with briefcases, talking on cell phones, and a mother scolding her child for walking too far from her.

  “You coming?” Kierian asked from twenty feet away. “Or do you want to shop here? At the airport?”

  Sarah didn’t answer him. The door he had exited through remained open.

  A man dressed in black pants and a black collared shirt leaned against a circular post. His eyes were hidden in the shadows of the brim of his cowboy hat. His hat and boots in an Italian airport stood out. He also appeared to be watching her.

  She walked through the door and caught up to Kierian.

  “Why’d you pause?” Kierian asked. “The fact that you’re in Italy, the sunny peninsula? Are you already sightseeing?”

  “You remember the driver we shot last night? Or whenever it was, with the six-hour time change.”

  Kierian waved at a taxi. “What about him?”

  “He said we wouldn’t last twenty-four hours in Italy and to watch what we eat.”

  “Oh, yeah, him. And?”

  “I just thought I caught someone watching us.” She loo
ked back but the door remained closed behind her.

  “Impossible. No one knows we’re here. Marconi isn’t that powerful.”