by R. D. Brady
“Some of the parents have contacted my office,” Henry said. “They’re talking about pulling their kids from the school.”
“What?” Jake exclaimed.
“But—” Patrick began.
Henry put up a hand. “I’ve talked them down for now. But we need to be prepared for that possibility.”
This keeps getting worse and worse, Patrick thought. The school wasn’t perfect, but it was a safe place for these kids to explore their abilities and the changes they were going through. Pulling them from that safety wasn’t going to help anyone.
“I can have some experts in trauma flown in,” Henry said.
Patrick nodded. “It may come to that.” He looked up at the clock with a frown. It had been an hour and a half since Laney had gone for a walk. He stood. “I think I’ll go see where Laney is. It’s been a while.”
Jake stood as well. “I’ll go with you.”
Henry promised to find them after he made a few calls.
Patrick and Jake fell in step together, neither of them really having a destination in mind.
“How are you doing?” Jake asked.
“I don’t know,” Patrick replied. “The idea that, by law, we’re supposed to just sit back and let them put Laney in harm’s way… I don’t think I can do that. I can’t sit back and let her be hurt. She’s done nothing to deserve this.”
“If it comes to that, we’ll get her away. Keep her hidden until things cool down.”
Patrick looked at the strong man walking next to him. He knew Jake and Laney had decided to take a break, but he also knew how much they loved each other—and that each would do whatever was necessary to protect the other.
They walked to the main building, but saw no sign of Laney. Jake called down to the front gate, but they hadn’t seen her either. Finally, he called her security detail. He hung up his phone. “She’s at Dom’s.”
They turned in that direction.
“How come you didn’t call her detail first?” Patrick asked.
Jake gave him a small smile. “Laney hates having people watching her every move. I’m trying to not use them as spies.”
A reluctant smile tugged at Patrick’s lips. “You know my niece well.”
“That I do. But I’m still learning—every day.”
“Me too.”
After checking in with Laney’s two guards, they headed into Dom’s shelter. But the second blast door wouldn’t open for them.
Jake used the intercom next to the door. “Hey, Dom? Something’s wrong with door number two.”
Dom’s face appeared on the screen next to the door. “Oh. Well, give me a minute. I’ll get it fixed.”
A minute turned into five, then ten.
Jake jammed the intercom again. “Dom? What’s going on?”
“Sorry, sorry. Here you go.”
The light above the door flashed green, and Jake and Patrick proceeded to the next blast door. But when Jake placed his hand over the hand scanner, it glowed back red.
“What the hell?”
He tried it again—with the same reaction.
He punched the intercom next to the door. “Goddamn it, Dom,” he growled.
“Yes?” Dom asked.
“Door number three’s acting up too.”
“I’ll get right on it,” Dom said before disappearing from view.
Patrick frowned. Two doors down? That wasn’t like Dom. And Dom not being nervous about it wasn’t normal either.
The wait this time was only about five minutes. Finally they were inside, where Dom stood waiting for them, his smile overly bright.
“What’s going on with your doors?” Jake asked.
“Not sure—a little bug. I’m pretty sure I’ve got it worked out,” Dom said, looking anywhere but at Jake and Patrick.
Patrick stepped past Dom without a word and made his way to the living area, looking for Laney. But she wasn’t there. His heart began to race.
“Patrick?” Jake asked.
Patrick whirled on Dom. “Where is she?”
“Um…”
Patrick stepped toward him. “Dom! Where. Is. She?”
Dom stared at the floor, and his voice was quiet. “She’s gone.”
“Gone? Gone where?” Patrick asked.
“Into hiding.”
“What did you do?” Jake demanded.
Dom shook. “She—you know what the government’s like. They would have locked her away, tortured her. We never would have seen her again. This was the only way.”
Jake stepped menacingly toward Dom. “Tell me everything you did.” Patrick had to grab his arm to stop him.
Dom backed up, shaking his head in defiance even as he trembled. “No. She asked for my help, and I gave it. She’s my friend, Jake. And I won’t tell you anything.”
Jake’s eyes narrowed. “If she gets hurt, it’s on your head,” he growled. Then he pulled out his phone and stormed out the door.
Dom looked shattered. Patrick took his arm and led him to the big leather sectional.
“If something happens to her,” Patrick said, “it’s not your fault. She asked you to help her, and you did. If you hadn’t, she would have found another way to go. One thing about my niece—she’s determined.”
“She’s my friend,” Dom said. “And she asked me for help.” He stared up at Patrick, his eyes begging the older man to understand.
And Patrick did. Dom had very few friends and no family. Laney, Henry, the teenagers—they were his whole world. And he would do anything to help them—even if it hurt him.
“You were a good friend to her,” Patrick said, though he was terrified at the idea of Laney being out there on her own. “You gave her what she needed. And I know it was hard.”
Dom sniffed. Then he looked up quickly. “I forgot.” He dashed over to the kitchen island and came back carrying several envelopes. “This is for you. From Laney.”
Patrick took it with a shaky hand.
“I’m going to go see if Jake wants his.” Dom headed for the entrance.
Patrick turned his attention to the envelope. With a shaky hand, he opened it and removed the letter inside.
Hi, Uncle Patrick. Not sure how long after I left you’re getting this. I hope it’s a couple of hours. I needed to go. There’s too much focus on me. And I know that you’re all in danger the longer I stay. Even if one of the groups with a death warrant out on me doesn’t get through, I will in all likelihood be arrested. I know that you, Henry, and Jake won’t let that happen—which just means you’ll all be arrested as well. Or worse. I can’t let that happen. I love you too much for that. The same way you all love me.
I’m counting on you to keep them together, to keep the kids at the school together. I’m hoping you can talk Noriko into staying a little longer to help with the cats. She has a way with them. And they need the companionship, so please make sure Lou and Rolly visit as much as possible. And tell Cleo I’m sorry I had to leave.
Please don’t look for me. Hopefully, you all can find some proof to get the heat off me. I’ll come home when it’s safe for you all to be around me. Until then, I’ll stay hidden. Until that time, know that I love you and that I always have.
Laney
P.S. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. But if it turns out to be a while, can you go visit Cain? He likes chess and cappuccinos.
Patrick stared at the words through a veil of tears. He had to laugh, because if he didn’t, he would sob.
She’s on the run for her life, and she’s worried Cain will be lonely.
His eyes flicked back to the sentence in the letter that she should have known better than to write: Please don’t look for me. He shook his head. No, Laney, I can’t promise that. He stood up. Because no matter what, I will find you.
CHAPTER 107
Venice, Italy
Elisabeta stretched and sat up. White silks were wrapped around the four posts at the corners of her king bed. She reached for the remote on the side table and
hit one of the buttons. The room-darkening shades began to slowly pull back, letting sunlight in.
Another beautiful day.
She rang the bell and then took her robe from the end of the bed, wrapping it around her as she walked to her balcony.
The door to her room opened a few moments later. Her servant appeared, pushing the breakfast cart. “Ma’am?”
“Out here,” Elisabeta said.
The woman quickly laid out her breakfast of coffee, fruit, and croissants before disappearing.
Elisabeta sat down and took a bite from the croissant as she pulled over her tablet and pulled up the BBC. The lead headline: Delaney McPhearson At Large; Manhunt Begins. She quickly scanned the article. McPhearson was being charged with murder in the Capitol Building killing, as well as terrorism for her involvement in the incident in Israel. They were still debating the charges in Australia.
Delaney running was not unforeseen. She would do anything to protect the ones she loved, and removing herself from the equation was the best insurance. But the world’s resources were moving against her, and it was only a matter of time before she was found.
Elisabeta smiled. And then killed.
And even before that glorious day, Elisabeta could put her plan in motion—finally. The ring bearer was sidelined. Her running would mean all those nearest and dearest to her would be completely focused on finding her. With one blow and no deaths, Elisabeta had effectively taken out the triad and all of the SIA, leaving no one to block her.
She took a sip of her coffee. Yes, it is definitely going to be a lovely day.
CHAPTER 108
Jake walked up the stairs to the third floor of Chandler Headquarters. It had been a month since Laney had disappeared, and no one had found any trace of her—not the Chandler Group, not the government agencies, and based on the chatter they picked up, not the terrorist groups either.
When she had first gone missing, Jake had been out of his mind terrified. He knew it was only a matter of time before she was caught. There were so many people looking for her, how couldn’t she be? But somehow she had eluded them all. And he couldn’t help but feel a little proud of her for that.
He also knew that if anyone did find Laney, she would not go quietly. He pictured her raining thunderbolts down on anyone trying to get near her, maybe whipping up a tidal wave or a wall of wind.
But the manhunt for her was continuing. Her face had been splashed across newspapers and news shows, even more than it had been after Israel. Everyone in the country knew who she was and had an opinion of how she should be treated.
And yet, no one had sighted her. Jake didn’t know what to make of that. Late at night he sometimes thought the worst. She’d been in a desolate area, broken an ankle, and had been unable to get to help. That was his fear—that she had already died and they didn’t know. His stomach clenched at the thought.
She’s fine. She’s smart. She’s doing what she needs to do.
Now he walked into Henry’s office, although Henry no longer used it. The whole place had been transformed into Laney Central. The legal team had part of the room, and the analysts who were scouring the internet and video feeds across the nation were set up in another portion. Henry wanted everyone in one place, in case anyone needed to consult. The conference rooms down the hall were also being used when people needed to have quieter discussions or work spaces.
Jake walked over to Danny, who was overseeing the video analysis. The kid had refused to be kept out of the search. Henry had resisted for about a week, but finally relented after learning that Danny was searching on his own anyway.
“Anything?” Jake asked.
Danny shook his head. “No. A few false IDs in Kansas, but turned out it was just a nurse in Kansas City with the same height and build.”
“So what have you got?”
Danny looked around, then gestured for Jake to follow him to a quiet corner.
“I tapped the feds a couple of weeks ago,” Danny whispered.
Jake shrugged. “I kind of figured that. Have you gotten anything?”
“There was sighting in Nevada two weeks ago. They just figured it out last night. Dark hair, darker skin, cheekbones were more pronounced, and she was taller. But I think it was Laney.”
Jake grinned. “She changed her appearance.”
“That’s what I think. Anyway they’re focusing their efforts in the west. And that lead went cold. I just thought you should know.”
Jake clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, Danny.”
“I’ll keep looking.”
“I know you will.”
Danny headed back to his workstation.
Jake looked around the room. On the whiteboard was a picture of Laney. He walked over to it, studying her face and trying to imagine what she looked like now.
Wherever you are, Laney, just keep your head down.
CHAPTER 109
Cortez, Colorado
After pulling into the back of the parking lot next to a three-foot snowdrift, Laney turned off the engine and watched the store. There were a few other cars around, most from the restaurant next door. She was in a little shopping area outside Cortez, Colorado, population eight thousand.
Dark had fallen a few hours ago. It had snowed another six inches last night, on top of the eighteen inches that were already on the ground, an unusual occurrence for this part of the country. And for Laney, a convenient one. The snow, plus the cold snap that had moved in, should keep the place quiet.
Laney put on her new glasses with the non-prescription lenses, pulled on her navy blue hat over her dark brown hair, and looked at herself in the rearview mirror. She had brown contacts to hide her green eyes, and she’d even used a self-tanner to change her skin tone. She pulled cotton wool from her bag and pushed it into each cheek. She was amazed how even that small amount changed the shape of her face.
To cover her fingerprints, she pulled on leather gloves, and last, she tugged the sides of her hat lower to make sure it was covering her ears. She knew law enforcement agencies used ear shape to help identify people now. Ear shape stayed practically the same from birth, and the image ray transform algorithm boasted a 99.6% accuracy rate. All they needed was a profile shot.
Which is why she chose this particular grocery store—they didn’t have security cameras. But seeing as everyone had a cell phone with a camera these days, she knew she still needed to be cautious.
She waited until a couple from the grocery store got in their car and pulled away before exiting her car and entering the store. She ignored the clerk behind the counter, grabbed a basket, and made quick work of getting her supplies: milk, eggs, beef jerky, turkey, canned fruit, bread, and mayo. Only minutes after entering, she was at the checkout with everything she needed.
“How you doing tonight?” the cashier asked.
“Good. Thanks.” Laney made sure to not make eye contact and to keep her voice small and her shoulders rounded as if she were very shy—a persona she had perfected over the last month.
“That’ll be $27.38.”
Laney handed over the money, got her change, and was out the door with only a few more words exchanged. As she stepped out into the cool air and took a deep breath, her heart was racing. Each time she went out in public, she had the same reaction—which was one reason why she tried to go out as little as possible.
In the last month, she’d only shown herself in small towns, and even then only late at night when cashiers were least likely to be paying attention. This particular town was a full one hundred miles from where she was staying. She’d been in this grocery store once before, a week ago, and today would be her last trip. She’d find another one next time so as not to leave much of a trail.
A light snow had started. Pulling the collar of her jacket up, she headed for her car.
The door to the restaurant next door flew open, and two figures stumbled out into the cold. Laney glanced at them out of the corner of her eye as she walked. They were two men, on
e tall, one short, both stocky. They walked around the side of the restaurant, then stopped and peered back around the corner at the door they’d just exited.
Laney frowned. It was twelve degrees—not exactly hanging out outside weather.
Not your problem. Keep going.
Laney walked to her car, opened the back door, and placed her groceries on the floor. As she turned , she saw the restaurant door open and a young woman step out. She was thin, with a pink barrel coat and blond hair twisted into two braids. She walked to her car and stopped, fumbling in her bag for her keys.
Laney shook her head. Always have your keys ready, sweetheart.
Laney had a sinking feeling in her stomach, but she got into her own car, started it up, and pulled out of her spot. And as she did, the two men started toward the woman.
It’s not your fight, Laney. You need to stay out of it. They’re probably just going to their car.
But she couldn’t help herself. She watched in the rearview mirror as the two men separated, one approaching the woman from the front, one from the back. Laney hesitated. All the reasons why she should just keep driving flashed through her mind.
Damn it.
She turned the wheel hard, did a U-turn, and headed back.
One of the men had reached the woman. He grabbed her shoulder. She spun around, then backed up until the back of her legs hit her car. The shorter man came around the other side so they boxed her in. The woman’s head swiveled back and forth between them.
Laney angled her car so her headlights lit up the threesome. The men blinked in the light. The taller man shielded his eyes.
Leaving her car running, Laney stepped out. “Is there a problem here?”
“No problem,” the shorter man said.
