Chapter 46

 

THE STAFF WITHDREW to their private rooms and villas as long lines of cars snaked their way into the school grounds. They parked up in front of the main building on a patch of dirt that didn’t have turf on it. It looked too messed up to plant anything, even fake grass. Still, it was good for a parking lot but I worried they would block up the roadway from the garage at the rate they were pouring in.

Guards directed them over to that patch and they parked up on gravel, dirt, grass, and any space available.

As I stared out the window, I thought about how I’d spotted Owens slinking out of Jäger’s office earlier in the evening. It didn’t look like she’d had a happy chat with him either by the way her aura fizzed. However much I weren’t fond of her, I decided to stay out of her way. Besides, by the look in her eyes and judging by her obsession with Renee, I wasn’t sure if I was in the mood for that kind of argument.

Renee offered me a smile and we’d stood in silence in an unused reception room with the students.

The theatre was in the center of the main building and our “small” reception room was about the size of the gym.

Energy crackled all around, like the tension had turned into an electrical storm of some kind. The folks getting out of the cars didn’t seem very fond of each other. Competition was on.

“There are a lot of buyers,” Renee whispered as we stood away from the students. “Where do all these people come from? Why hasn’t anyone stopped them?”

“From what I am gathering, they got friends in places that keep prying eyes out.”

Renee scowled. “Despicable. What right do they think they have?”

“Because we’re so open with the folks we meddle with?” I smiled at her. I was teasing but she was so easy to wind up.

Renee stuck her nose in the air. “We are nothing like them.”

“Nope, we just kneecap people and knock their teeth out.”

Renee snorted with laughter, her nose crinkled up and she touched my hand as she sucked in the air.

A jolt of static shot up my arm and I cocked my head. “Ah, so you can feel.”

Renee turned back to the window. “Side effect. Whatever you did in St. Jude’s left a trace of your abilities with me.” She shrugged. “I thought I was losing it.”

“But?” It explained her out-of-control behavior. I felt irritated with myself for not spotting it. I should have known. Me, of all people, should have seen it and helped her.

“Nan . . .” She shook her head with a quiet smile on her face. “She told me it won’t last for very long.”

I frowned. “That’s the second time you talked about her. You seein’ spirits now too?”

Renee’s shy smile made me pull her to me and hug her. “Sorry I laid that on you.”

She nestled into me. I could feel her bullet-proof vest and gun under her jacket. I hoped she wouldn’t need either.

“It feels good to be close to you,” she whispered. She rolled her head to look at the students who were shooting glances at us. Even in spite of their worries, they could still gossip. “I know that I’m getting to share a part of you no one else will.”

Jäger caught my eye through the window. His eyes narrowed as he spotted Renee cuddled in. Then he nodded, our signal to take the students to the theatre.

I held onto Renee a few extra moments, soaking up the safety of it. “You weren’t kidding about the whole sharing thing, were you?”

She leaned up and kissed me on the chin. Then she ran her hand through my hair and tucked it behind my ear. “Not in the slightest.”

The show must have been for Jäger’s benefit as he stomped off. Renee had a satisfied glint in her eyes that made me chuckle. “Think he got the message.”

“Good.” She squeezed me once more and let go.

I turned and faced the students, who really were gawking now. “Let’s roll, folks.”

They all met my eyes and nodded one by one. Resolute. Courageous. Focused.

I smiled at Renee. “Ready to save more people from the bad guys?”

She bumped my arm. “You save them. I just do the knee-capping.”

A chuckle rumbled its way out of my lips as I led the way to the theatre.

“If it makes you feel better,” I whispered to Renee, bumping her hip as we walked, “I wouldn’t want to share you with nobody else either.”

 

RENEE AND I lined up with the kids on stage, Owens scowling off to the side. I spotted Huber wander in from the back. The buyers filled the large theatre which Renee told me looked like a lecture hall in her old college. She’d purposely told me it. She’d listened to what I’d said about not knowing much about her. It was nice she’d cared enough to listen.

Either way, as we stood there, I weren’t feeling much comfort from it. The buyers were all eying the students like they were meat. They were eying each other like they might start brawling any second. The sooner we got the students away from this place, the better.

Jäger presented each kid as Smyth rattled off if they had passed and their level. That one was new but I figured it had to do with pricing. Miranda stood up and was a level three. Another way of saying that she was worth megabucks.

Most of my group was level one. Jed, Jessie, and Miroslav made a respectable level two. Why I was proud of that, I didn’t know, but I was. Kevin, who was still in confinement, had been declared a level three plus in his absence. It showed where the buyers’ hearts lay.

Nice folks.

Huber sat alone, without Frei, and my eyes kept drifting to his. I hoped that she was okay. I hoped that he wasn’t gonna switch sides on her.

“Now, after a short play from the group who will be on stage next year, we will have a performance of J.S. Bach’s Chaconne from Miranda.” He beamed her way like he cared. “I believe the performance has an exciting twist.”

Owens’ blank look made me smile. That was my cue. I stepped forward and cleared my throat.

I weren’t used to people. I weren’t used to that many people. I didn’t plan on ever getting used to it either. “Thought it would be fun to give her a challenge. In fact, I wanted her to work for it. I heard you folks like a duel.”

The crowd murmured in response. Excitement rippled from them. Owens fixed me with a glare.

I smiled at her and turned to Smyth. “But I’m gonna keep you in suspense. You ain’t finding out who the challenger is till later.”

That earned me applause and made my knees wobble. Renee’s hand on my back calmed me enough to slot back into the line. She didn’t need to whisper her support, her gesture radiated gentle reassurance. A connection beyond words.

Owens looked at Renee, then me, and folded her arms. I fought the urge to poke my tongue out at her. 

“Wonderful!” Smyth clapped his hands. “Then, let’s get down to it.”

Owens should have been the one to lead them off. One staff member had to stay on stage but I strode past her, Renee with me, and we led them all off into the backstage area. I heard Owens mutter my way before taking a seat to the side of the stage. It would keep her out of the way while we worked.

Renee pulled her earpiece out from somewhere south and plugged it into her ear. “POIs are in place.”

I heard a faint crackle and Renee nodded up at me. “Frei is in position.” She turned to Jessie. “Go do your thing.”

Jessie nodded and sprinted off.

“You ready?” Renee asked me, her focus oozing Commander Black, so much so I got goose bumps looking at her.

“Beat you to the bus,” I mumbled, trying to find the same conviction.

Renee had the most dangerous job of all. She had to smuggle the kids out through the building, out across the quadrant to the garage. She was the finest protection officer, I knew that, but . . . well . . . I worried.

“Please stay safe. I can’t fix you and I can’t bear—”

She put her finger over my lips. “I’ll be fine . . . and thank you.”

“For what?”

She leaned up and kissed me on the cheek, her eyes twinkling. “For just being you.”

With that she was gone. I took a breath and turned to Miroslav who grinned at me.

I was glad he looked more confident than I felt. “You got everything ready?”

“Right here.” He tapped a box beside him and wagged a finger at me. “Stay clear.”

I chuckled in spite of the fact my heart was sprinting so fast I felt giddy. For once it had nothing to do with him.

Everyone was in position.

Owens shot orders at the kids onstage, her temper fizzing around her, and they started their play.

“Here goes nothing,” I mumbled to myself, heading to the violin and pulling it out of the case. It was Miranda’s spare.

All we had to do was pull off her miming, rescue a load of students, bankrupt the bad guys, and get out before anyone noticed.

Easy . . . right?