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Aggie
Mercenary or not, Zeke wasn’t immune to her discomfort. Aggie could use that to her advantage. In fact, she was quite skilled at faking illness. The white face powder and green concealer she carried in her small makeup bag were must-haves.
So far, her plan was working even better than expected. With the black eyes and the heavy bags from staying up all night, she looked like death warmed over. Toss in some shuffling feet, body curls, and soft moans, and she was very convincing. A hot, wet washcloth applied to the forehead at just the right moment clinched it.
Zeke was a smart guy—and a suspicious one. That was why she’d stuck around during his “test” exit. She needed more than a few minutes to make a proper escape.
He stuck around the room for a little while longer, then left again, presumably to get something to eat. She waited for several moments, then cautiously got out of bed.
She dressed quickly, then grabbed her bag, and slipped out. The timing couldn’t have been better. Room service carts were visible in every corridor.
Aggie went up one flight, and then she ducked into an open supply closet and waited.
The woman who came in was surprised to see her and started chastising her in heavily broken English. Aggie assessed her. The woman was motherly-looking and middle-aged, with a religious pendant peeking out from her uniform—the kind of woman who might be sympathetic to someone in trouble. Aggie pointed at her bruises and pleaded with the woman to help her escape. It was almost too easy.
Soon after, Aggie was hunkered down under a pile of linens, being wheeled toward the service elevator. She felt a slight twinge of guilt, but really, it was Zeke who’d planted the idea in her head when he’d shoved those sunglasses at her.
When the linens lifted, Aggie was in the basement of the hotel, and her rescuer was speaking rapidly to a man. The man cast several looks Aggie’s way, and then he nodded and beckoned Aggie toward a door.
“Go. He will see you safely away from here,” the woman encouraged.
Aggie thanked her and followed the man. He handed her a jacket and cap, then ushered her into a service van. They drove out of the parking lot without incident.
“Thank you,” Aggie said when he dropped her off at a shopping center several miles away.
She removed the jacket and cap and handed them back to him with heartfelt thanks. She wasn’t sure he spoke any English, but he nodded and tried to shove some cash into her hand. She didn’t accept it, but she did appreciate the effort.
Aggie took a deep breath and disappeared into the ebb and flow of the people moving to and from the shops, pulling anonymity around her like a favorite cloak.
She found an organic café with free Wi-Fi and ordered herself a hot cacao with coconut milk and some peanut butter energy bites. Then, she sat down in the corner and pulled out her laptop. Now that she was back on familiar footing, it was time to figure out her next move.