Chapter 63

 

BALTIMORE.

The guy that Frei had loved, Fahrer, had come to pick us up in a limo and Huber’s place in the city was in the affluent part of town. I felt Frei’s memories growing stronger as we rolled into the city. She’d gone to college at the local Jesuit place after Caprock. That made me smile and explained why she’d understood my need to meditate so much.

She’d excelled in college and she’d graduated with the highest honor that any student could get. None of the folks there had known how young she was. By twenty, she’d looked and felt like a mature adult. Her demeanor had changed completely from the young wiry kid. She’d been a foot taller and gorgeous to boot but with a layer of steel that hurt to think about.

Most of it was Stosur’s mentoring. I watched Stosur gaze out of the window as we drove. I could feel her ripples of pride as she tracked her eyes over the city. She’d become the security chief for the gated community to be near her daughter. No one, not even Huber, had recognized her as the slave Jäger’s brother had owned. The original locksmith.

That was far freakier than anything I could do.

“Aunt Bess, why don’t you get some coffee? I wouldn’t want you involved in anything grimy.” I glanced at her, hoping that she’d get what I meant. Grimes, the guy my dad had trawling the city, needed help. The kind of help I got a feeling she could offer. If she could find where Frei had been held, at least we’d know who we were chasing.

Renee slid her phone out of her pocket, tapped a quick message out and re-pocketed it without so much as looking down. She pointed to a café on the corner. “Looks like a great place to get a coffee.”

Aunt Bess nodded. “If you don’t need me?”

I met her eyes. So much for a travelling artist. “I always need you. The kittens need some rest.” I smiled and she nodded with a grin. She read me better than I had noticed before. Not freaky wise just observant.

“You got it, Shorty.” She patted my knee.

Fahrer looked at Stosur for direction but she had read my attempt at a coded conversation too and smiled. “They’re probably in need of feeding . . . the kittens.”

Fahrer’s brow dipped but he pulled the limo over. Aunt Bess got out with the kittens.

“Just leave them somewhere safe,” I whispered.

She chuckled. “Sure thing. Buzz if you need me, Blondie.” She winked at us and closed the door.

I watched her head into the café as we pulled off. My dad trusted Grimes. She was safer with him.

“I’ve let your father know. Relax, she knows what she’s doing.” Renee smiled as her flashed thoughts filtered through my mind.

We turned and drove through the gates of a large house. It wasn’t a row home that was for certain. No, this place was a mansion but then why wouldn’t he have one?

“Is he home?” I asked Fahrer, knowing Huber was but somehow wanting to fill the tense silence. My hands were shaking again and I’d eaten so much sugar that my teeth and mouth were coated with it.

“Mr. Huber is in a meeting. When he is finished, he’ll be informed that you are waiting.” His tone was gruff and gravelly but a lot quieter than it had been in Frei’s memories.

“I want him interrupted,” I snapped, wondering what my mouth was doing now. “Tell him Alex Riley wants a word.”

Fahrer glanced at Stosur who nodded. “She demanded I bring her. Locks has her on her trusted list. It’s best you do as told.”

He stopped the car. His eyes flicked over us both as he held open the door then he dropped his gaze once more. He wanted to know how she was. He missed her.

“Megan. Top window. Keep to cover.” Renee took my hand with her thought and I tried not to look where Megan was.

Cover, right. That was Alex Riley. I’d been a skill captain, an escaped convict, and somehow had helped “Locks” to steal a load of kids while wooing Renee. I hoped my cover was still in place but it meant I had to be mean again.

I gave Stosur a curt nod as she led us inside. I really needed Renee to do the talking as I was struggling to move my feet. She couldn’t as Professor Worthington. She was my mistress, like anyone would believe that, but she was looked at the same as Megan: eye candy.

I stumbled and she moved closer, nestling in to keep me standing, her touch easing reassurance into me.

Megan stood at the top of the fancy set of stairs which branched out both sides. I censored my wish to throw pickle juice at her. How could she have lured those kids out of hiding? How could she have stood back and let someone shoot a teenager? What had it accomplished anyway?

“He’s not to be disturbed,” she announced like she had any authority. She motioned to the guards who blocked the corridor.

“I ain’t patient. He can go back to whatever it is later.” I fixed her with my best glare. I could feel Stosur smiling through her aura even with a stoic face. I didn’t know how she was able to stand there and not throttle the woman. “Go fetch.”

Megan looked up at me. Her eyes scoured mine and I set my jaw. If I had to go drag him out, I would. Her lips parted and her eyes filled with a look I didn’t much appreciate. A lot like Jäger had looked at me. It took Renee squeezing my arm not to flinch.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Alex.”

Oh I really didn’t like that tone and neither did Renee by the way she gripped my hand. Her aura shot out like it was trying to slap Megan.

“She’s had a long journey,” Renee purred at her as she ran her hand up and down my biceps. “Best not to stir her temper.” She said it like she knew and my gut twisted.

“Slave,” Megan snapped, clicking her fingers at Fahrer. “Go and rouse Huber from his meeting.” She smiled up at me. I fought the urge not to poke her. “As he’ll be busy, I’ll eat out.”

Fahrer hurried out and Megan trailed a nail up my stomach. I got a flash of Renee snapping it back. “Pleasure to meet you, Alex.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” I oozed back. My mouth was off again but it had got us this far so I weren’t arguing.

Megan looked mighty pleased at my attention and winked at me before tottering out of the door. I noticed she didn’t so much as glance at Renee or Stosur.

“I’ll take you to his office,” Stosur said, keeping her eyes lowered as the guards and slaves buzzed about.

“Move it.” My tone was cutting like Stosur wasn’t worth talking to but she didn’t flinch. I could feel that she knew I didn’t mean it.

Memories of her and Frei training filled my head as we walked down the hallways I’d seen in some of Frei’s memory but this wasn’t where she’d spent most of her time. I guessed the place in Ocean City was on a grander scale. The memories showed stables in the middle of nowhere. Frei had put every ounce of her energy into it. She’d worked for Huber, made him rich, studied and built a fortress around herself.

Stosur led us into an office, a smaller version of the one I’d seen and she motioned to the desk. “He will be along shortly.” I knew she’d leave and remove herself from the situation. She had to but I didn’t know why. We could have used help.

“It’s important that you slaves know your place,” I whispered to her, trying not to glance up at the camera. “Good you have rules to follow.”

She flexed her neck muscles so much they jumped. I had no idea what I was saying. Her aura wriggled then shone so she must have figured out what my mouth was going on about.

She nodded, glanced at Renee’s pocket, and left.

“Charming,” Renee muttered as she eyed a statue of a naked lady. “The key to a good man. My kind of man.”

She didn’t hide her sarcasm but my brain was trying to figure out what she, Stosur, and my mouth knew that I didn’t. I was too exhausted with the effort. I stumbled to a chair and slumped down onto it. I had to fight to keep my eyes open as I sat in front of Huber’s desk. If I touched his letter opener or maybe his pen then I could help.

Renee slid her hands over my shoulders, stopping me moving and a wave of warmth rippled out from her. I felt some semblance of strength return. I took her hands away and lolled my head back to look at her. “One of us needs to be functioning.”

If she kept giving me energy, then she’d have none left and I couldn’t return the favor. I shivered, I couldn’t control my temperature. There were too many memories here. They felt so overwhelming.

She leaned her cheek on the top of my head and cuddled me. The warmth was welcome and I leaned back against her.

“Let’s hope that Aunt Bess can find the right coffee,” Renee whispered.

I hoped that Aunt Bess had met up with Grimes. I hoped he was trustworthy and they could find something to help. At least Stosur knew that Frei was missing. She’d join the search; she wouldn’t stand back again.

I felt myself dozing and relaxed into Renee’s steady strength. Memories floated around me. Frei was beautiful, focused, scarred. She delivered prize after prize to Huber, relentless in her goal. Each one a victory over the prison around her.

That was until she met Renee. Renee had reached her. I was so thankful for that. Another amazing quality to add to the long list.

I blinked back the images of Fahrer. He’d never tried to bridge the divide between him and Frei. When she’d been expelled from Caprock, he’d treated her like he did Huber. She’d addressed him with the same cold curt tone I knew so well. It had cut him. No matter the indifference he showed to it.

Even in the limo, I could still feel his heartache. I could feel it hurting so hard now that it throbbed right through me. He’d accepted where he’d found himself. He’d never challenge the rules. Frei could never give her heart to someone who didn’t fight back.

She’d respected him for the help he’d tried to give Suz and for his part in her sister’s escape but he was weak in her eyes. Her heart wouldn’t accept anything less than equal strength in return.

She’d be a hard woman for anyone to keep up with, that was for certain.