Chapter 68

 

RENEE FELT HER phone buzz in her pocket and pulled it out. Huber had listened to what she could tell him here. It was half the story because she didn’t want to talk about Jessie. She didn’t trust that Megan wasn’t listening in.

“She could be anywhere,” Huber whispered as he stared at his computer screen. “There’s so many who would want her skills.”

“Let’s hope none of them realize how much you will pay to get her back.” Renee looked at her phone. She frowned.

Aunt Bess?

She didn’t even have a phone.

Renee could see it was a CIG phone from the way the message popped up. How did Aunt Bess have one? She said she didn’t even use phones.

“Do you know whose men would wear this badge?” She showed the image to Huber.

His face paled and he rubbed his hand over his chin. “Sven.” He met her eyes. “Jäger’s older brother.”

“What a surprise,” Renee muttered. Jäger was a pain in her ass.

Huber nodded and shot a furtive glance at the doorway. He got up and pressed the buzzer on his desk. “Fahrer, bring the car around.”

“Of course, sir.”

Renee glanced at Aeron. “We’ll need her firing on all cylinders.” She lifted up the phone so he could see the name of the poison. “And your antidote.”

Huber’s eyes tracked over the screen. He pulled out his drawer and put a box on the desk. “She has a good resistance to most but continued exposure . . .”

He didn’t need to say more. Renee knew neither of them could move Aeron so she strode to her and placed her hands on her face.

The room faded in and out of view. Her hands rippled with warmth. She didn’t know how and she wasn’t going to think or question. All that mattered was that she woke Aeron up. Aeron blinked open her eyes. Energy seeped out from her and she met Huber’s gaze.

“I know where she is.”

Huber’s brow dipped as Aeron stumbled to her feet. “Explain that to me.”

“No. You’re just gonna have to trust me.” Aeron slid her hand around Renee’s shoulder. She smiled down at her. “I told you to quit doin’ that.”

Renee pulled a sachet out and squirted it into her mouth. She felt like she’d been stuck in a tank with leeches. She picked up the case from the side of Aeron’s chair and nodded to the door. “Necessary.”

Huber led them out, down the hallway, and out of the front door. A car screeched to a halt. It didn’t even have a brand stamped on it. No, this was a custom car with wheels that looked like they could cut through the road.

Huber yanked open the passenger side door and nodded to the back. “In.”

Renee helped Aeron to clamber into the back and slid in beside her, her case still at her side. The car had low suspension, spacious room, and roared like a jet engine.

“I hope you brought your weapons.” Huber’s voice held no trace of emotion at all. His energy was so quiet.

Renee tapped the case. She was glad both she and Aeron had bullet-proof vests on. The car roared off and it took a minute before Renee realized that Fahrer wasn’t the one driving.

“I take it you won’t be standing back this time either?” She shoved the plate Aeron’s dad had given her out the way as she checked the vest was still in place. The plate dangled so Aeron kept it tucked in.

“No, not when my own grandchild is out there with her,” Stosur whispered.

Huber started as if he hadn’t noticed and as the city slipped by at speed, Stosur took off her hat enough for him to see the bun. He stared at her with such awe and wonder that Renee shook her head. She guessed tantalizing everyone they met ran in Frei’s family.  

“I know she’s in that area.” Renee motioned to the map following the reading the tracker in Frei’s car had given her. Stosur tapped it and it glowed into life. The route map showed it would take an hour. Then it re-calculated as Stosur hit the gas. They’d get there in half the time.

“Won’t you draw attention?” Renee asked. She glanced out the window, looking for a lurking patrol car.

“No.” Stosur didn’t so much as glance their way or Huber’s and he hadn’t said a word.

“The area is a five mile radius,” Stosur muttered. “I need something closer.”

“That’s where Aeron comes in.” Renee met Aeron’s eyes. She could do this. If anyone could, Aeron could. “Jessie knows what to do.”

“I don’t understand.” Huber turned to meet Renee’s eyes. He looked lost. He didn’t know about Jessie.

“Jäger,” Renee said as softly as she could. “Good thing her mother was around to make sure he didn’t do any more damage.” What he had done was enough. She had no words to describe the hollowness his actions provoked in her stomach. Both she and Aeron had been through such hurt but Frei . . . How had she picked herself up from that? How strong was her heart to fight back?

“You, it was you who got her out?” Huber once again stared at Stosur. “I couldn’t get to them. I tried. I swear that I tried.”

Stosur met his eyes for a moment and Renee could see that their adoration for each other was mutual, unbreakable. “I would expect nothing less of you.”

Huber nodded. His eyes filled with pain.

“So how do we find her?” Stosur cleared her throat, her shield slammed back down. Renee felt jolted by it.

Aeron leaned on her shoulder, just about able to keep her eyes open.

“She’ll know,” Renee whispered. “You’ll just have to trust her.”  

Aeron closed her eyes as they hurtled along at speed and Renee opened up the case. She slotted together her assault rifle, hoping that she wouldn’t have to use it.

Aeron had told Jessie to focus on something happy, something deep inside her so it didn’t just depend on Aeron.

No, it depended on a scared, asthmatic teenager who had to somehow find her happiest thoughts.