part0091

Savage didn’t respond, but she was right. It was, in fact, hellish to watch the man leave the room, walk out there to hug Abby, and chivvy her toward the car while she talked excitedly every step of the way. He assumed she was asking him about the delay in heading home. Andy would have said that it was nothing and come up with some bullshit excuse grownups usually used before he told her he would make up for the delay with ice cream to make her feel better.

She jumped up and down the way she did when she was excited and left tracks across the marble floors inside the school. They exited and continued to Andy’s SUV. Savage assumed she was talking about how practice had gone as she gestured animatedly and imitated her moves with her feet. Judging by the motions, she probably told him about her goal, and Andy offered her the appropriate excited response to what she had told him. The story was cut off when she disappeared into the vehicle. The lawyer cast one last furtive look at the school before he slipped into the driver’s seat, turned the vehicle, and headed toward the exit.

“Did you get what you needed, Detective?” a voice asked from the entrance of the room, and Savage was brought back to the here and the now. The coach appeared to want him out of the building as quickly as possible. He assumed there was probably some stigma involved in having police on the premises that made them not want to have him linger for any longer than necessary. It was perfectly understandable.

“Yes, I have all I need,” he said with a smile, replaced his badge in his pocket, and smiled before he left the room. His gaze followed the SUV until it reached the gate and turned out onto the street. He narrowed his eyes when a paneled van immediately eased out of the parking lot of a nearby building—one that didn’t have any definitive logo—and moved quickly in the same direction as Andy had. He jogged to his car and the inner voice prompted him to follow the vehicle.

“Is everything okay, Jer?” Anja asked as he started his car and pulled it out of the parking lot as quickly as he could without drawing undue attention.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Savage uttered coldly and gripped the steering wheel tightly to quell his irritation when the guard took what felt like his sweet time to raise the barrier and allow him through.

“Well, if you don’t want to talk about your feelings, would you maybe care to discuss why you’re trying to get out of that school like you owe it money?” she pressed.

“I thought I saw a van follow them as they left,” he explained and gritted his teeth as he pressed the accelerator. If there was one thing to be said about electric cars, it would be that there was virtually no lag between pressing the “gas” pedal and the actual acceleration. The tires screeched as he pulled clear of the school and out onto the road. He turned in the direction Andy and Abby had gone and strained to catch sight of the two cars as he pushed the vehicle down the road, well above the speed limit. The street was fairly empty at this time of the day and he soon found his quarry, but both vehicles were a long way away.

“Can you run a plate check on that van?” he asked when his brain clicked into gear.

“I’m already on it,” she assured him and he accelerated even more to literally hurtle down the road at high speed. He kept his gaze glued to his targets but they pulled off of the side street they were on and onto a street that had more traffic, now going in the opposite direction. Both cars rushed past him before he swung after them, but by the time he was on the right street, they were already too far ahead.

“The van comes up as a rental, currently assigned to a shell corporation based on a shell corporation, and so on and so forth,” the hacker informed him. “I’ll keep digging, but I doubt I’ll be able to find anything substantial.”

“Well, I know where Andy’s going,” he said, increased his speed a little more, and wove gently through the slowly intensifying traffic. “I’ll keep going and if they have any trouble on the road, I’ll be able to catch up.”

Savage continued his somewhat reckless pace and played the dangerous game of weaving through the traffic and staying under or at the speed limit to avoid drawing the attention of the local police. The fake badge he had flashed to the people in the school was good enough to pass a quick visual inspection, but the badges these days had RFID chips in them to make sure nobody did what he tried to do. He would be caught the moment he tried to flash it, and the fact that he had weapons and ammo, cash, and more fake IDs would land him in all kinds of trouble.

He also had the feeling that the Pentagon’s tolerance for their supposedly dead operatives showing up in police stations looking like they planned an invasion of Canada wasn’t very high. Still, he assumed it would be marginally lower than their tolerance for supposedly dead operatives letting their friends and family know they were actually alive.

Either way, he didn’t want to test the goodwill of the people who ran the kind of operations that could never be fully disclosed before the ruling bodies of elected representatives. There was no telling what they would try to do in that case. Either they would merely leave him alone to live his life—meaning they didn’t see the point in spending more time and effort to kill someone who was already dead—or they would decide that the risks of someone like him possessing the secrets he did and trying to share them for a quick payoff in the form of a book or a movie were too great. Worse, the decisions were made arbitrarily and usually on the spot. He honestly didn’t want to risk it either way.

“Okay,” the hacker said and intruded on his less than pleasant wonderings. “I’ve patched into the security systems of the houses around…the one we’ll cover. Andy and Abby haven’t made it home, and I’m still running a search around the area to make sure they’re not being followed.”

“They’ve gone to get ice cream,” Savage explained. “Abby’s favorite is a place off East Pine Street. There are dozens of cameras there, so you should be able to locate them.”

“I should?” Anja queried. “Aren’t you going there?”

“I’d like to, of course, but I should probably set up somewhere near their house. I need someplace where I have a good view of the place without attracting any attention.” He turned off the highway into the suburban neighborhood where Andy and Jules had created their life together.

“I have to hunt for more abandoned houses, don’t I?” she demanded, and he could almost hear her shaking her head. “Okay, I have eyes on the Devers SUV pulling up at the ice cream shop. Andy and Abby have stepped out. There’s no sign of the van, though. I’ll keep an eye out while I find you a home to hole up in.”

“You’re the best, Anja.” He chuckled.

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere with me, Jerry,” she mumbled. “But you really shouldn’t stop trying.”

“Don’t call me that,” he protested gruffly, but she simply cackled in response. She’d found a button to press and he had a feeling she would make use of it often.

Savage wasn’t about to let Anja forget how good she was at her job considering that she made a habit of reminding him on a daily basis as well. Not only by saying it but rather with regular displays, to the point where he was almost a little numbed to how awesome and terrifying her power was. He was only happy that she used her powers for good—or for his good, anyway. There had to be more than a few people out there who thought she was a force for evil.

“I’ve found you a place,” The hacker fed the address to his onboard computer and displayed a couple of pictures on the screen. He held off on checking on them until he reached a red light, then he studied them quickly. “There are no alarm systems in place,” she continued. “It’s been on the market for a couple of months now. Nobody has scheduled to look at it this close to the holiday weekend, which means you’ll probably have the place to yourself.”

“Probably?” he asked and turned into the street in question.

“I’m literally on the other side of the planet, Jerry,” she snapped in response. “That house doesn’t have any cameras on it, so I can’t tell if there are any squatters or if someone has decided to do an impromptu viewing. You’ll have to work that out using your own two eyes.”

“Okay,” he said, calmly and coolly. “And I know that you’re serious right now, but I have to ask you to stop calling me Jerry.”

“You let Andy call you Jerry,” she pointed out. “And here I was thinking you and I were a lot closer than you are with him.”

“It’s what Jules used to call me.” Savage scowled and turned cautiously into the target driveway. “He calls me that because she does, I assume, and while I’m not in the mood to correct him, I am in the mood to correct you.”

“Ugh, fine, fair enough,” Anja grumbled. “How will you get into that place?”

He didn’t answer and instead, stepped out of the car, drew his jacket closer, and removed his duffel bag from the trunk. He handled it gently and placed it beside the front door. Once he’d picked the lockbox that hung neatly from the doorknob, he retrieved a knife from his bag and used it to force the box open and pry the key free. It all took only a few seconds before he opened the front door and entered, taking the ruined lockbox with him.

“You’ll need to teach me that trick.” The hacker chuckled, and he couldn’t resist a small smirk as he paused inside the house to close the door behind him. It was a two-story home and appeared to have been recently renovated and cleaned. Most of the furniture was still present. The real estate company probably anticipated a quick deal, considering that it looked like they either planned to sell or rent with the furniture included. Or they could have simply taken pictures to post on their site. This was a prime real estate location, he thought as he familiarized himself with the layout. It was close enough to the city to make it a comfortable drive while still outside the city limits with good schools nearby. Many younger well-to-do families with either old money or newly acquired wealth would fight each other for a place like this.

“How long did you say this place has been on the market?” Savage asked. He found an accessible corner for the duffel bag, removed the rifle, and began to assemble it.

“A couple of months, why?”

“It should have the bodies of young couples piled around it in the battle to acquire it.” He finished with the rifle and checked the sight. “Did someone die here or something? Is that why it hasn’t sold?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know?” she asked. “All I know is that it’s empty and it’s on the market. Do you really want me to scan all the police reports on this location? Because I can do that.”

“I assume you have better things to do,” he responded and took a few moments to peer through the scope before he stretched and eased his back. “I was simply curious, is all.”

“Are you looking to buy property, Jer?” the hacker asked.

“I’m looking to invest some of the money I’ve been paid for this job,” he replied. “That and some of the money the Pentagon gave me for dying. Real estate felt like the safest bet. I’m simply planning for my retirement.”

“Do you actually think you’ll retire?”

“You always plan for success in this job. Okay, so where am I at? Where can I position myself to look over the house?”

“The west side. There should be a window on the second floor that gives you a clear view,” Anja replied but sounded a little distracted. “You don’t seem like the kind of man to drop everything and find a sunny place to spend your twilight years, is all.”

Savage climbed the stairs slowly and familiarized himself with his surroundings as he moved to the bedroom on the west side. Sure enough, a window looked directly down onto the Devers’ house.

“A man like me probably won’t have twilight years,” he said idly and drew a chair closer to the window. “Most of my time will be spent on the run or staying one step ahead of the bullet that has my name on it. But you do have to plan for survival. Maybe I end up injured and unable to live this life anymore. It’s always a good thing to have something to fall back on. If anything happens to me, it’ll all be locked into a blind trust that will go to Abby when she turns eighteen. That way, it can be something for her to fall back on.”

“Planning for the future, Jer,” she said, and her voice sounded almost wistful. “I think I like it.”

“I’m glad you do.” He focused his attention on the target location. Even if the Devers didn’t notice a man with a scope watching them from across the street and over the hedges that separated the properties, someone else might be able to see him instead and call the cops. He didn’t actually know if anyone around there would look out their windows long enough to see him, but what the fuck else was there to do out in the suburbs?

He looked around, drew the blinds down over the window to prevent anyone from seeing him, and retrieved a small pair of binoculars to train them over the driveway. His work had necessitated many long waits before, and he settled comfortably into his seat with his eye to the scope, prepared for the tedium that lay ahead.

Ice cream took about a half hour and the SUV turned into the driveway soon after. Abby looked like she’d smeared much of the chocolate on her jersey, and he could imagine Andy promising they would clean it quickly before her mother saw it and flipped out. The lawyer obviously still had the warning in his head and a hint of paranoia showed when he looked around. There wasn’t a trace of trained instinct in the man, but then again, that was the reason why Jules had chosen him—or so she had told Savage during one of their many, many shouting matches.

She arrived in a Mazda about an hour later, and Andy and Abby came out to greet her. They pulled her into the house quickly and all the lights came on inside. It appeared that Andy’s version of keeping them all indoors and safe was to cook a meal for them. There were also preparations for the next day’s meal too, Savage noted, but for now, it looked like Andy prepared a family stir-fry—and he seemed damn good at it too. He used a real wok and chopped ingredients with the skill of…well, maybe not a professional chef, but certainly someone who had paid attention in adult cooking classes.

“So, let me get this straight,” Anja said into the earpiece after she’d left him alone to continue his surveillance. “This man is a lawyer—and a top graduate from law school, no less—has his own practice, is rich enough to buy his own house in a prime location outside the city, and he can cook like a pro? That must hurt to watch, eh?”

He didn’t respond. The silence might actually have been preferable. When it was quiet, it was easy to let his mind wander and time would pass without him paying attention to the details that weren’t important to the case.

“I know you’ve accomplished some shit in your life, Jer,” she continued like she didn’t mind that he hadn’t participated. “I’ve looked into your file. I know you told me not to, but sue me, I’m a curious person who lives and breathes information—ones and zeroes. So yeah, I’ve seen your file. You’ve done stuff that would drop jaws for the right and wrong reasons all around the world, and yet, watching your ex shack up with a man who has everything figured out with his life, is settled, and even cooks for her… You have to be a little jealous, don’t you?”

Savage knew she was only ribbing him and attempted to distract him and maybe to get a rise out of him. But it didn’t change the fact that she was absolutely right.

“I don’t disagree,” he said finally, his voice low and not only because he tried to keep a low profile.

“You know, it’s not as much fun to tease you if you don’t fight back, Jer,” she grumped.

“Yep, I know.” His response was automatic but distant, superimposed on an unspoken warning that resonated within him. Something wasn’t right. He could feel it climb his spine and raise the hairs on the back of his neck.

“You know I don’t mean any of it, right?” the hacker asked. “This lawyer might have it all figured out, but when it comes down to the facts, he still needs you to help keep him and his family safe.”

“Safe from a threat I brought on them, remember? Look, I… I know you’re only kidding and poking fun at me to keep me light. But staying quiet is a good way to let me focus on the job and also to pretend it’s any other job—something impersonal and normal.”

“Right.” She sounded a little put out. “Sorry. I’ll shut up.”

“Well, I didn’t say that.” The words seemed to speak themselves without any need for him to pay attention to what he said. Something was definitely wrong. It hovered barely out of reach on the edge of his mind, waiting for him to discern it.

“You don’t want me to shut up?” she asked suspiciously. “Did I seriously hear you say that?”

“Oh yeah, I totally agree.” What was wrong? What was off? He wracked his brain… Lights. The second-floor lights had been on fifteen minutes before but they were off now, and the whole family was still downstairs in the kitchen.

“Jer, you’re not making any sense. Do you have a gun to your head?”

“Shit, they’re in the house already,” Savage whisper-yelled and dropped the rifle when the rest of the lights in the house went out.

“Ah, so you weren’t even paying attention to me,” the hacker said.

“Don’t feel bad,” He yanked the blinds up and opened the window. “You make a fantastic white noise machine.”

“Asshole.” He vaguely registered the lilt of amusement in her tone, his attention already focused on the ground. The house was newer and lacked any arching ceilings and high rises, which meant it wasn’t much farther than ten feet from the window where he stood. He’d made longer drops than that—usually in some kind of power armor, of course, but the concept remained the same. Without hesitation, he heaved himself onto the windowsill and after a few quick breaths, pushed himself clear.

Just like riding a bike . He dropped quickly and landed with loose knees and his feet pointed down, continued smoothly into a roll over his shoulders, and found his feet easily. He’d felt an uncomfortable jolt when he hit the ground, but he shrugged it off. He had left all his weapons in the house except for the pistol under his arm. Thankfully, he still had a ski mask he’d shoved into his jacket pocket, one he had acquired for exactly this kind of situation. He was rather thankful he hadn’t left it in the duffel bag as he’d originally intended to do.

Savage yanked it on quickly using only one hand as the other drew his weapon from its holster. The mask covered most of his face except his eyes and hugged his skin closely enough that it wouldn’t impede his vision.

“Are you all right?” Anja asked. “You’re making that weird noise you make when you’re limping.”

“It’s called breathing, Anja,” he snapped and shoved unceremoniously through the hedges. His mind scanned rapidly through the various problems he faced at the moment. If they were there to kidnap, they wouldn’t risk dragging the family out the back. It worked well enough as an entry point, but when you had to move a family out, there was the possibility that the neighbors would see you and either call the cops or try to intervene themselves. This was America, after all. People had guns and ached for the excuse to be a hero with them.

No, they had another escape plan. They would choose a way out they could use quickly and without too much inconvenience. Out the front door was what usually worked, he thought as he sneaked through the garden between him and the Devers’ house. It still carried the possibility of police involvement, but it would give them time to get away without too much trouble. They would be able to switch vehicles once they were far enough away.

“The van,” he muttered. “The paneled van. Did you find anything on the plates yet?”

“No, nothing yet, why. Do you see it?”

“Nope.” He shook his head and jogged clear of the neighbor’s house to emerge on the road. As he scrutinized the streets in the fading light of the setting sun, a pair of headlights flashed on and tires squealed as a larger than usual vehicle hurtled across the asphalt faster than it should have. “Well, I stand corrected.”

“Do you or do you not see the fucking van?” Anja hissed.

“I don’t know if it’s the same van, but it’s a van and it’s headed directly for me.” Savage held his weapon ready and narrowed his eyes. It was a little difficult to actually judge the distance considering that his eyes were slightly blinded by the headlights, but he didn’t need to be accurate.

Spray and pray, he thought calmly. He held the weapon with both hands, squared his hips, and narrowed his eyes to squint through the lights as he pulled the trigger. The soft whoosh of the unique needles the weapon fired, sent off with the help of the electromagnets, brought a sense of calm. The weapon responded with only a hint of a kick as he pulled the trigger over and over again. It was supposed to be accurate at up to…two hundred feet? Three hundred? He wasn’t sure, but again, accuracy wasn’t exactly his intention right now.

After about the tenth or perhaps the twelfth time he pulled the trigger, the van jerked and turned. The tires screeched once again, the sound shrill in the quiet, as the driver lost control and crashed into a mailbox three houses down.

“Savage?” Anja asked. “Are you still there?”

“Yeah.” He checked the weapon hastily to make sure he hadn’t burned anything out by firing so many times and so quickly. “I made sure our kidnappers don’t have an escape vehicle.”