The modernized world should band together. If we combine our forces and take out America, peace will be restored to all women.
—Comment from the Global Reporter message board
Today was the day. Mia had spent the night going over the operation with Riley. It would be simple. Mia needed to act the part of the scared, naïve, lost girl Dalmy could take under her wing. Once they were alone Mia would display what a capable woman she really was and barter Dalmy for Andrew, Carter, and Nathan. Riley would watch from a distance; they’d meet up at the cabin and the five would head into Guatemala. Still, Mia was nervous. She started asking questions that had never occurred to her over the past several weeks but now seemed so pertinent.
“What if they recognize me?” she asked. “I mean, my picture was everywhere as the missing girl.”
“You’re not missing. You’re dead. The government removed any evidence of you. Unless those men were following the case as it unfolded you’ll be fine.”
“How can they do that? How do you know that?” Mia asked.
She hadn’t anticipated the feelings of anger she felt upon learning her identity had been demolished.
“I searched for information on you, once you gave me your name, that is,” Riley said. “Your husband is front and center, but even he knows to focus the interviews on himself. He leaves any mention of you out.”
“He’s alive?” Mia asked. This whole time she had pictured him dead.
“Not even injured,” Riley said. “Did you think you killed him?”
Mia shook her head. “Why are they leaving me out of the news?”
“In case you ever pop up again and claim you made it out alive. There will be no way for you to prove who you are, so you’ll seem like a crazy person,” Riley said. “Plus they want little American girls to swoon over your husband, and that can’t happen if he’s focusing on his dead wife. I have to say you bagged yourself a pretty big fish.”
Mia wrinkled her nose.
“Even my grandma understands that saying,” Riley said.
Mia had heard stories of grandmothers. She never thought anyone ever really had one though. The idea of generations of women guiding each other gave Mia another feeling of warmth.
“Your husband, he is attractive and wealthy, and smart too,” Riley said.
“And cruel and murderous and evil,” Mia replied.
“Time to get your costume on,” Riley said.
She handed Mia the tattered pink sundress. There was some blood and ash, and it was stiff from the salt water. Mia pulled it over her head, alternating between remembering the brave girl who wore it when she fought Grant and the terrified, shaky one who froze on the beach as her friends were taken. She focused on the former, remembering flying over the border into freedom, emptying the helicopter of all Grant’s weapons, and jumping into the unknown. Mia wondered what Riley had discovered among the wreckage of the chopper.
“You scavenged the beach, right? Did you find a plastic bag with some papers and money?” Mia asked.
Riley reached into a drawer and pulled out the see-through baggie. Mia’s eyes widened and she grabbed for it. The getaway kit Rod had prepared. She dumped the contents on the bed and started sorting.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Mia asked. “This is important.”
“According to that passport your name is Jeanette Rowe,” Riley said. “Then you told me Amelia Morrissey and I wasn’t sure which was accurate. By the time I realized I could trust you it had slipped my mind.”
Mia grabbed the small blue books and flipped them open. There was a passport with a picture of her with the Jeanette name, one for Carter, and one for Rod. Andrew’s was missing.
“They were part of an unfinished plan,” Mia said.
There was a marriage certificate between Jeanette and Roderick, some strange-looking money, and a cell phone. Mia flipped the tiny device around, curious whom Rod had planned to phone.
“Were you planning on making some calls down here?” Riley asked.
“I don’t even know how to work this,” Mia said.
“I’ll show you,” Riley said.
She grabbed the phone from Mia’s hand and flipped it open. On the keypad she started pressing numbers.
“Everyone has a specific phone number,” Riley said. “To call me you have to enter a country code, but any American phone number is ten digits.”
Once Riley was done pushing buttons she put the phone back in Mia’s hands.
“Push ‘send,’ ” Riley said.
Mia did and held the phone up to her ear.
“It’s ringing,” Mia said.
Riley nodded. After a few minutes a voice came on. It was Riley’s. Mia didn’t understand. There was a short noise.
“Hang up or leave a message,” Riley said.
“How is this possible?” Mia asked.
“It’s a recording,” Riley said. “Then you speak and I’ll get the option of listening to your voice later, and a transcript will be sent to me as well.”
Riley leaned over and pulled the phone away from Mia’s ear. She flipped the lid shut. Mia didn’t want to ask the million questions she had about the device. There were more important happenings at the moment.
“Should I take this with me?” Mia asked. “Say my name is Jeanette Rowe?”
“If that’s the same last name as one of those boys, I wouldn’t,” Riley said. “They’ll realize you’re with them.”
“It’s Carter’s,” Mia said. “Andrew’s is CMW1408.”
“That’s a strange one,” Riley said.
“If that guard woke up they’ll suspect someone is coming anyway,” Mia replied. It was starting to sink in that he couldn’t have survived the fall, but Riley still didn’t want to acknowledge this.
“Most American females aren’t capable of sending a man over a cliff,” Riley said. “And it was dark. He won’t recognize you. We don’t have to use this idea. The whole plan is canceled if you’re not comfortable. I think you need more time anyway.”
“I’m ready,” Mia said.
“Then let’s start walking before I change my mind,” Riley said.
She opened the door of the small shack and walked outside. The two began heading north, toward the city. The afternoon sun made the walk much harder than Mia remembered.
“I’ll take you as far as I can,” Riley said. “But you’ll enter the city on your own. Tell me the details again.”
Mia repeated back everything they had worked on. Her secret identity, the inflection her voice required. There were no holes in the story.
“One change,” Riley said. “Don’t bother asking for Nathan. He’s not here.”
“I’m sorry,” Mia said.
“New intel is sending me to Australia after this,” Riley said. “Sometimes I think I am chasing a ghost.”
“He’s alive,” Mia said. “If he wasn’t you’d know.”
“Sixth sense?” Riley asked. “Do you think your boys know you’re alive and coming for them?”
“They have to,” Mia said. “We’d never give up on each other. When did you find out?”
“Two weeks ago,” Riley said.
“And you stayed,” Mia said. “To help me.”
“I’ll see you through to the end,” Riley said. “If you want to join me the offer is on the table. We could travel the world and I will teach you more.”
“Carter and Andrew?” Mia asked.
“You’re serious about the Guatemalan reserve, aren’t you?” Riley asked.
Mia nodded her head. She appreciated Riley’s offer, but she would never abandon Andrew. Never.
The walk continued in silence until the city appeared in the distance. Then Riley stopped.
“Remember, I’ll wait for you at the shack,” Riley said. “If anything goes wrong, get out of there and we’ll find another way. Forty-eight hours is all you have. If it doesn’t happen by then it won’t. You’ll need to run away.”
“I know,” Mia said.
Two days. That was all the time Mia needed. If she spent any more time undercover like this it would require too much. She winced at the idea.
“We can turn around,” Riley said.
“Thank you,” Mia said.
She leaned in and wrapped her arms around Riley. The Irishwoman stiffened up at Mia’s touch. Then she returned the hug, her body relaxing.
“I’ll meet you at the shack in forty-eight,” Mia said.
“Good luck,” Riley said.
Mia pulled away.
“You were wrong,” Mia said.
“About?” Riley asked.
“My favorite piece is the queen,” Mia said. “She’s a woman and has the most power.”
Riley smiled. Mia thought she saw Riley’s eyes glisten but didn’t say anything. Mia took a breath and turned toward the town. She closed her eyes as she walked, envisioning Andrew and Carter. They needed her. Even though she wanted assurance from Riley, Mia focused on the future and didn’t look back.