“Ma’am?”
“What?” she snapped. “It’s a cig. Jesus. You were smoking one too. I can smell it on you.” She rifled through something. “Fuck. Damn.” A thud on the bottom of the van. “Those little fuckers. They took my wallet. Why’d the fuck they take my wallet?” she growled. “I’m going to murder my own children. Do you hear me—wait.” She gulped. A sweet voice now. “I mean, I’m not actually going to do that, Officer. But look…” Irritation. Impatience. “They wanted pizza last night. I bet that’s when they took it, forgot to put it back. Or no… They wanted to go bowling today, and the mall! Those little shits went to the mall, when I told them specifically not to. I’m raising ingrates. Those little criminals—” “Okay, ma’am.” A rapping on the top of the car. “You’re free to go.” “You sure? I wasn’t speeding. The traction on these tires sucks too much for me to go fast. Another thing I need to fix. I tell you—” The guy was brisk. He was done listening to her. “Here’s your cigarette. Thank you for your time.” We heard him walk past us. Carol took a drag, still grumbling under her breath. His car started up, and he passed us by. “See you later, pig.” I couldn’t hold back my grin. She was a piss away from being a method actor. Another moment, then, “He has feds on his payroll and local cops. Who are you sleeping with, Ri?” I groaned. “It’s complicated.” She laughed, rolling up her window and starting forward again. “Just hold on a bit. We have a plane waiting for us. Your boyfriend ain’t the only one with some connections.” “The Network?” I asked Blade. He shook his head, his first faint smile showing. “A friend of Carol’s.” “Damn straight. I heard you. Tinder’s good for a few things other than a hook-up.” “Carol, are you dating someone?” She barked out a laugh. “You’re not the only one who’s got someone new and exciting in their life. My guy just happens to have his pilot’s license and a buddy with a plane. Took a bit of coercing, but he said he could fly you to Milwaukee.” “Well.” I grinned at Blade. “Hot damn.” “Hot damn, indeed!” Carol laughed again. “And hold on. I’m going to put the pedal to the metal, if you know what I mean.” ? ? ? We turned into a small airport. I didn’t think it was the one Kai had flown out of since we’d driven for over an hour, but it was small. It was isolated. And there was only one plane getting ready for departure. As soon as we parked, Carol went over to a guy coming out of the hangar. Blade got out behind me, stretching a little. We’d stayed in the back until the last ten minutes, so our legs were a little knotted up. Rifling through a bag, he pulled out some papers and handed them over. “Those are numbers to call for resources.” “Blade.” He kept going, pulling out a phone, a smaller envelope, another fatter envelope. “You can’t use the phones Brooke gave you. He’ll have figured out which ones were taken and have trackers on them. There’s money.” I had both backpacks from Brooke. If there were a tracker on anything, we already would’ve had guards pulling in for me. I was safe, but I took the phone he gave me. Checking the back, I asked, “Not a Network phone?” He shook his head. “No. I didn’t want to risk it. Like you said, he has people in the Network too.” He paused a beat. “The Network didn’t want to risk it.” He looked away. “You’re right. They green-lighted Carol and me to come get you, but they want to know who his people are. They’re not risking anything. Everything I’m giving you is off the book so no one can find you. Even me. The envelope is sealed, and the envelope inside that envelope is sealed. No one’s seen it except the manufacturer.” And the manufacturer wouldn’t give two shits. They were just doing a job. I was safe. “Where is he flying me into?” “Not Milwaukee. You’ll fly to South Riddance. It’s a small airport past Milwaukee. You’ll have to drive back, but a rental car should be easy for you to get.” It was a good plan. If they were looking, they might not look at flights that didn’t go to Milwaukee. It’d be an oversight on their part. “Okay.” He glanced at Carol, who was still talking with her pilot friend, before he pulled out another smaller box. “Put this in your bag. You know what it’s for.” My mouth dried. It was a gun box. I doubted there was a permit for it, but I put it in one of the bags anyway. “He could lose his license.” Blade glanced back at Carol’s friend. “Don’t get caught.” I hoisted my bags to my back. Blankets. Clothes. I knew what was in the backpacks: cash, credit cards, the phones to use, fake identification. I had everything I needed to start a new life. It was a bit of overkill, all this to sneak into Milwaukee under Kai’s watch, but if I knew Kai, I would need it. He’d have his resources looking for me nonstop. I’d have to go all the way underground. Carol and her friend walked toward us. I asked under my breath, “We’re certain this guy is legit? He’s not on anyone’s payroll?” Blade looked at me from the corner of his eye. “You mean on Bennett’s payroll?” I didn’t answer because that wasn’t what I meant. I looked at Blade, and his eyebrows shot up. “Carol swears she met him by chance, on Tinder. They’ve hooked up for six months.” But he could be a setup. He could be working for the Network. And maybe I was becoming paranoid? Too many times going around the block with Kai? He was making me see moves in a game that wasn’t being played. Maybe. Blade came to the same conclusion. “Ditch him as soon as you land.” “That was already my plan.” The guy nodded to me as he walked up and shook my hand. “You ready for this flight?” Carol hugged me. She hugged the guy. He climbed into the plane, and she went back to the minivan, leaving only Blade and me. He gave me a smile, another sad one. “Until we see each other again?” There were words to say, sentiments to express, and tears I was trying not to shed. All I did was nod and promise, “I’ll see you again.” As I climbed in and watched Blade go over to where Carol was waiting, I felt the same thing I’d seen on his face. Sadness. Everything was about to change. I felt it coming on like an impending doom. The pilot yelled at me to buckle up, and moments later, we were hurtling down the airstrip.