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Suspicious, I look at each of them. They know Charlie’s going to come for me. And they aren’t going to try to stop us? “Yeah?”
“Did he mention his brother to you?”
“He joined the military to try and find his brother. I think he said he went MIA twenty years ago.”
“We have reason to believe that Vincent Gyres is still alive. An operative investigating an international human trafficking ring reported a man who very much sounds like Vincent Gyres, with the same kind of talents that a man of his past would have.”
Charlie will definitely want to know that. But is it a trap? I concentrate all my senses on them, watching the way they breathe, how they blink. Neither one of them is sweating. Neither tugs at a collar or smooths their pants, no aimless, nervous little gestures that might tell me they’re lying.
“Okay,” I answer slowly. “Why would you want him to know that?”
His smile slips to something grimmer. “Because we might need Charlie’s help to stop him.”
38
My parents finally leave, though they still can’t understand how I could bear to stay in the house where I was attacked. Where I killed a man. That’s the official story. Only Jill Matheson and her boss know the full truth.
The room has been stripped, the carpets ripped out and the bedding gone. The FBI likely took all of it for evidence. I don’t care. I’m not going to sleep in here. If I have my way, I won’t be here a single night. I just need to gather my things.
I don’t need much. The slim case of knives. My toothbrush. A couple of Charlie’s T-shirts that he’s never getting back, unless he cuts them off my body. My favorite jeans. And most importantly, the chunky leather collar and wrist cuffs. I’d risk my life to save them from a five-alarm fire.
I set the bag by the front door and whistle for Sheba. I stroll out to the backyard and throw her ball for a while. I watch, listening for anything out of the ordinary. They might be watching me, but I can’t see them. I deliberately throw the ball over by the storage shed and then step inside. Quickly, now, I push the carpet aside, lift the hatch, and without any hesitation, climb down into the darkness. I use my phone to find the silver case, right where I left it.
I scan the dirt floor for footprints, but the earth is hard packed. Hopefully if they find this room, they won’t be sure if I’ve been down here. If I hurry.
I unlock the case. As I hoped, a few new items lay on top. The first, a handwritten note.
I promised you a way to join me, if that’s still your desire. If you hurry, you can be with me before you know it.
1. Pack light. One bag only, something easy you can carry without having to stop and rest often.
Done.
2. Pack enough food for Sheba for two days.
3. Go shopping and buy a big floppy hat, sunglasses and a colorful sundress. Bathing suit is optional. Your Master will accept your preferences, though I’d much prefer to see you in nothing but that chain you’ll find in the case.
Maybe I can find out-of-season clothing at Walmart. Surely people are desperate to buy a bikini before taking their winter cruise. But then my mind wanders away from the practical and imagines lying on a sandy beach in nothing but that silver chain chastity belt. I tremble with longing and my hands shake enough it takes me a moment to keep reading.
4. Before leaving our home, burn this letter and any other evidence you deem necessary.
5. Use the enclosed ticket to fly to Vegas as Ranay Killian. Sheba is your assistance dog. Bring your paperwork.
Vegas? That’s warm and sunny, but not very beachy. Still, if he’s there, it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll go to Antarctica if I have to.
6. Change into your tourist gear at the airport as soon as you land in Vegas.
7. Braid your hair tightly and tuck it up beneath the hat.
8. Take the phone in this case and text me what color dress you’re wearing when you’re leaving the restroom.
9. DISAPPEAR.
I don’t know how the latter will happen, but I trust him. Implicitly.
P.S. I’ll be groveling for you on the prettiest sandy beach I could find. I love you, kitten.
Words of love from my Master. There isn’t anything better in the world. Except hearing those words in person.
