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Oscar flipped him the keys to his truck. “Mine. I’ve got all my stuff in there. I’ll hack into the cell company that owns those towers along that route while you drive us to the location of that ping.”
Hugo gave Lancelot an alarmed look, but Lancelot ignored it. He was too fucking impressed. He grabbed their bags from their rental car and transferred them to Oscar’s truck.
Oscar climbed into the back seat, still typing away on his laptop.
“She sent that message to her brother five hours ago.” Hugo was going to the same dark place as Lancelot, starting to think the worst.
“We’re going to find her, Hugo.”
And God willing, she’d be alive when they did.
* * *
Sylvia woke up in stages. By the time she managed to get her body and brain online at the same time, she was aware enough to realize how sick she felt. Scrambling for the door, she rolled the window down and stuck her head out, retching.
“Take deep breaths, dear. The salt air will help.”
After several moments of painful heaving, Sylvia wiped her mouth with the back of her shaking hand. They were still near the ocean, she could smell the salt, but all she could see were sand dunes.
She pulled her head in. They weren’t on the highway anymore. That meant she’d probably survive if she threw herself out of the moving car.
All she needed was to get her arms and legs to obey her enough to make it happen.
Sylvia slumped back in the seat, tears of embarrassment that she was such a fool stinging her eyes. “Where are we?”
“We’re almost there,” Alicia soothed. “While you were sleeping, I made a couple of stops, set up arrangements for our trip. Everything should be in place now.”
Great. Two opportunities for escape missed. Just when she thought she couldn’t feel any worse.
“Why?” Sylvia asked.
“Don’t you mean where?”
“I mean why.” There was a bite to her words now. She fought to control it. Pissing off her kidnapper probably wasn’t smart. She cleared her throat. “Why are you…” crazy. That wasn’t a fair question. Genetic or environmental, the reasons for her mentor going bat-shit bonkers didn’t matter. Sylvia cleared her throat, eyes still closed, and decided to try another approach.
“Why did you decide to fight these people? They’re powerful and connected. It’s dangerous.”
“Injustice isn’t worth fighting?” Alicia asked in that leading teacher tone.
“Of course it is, but there are a thousand injustices. Why this one? Why this cause?”
“Ah, that is an interesting question. You know my relationship with men. You know how I feel about power and authority.”
“Yes,” Sylvia said softly. “I thought what you and your husband had was beautiful.”
“And it was. Did I ever tell you ours was an open marriage?”
“Meaning you had lovers.”
“We both did. He, of course, had to obtain my approval, but it worked for us. Sometimes I needed a challenge.”
“A sexual challenge?” Sylvia asked, not sure if it was residual fogginess from the drugs or the insanity of this situation and conversation that made it hard to follow.
“Strangely, no. An emotional one. And I found it. Found him.”
The way she said “him,” with an almost religious fervor, made Sylvia’s heart sink. “Did you join a cult?” The words were out before she thought better of them.
Alicia laughed heartily. “No, not at all. I met a man who was my equal. One who would not kneel for me. One who made me want to kneel for him.” She hummed, a considering, introspective sound. “I thought I understood how people worked. Well enough to control them. He showed me there was so much I still had to learn.”
