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“And he wants you to be safe,” Rose pressed. “And that’s what I want for you too. That means you need protection. Kenan can arrange?—”
“I know where he is. I know where Russ is. I need to get back to him. I need to talk to him, then we’ll figure out what to do.”
“Where is he?” Rose asked, doubtful that this plan would be safe or rooted in a realistic option.
“He’s in Canada. It’s a camp he told me about when we were out one night.”
“It wouldn’t be safe if it were a place he went to as a child or a place that meant something to him. They’ll track him at any place like that.”
“It’s not a place he’s been. He saw a commercial for it that night on the television at the bar. We joked about it. Things were starting to get serious with the story about my father. This was some far-off remote camp for people who love camping and the wilderness. Something neither of us like. He said if he ever had to hide, he’d go there because it would be the last place anyone would look for a city guy like him.”
“You think he’s there?”
“I know he is. That’s where he said he was going, that’s where he will be.” Rose hesitated, looking like she was trying to sort out if this were a dream or not. “He’s alive. Russ is alive.”
“This is a lot to process. Harry is outside. We should talk to him. Maybe we can get some contact with Kenan. They can help sort this out. You’ve made it this far. You can’t make a rash decision now that could jeopardize everyone.”
“I’ve ruined my life,” Topeka said far too calmly. “I’ve ruined Russ’s life. I brought a phone to Verde Lago and put so many people at risk. I’m not going to go to Kenan now and ask for more help. I can make my own way. Now I know where to go. I know how to do this. I can trust Russ, he can trust me, and we’ll find the right way to expose my father and end his reign of terror. We can do it on our own.”
Rose laughed and shook her head. “Topeka, I’m sorry, but I promise you, you can’t. Who you turn the information over to is just as important as the information to begin with. One wrong move and the story, all the proof is buried. You’re going to hide in Canada with Russ and you’ll be sitting ducks. You’ll slip up, you know why? Because you don’t do this for a living. You’re not an expert in dodging assassins and exposing abuse and corruption. But the people at Kinross are. You have to trust them.”
“Your life is so much smoother now that you have them on your side?” Topeka knew what Rose had been through over the last week and hardly needed an answer to her question.
“I’m alive and I’m not alone. My son is safe. The people who controlled and tortured me for years are behind bars. It’s not perfect, but I’d be nowhere without them. Getting on a boat alone and thinking you’re going to be able to make your way to Russ is foolish. What if he never makes it to the location?”
“I have to try,” Topeka sniffled. “I owe him that.”
“I agree, you should try, but not on your own. Accept the help being offered. Let me talk to Kenan, and we’ll figure something out.”
Topeka nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks and followed Rose up the stairs and out the door toward the car where Harry was waiting.
“We need to get hold of Kenan,” Rose said quietly, trying not to spook Topeka. “I know we can’t go back, we shouldn’t, but how can we reach him?”
“Bad news,” Harry said, ushering them both into the car. “There are two suspicious men back in town according to Gio. Apparently they’re erasing any evidence that their men were ever there. Trying not to draw attention to themselves and wipe out any lingering indication they were there. Picking up bullet casings, cleaning out the place they kept me hostage. Making sure nothing was left behind in the hotel rooms their men were staying in. These aren’t assassins, or hired guns, but it would still be dangerous for them to spot Topeka.”
“So let me go. I have a ride on a truck in a few hours. It’s taking me up the coast to a marina. I have passage booked on a private fishing boat that will take me somewhere I can slip away. From there, I’ll find a way to get to Russ.”
“Russ?” Harry asked, looking like he was a step behind.
“He’s my partner in this,” Topeka explained. “I thought he was dead, but he’s alive. Or he was two days ago. We have a place we can meet. I need to get there.”
“You can’t travel on your own. We need to slow this down and devise a plan that makes sense for your safety.”
Harry's declaration hung in the air, stark and irrevocable. Topeka needed someone, and the weight of his responsibility was clear. They couldn't reach out to Kenan now, and Mick was indisposed, wrapped in his own personal stuff. Rose knew the last thing Harry wanted to do was have him called back, ruining Mick’s happiness with Charlize. Something he deserved.
Rose felt a sharp pang in her chest, the realization dawning on her like an arrow to the heart. Harry needed to be the one to go with Topeka. It made sense; he was the most capable, the one who knew the stakes, and it was a decision they could makeswiftly. Yet, acknowledging this truth did nothing to ease the ache that blossomed in her heart.
Their time together had been a brief candle in a world of darkness, and now it seemed fate was poised to snuff it out. She looked into Harry's eyes, seeing her own turmoil reflected back at her.
"You have to go with her, Harry," Rose said, her voice a whisper of resignation. "It's the only way we can ensure her safety. Anything else could take too much time to sort out. She logged on to her email here; that might flag her location. This has to happen now."
Harry's jaw tightened, the muscles working as he grappled with the decision. "Rose, I—" he began, but she cut him off with a gentle touch to his arm.
"It's okay. I know it's the right thing to do. We can't risk Topeka's life, and we can't sit back and hope for the best," she said, her words firm despite the turmoil inside. “We agree she’s got to leave the area and that she can’t do it alone. I have to get back to Nathaniel otherwise...”
Harry reached out, cupping her face in his hands, his touch a balm to her frayed nerves. "I'll come back to you," he promised, his voice thick with emotion. "We’ve been through worse. We’ve always found a way back to each other. This will be nothing. Over before we know it.”
Rose nodded, clinging to his promise like a lifeline. "I know," she replied, trying to believe it with every fiber of her being. "Just be careful, Harry. Please."
