AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes.”
No wonder her rescuer drove with her lights extinguished. Grace clutched Mateo closer. He was just starting to relax against her.
Magdalena drove them through a web of dark, steep streets without the benefit of a map. The farther uphill they ascended, the taller the buildings became, with only a few lights twinkling in the windows. As they approached one particularly wide intersection with a stop light that worked, she slowed her car to a cautious crawl. Grace spotted the marked cruiser on the opposite curb in the same instant that Magdalena did. As her heart jumped up her throat, the woman hit the brakes, shifted into reverse, and backed up so fast that Mateo’s head nearly hit the dashboard. Grace swallowed a yelp as the car seemed to fishtail.
“Head down!”
Crushing Mateo as she bent over him, Grace realized Magdalena had maneuvered them into a parking space between two other cars. Her engine was off. With their heads low, their faces close together, she met the woman’s worried gaze, certain they would be caught, but then a vehicle tore past them with its blue lights flashing, and the threat was gone.
On an exhalation, Magdalena sat up and peered into her mirrors. “That was lucky.”
Starting up her car again, she eased it back onto the street and cruised straight through a tree-lined avenue that resembled the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Grace peered around, astounded by the elegance surrounding them. It was a different world from the slums found at lower elevations.
It wasn’t until they turned into a parking garage at the base of a dark apartment building that she felt moderately safe. Her rescuer raked her with an enigmatic look as she parked her car amidst several others. “Call me Lena,” she instructed.
“I’m Grace Garrett. This is Mateo.”
Lena nodded. She had to be wondering about their relationship, but all she said was, “Come on in.” Her tone, while not exactly welcoming, suggested a commitment to help them.
With Mateo growing heavy in her arms, Grace followed Lena into a dark stairwell. They climbed two flights of stairs before entering a dimly lit hallway. As Grace paused to catch her breath, Lena stopped at a door, pressed her thumb against a scanner to open it, then reached inside to flick on a light. She entered first, then gestured for Grace to follow.
The small apartment, barely big enough for one person to occupy, lacked any personal touches. But it had everything one needed to be comfortable, including a living room area, a dinette table for two, and a galley kitchen. The wood parquet floors were devoid of rugs. The furniture was functional and uninspired, but at least the couch appeared big enough to sleep on. Grace turned to thank their hostess, only to be asked a question first.
“How do you know Jake?” Lena’s dark hair concealed her face as she bent over to unlace her boots. Still, Grace detected a hint of jealousy in her neutral tone.
“I don’t.” Her answer brought the woman’s head up. “I know Amos—Senior Chief McLeod,” she added, getting only a blank look. “Heknows Jake. They probably work together. Look, I’m trying to get to the airport with my adopted son. I have to fly him to Bogotá to get him a U.S. visa at the embassy there. Amos said that Jake said you could help.” Realizing Mateo had gone limp, she lowered his sleeping form across the couch cushions.
Lena watched her. Grace could only imagine the thoughts running through the woman’s head. Given her masterful driving and the fact that she was still here in Caracas, years after the U.S. Embassy had closed, she had to be some kind of secret agent, maybe a CIA case officer.
Straightening, she found Lena’s lush lips firmed. “The airport’s about to be targeted by the Rebel Army.”
The news pegged Grace squarely in the chest. “Then how will I get to Bogotá?
A long and weighty silence followed her question as thoughts flowed in the agent’s emerald-green eyes. At last, she said, “You can leave the country with me. We’ll figure out the rest later.” It was clearly not the woman’s first choice. “There’s only one thing I ask in exchange—no more phone calls. You can keep your cell phone; just don’t use it to communicate.”
Grace swallowed hard. How would Amos find out that his WhatsApp message might have saved her life? “Okay.”
“I mean it. Nobody is to know that you’re with me.”
“I understand. Thank you,” Grace added belatedly.
“Don’t thank me yet. I have work to do before we leave, and you’ll need to wait in the car for me. It could be dangerous.” She went back to unlacing her boots.
With her thoughts racing, Grace imagined the kind of work Lena did, but she wouldn’t make this harder on the woman by asking questions.
Wrestling off her boots one at a time, Lena regarded her again. “Are you hungry?” She padded into her tiny kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
From where she stood, Grace could tell the fridge was mostly empty.
“I have leftover pizza.”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
“We’ll save it for breakfast then.” Lena shut the appliance and stepped toward a closet door revealing a stacked washer and dryer. “Feel free to wash your clothes. Detergent’s on the shelf here.”
The casual offer kept Grace from experiencing any chagrin about wetting herself earlier. “Thank you.” What a relief it would be to have clean clothing!
Lena nodded. “I’ll be right back with a pillow, towel, and blanket.” As she crossed the living area and vanished into her bedroom, Grace decided she liked her rescuer, despite her militaristic demeanor. The softening of her expression, whenever she glanced at Mateo, was all it took, not to mention the fact that she was willing to help them, even though it probably risked her own agenda—whatever that was.
