11.
A JAX
I tried to keep my mind on the task at hand as I crept through the dark hallway toward the bedroom, but I couldn’t help but remember the last time I’d done this - five days ago when I went to say goodbye to Sandi back in Rojo.
Since then, I’d done quite a bit of research on the good guys, or what everyone would like to believe were the good guys, and found out that the federal prosecutor had more problems than he’d first thought. When I sent him the information I’d found on the men he was trusting with the care of his young witness, it didn’t take but a minute before he called me in a rage and ordered me to do whatever it took to get the woman and her children to safety.
When I told him that it would take some creativity and several broken laws, he assured me that he didn’t give a shit and would have my back on the off-chance that there was blowback aimed my way. He didn’t even seem upset when I told him that I was recording our conversation and laughed before saying that if I’d transcribe the conversation and print it out, he’d be more than happy to sign it. I took that to mean that I had a free pass to get the job done tonight.
Not that breaking a law or two was foreign to me in the first place, but I usually didn’t have direct permission from a man in his position when I did it.
I heard a noise coming from the living room behind me and realized that the man I’d just tied up was awake and had just figured out he was going to be that way until one of his crooked buddies came to rescue him. Just to make sure that didn’t happen sooner rather than later, I hurried down the hallway and carefully opened the door that would take me into the primary bedroom where my new charge and her children were sleeping.
I pulled my phone out in the dark room and was glad that I’d changed the settings so that the light was barely visible. I hit the button to call the man I’d spoken to before I got out of my truck a few blocks away and snuck onto the property from the alley. I waited for him to answer before I sat down on the edge of the bed and put my hand over the young woman’s mouth.
She woke instantly and grabbed my wrist to push it away as she started to fight, but stopped when I put the phone to her ear and she heard her father’s voice telling her to calm down. She relaxed and used the hand holding my wrist to take the phone from me. I took that opportunity to look over at the little ones who were sleeping in the bed beside her.
As she listened to her father, she watched me warily and furrowed her brow when I reached for the infant.
“Shh,” I whispered as I opened my jacket and settled the baby into the carrier I’d purchased just for this reason. Instead of arguing with me, she helped get her settled in and pulled her legs through the holes at the bottom.
“I’ll have him call you when we’re out,” she whispered into the phone before she took a deep breath and patted her daughter on the back. “Bye, Dad.”
She handed me the phone, and I slipped it into my pocket before I zipped up my coat around the carrier and said, “I’ll get the other one while you put on your shoes.”
“My purse is in the living room and my phone is . . .”
“No phone, honey,” I whispered as I stood and tugged on her hand to get her moving. “I got your ID out of your bag, but you’ve got to leave the rest here. Someone will pack everything up for you tomorrow.”
“What about . . .”
“Grab your shoes. We have about two minutes to get into the alley and then four minutes to get to the car.”
I was glad to see that she was taking me seriously when she hopped off the bed and started pulling on her shoes. I settled the toddler in the crook of my arm before I covered her with the small blanket that the infant had been wrapped in, and by the time I was finished, the woman was standing next to me.
“Stay by my side, and do everything I say the second I say it.”
“Yessir,” she whispered as tears streamed down her cheeks.
She followed close behind me as I made my way back down the hall, and I reached back to take her hand the second we got outside. I followed the shadows along the house and checked the yard before I sprinted toward the back gate. She didn’t make a sound as we went into the alley, and I pushed her toward a dumpster that was nearby. It was pitch black in the hiding place that I’d secured. I picked up the clothes I’d stashed there earlier and thrust them toward her before I whispered, “Put them on over what you’re wearing.”
She silently tugged on the black clothes as I covered the little girl with the dark sheet that had been folded up with the clothes.
By the time we crept out from behind the dumpster, she was dressed in all black, just like me, and had on a beanie to cover her light hair so that it wouldn’t reflect the faint lights coming from the houses we’d have to pass on the way to the old car I’d bought to use for this adventure.
Using the shadows as cover, I carefully maneuvered my way through the neighborhood until we got to the empty house I had helped myself to. Once we were inside, I led her straight to the garage and opened the car door for her to crawl into the back.
“Lay down on the floorboard and hold the kiddo,” I whispered as I handed her to the toddler. “Don’t pop your head up no matter what, okay?”
“Okay. What about the baby?”
“She’s still sleeping, so I’ll hang on to her until we’re far enough away that we can stop.”
“Is it safe?”
I laughed softly before I asked, “Honey, I just disarmed a federal agent and snuck you out of a house. How safe is any of this?”
“Valid point,” she grumbled as she turned on her side and laid the toddler down next to her.
Once they were settled, I hurried around the car and got into the driver’s seat. Within the next few seconds, we were driving through the neighborhood on the way to the nearest highway. At the intersection that would take us underneath the highway or onto it, I tossed the burner phone she’d used out the window and watched it bounce into the gutter. Instead of getting onto the highway, I went beneath the overpass and followed the road that would take us to the country and then to the small town where my contact was waiting with a new vehicle for the next leg of our trip.
“Where are we going?”
“We’re going the opposite direction of where we’re going to end up. Right now we’re on our way to Trinidad, Colorado, where we’ll change vehicles and buy some supplies.”
“How much farther is it?”
“Do you need a pit stop?”
“I can wait for a while if I have to.”
“Actually, it might be a good idea for us to stop soon and be seen, so I’d say about fifteen minutes.”
“The girls are going to be waking up soon. I’m surprised the baby is still asleep. It’s past time for her to be fed.”
“She’s been squirming, but she’s fine for now.”
“We don’t have car seats or . . .” The woman’s voice trailed off before she laughed bitterly. “Someone is trying to kill me, and I’m worried about car seats.”
“You’re a mom. Their safety comes first. I’d imagine that this town we’re going to has a Walmart, so we can buy some clothes for you and the kids along with whatever else you might need. I guess some snacks, diapers, wipes . . . Shit, I don’t know.”
“They’ll have cameras there.”
“And we’ll make sure we walk in front of every single one of them at this one and then the next one and the next one.”
“But they’ll . . .”
“They’ll be able to track us if they look hard enough, and since someone who looks an awful lot like you and has some children that are just about the same size as yours will be riding in this vehicle all the way to the west coast, that fits perfectly into our plan.”
“How did you . . . But . . .”
“Honey, you don’t need to worry about anything right now, okay? Just take a break, enjoy the rest, and let me take care of the details.”
“I’ve been so scared!” the woman said before she sobbed and then sniffed. “I’m sorry I’m crying.”
“Let it out. The sooner you do, the sooner you can look at this like a random road trip with your good buddy Ajax.”
My passenger didn’t laugh or even comment, and it broke my heart when I had to listen to her cry.
◆◆◆
“Whose house is this?”
I looked over and shrugged before I said, “I don’t know.”
Abigail sighed before she said, “We’ve been in the car together for two days, and you haven’t told me shit! As much as I appreciate what you’re doing for me, I have to say that you’re honestly the most maddening man I’ve ever met.”
I burst out laughing before I said, “You’re not the first woman to tell me that.”
I pulled into the garage next to the SUV that was parked there and smiled at my friend as he walked toward us while the door slowly lowered behind us.
“Who is that?”
“That is my friend who is going to drive this car toward the west coast.”
“Are you freaking kidding me right now?” Navy asked. “Not only do I have to ride with my freaking niece, who is not a good traveler, but I’ve got to drive a car ?”
“It’s a perfectly good vehicle,” I said as I got out of the car and embraced my friend. I slapped him on the back a few times before I pulled back and said, “You get uglier every time I see you.”
“You could be brothers,” Navy’s sister said from the doorway. She waved at me as she walked out with her daughter on her hip. She looked over at my charge, stuck her hand out, and said, “Hi, I’m Navy’s sister, Corrie. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m Abigail.”
“No, you’re Corrie, and I’m Abigail,” Corrie told her with a laugh. She walked around the car toward me and said, “And you, Ajax, owe me big time for this.”
“You’ll be compensated.”
“There’s not enough compensation in the world to make up for having to spend hours in the car with my smelly brother.”
“She’ll be asleep before we hit the state line.”
“Did you get everything?” I asked.
“Sure did,” Navy assured me. “Everything’s packed and ready. You’ve just got to change the kids and then haul ass to the airport so you can board.”
“How much time do we have?” I asked.
At the same time, Abigail asked, “We’re flying somewhere?”
“You sure are, Corrie. Here’s your ID,” Corrie said as she handed over her driver’s license. “I’ll need yours, please.”
“But . . . what . . .”
I sighed before I said, “I swear I’ve been trying to work on this communication thing, but I still suck at it.”
“You’re trying to change?” Navy asked.
Corrie gasped before she said, “You met someone!”
“I did.”
Navy wrinkled his nose before he asked, “What’s she like?”
“She’s perfect.”
“She’s gotta be a saint to put up with your ass,” Corrie said before she rolled her eyes and looked at Abigail. “So, you and the kids are going to be flying under my name, and Ajax will be going as Navy. The kids don’t need IDs, but you will, so that’s why I’m giving you mine. I’ll need yours so I can get them to scan it somewhere on the road.”
“Why would someone scan it?” Abigail asked.
“I’ll go buy some liquor or smokes somewhere,” Corrie said with a shrug. “No biggie, but it will leave a good trail.”
Abigail looked over her shoulder where both kids were napping in their back seat and asked, “Your kids will use the car seats we bought?”
“I only have one kid,” Corrie said before she kissed her daughter on the cheek. “But I have a cover to go over the other one so no one will realize that it’s empty when we cart it all over the place.”
“Wow. You’re really good at this,” Abigail said as she looked from me to Corrie and then back again.
“The birth certificates for the kids are in the side pocket of the diaper bag in case you need them. You might want to look them over and memorize everything beforehand, but if someone starts questioning you, you should do the helpless victim thing and burst into tears before you start blubbering about something that will make them uncomfortable.”
“Like what?”
Corrie laughed before she said, “Tell whoever it is about how much your boobs hurt from breastfeeding. Talk about cracked nipples and give them some really vivid details. That’s usually an easy pass, especially if it’s a man.”
Abigail cackled and said, “That’s a subject I know way too much about, so it wouldn’t be a lie!”
“Corrie packed everything she thought you’d need in the diaper bag. Y’all better get dressed and change the kids,” Navy urged. “I’ll get in touch when we’re settled at home.”
“Thank you for your help,” Abigail said with a hesitant smile. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“No payment necessary. Have a safe trip, and enjoy New Orleans!”
◆◆◆
I glanced at Abigail over the rim of my glasses and asked, “You’re not a freaked-out flier are you?”
“Isn’t it a little late to ask that?”
“Your little boy is so cute,” the flight attendant said as she leaned down and touched the baby’s foot. She glanced over at Abigail and said, “I love his hat! Where did you get it?”
Without hesitation, Abigail smiled and said, “It was a gift at my shower.”
“Adorable!” The flight attendant looked at Abigail’s toddler and said, “He’s a handsome one too! I’d like to have a little boy one day.”
“Your time will come,” Abigail assured her with a smile as she reached over and tucked the blanket in around the baby.
“What are their names?”
“This is Tristan, and that’s Benjamin,” Abigail lied easily.
“Too sweet! Enjoy the flight and just hit your call button if you need anything.”
“Of course,” I said with a smile before the woman walked away. I looked over at Abigail and tilted my head in recognition of how well she’d done. She blew out a long breath and blinked a few times before she smiled at me. “Looks like Tristan might be ready to take a nap. I’ll take care of Benjamin if you’d like to join in.”
“Thank you, Clark .”
“It’s my pleasure, Corrie .”
◆◆◆
“I’m so sorry, Ajax,” Abigail said as she crawled up beside me and settled into the passenger seat. “They’re just overtired and . . .”
“Ready to stretch their legs and stay on solid ground for a bit,” I finished for her when her voice trailed off. “We don’t have much further to go.”
Abigail glanced over her shoulder and said, “It’s so funny seeing them dressed like boys. I just can’t get over it.”
“We’re lucky they’re as young as they are. It would be harder to pass them off as boys if they were old enough to talk.”
“Or if either of them had hair! I’ve spent their entire lives putting bows on their heads so everyone knew they were girls, and now I want everyone to think they’re boys.”
“Speaking of hair, my friend has a few things waiting for us at his house for you to wear over your hair.”
“I can dye it!”
“That would help, but not nearly as much as if you could make it grow about a foot or so at the same time. You’ve got short blonde hair, and we’re going to make you look like a long-haired brunette.”
“How?”
“Trust me! I’ve got this!”
“Oddly enough, I do trust you, which is a good thing because the list of people I can say that about is very short these days.”
“Well, you can trust everyone you’ve met so far with me, and we’ll gradually keep adding to that list until you can say you’ve got quite a tribe you can trust.”
“Who are we meeting now? Mr. Clean? We’re in Georgia, right? Maybe this one will be called Bulldog or . . . Peach! That would be a good name for a mysterious biker type who can manage to get away with . . . well, everything.”
“Not quite everything.”
“So far, at least.”
“Honey, I rarely tell my clients this because it would make them a little wary, but I think it might actually bolster your faith.”
“I’ve got faith in you. You just managed to pull one over on TSA, the airline, and the rental car place all within just a few hours. I was barely able to lie when I got accused of cheating on my history test in tenth grade.”
“Did you?”
“Lie?”
“No, did you cheat?”
“Well, yeah. Looking back, I can see that if I’d spent half as much time studying as I did writing out a bunch of random shit in handwriting so tiny I wouldn’t have been able to read it anyway, I’d have probably passed the damn class the right way.” I burst out laughing and then sobered when Abigail said, “I’d ask if you’ve ever done anything against the law, but I’ve broken at least a dozen today!”
“I’d say more like three.” When Abigail looked at me in confusion, I said, “You showed a fake ID to the TSA and gave false information about your kids. Other than that, you really don’t have a bad batting average, kiddo.”
“Those are all felonies, right?” When I nodded, she moaned and said, “I’m going to prison forever.”
“Honey, they don’t keep you in prison forever for a few piddly felonies like that. If they did, me and half the people I know would still be locked up.”
“You’ve been to prison?”
“I have. So has Navy and my other friend you’re about to meet. That’s what I was going to tell you earlier so you might feel a little better about breaking all of these laws.”
“How would that make me feel better?”
“To know that the criminal who is searching for you is up against some criminals who are out to do the right thing.”
“The fact that you’ve all been convicted of a crime doesn’t make me feel any better at all.”
“Well, I guess I was wrong then.”
“If all of you have been convicted, then that means that none of you are exactly criminal masterminds. If you were, you wouldn't have gotten caught.”
“So much for making you feel better,” I muttered as I turned left at the intersection that led toward my friend’s home.
“Where are we again?” Abigail asked.
“We’re in Georgia.”
“What city?”
“I wouldn’t call this a city by any means, and when I tell you the name of the town, you won’t believe me.” Abigail looked around, probably trying to find a sign that might give her a hint, but then looked at me in shock when I said, “We’re in Climax.”
“I’ve only felt one or two of those in my life, and neither of them were anything like this place.”
I chuckled and said, “Well, sweetheart, now you can say I’ve brought you to Climax.”