Taken
Tess left the suitcase on the front porch, then went back into the house.
She had packed enough things for herself and Vivian for a couple of nights of roughing it—sweatpants, T-shirts, sweaters.
She couldn’t find any sleeping bags or camping equipment, and she knew that October would be cold on the island, so she pulled the comforters off the beds and stuffed them into a garbage bag, which she tossed down the stairs where it rolled to a stop by the front door.
When the black rental car pulled across Vivian’s driveway, blocking any possible exit for the minivan, Tess was upstairs in Vivian’s bathroom, emptying the contents of her medicine cabinet into a paper grocery bag and hoping that represented all of Vivian’s prescriptions.
Her own medications were in her purse, which sat by the front door.
She decided to wait another ten minutes for either Vivian or her friend Richard to show up, but then she’d leave.
She hadn’t been to the island since she was twelve, and she usually slept in the car during the three-hour trip from Madison, but she had an idea of its general location.
She could at least get somewhere where the men in black couldn’t find her, then call Vivian, who must know how to get to the island.
* * * *
“Who the hell are you?” said Vivian. “Get off my lawn.”
“Ardan 1, is that you?” Nemo 7 said. “It’s been so long.”
“Why are you using that name? And what are you doing at my house?”
“It’s me. Nemo 7. From the Paradox Club.”
“I don’t have time for the Paradox Club right now, my niece is—”
“Pilgrim 3 found out about Tess.”
“What did you say?”
“Pilgrim 3 knows about Tess. She knows Tess is here and she sent Montag 5 and me to…”
“To what?” said Vivian.
“To bring her to the club.”
“Where’s Tess?”
“Montag 5 has her inside the house. He has a gun, and I don’t know how well you remember Montag 5…”
“I remember.”
“He doesn’t know I’m working for the president.”
“You’re working for Richard?”
“For Calvin 4, yes. But Montag 5 doesn’t know that, and neither does Pilgrim 3. I can’t blow my cover right now, but I’ll look for a chance to get her out, I promise.”
“I’m going in.”
“If you go in, he’ll kidnap you, too.”
“I’m not leaving Tess alone with that man.”
Vivian tried to shove pass Nemo 7, and he did his best to keep her from mounting the steps, grabbing at her arm, which she wrenched out of his hand.
“We’re better off out here, making a plan,” whispered Nemo 7.
“If Pilgrim 3 finds out the truth about Tess…”
“The way she’s been talking, I’m afraid she already knows.”
“Then I’m going in. Richard will be here any minute. You can make a plan with him.”
“The president?” said Nemo 7. “He’s coming here?” But before this information could settle, Vivian had slipped by him and was turning the knob of the front door.
“Don’t worry,” she said in a low voice, just before stepping through the door. “I won’t tell Montag 5 about you.”
Tess heard the front door slam and rushed to the top of the stairs to see her aunt standing in the entryway, the door closed behind her.
“Vivian, thank God,” said Tess. “We’ve got to leave right away. I’ll explain in the car. I’ve already packed for us.”
“I’m so sorry, Tess,” said Vivian. “I never meant for this to happen.”
“It’s okay, Harry warned me.” Tess felt a sudden exhilaration.
Yes, she and Vivian were in danger, but she was on an adventure and Harry was with her for the first time in ten years.
He wasn’t just a star in the night sky. She felt his presence almost as strongly as if his voice had been coming out of the radio she clutched in her arms. Vivian didn’t need to apologize.
In fact, Tess should thank Vivian. For the first time in months the voices were completely silent.
Tess felt no compulsion to tap on the radio or organize the clothes in the suitcase.
She felt…she supposed the word was happy.
Happy and excited and—she knew she wasn’t supposed to use this word, but she so longed for it—normal.
Then a man stepped from the shadows and held a gun against Vivian’s temple.
“Miss Maxwell,” he said, “nice to see you again.”