“Wow, this is some place,” Spear said, leaning forward to look at the timber building emerging from the woods up ahead.
Set over two floors, the four-bedroom house was designed to camouflage with its surroundings and was set five miles back from the nearest road.
“There’s space in the basement for cold storage and a dry store that can be stocked to keep this place going for two years,” Rora explained.
“How did she end up here?”
“After Benjamin went missing, she got anxious. She’s always been kind of a nervous woman. The cops didn’t help with their constant questions. Though I guess I wasn’t much of a help myself. When she hinted that she was thinking about disappearing, I jumped on the idea and convinced her to do it. I knew Benjamin would’ve wanted her protected… This was one of three places that Benjamin and I had discussed, you know, in case of emergency if we needed to get off the grid. So, I helped set her up here.”
They stopped the truck near the corner of the porch, facing toward the road they’d just used, presumably to allow a quick getaway if it was needed.
“We have to do some recon,” Crescent said, twisting to look over the shoulder of his chair at her.
“For Exile?”
Crescent nodded. If everything went to plan, Rora would convince Leandra to go with these men and then she would lie in wait for Strike to bring Bella to this isolated location, hopefully with the processor.
It wasn’t possible for Rora to get a message to him from here, but if Crescent and Spear left with Leandra, they’d be able to get one to him when they were back on the road taking Leandra to safety.
Strike had tried to convince her to go with Crescent and Spear to safety, but Rora didn’t want to miss out on Bella’s demise. She also didn’t want her man dealing with the crazy bitch alone; he needed backup.
Burke was out there somewhere, tailing Bella, waiting for the right time to strike, and they couldn’t be complacent about that. If Burke thought Strike was going to damage his target, he might try to step in and take Strike down himself.
Even though Torres was supposed to be watching her love’s back, Rora couldn’t guarantee he’d go to extreme lengths to stop his ex-boss from killing Strike, if given the chance. Not that the narc could necessarily protect anyone, she’d never seen him in action in the field, so couldn’t vouch for his skills.
“You ok?” Spear asked, and she realized she was the focus of both men’s attention.
“I’d feel better if Exile was here,” she said with a shrug. “No offence to your skills, I’m just… worried about him. I have you two at my back and we’re in a secret place. He’s out there in the open with a looney toon woman and I don’t know for sure that I can trust his backup.”
The men shared a look. “Why didn’t he ask for more backup from Thane?”
She smiled. “We don’t use force, we use manipulation. Besides, what we want to do, we want to do slow and I’m not sure your boss would condone it.”
Thane didn’t know what Bella had put them both through and if he wasn’t the type to be comfortable taking down Feds, he probably wouldn’t be comfortable torturing a woman either.
“We’ll go in with you first,” Crescent said. “To make sure the environment is secure and that we don’t freak the woman out, skulking around the place. But after introductions, we’ll do a perimeter sweep, take a few pictures, and survey the interior.”
She nodded. “Whatever he needs,” she said. “We want the works and I want him prepared when he gets here.” The guys both nodded together and reached for their doors, but she spoke before they could exit, drawing their attention back to her. “I appreciate this. We both do. I know the trip has been uneventful so far, but… having you with me has made me feel safer and I know it puts Exile’s mind at rest. You’re probably irritated to be on babysitting duty, but the woman in there, she meant the world to a dear friend of mine who killed himself to protect a secret only he and I shared. It’s only right that I do whatever I can to keep her safe… it’s what he’d want.”
Crescent offered a tight but comforting smile. “We do what our First tells us to do and we’re never complacent enough to shrug any assignment off as babysitting or uneventful. We’re ready to do whatever it takes to keep Leandra safe… and to keep you safe too.”
“Yeah, and our High Priestess made it clear she’d kick our asses if you got hurt, so that guarantees you’re getting out of this alive,” Spear said to Crescent’s amused nod, and they all climbed out of the vehicle together, sharing a smile.
Leandra was surprised to see them. To see anyone. Rora didn’t blame her for that, the woman had only left the place once in all the months she’d been stuck there alone.
Rora did think that if it had been anyone else, Leandra might have died there on the spot. After the initial second of shock, she did look happy to see Rora until the two great hulks appeared like daunting menaces at her flanks.
Quickly explaining that they were friends here to protect her, Rora managed to calm the woman and sent her two bodyguards off to do their reconnaissance work.
Guiding her into the kitchen, Leandra talked about her life there while she made tea. She spoke of the plant life and her time in the forest and her love of the quiet.
It did seem that Leandra was better grounded than the last time Rora had seen her. But from her quick, almost constant speech, Rora did wonder if some part of the woman had missed having a human to talk to.
Once Leandra had brought the tea to the table, she settled down and began to pour. “Now, you must tell me, how is our Benjamin? Has he been injured? Is that why he isn’t here? Maybe he’s in hospital, but you’re here to tell me he’s going to visit me when he’s released. I can’t believe he got himself kidnapped like that, what a horror! Tell me the complete truth, Aurora, you know I can handle it. What did they do to him? How did he get away?”
Rora had known this conversation was coming, but that knowledge didn’t make telling this truth any easier.
“Benjamin is dead, Leandra,” she said, softening her voice.
Leandra had just put the teapot down but froze with one hand on the lid and another on the handle.
Swallowing her own grief, Rora felt her heart ache for the beauty who had had so much taken from her in her life. No wonder Leandra wanted to be alone. All she’d wanted was a happy family, but that dream had been torn from her piece by piece and now she was truly alone.
Even after the divorce, Leandra and Benjamin had remained friends, maybe sometimes more; Benjamin had always been cagey about just which of Leandra’s needs he fulfilled. And he had fulfilled her. He supported his ex-wife; Leandra’s adoration and gratitude was always obvious. It was just a shame that their relationship hadn’t survived the tragedy of losing their daughter.
“I’m so sorry,” Rora said and tried to reach for Leandra’s hand, but the woman sat back, settling both hands in her lap.
“Was it quick? Did he suffer?”
“No,” Rora said, having no intention of telling her of the torture he endured. “He didn’t suffer. It was quick.”
Leandra’s eyes floated toward the window. Rora didn’t know how to comfort her. How did she make the woman feel better about losing her great love? She knew how it felt watching Benjamin fall and how devastated she’d been by losing Strike, and there were no words that would’ve appeased or comforted her in those moments. Handling Benjamin’s death had only been possible for Rora because she’d had Strike. But Rora couldn’t offer Leandra comfort like Strike offered it to her.
“How did it happen? Where is he buried?”
Those were normal questions, but Rora had to be delicate about telling the truth. “He was shot,” she said, which was true. She shifted to the edge of the chair and reached over to rest her hands on Leandra’s on her lap. “The danger is still out there, and I’m worried about you.”
“About me?”
“The people who took Benjamin didn’t get what they wanted…”
It took a minute for her thoughts to catch up, but Rora saw the moment Leandra caught on. “That’s why you came here? To warn me? But I… what do these people want? I don’t know how I can—”
“Don’t worry,” Rora said, offering a tiny smile. “I came to make sure you got to safety. The men who brought me here are part of a group who can protect you. I know it’s a lot to digest, but Benjamin would want you safe. So, I need you to pack your essentials as quickly as you can and go with them.”
Leandra was clinging to her now, either trying to draw strength or to vent her growing panic. “Where will they take us?”
“Not us. I’m staying here,” she said, and Leandra gripped her tighter. “Don’t worry. They’ve been keeping me safe for days and I trust them with my life… Benjamin would too.”
Leandra thought about it for only a few seconds. “I suppose I don’t have a choice. With Benji gone, you’re the only person left I can trust on this matter. But I don’t feel comfortable leaving you behind, Benjamin wouldn’t have it.”
Benjamin had left her alone. But he’d expected her to follow him, so it wasn’t clear who’d abandoned who.
“Don’t worry about me. There’s a plan in place to put an end to this once and for all. I have backup on the way, and I’m going to take care of this. Benjamin knew I could take care of myself that’s why he reached out to me to help him. I failed to save him; I won’t fail him again by letting you get hurt.”
It was slow, but Leandra eventually managed a smile. “You’re a good person, Rora,” she said. “It’s no wonder he loved you as much as he did.”
“He loved you too, Lea,” she said, resting a hand on her cheek. “And grieving him is one of the hardest things either of us will ever have to do.” She pulled herself closer. “But the best way for us to honor his memory is to be safe now. We have the chance to end this. Let’s do it… for Benji.”
It didn’t take Leandra long to pack. Most of her things were grouped in the same place and she hadn’t brought much in the first place.
Crescent and Spear packed the truck and didn’t waste much time in saying goodbye. They issued instructions to her, much as Strike had, and once everyone had said their piece, she watched them bundle into the truck and disappear from view.
Rora stayed there until long after the sound of the engine had faded. It was getting late and Leandra had left food in the kitchen for her, so she couldn’t stay there in the fresh air all night, appealing as it might be.
Rora had to keep her strength. She needed to eat, to sleep, and to do everything Strike had told her to do to prepare for their final showdown with Bella. If all went to plan, her love would be leading their prey here in less than twenty-four hours and Rora was going to be ready.