KAI
I wake to a message from Papa, warning us to leave for the safe house earlier than planned. A powerful storm will arrive in the afternoon, complicating a possible firefight with the mercenaries waiting for us.
Despite the change in schedule, I choose to take Anika and Sunny swimming after breakfast. A little part of me fears this is their last day of freedom. This sudden dread isn’t like me. I enjoyed my evening with Sunny and Anika. The child blossoms every minute she is away from that place. And Sunny starts her day, wearing a smile. Last night was a big step for us.
So why am I on edge? The answer is Neri.
I realize while holding a joyful Anika in the pool that my fears are an extension of my sister’s. Though usually unflappable, Neri’s stressed over Jonas and Cobain. I’ve never seen my sister as agitated as when we pack up to leave the hotel.
“Should we skip the safe house and go elsewhere?” I message my father.
“Jonas is waiting. He’ll get you out of the US.”
I think to straight-out ask if Jonas is a threat to Cobain, but I know my father will lie if he believes the truth might harm us.
“The parking lot is clear,” Cobain announces, returning with Robin. “No movement in hours.”
I assume our friend from last night realized the money wasn’t worth dying over. Others might not be so smart.
“We should assume we’re in danger until we’ve put at least thirty miles between us and this place,” I state.
Neri nods, but she fears our destination more than the local wannabe thugs.
Knowing the drill by now, Sunny and Anika hurry to the Suburban, get low in the back, and cover themselves with the blanket. Cobain sticks the dog in his Yukon and then helps Neri and me move our supplies back to the SUVs. Just after an early lunch, we return to the road.
The locals don’t make a move on us as we leave, and no one tails us from the hotel. Soon, Sunny and Anika sit normally in the back, playing games and talking. Their voices make me smile, but Neri’s mood keeps me on edge.
Hours later, before the final leg of our trip, we pull the SUVs into the parking lot at a state line rest stop. No one appears to be around while Robin does his business, and a restless Anika runs around a tree with her mother in ecstatic pursuit.
Earlier, we studied internet maps and learned the safe house is surrounded by mostly barren land. With nowhere to hide, Cobain can’t get close with his rifle without alerting the mercenaries. Neri and I will have to approach alone while he waits up the road.
Finally accepting that Neri plans to take on a houseful of killers without him, Cobain descends into a predictable rage. “You’re children playing a game!” he hollers, startling Anika and causing Robin to growl.
Neri strokes his beard and smiles at me. “He’s very protective.”
“Calm yourself,” I warn as my fingers caress Anika’s cheek and then Sunny’s. “We need to get this done before the storm arrives.”
“Jonas told Papa that he’s there with the three mercenaries,” Neri says and glances up at the darkening sky. “Apparently, they’re keeping a close eye on him, so he can’t provide more details. He did say they are expecting us based on the info from their spies on the highway.”
“Then they know I’m with you,” Cobain growls. “Why am I hiding again?”
Neri sighs. “I already explained, and I won’t repeat myself. Now hush.”
I realize the longer we wait, the more agitated Cobain becomes. Sunny and Anika are getting nervous from the increased wind. If we don’t move soon, we’ll arrive at the same time as the storm.
I shove my phone in my pocket and steady my nerves. “We’ll approach the house, honk the horn to alert Jonas, and kill anyone we view as a threat.”
“Including Jonas,” Neri says and glances at Cobain. “Then you can join us.”
“Shut up.”
Patting his cheek again, she smiles. “So protective.”
I ignore my sister’s odd relationship and zero in on Sunny and Anika.
“You’ll need to hide again,” I remind them.
Sunny nods, struggling to remain calm. Anika just pouts.
“We’ll play tonight,” I say and poke her belly. “Duck needs to run around after all the driving.”
Grinning now, Anika counts the toys in her bag after returning to the back seat. Sunny, though, startles me by gripping my arm and staring panicked in my eyes.
“Please, don’t die,” she whispers.
After a lingering kiss, I press my lips against her ear. “I have so much to show you.”
Sunny struggles between fleeting hope and absolute terror. Giving in to neither, she joins Anika and prepares for the final part of today’s trip. They even put on their helmets, just in case.
Driving the Suburban, I feel an eerie calm in my heart. The people at the safe house are a threat, but Papa says it’s the safest current destination. He claims Jonas will help us.
However, my father often lies through omission. He doesn’t care about the truth. His only concern is our safety. If Jonas is a threat to Cobain or even Sunny and Anika, my father won’t warn us. He’ll omit those details to increase the chances of Neri and me returning to him.
Soon, I turn the Suburban down a long dirt driveway toward an expansive ranch home. Cobain’s Yukon idles miles back. While I considered leaving Sunny and Anika behind with him, I can’t trust their safety to anyone except Neri and me.
In my mind, I know I will kill the mercenaries at this safe house and provide my family with a place to stay until our next step. If need be, I’ll kill Jonas. No one will stand in our way. They can’t stop us any more than they can prevent a hurricane. We’ll be a force of nature.
After pulling to the end of the drive, I park where the concrete curves around the one-story house. Ideally, there’ll be space to maneuver if we need to make a fast getaway. I give the horn a quick honk.
Seconds later, the dark wood front door opens, and a thin armed man steps out. Neri warns Anika and Sunny to stay down.
With the engine still running, I exit the car in the same motion as my sister. We both stand halfway behind our open doors, using them as shields. Our weapons remain hidden.
The lean man glances to his left, where a second mercenary approaches. This one is taller and more muscular. Where is the third killer that Jonas warned our father about? Is the assassin watching us through a rifle scope, waiting to fire?
“Righthand,” I mumble to Neri, and she nods ever so slightly. When we start shooting, she’ll take that target.
“Welcome,” the man at the doorway says. “I’m Steve. We ask you to relinquish your weapons if you hope to find sanctuary here.”
“Where is the rest of your group?” the second man asks as he walks toward us.
Exhaling softly, I wait for the signal from Jonas. Will he make himself known before bullets fly? I hear Neri throw down a weapon in front of her door. Not her main handgun. Just a rifle to distract the men.
No one moves. A wary silence holds between the four of us. Then we hear a gunshot from inside the house.
Steve tenses at the sound and loses his false smile. His gun lifts, but I drop to one knee and aim for where his Kevlar vest won’t protect him. My shot hits him in the face, and he topples to the ground in a bloody lump.