Price of a Bounty

  “No, not April.”

  “I've seen what goes on there. I tried to convince her to leave, but...”

  “We need to go back! We need to get her out!” Keira's eyes were wild, and her voice panicked.

  “Now? Why don't we wait until morning?”

  “There’s no time to lose!”

  I was speechless. What would the difference of a few hours make?

  “Guy, don’t you get it? When you steal for the Resistance, someone gets blamed. Always. I’m sure you usually let your alias take that burden so that no one else gets hurt, but who do you think Mr. Beckett is going to blame this time?”

  I felt sick to my stomach. Keira was absolutely right. I’d never realized, never thought…whenever possible, I hadn’t been letting the blame fall on my aliases, quite the contrary. All along I’d been hurting people too, and this time it was Keira’s little sister who’d been hurt.

  I stood and helped Keira to her feet.

  -Keira-

  Getting Her Out

  During the drive back to Tkaron, Guy called someone and placed a rush order on a new identity for April. Then he tried to convince me to wait. I didn't want to wait. I wanted to get April out immediately.

  “Keira, listen to me. It’s possible that nobody has noticed the missing items yet, so we need to handle this delicately. If April leaves without a solid reason before that happens, Lance Beckett will suspect her for sure.”

  “Then we have to get her out before the robbery is discovered.”

  “It’s not that easy. Beckett has money and power on his side. It’s not just about getting April away from him. If he suspects her before we can get her out of Tkaron, he'll use the authorities against her.”

  “I could just take him out,” I said quietly.

  “How about we try to bring him down another way?”

  “What do you have in mind?” I looked at him.

  “I don't know yet. Just give me a minute to think.” He paused. “If we can get April out discreetly, I can improve her life a great deal, and I know we can find a way to bring down Beckett in court. Remember, I have money and power on my side too.”

  “She said Ashton had a job opportunity for her, but...oh no! I think I convinced her not to trust you.”

  “You did that? She didn't jump at the opportunity like I expected. I tried to get her out the day before yesterday.”

  “See? These kinds of secrets, they don't help anyone. And now they've put April in danger.”

  “Would anyone there be suspicious if you visited her tomorrow?”

  “Of course not! She's my sister. I visit her all the time.”

  “That's what you should do then. Stop by for a visit and convince her to trust me. I was going to call in my resignation tomorrow, but instead, I'll return to work. I'll stay on until we can get her out of the realm.”

  “What type of job training, out of the realm, do you have in mind for her?” I asked suspiciously.

  “It's legitimate work. I know people overseas in the art world. I've been looking for someone with an artist's eye who could be trained to come back here to work for the Resistance. There are plenty of galleries downtown where April could work a day job, and on the side, she could work for the Resistance, verifying the authenticity of certain pieces before I fence them.”

  “April, an art dealer? Are you sure she has the right qualities?”

  “She has an eye for art, and I believe she could handle the training. Do you think she'd be willing to live in Mediterra for a while?”

  I settled back and tried to imagine April living a high-class life. I liked it! As I listened to the smooth hum of the motor, I began to relax. Eventually, I dozed off. When I woke, we were back at my apartment.

  ***

  A few hours later, I called the Beckett estate. I planned to ask April out to lunch so that we could talk privately about her options. Guy would return to the estate as Ashton the following day, the day that Mr. Beckett planned to hear from him. He would take it from there. He reminded me that it may be a week or more before we could get April out permanently. We didn't want anyone to know there was a connection between them.

  Unfortunately, when I called, I wasn't allowed to speak with April. The butler informed me that she wasn't feeling well. He advised me not to stop by for a few days. He said she was contagious.

  “Something is really wrong,” I said after I'd closed the connection. “I don't believe for one second that April is sick or contagious. We're switching to plan B.”

  “We never discussed plan B,” Guy said.

  “Well now we're doing things my way. I'm going in today, and I'm getting her out.”

  “At least let me get you some backup.”

  “I work alone,” I reminded him.

  “Not on this one. I know what I'm doing. Please, trust me. Just give me a few minutes. Don't leave.”

  He held my gaze until I heaved a sigh and sat down to wait.

  “I'll give you a ride there.”

  Guy took his transceiver into the bedroom and closed the door. When he returned, he wore grass stained jeans and a work shirt.

  “Will I be working with Eberhardt again or with you?” I asked.

  “Because we were on holiday so is Eberhardt. He isn't back yet. Let's go.”

  As we hurried to the car I followed up with, “Is that who you called? Eberhardt?”

  “No, I called one of our Shepherds.”

  “A shepherd? You have some sheep I don't know about?”

  “A Shepherd is what we call our operatives who are skilled at getting people from one place to another safely. It's not easy. It takes people skills and finesse and most importantly, the right contacts.”

  “We're really sending April away.”

  “Yes, if she'll go.”

  Guy dropped me off a few blocks away from the Beckett estate. He would wait in the car. If I didn't return within the hour, he would return to work. He was my backup. We both agreed that I, and I alone, should enter the estate on the pretense of visiting my sister who was ill. It would draw the least attention.

  I approached the servants' door in back and walked right in, like usual. Lewis saw me first. He was still cleaning up from breakfast.

  “Hi, Lewis!” I called my customary greeting. “Do you know where I can find April?”

  He stepped in front of me. “You shouldn't be here. Come back in a few days.”

  “No, I heard April is sick. I want to visit her. I don't care if she's contagious.”

  “You need to leave,” he insisted.

  “I'm not going anywhere, Lewis, not until I see April.”

  “She's in her room, and I'll lose my job if I let you in to see her.”

  “Then don't let me in.” I spoke quietly. “No one has to know you saw me.”

  He hesitated but then moved aside.

  I hurried down the basement steps toward the servants' rooms. One of the doors had a lock on the outside. April never told me the Beckett's locked her in. Who would do that to the paid help? I turned the lock and opened the door.

  Light from the hall spilled over a figure curled up on the bed. April wore her pink sweatsuit. I could see her maid's uniform crumpled in a pile on the floor. The room smelled terrible, like someone had been sick. Maybe they'd all been telling the truth.

  “April?” I called quietly. “Are you awake?” I tiptoed closer and put my hand on her shoulder. Gently, I shook her and was surprised when she cried out in alarm. I slapped my hand over her mouth and turned her head to face me. Enormous tears streamed down her cheeks. She was really banged up. I pulled her toward me and hugged her tightly. She cringed and pulled back. What had Beckett done to her?

  “Shhh,” I stroked her hair and tried to calm her. “We need to get you out of here,” I whispered. “Is there anything you need?”

  She shook her head. I helped her stand, and we started toward
the door. She could hardly walk, so I pulled her arm around my shoulders to give her more support.

  We were almost to the door when she said, “Wait. Mom and Dad's wedding rings. They're on the dresser.”

  I returned for them, and as an afterthought, picked up her uniform.

  “I don't want that!”

  “It could be evidence.”

  “But who would you give it to, Keira? No one will believe me. I'm just a maid.”

  I stared at her. “April, you are not just a maid. You're so much more than that!”

  I eased her arm back around my shoulders, and once again we moved toward the door.

  Together, we climbed the stairs to the kitchen and had just arrived when I heard a noise from the hall. Then I felt a hand on the back of my neck. April pulled away and scooted back until the kitchen cabinets blocked her path.

  “I should have known,” Lance Beckett sneered. “April is too weak to have pulled it off by herself.”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked. “Pulled what off?”

  “Where did you take my valuables? Who did you sell them to?”

  “I didn't take anything of yours! Get off me! Can't you see that April is hurt? She needs to see a doctor.”

  “She's not going to see anyone. Who would pay the doctor's fees? She is, after all, only a maid.”

  While we were talking, April had risen to a standing position beside Mr. Beckett. I struggled and pulled until he turned further away from her. I wanted to give her the best chance possible to escape unnoticed through the back door, so I was surprised when she rushed at us instead and thrust her hand forward. Mr. Beckett's eyes opened wide, and he began to cough. His grip on my neck loosened. I pulled away.

  He fell forward but caught himself against the countertop. I backed away. The handle of a steak knife stuck out of his back. Lance Beckett reached over his shoulder and gripped the handle of the knife. I dropped April's necklace with the rings and her uniform and lunged toward the knife rack on the counter. I turned and steadied the carving knife in my hand.

  “Keira!” I heard April’s scream as Mr. Beckett lunged at me.

  I sidestepped but felt a searing pain in my side. I ignored it and raised my knife to his throat. Then I whispered quietly directly into his ear, “Now the doctors won't be able to help you either, no matter how much care you can afford.” April turned away as I sliced his throat.

  “Grab your things!” I called as I bent to pick up the knife he’d pulled from his back. The other one was still clutched in my hand.

  -Guy-

  Onto Plan C

  Two figures rounded the corner. One was Keira. I turned the key in the ignition, and the motor rumbled to life. Slowly, I pulled forward. When the girls climbed in, I noticed the blood drenched knives in Keira's hand. “Are we on to plan C?”

  She nodded. “It was unavoidable.”

  I could see from April's condition that her situation had grown exponentially worse after I'd left. Lance Beckett had indeed targeted April for my actions. The skin around her right eye was red and swollen, and she walked with a limp.

  I placed a call. “Can you meet us at safe house 4? Yes, as soon as possible. We're on our way.” I disconnected and immediately placed a second call. “Did you get it? Good. We’ll need you both on the earliest flight out. We’ll see you soon.”

  “Who?” I asked. I nodded at the knives.

  “Lance Beckett.”

  “Is he?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ashton? What are you doing here?” asked April.

  “We can talk about that later,” Keira murmured.

  “No, Keira, now. There's nothing wrong with my hearing or with my intelligence. Why is Ashton here?”

  “There's no simple way to explain this. April, this is Rick. He was just pretending to be Ashton. You were right though. You can trust him.”

  “Trust him? I don't even know his name! Is it really Rick or Ashton? Or is it something else?” She was on the brink of hysteria.

  Keira tried to calm her. “Listen, as soon as I learned what was happening to you, we came back.”

  “What was happening to me? But Ashton knew about that before you left.”

  “But I didn't know Rick was Ashton until last night, and he didn't know you were my sister,” Keira explained.

  “Last night...”

  I glanced in the rear view mirror. April stared at me.

  “You're Rick?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “And I'm supposed to trust you? You really were trying to get me out, to get me somewhere safe before...”

  “Yes,” I said again. “I'm sorry I was too late.”

  She turned back to her sister. “Keira, why do you trust him if he lied to you too?”

  “I didn't know he was Ashton, but I know who he is. I trust him and so can you. He really can help.”

  April looked at me again. “Why would you pretend to be a gardener? You have a good job in finance, don't you? Does this have something to do with the stolen items? Is that why Keira was hired to kill you in the first place?”

  April was absolutely right. There was nothing wrong with her intelligence. My belief that our society was wrong to place value on people simply based on their monetary wealth or lack thereof was reaffirmed.

  “Yes, April. I stole a lot from the Beckett estate and from Elaine Ramsey too.”

  She looked at Keira, then back at me. “You two are meant for each other. Do you kill people for a living too?”

  “No, I work at my father's investment firm. This is a side job, and I do it to help people.”

  “I don't understand. How does thievery help anyone? Is there more you aren't telling me?”

  “Yes,” Keira and I replied simultaneously.

  That was clearly not what April had expected. She turned back to Keira. “I should really trust him?”

  “Yes,” Keira responded. She returned her attention to me then. “By the way, where are we going? This isn't the way to the apartment.”

  A plane zoomed overhead as we neared the edge of the city.

  “We're going to a safe house near the airport. We'll talk more there, and April, you'll have a chance to get cleaned up and changed before meeting your escort. I think I can get you out of the realm today.”

  “If I'm leaving Terene, I want Keira to be my escort.”

  “Keira cannot be your escort. She wouldn't be able to get you overseas safely. Don't worry. I've contacted someone you can trust.”

  “No, I wouldn’t trust anyone else. I don't have the right paperwork anyway.

  “Your escort will bring your new identification documents. You'll be leaving soon, under a new name.”

  “A new name isn't enough. You'll need recent photos.”

  “It's all been taken care of.”

  “There’s a lot more you're not telling me,” April said flatly. She sat back and coughed, then rode the rest of the way in silence.

  I parked the car in front of a small yellow house with a white wooden swing on the porch. I turned and looked back at both of them. “We're here.”

  A man with a black bag stood on the front step.

  “April, this is Dr. Ross. He'll need to examine you.”

  “Why?” asked Keira. She put her arm around April.

  “We want to cover all our bases, just in case,” I explained. “Please, Keira. I know what I'm doing. I've done this before.”

  She looked at me and then nodded.

  “Are those the clothes you were wearing at the time of the incident?” Dr. Ross asked April.

  She looked a little confused, so I said, “He means your uniform.”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “It's good you thought to bring it along.” Dr. Ross opened a plastic bag. “It could help your case.”

  Keira stayed right next to her sister all the way to the bedroom door. Then April turned to h
er. She looked down at the knives in Keira's hands. “I don't want you to come in during the exam.” April entered the room and closed the door behind her.

  Keira turned to me. Hurt emanated from her eyes. “We need to talk.”

  “I agree. What happened back there?”

  “He attacked us from behind. He grabbed me by the neck. I tried to get his attention off of April so she could get out. She surprised me by rushing at him instead. She stabbed him in the back. I think she pierced a lung.”

  “You indicated that he was dead.”

  “Yes, I slit his throat.” She held up the larger of the two knives. “He can't have survived that.” Keira looked down at all the blood, and then walked over to the kitchen sink where she scrubbed first the knives and then her hands.

  “What’s that?”

  “What?” She turned to look at me.

  “That blood on your shirt. Were you hurt?” I hurried over and indicated the blood near her waist.

  She looked down and lifted her shirt just a bit, to get a better look. “He must have nicked me during the scuffle. It’s all right though. It’s just a scratch. See?” She wiped away the blood with her shirt.

  She was right, but it looked like a lot of blood for such a little scratch. Keira turned back to the sink and finished washing up.

  I shook my head and sighed. “You shouldn't have killed him. We could have taken him down legally, and made a statement at the same time.”

  Keira looked over her shoulder. “Made a statement? By putting April through a trial? No, thank you! I'm okay with the doctor getting any evidence he needs, just in case, but that's it. We're not going to trial.” She dried her hands on her jeans as she turned to face me fully.

  “I decide where we go with this.” I spoke quietly.

  She glared at me. “I disagree.”

  “Do you trust me or not?”

  “Yes, I trust you, but this really isn't about trust. Nobody hurts my sister and gets away with it. She's been through enough.”

  “Did anyone see you?”

  “Lewis...the chef. And the butler knew I called earlier asking for April.”

  “Are they loyal?”

  “I don't know. I think the butler is. I know they value their jobs.”

  “I'll have someone contact them, see if we can't pay them off. I can't do it myself.” I continued to think aloud. “They'd recognize me as Ashton, and as far as we know, he's in the clear regarding the robbery. We'll also need to dispose of those knives.”