Undercover (29 page)

He parked the car, but didn’t turn the engine off, and drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. He didn’t expect Jenny to wake up, and glanced over at her with a surprised smile when she ran a hand over his shoulder. “I don’t know if we should stay for the night, or just continue where we’re going.”

She shrugged. “I guess it’s safer on the move and we can take turns driving, but we’ll have to stop some time. It’s been a tough day and we can’t stay awake forever.”

They were both too weary to keep this up. He turned the engine off. “Stay here with the children. I’ll get us a room.”

“I don’t understand how you can have any energy left. If it was up to me, we’d sleep in the car, just so I wouldn’t have to move.”

He laughed softly. “I’ll be right back.”

Getting them a room only took a few minutes, and he pulled the car over to the back, parking a few doors down from theirs, just to be on the safe side. Jenny shuffled over to the room with Alexander in her arms, and Alex carried Lindsay and everything else. The children were sleeping, and easy to tuck in. Jenny yawned, “I know I’m not much help, I’m sorry.”

She fell asleep within minutes with her head resting on his shoulder, and he watched her for hours. He could have been alone in a cell somewhere far away, but she sacrificed everything for him, left everything so they could be together. It boggled his mind.

*****

Alex fell asleep long after the others, but still woke up first. They were far from safe, and he didn’t have the inner peace to rest. This was an era of satellites and more sophisticated tracking techniques than most people could ever imagine, and just running away in a car was a pitifully inadequate solution. He didn’t know what else to do, they had little choice at this point, but they should at least keep moving.

He got out of bed and slipped into some clothes, but as carefully as he moved, he still woke Lindsay up. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Daddy? Where are we?”

He buttoned his shirt, and crouched in front of her, whispering, “I’m going out to get some breakfast. Wanna come?”

She nodded and somehow got out of bed without waking her little brother.

Outside in the parking lot, the sunshine was blinding. Alex had never gotten to shave or shower the previous morning, and he was dirty and scruffy. He ran his fingers through his hair and muttered, “I’m the worst father ever.”

Lindsay tucked her little hand into his, and said with childish straightforwardness, “Naah, I think you’re the best. I wouldn’t trade you for any other dad, not even for Cindy’s, and her dad is on TV.”

When they passed the car, Alex leaned against it and rubbed his face. “Pumpkin, you know what’s happening, don’t you?”

The girl nodded, with a frown on her forehead that reminded him so much of Jenny it hurt. “We’re running away from the bad men that came and took you.”

It would have to be good enough for now. He wasn’t up to explaining that he was the real bad guy, or that they were running from the police.

When they crossed the parking lot, heading for a 7-11, she once more tucked her hand into his. “It’ll be alright, Dad.”

Alex stopped and looked at her, and she explained, “I know you worry about taking us away, but it’ll be okay. It’s okay as long as we’re together.”

His family’s trust in him gave him a lump in his throat, and he hoped with all his heart he could prove himself worthy of it. He always did his best for them, would always do his best for them, but in this situation, it might not be enough.

*****

Jenny woke up when Alex and Lindsay left the room, and she struggled to force the sleep from her eyes. If he could do it, so could she, and she would have to make herself more useful if they were to stay free and together.

She opened one of their bags and found one of Alex’s tee shirts. He would have to give it to her for the good cause. She brought very little clothes for herself, and this would be an excellent combined nightgown and robe for now.

The door opened and revealed her husband and daughter. He carried several bags with breakfast and things that might become useful. Lindsay balanced a tray with two cups of coffee, and juice for herself and her brother.

Alexander woke up too, mercifully in a good and cooperative mood, and they all had breakfast together. Lindsay seemed to have matured even more during the last day, and it broke Jenny’s heart. She was too young. She shouldn’t have to know about and understand things like these.

Alex made a face, “I feel dingy. Want to join me in the shower, lover dearest?”

*****

As soon as the adults disappeared, Lindsay said, “Oh, those two are like children. When they shower together, it just means they’re going to have sex.”

Alexander was too small to understand such a grown up thing. He was just a baby, really. He looked at a pretty blue toy car and frowned, “What’s sex?”

Lindsay wasn’t really sure, but she wasn’t going to let
him
know that. He was after all very small, and dependent on her when their parents were silly. He might grow up to be a valuable ally to force their mom and dad to act adult, but that level of maturity was years away.

“It’s a form of grown up game.”

“Like hide and seek?”

She didn’t think so, but she couldn’t think of anything better. “Yes. Just like hide and seek.”

“Wanna play?”

There weren’t many good hiding places in the room. Going outside might not be a good idea. One never knew with Bad Men; they could be anywhere. She still said, “Sure, I’ll hide and you seek.” She could hide in the closet. It would take him a while to figure out a person could hide there.

*****

Inside the bathroom, Jenny and Alex listened to their children. She bit her lip not to laugh. “Imagine when she becomes a teenager. I can see you sneaking around in the bushes with a shotgun, trying to hunt down any boyfriend of hers.”

Anyone could see she was growing up to be a beauty, and with that strong will, she’d be a handful. She stopped thinking about the children as his hands wandered up under her shirt. “I think this is mine. I need it back.”

His hands on her skin were intoxicating, sending shivers of delight through her body. She still answered cheekily, “If you want it, you’ll have to try ‘n take it.”

He did. There wasn’t anywhere to run, and fighting him for it was useless, but she still tried. It ended up with him grinning, holding both her hands over her head with one hand and pulling the shirt up with the other. She never understood how he did it, but in the next moment, her hands were secured with the shirt, tied to the very shower, and he cupped both his hands over her breasts, smiling.

Chapter Thirty-Three

They made slow progress south. The back seat was much smaller than the kids were used to, and they made frequent stops to keep everyone in the family as happy as possible. Jenny said, “I’ve lost count of how many states we’ve gone through.”

Lindsay filled in, “I’ve never been this far from home before. I wonder if a new home will be like home too, after a while.”

Their comments made Alex want to turn the car around. “I’m sure it will, sweetheart. When it comes to the states, there’s a map in the glove compartment. You two can count them. Hey, Lindsay, how many states does our country have?”

The girl frowned. “I’m not sure. Many.”

That night, Jenny said goodbye to her golden locks. Alex helped her cut it, and she colored it dark brown. She mumbled, “I don’t recognize the girl in the mirror.”

He rubbed her shoulders, “Whoever she is, she’s sexy.”

He liked the blond version of her better, but he would rather die than tell her.

If mommy changed, Lindsay wanted to change too, and she made Alex cut her hair into a short bob. She inherited his hair color and was naturally dark. Seeing her and Jenny together made him think he would need that shotgun sooner than later. They were both very beautiful, and seemed precious and fragile.

There wasn’t much to be done about his looks. He suggested shaving his hair off, but Jenny resented the very idea. “Let it grow instead. Grow a beard. No one will recognize you with a beard.”

He scratched his chin. “You know this itches, right?”

How much more good cheer would he be able to produce? He wasn’t physically tired, but dragging his family through this was wearing him down. Jenny looked so different with her hair changed he might as well share the room with a stranger.

The next morning, he took off alone in the Charger. He left it in a garage and went on foot to get them a new car. He didn’t want to steal one, they were in enough trouble anyway, so he walked to a used car lot and bought a Ford station wagon. He missed the Charger as soon as he started the engine, but it was time to let it go.

He drove his family south all day. It was tempting to assume they were safe for the time being, but he shouldn’t even try to relax.

*****

Jenny had never been in Mexico and had no idea of what to expect. It didn’t surprise her too much to hear Alex somehow found the time to pop over to the neighboring country to buy a house a couple of years earlier. For someone who never left his family for more than a couple of days at a time, and that very rarely, he sure got a lot of secret things done.

When they crossed the border, she stared at a random collection of rugged houses fighting to protect their inhabitants. It was a small village and people seemed poor. She wondered if everything was so colorful just to disguise the lack of money. Peeling paint couldn’t hide the people peddling souvenirs on the streets though, and some merchants even tried to stop the car. The children were loud in the backseat. Seeing so many new things had them screaming with curiosity, and Alex finally gave in, pulling over to the side to buy them some trinkets.

He got a string puppet for Lindsay. It was a wooden bird hanging from a wooden cross, and Jenny didn’t doubt she would make it walk, talk, and behave just like a real bird in no time at all. Alexander pointed at a colorful cup with a ball attached to it and everyone could see he would cry if he didn’t get it, so Alex bought it without even trying to haggle.

It was hot and humid, hotter than Jenny had even been able to imagine, and she was relieved when they were back on the road again, with the AC running. The kids played with their new toys in the back, and the difference in age between them was too big for them to fight much. Overall, life could be worse.

They had a long way to go on the Mexican side of the border too, and even though the country was beautiful, it wasn’t at all what she expected. For miles upon miles, there would be nothing on the sides of the road except for dry grass, cactuses, palm trees, and some small green bushes that somehow survived the heat and drought. They entered a village with colorful houses, and it disappeared just as quickly as it came, like a mirage.

She got bored and tried to talk Alex into letting her drive, but he just shook his head.

After many hours, they entered a larger village, almost a city, and Alex seemed to know exactly where he was going. Jenny blinked a couple of times as he went through a gate, along a driveway lined with blooming bushes, and eventually pulled up outside a large white building.

It had a high and square tower on each side of a square midsection, and the roof was made of red tiles. There were flowers everywhere, and it was both very pretty and very foreign. The driveway itself was foreign, paved with large terracotta-colored flat stones.

Alex turned the engine off. “Welcome home, my darling. I hope you will approve.”

She stared incredulously at him, and Lindsay, who had fallen asleep in the backseat, woke up exclaiming, “Are you kidding, Dad?”

People scurried over from a house to the side. “That’s the Rodriquez family. I’ve been paying them to keep an eye on the place for us.”

Jenny blinked, trying to get all this information together. She wanted to ask him how many more houses he bought around the world and never told her about, but the kids squealed in the back, and the people approaching hollered something about Mister Lorenzo having returned. This clearly wasn’t the time. Alex winked at her and went around to open the car door for her.

*****

Alex knew he couldn’t afford to wallow in guilt, and during the following weeks, he did his best to stay occupied. He was used to blending in wherever he had to. He played different roles since he was a teenager, and Mr. Lorenzo would soon be a natural part of his life. The children would adapt quickly, and as days turned into weeks and months, Jenny also seemed to find her footing.

The house was well built with thick walls that kept the heat out, and the inside was usually nice and cool. They had a pool, and it was cute how surprised Jenny was when she first saw it. If he had to drag his family to another continent, he could at least make sure they were comfortable.

It wasn’t home, but they all made an effort to
make
it home. Jenny cried sometimes but she never admitted it. Late one night, she asked, “Are we safe here?”

He didn’t have a good answer. They had been relatively left in peace in their old home, but that didn’t mean they’d be left alone here, especially not with Tom Johnson breathing down his neck. He needed some time to think of something better, and hoped this would be good enough for now. As time went by, they might need to move down into South America, or go even further away, but none of them were ready to move again.

He knew Jenny worked hard on adapting, and some days she’d bring Alexander, Lindsay or both to the market. Other days they drove to the beach, or went to look at something. Alex came with them if he could, but a part of his cover was working, and most of the time he had to do just that. He bought and sold stocks, and sat in his office in the large villa, with his sleeves rolled up and a pair of glasses perched on his nose. They had window glass for lenses, but Jenny said they were sexy, and they contributed to the aura he was trying to create. If he could make himself believe it, others would too.