Page 4 of The Echelon (Spy Girl 7)
Back in the study, I immediately find it. Engraved into a stone at the edge of the mural is the word Arcadia. Inside the C is the same indention as the ring—just like it was at the Sphere in Iraq.
I place the ring in the mark and turn the key, causing the wall next to the fireplace to slide open and reveal a passageway.
T-MINUS:18:53:11
“You found it!” Josh says.
I stand at the edge of the tunnel.
Blake hands me a flashlight. “I’m coming with you.”
“Me, too,” Josh adds.
“I need to go meet the girl myself. If her dad was murdered and she has any indication, she might be a little skittish.”
Blake nods. “I suppose you are right. And I’m a little scary.”
“You’re not scary to me,” I say, throwing my arms around him in a hug. “You are scarred. We all are. Some of ours just don’t show on the outside.”
“I’m hot,” Josh says. “I might have an easier time talking to Sophie than you.”
“No,” I reply. “I’m going alone. I know that Olivia and Terrance are good with tech stuff, but you will always be a better detective than them. You were taught how to assemble clues in a way that makes sense for the situation. I need you here, making sure I get the information I really need.”
He nods. “All right.”
“Thanks.” I turn to Blake. “Will you come down the tunnel with me, just in case?”
“Of course,” he says. “And we’d better get going. Time is of the essence.”
“It is. Ares said it’s a couple kilometers. If we jog, we could make it in ten minutes.”
Blake doesn’t say anything in reply, just turns on another flashlight and starts running.
I’m breathing hard by the time we get to the end of the tunnel. Blake pulls a pistol from a holster at his side and motions for me to stop. It’s really sweet of him to want to go inside first. But, having done something similar before when armed gunmen were in the Montrovian palace, I’m pretty sure all he’s going to find is an empty home.
And he does.
“All clear,” he yells out.
T-MINUS:18:40:31
I step into the farmhouse, careful not to close the door to the tunnel.
“Your driver is waiting outside,” Blake says. “Do you have a gun with you?”
“In my backpack along with extra magazines.”
“Good girl,” he says, grinning widely and reminding me of how, when I was little, I loved to do things that made him happy.
“Your smile hasn’t changed,” I tell him.
“Thank you. I’m sorry I was gone so long. I honestly didn’t think you had survived. I read in the papers that you hadn’t. It wasn’t until I found Ares that I knew.”
“I know. And I appreciate it.”
“If anyone can do this,” he says, “you can, Calliope—uh, X—I mean, Huntley.”
That causes me to laugh as I head to the door. “Don’t worry; half the time, I don’t even know my own name.”
T-MINUS:18:23:16
I’m in the car on the way to the local airport when I get a call from Daniel.
“Where are you? Allie has the rash now,” he says in a panicked tone. “As does Senator Vanderbilt’s entire family—his wife, Nancy, and his kids, Nathaniel, Austin, and Beatrice. You do realize they will all be dead soon. Just like my mom.”
“Do you have the rash yet, Daniel?” I ask, praying that he doesn’t.
“No.”
“Listen to me very carefully. Whatever you do, don’t let them give you the vaccine. I don’t have concrete proof yet, but I know enough. The vaccine is going to wipe out a lot of people.”
“I heard you tell you know who that. He didn’t seem to agree. And he’s been talking to scientists, as has my father.”
“Daniel, you know how much I care about you. I wouldn’t have agreed to the whole fake engagement if I didn’t. Trust me, please.”
“Okay,” he says, but I’m not sure he’s convinced.
“Thank you.” I lower my voice. “On the way out of the hospital, I ran into Belinda Smith. Bella passed away this morning.”
“No,” Daniel says, his voice cracking. “She had just gotten well, a clean bill of health.”
“I know.”
“Come back to the hospital. Who cares about Lizzie and freaking Lorenzo’s heir to the throne?”
“He lied to me, Daniel. Swore they never slept together.”
“She lied to me, too,” he says sadly. “Where are you anyway? Did you go back to the villa?”
“Don’t tell anyone, but I’m in Spain.”
“How did you do that?” he whispers. “The borders are closed. The news is showing military from other countries patrolling it.”
“I snuck out. I’m crafty like that,” I tease, but then I get serious. “Actually, Daniel, I snuck out because I’m trying to do something your mother asked me to do before she died. She sort of sent me on a mission.”
“What?” he says, but I don’t want to say anything further, so I end the call as the words she wrote echo through my head.
Please save my son.
T-MINUS:15:28:43
The flight to London takes roughly three hours, but because of the time-zone change, I gain an hour. Unfortunately, it’s not reflected in the amount of time until the vaccines are given to all those in Montrovia.
It’s half past five when I land at the London City Airport, and then I’m shuttled via helicopter closer to town.
From there, a cab takes me to Sloane Street in Knightsbridge. This time of day, the streets should be packed with commuters, the sidewalks bustling with activity, and the pubs filled with those having a pint after their workday. Although there are people out and about and shops are still open, it’s obvious a lot of Londoners have chosen to stay in their homes.
Thanks to my recent day out with Blair Bessemer, I know that Sloane Street is one of the world’s most luxurious shopping streets. Harrods is a few blocks away, but this is where you can go direct to the designer. I pass Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Givenchy, Gucci, Versace, Bvlgari, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Armani, Chanel, Prada, and Hermes—modern storefronts set in between chic brick townhouses. It’s crazy to think the girl who used to wear nothing but black workout clothing has since worn each and every designer on this street at least once—Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana being my personal favorites.
Part of me would like to pop in each store and pretend that I’m here for fun.
That lives aren’t hanging in the balance.
But they are.
There were certain words at Blackwood Academy that we weren’t allowed to say. Failure being top on the list along with words like defeat, loss, or downfall. Although some might suggest we were brainwashed, I don’t necessarily agree. We were taught the proper mindset for success. When the stakes are high, you do have to be able to bottle up your emotions. You can’t take no for an answer. You can never give up.
That is probably why I am here.
Because I refuse to give up. I refuse to let this go.
And it’s because of the things that I learned from my mother as a child, combined with lessons I was taught at Blackwood. I learned that using your head didn’t just mean brainpower; it meant listening to your body—your intuition, your senses, your gut. Those initial reactions where your body acts before you can process the information will often save your life.
They certainly saved Lorenzo’s on more than one occasion.
Lorenzo.
It’s amazing how thinking one single word, one fairly common name, can cause everything in your heart and your mind to shift.
To make you doubt the truth.
To make you doubt your feelings.
To make you doubt your love.
