When they were there that day, I carefully mixed myself into the fray, and judiciously kept my face hidden from all the cameras. When they left, they exited the back service entrance one by one, and I followed a few minutes after. I didn’t walk straight out of the house though; I dove to the right side into the bushes and hid there until the sun set. Dean’s cameras had a night vision function, but not a thermal one so it wouldn’t pick up body heat. If I kept myself well hidden behind the shrubbery, I’d be able to buy myself enough time to get out.
I knew he’d figure out my ploy eventually. That was fine.
I just needed to disappear faster than he figured me out.
The sun began to set, and I knew the light caused a small glare in the camera from between the trees. I slinked along the house and slowly made my way toward the walking path I’d seen from his bedroom window. I knew the glint from the sun would last a good ten minutes, so I rushed along the lavish landscaping until I was sure that I was far enough to disappear out of range and into the trees.
I jogged along that path, tearing off the outer layer of clothing and hiding it in the thick brush along the edge. I was in dark jeans and a black long-sleeve shirt, as well as a pair of gray hiking boots now. I moved fast enough so that the descending chill only just began to settle in my bones. I ran a bit faster, and my body started to heat until I felt warm.
I reached the end of the path faster than I anticipated. I strolled along the streets of the small town, finding it quiet. There weren’t very many people wandering around after dark and when I stumbled upon an old telephone booth, I slipped inside.
I didn’t have any change, but I didn’t need any. I knew the direct number of the Father for emergencies like this. I picked up the old phone and held it to my ear.
With a deep breath, I dialed in the seven-digit code that would call him from any location no matter what.
It rang several times, and I held my breath, and then I finally heard his voice for the first time in more than a year.
“Hello?”
His gravelly voice always caught me off guard. His breath wheezed just a little at the end, and it felt sort of like a warning siren.
“Hi, Father. It’s Willow,” I began.
“I don’t think you’ve ever called me directly, have you?”
I decided I didn’t like that at all.
“No. I haven’t needed to,” I replied.
“Tell me why you’ve called,” he directed blankly, and my mouth went dry.
It was now or never. By the end of this conversation, I would know if he would kill me or rescue me from this mess. I started from the beginning. It would do no good to hide my situation from him. I told him everything except for the little nagging feeling tugging at my heart. I didn’t tell him that I actually cared about Dean and that I’d called him Daddy.
“I just need to disappear,” I started.
“We can certainly move our people into place for you. There is a bus due to pass through the town you mentioned within the hour. You will board that and disembark in Lucerne. There, I will send someone to meet you with a new identity and everything else you’re going to need.”
“Thank you,” I sighed. “Where are you thinking of sending me?”
“How did he find you again?” he asked instead. “Were you able to get him to tell you that?”
The fact that he’d answered a question with a question unsettled me and even though I was scared, I didn’t miss a beat.
“No. I think he probably used facial reconstruction to identify me. If that is the case, I could get plastic surgery. A nose job or a face lift should be enough to confuse the algorithms those programs use,” I ventured. I didn’t know if that was true, but I wanted to say something to alleviate any lasting concern he might have.
“We’ll send you to Portugal. I think your time in the United States has come to a close,” he offered.
His voice was businesslike, as it always was. I couldn’t get a read on him and that made my blood run cold.
“What about Tim back in New York?” I asked.
“We’ll send word that you had to leave. We’ll make your quick exit believable. Don’t worry,” he muttered, and I didn’t like the way he referred to my departure from the city. I chewed my lip, feeling as though I needed to further explain to him that I was still an asset to the family and not a liability.
“I think staying away from the States for a time would be a good idea. I’m sure there’s plenty of marks here in Europe with much older and bigger bank accounts,” I offered.
“Most certainly,” he said curtly.
“Thank you for your help,” I said softly.
“It is no problem. When you catch the bus, give them the name Irene Stevenson. Your ticket will be paid ahead of time, so you don’t have to worry about that,” he replied.
“Okay,” I answered, but the line had already gone dead.
I swallowed heavily. I’d been unable to get a read on him and I didn’t like that. I leaned against the glass wall of the booth and sighed. For several long minutes, I just took one deep breath after another, trying to calm the frenzied beat of my petrified heart. The sound of a passing car jolted me back to my senses and I opened the door to the booth and made my way
