Fake: The Scarab Beetle Series: #3 (The Academy) (25 page)

At the parking lot was a dark town car similar to the one that had brought us here. The door opened and a man stepped out. He was the same height as North, with dark hair, and at first I wondered if North had come back. As I got closer, I realized he was older, mature with graying sideburns.

He waved shortly to me. I didn’t know how he recognized me, but then I thought of the files the Academy had on me and my brother. There were probably a few pictures of us floating around. Still, I kept a distance.

“How’d it go?” he asked. Worry lines creased his forehead. “Is Brandon all right? Is he coming?”

“I don’t know,” I said, frowning. It was odd trusting this complete stranger. All I had going for me was that Brandon possibly knew him, which meant he was probably with the Academy. How did Brandon and Marc and any of the others trust these people? Did they know all of them? Still, he was the only one left, and if the Academy was going to take action, they needed to do so now.

He seemed to understand my hesitation, especially since I was alone. He held his hands up. “You were with Brandon Henshaw. North Taylor drove you here. We belong to the Academy.”

I had to assume Alice still didn’t know about the Academy. “Did you hear about Alice?” I asked. “Do you know about her?”

“Yes,” he said. “I got a partial report, at least. She’s the one who claims she has Axel and Marc?”

“Yes,” I said. “And she’s here now. She’s inside that house we were supposed to scout. She married the man that owns the house. Ethan Murdock, possibly the one who owns the core we’re looking for. I was talking to him and she intercepted and now I can’t find Brandon at all. He may still be at the house or she may have taken him. She implied she did, but I don’t know and I can’t confirm.”

He frowned. “This isn’t good.”

“No,” I said. “I need you to stay here, and to possibly call in some backup. Someone needs to keep an eye out for Brandon, and someone else should follow Alice. Carefully, though. I don’t know how she’s managed to get Brandon when he’s been careful and knows what she looks like. Obviously, I can’t go back.” It felt odd giving instructions to an older guy who probably knew more than I did.

He gave no indication he thought it was strange. He only nodded. “What are you going to do?” he asked.

“I’ve got a cell phone that might be the key to all this,” I said. “I should take it to Corey.”

“Good idea,” he said. “I should probably drive you.”

“We don’t have time. If you can follow Alice, we might find Axel and the others. She won’t recognize you as part of their team, right?”

“She shouldn’t,” he said. “I’m not exactly connected to their group.” He stepped forward and then closed the door. He went to the trunk and then opened it. “Can you drive?”

I nodded. “Of course.” Technically.

“Take the car,” he said. He dug into the trunk, putting on a formal jacket. “I’ll call for backup and keep an eye on the house. You said she married the man inside?”

“Yes,” I said. My heart rose. While I wasn’t going to go to Corey, I was glad this guy had jumped up to help. He showed a lot of trust in someone he’d just met two seconds ago. “She was with Ethan, her new husband. Just be very careful. We can’t let anyone know you’re helping us.”

“I’ll be careful,” he said. He buttoned up the jacket and then smoothed out his hair. He closed the trunk. “Keys are in the ignition,” he said. “Drive to the hospital. Don’t stop until you get there. Don’t worry about Brandon. I’ve been watching the road. All the cars going by have been identified. Either he’s still here, or he can be tracked in whatever car has left. So we’ll find him. Hopefully we’ll find Axel and Marc, too.”

That was a good sign. “Thank you,” I said.

“Just stay safe,” he said. He moved around the car, and opened the driver’s side door for me.

I got in. “What’s your name?” I asked.

“Henry Anderson,” he said. He reached out, taking my hand. I shook it. He released me, pulled a card from his back pocket and then gave it to me. “If you ever need anything, my team isn’t far. Call any of us. Tell them I sent you.”

I took the card, checking it. It was plain, with his name on it, and a title: CFO of a non-profit charity. I had a small thought of Brandon and Corey, younger, and donating to charities with stolen money. Like a couple of Robin Hood twins. I wondered if Henry’s was one of the charities they’d donated to, unwittingly.

“Thank you,” I said. “Be careful. Really.”

“I will,” he said. He closed my door for me. Before I could turn the car on, he’d already crossed the parking lot, heading back the way I’d come.

I hoped he’d keep his word. Enough of the Academy boys were missing now. Hopefully Henry could help.

I adjusted myself inside the car, and then drove slowly out of the lot, feeling awkward, like I was abandoning Henry for one, Brandon two, and thirdly, I was driving someone else’s car.

Ignoring the niggling sensation in the back of my mind, I focused on the road and then on the cell phone I’d claimed. I needed to reach Blake Coaltar. He was probably the only one who could really help me now. I didn’t have much of a plan. I just needed another pair of eyes on this. And someone who could convince Doyle to possibly get out here and help me figure out this core.

Should I use the cell phone I had? Why not? At worst, Ethan Murdock might check the records if it was his public phone. And if it was connected to the core, it was supposedly on an underground service. Untraceable. That was why we were trying to break into it, wasn’t it?

Ethan was busy with his wedding, anyway.

I didn’t know Blake’s number though. I also didn’t want to drive directly to his house.

As I drove, I had an uncomfortable feeling like I was being followed.

I hated to do it, but I called Avery as I pulled off of Kiawah Island and onto the road that lead to John’s Island.

He answered on the third ring. “Taxi.”

“Avery? It’s Kayli.”

He sputtered and then breathed into the phone. “Kayli? You okay?”

“Uh, kind of,” I said. “Could you do me a favor?”

“Hang on a second,” he said, and then he spoke, but it was muffled and obviously not to me. “Yo. Get out. No, it’s close enough. It’s a block away. You can walk it. Sorry. Have to go.”

He was doing his job in the borrowed car? Guess he had to work after all. It’s not like everyone can be Academy guys and just fly off and do whatever.

“Okay,” Avery said. “What is it?”

“I didn’t mean you should dump your fare,” I said.

“My what?” he asked. “Oh. No. We were almost there anyway. Lazy shit can walk. What do you need?”

Rude to customers. Wow. Still, he’d done it to help me out, so I guess I couldn’t say anything. “I need you to fetch someone for me and give them a message.”

“Are we still messing with kidnappers? Are you sure about this?”

“He’s not a kidnapper. I just need to get a message to him.”

“You couldn’t call him?”

“I don’t have his number. I just know where he lives. Can you do it?”

“Sure, okay. Same place? The Aquarium? Or the Sergeant Jasper?”

“No. South of Broad Street.”

He whistled into the phone. “You know some fancy people?”

“I need you to hurry.”

He shuffled on his end of the phone. “In trouble?”

This was getting to be a routine now. “Maybe.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m on John’s Island, on my way back from Kiawah. I need a place to talk to him. I don’t know if I have anyone following me, so I didn’t want to bring them to his house.”

“Who’s following you?”

“I don’t know,” I said. I checked the rearview mirrors. “I’m not sure how to tell.”

“The easiest way is to get on a lonely road that doesn’t have any off streets,” he said. “Try Folly Beach. Pull up to the end of the block on the island, stop there, and turn around. See if anyone rides up or if you can catch them on the way there. If you see anyone, though, you shouldn’t stop. We’ll have to think of something else. Maybe stop in front of the police and fire station that’s right there.”

“How do you know this?” I asked.

“Saw it on a cop show once,” he said. “You want me to drive your friend out to you?”

I sucked in a breath, turning the wheel, trying to recall the way to Folly Beach. “Maybe…actually, yes. Drive him. I’ve got a car. I’ll meet you at the pier.”

“Which house am I going to?” he asked.

I gave him the address. “You want to talk to Blake. Tell him my name. Tell him where I am and that I need him to come with you to get to me, but to be discreet about it.”

“Okay, I get you. Blake. You don’t want me to tell him Bambi or some other code?”

“You won’t have to,” I said, hoping. I was gambling as it was. There was a real risk that Blake would possibly slam the door in Avery’s face. It was partially why I wasn’t going to drive to his house. Avery might throw him off long enough to hear him out and make him realize how serious this was.

I was going to hang up, but Avery was doing his thing, driving, breathing into the phone. “Should I let you go?” I asked.

“Just hang on,” he said. “I got you. I mean, just in case he’s not sure, I want to keep you on the line.”

I grew quiet, occasionally answering him when he asked if I was still there. I drove on toward Folly, and driving the long stretch of two-lane road through the darkness toward the island. Since it was off-season, there shouldn’t be a whole lot of activity. I checked my rearview, watching. I was alone save for Avery. Not that Alice really needed me if she thought she had Corey.

I hoped Brandon had escaped and I was wrong about her having kidnapped him.

“Okay, there,” Avery said after what seemed like forever. “I’m there. Just knock on the front door?”

“I guess,” I said.

Shuffle, shuffle, knock, wait, breathing.

“Can I help you?” A refined Charleston accented male voice made it through the line. My heart rushed and my cheeks heated at the sound. I realized I probably sent Avery to get punched, but hopefully Blake wouldn’t lash out at him if he was upset with me.

“You’re Blake? You open your own door?”

“Last I checked, it was my door,” Blake said. “I reckon you’ve got the wrong place though. I never ordered a cab.”

“Just tell him!” I said, feeling revved up now at hearing Blake’s voice. My heart had been racing hard for so long, and the sudden surge made me want to keel over and catch my breath.

“Why are you on the phone?” Blake asked. “Who is that?”

“It’s Kayli,” he said. “She’s on the road right now to Folly Beach. She was kidnapped, but now she’s not kidnapped and her friends are kidnapped. They’re kidnapping guys now.”

There was a shuffle and then Blake’s voice. “Kayli?”

“...Yeah?” I said carefully. I swallowed, hoping I was making the right decision. I had flashes of memories sweeping through me of his car sinking into a swamp. And his yacht that had a blown up hole in the side and smashed into an island. And shooting him in the leg. He was my best chance at getting the boys back right now. I didn’t have anyone else, not anyone I was willing to risk. Corey couldn’t come out of hiding. Then we’d really be in trouble.

I could picture the gold flecks of Blake’s eyes burning something fierce. “Did someone kidnap you? Did those criminals get you wrapped up in something else? I told you...I told you...”

“No time,” I said. “Are you busy?”

“I’m fixing to lay a hurtin’ on your gorgeous ass if you don’t stop piddling and tell me what’s going on.”

Maybe he wasn’t that mad at me. “I need you to come talk to me. Let Avery bring you. I’ve got a car and then we’ll let him go. He’s already been mixed up in this enough.”

“Who’s coming for you?”

“I don’t know. Two groups of people. Just hurry up before they get here. They might be looking for me now. It’s a long story.” I was pulling up on Folly Beach and wanted to focus.

There was shuffling on the phone. The guys were talking. Car doors slammed. My heart was in my throat, but at least Blake was on the way.

♠♠♠♠♠♠

I pulled into the empty lot in front of the pier. It was next to a hotel, which was a good idea to run for if someone was following. I pulled around, turned off the lights, waiting. In the meantime, I checked out what Henry Anderson had in his car. An Academy car would have toys, wouldn’t it? They were spies after all.

The glove box had binoculars, a medical kit, a brand new cell phone still in the box, a flashlight, a pocketknife and a notepad with a pen. I wish I’d known about the cell phone. I didn’t like using Ethan’s.

Things got quiet on the phone. “Blake?”

“It’s Avery,” he said. “Tell this guy I can drive, will you? He took my keys. He’s going to wreck the car trying to get it through traffic the way he’s driving.” He pulled the phone away. “This road. No, wait, stop, if you go that way, there’s construction and it’ll take longer. There’s a back way. Trust me. I drive for a living!”

I took the pocketknife and then got out of the car, popping the trunk. I dug around, looking in the trunk for clothes so I could get out of the dress. Bingo. I hoped Henry didn’t mind, but I borrowed a pair of slacks, a belt, and a T-shirt. I grabbed a long-sleeved dress shirt, too, to put on since it was cold. I changed in the parking lot, throwing the dress into the trunk. I had to stab a new hole in the belt to make the pants tight enough to fit around my waist, and then rolled up the lower hem until it was around my ankles. I’d have to make do with the heels since there weren’t any shoes in the trunk. I looked ridiculous but I felt better being in pants.