Polar Opposites (In Aeternum Book 4) (31 page)

“I thought I was protecting you.”

“That’s not a viable excuse.” Her fingers flexed around the glass.

“You didn’t remember me and I took that to mean you didn’t recall that day as well. What kind of man would I be if I’d wanted you to remember it?”

She wasn’t sure. “An honest one. You groomed me for this. I figured it out on the flight here. My anger, my rage. I had it but I wasn’t sure why, just that I wanted to protect others. You took it and manipulated everything so I would do what I do.”

He shook his head. “I gave you options. You followed your heart.”

Her scoff exploded from her chest. “My heart?”

“Yes.”

“Would you have ever told me you were my uncle?” She put her tumbler on the tray. “Had I not had the dream, would you have ever come clean?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because it is my job to protect you, not send you spiraling into a dark abyss of the past and things you can’t even begin to change. You’re to live for the here and now. In the present.”

“And foster care?”

“Was a Theta Corps facility, not really foster care. You were safe.”

She slumped back and stared at the man she’d believed to be just her boss. What other memories did she have buried in her mind? What did this mean about her identity? Was she who she thought she was?

“The ones who killed them? Who were they?”

“Members of a faction your father used to work for. It was how and where he eventually met your mother and they fell in love.”

“What faction?”

His expression grew unmoving. “Don’t do this, Bailey.”

More rage pumped with each heartbeat. “Don’t do what, find out about the ones who killed my parents?”

“Think in terms of revenge. The ones who pulled the trigger are dead. As is the one who ordered it done.”

“Still not answering my questions.”

“I’m not telling you.”

“Why not?”

“Because I think you’ll go off the grid and try to exact your own revenge.”

How dare he? “How is my wanting justice any different than the times you send me out?”

“That’s sanctioned and not done for personal vendettas.”

“So you’re saying my suffering isn’t enough to warrant Theta Corps approving my getting the fuckers out of the way.”

“Listen to yourself, Bailey. You’re bordering on the edge. If you go over it—” He shook his head. “Don’t, please. I don’t want to have to send someone after you.”

“You would, wouldn’t you?”

“If I had to, yes. Someone with your skills, Bailey… You can’t be running around killing for no reason.”

She jumped to her feet, the chair skidding backwards. “I have a reason, dammit! They killed my parents!”

McNeal stood and walked toward her.

Bailey backed away, holding out her hands. “Don’t try to appease me.”

“And I told you, Bailey. Those responsible have paid. What are you going to do? Kill their children? Their children’s children? That’s not how we operate here at Theta Corps.”

“Then maybe I shouldn’t be part of it anymore.” Her words were delivered calmly and without emotion.

She swerved around and approached the door. He called her name but she ignored him, opening it and stepping out into the night. The taxi was leaving but she waved him down and slipped into the back seat.

“Where to?” he asked.

“Doesn’t matter. Airport, I guess. No real rush, either.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He drove and she leaned against the door, trying to make sense of everything. So many questions she had and so many of them were unanswerable. Right now, she needed to just get away. Find a place and get away from everything before she lost it and went rogue.

Not a bad idea, though. At least that’s how I’m feeling right now.

She paid and exited at the airport. Stepping through the sliding glass doors, she stared at the wall of monitors housing the arrivals and departures. A destination. That was all she needed.

A couple went by her talking about how they were going to enjoy their honeymoon in Paris and Bailey figured it out. Time to go home. Another look at the departures and she headed for the airline with the soonest flight out.

This time on the airplane, she settled in, determined to get some sleep. The man who sat beside her thankfully put in his ear buds and lost himself in the game he was playing on his iPad, so she didn’t have to attempt conversation.

She kept to herself the entire flight and when she disembarked in Paris, she waited for that familiar feeling of contentment to overtake her. It was absent. She went through customs then walked out of the airport, her backpack her only bag she had with her.

She rode the elevator to her apartment and walked in. This, this was the place she had the most connection to. It housed her art and more of what explained her to her, so she knew she was more than just a Theta Corps assassin, she knew who she was. This place made sense. Sure, she loved Santiago and truly enjoyed Chicago, but Paris beat through her veins.

Still, she couldn’t stay long. She knew McNeal and gave herself about two days with no word before he would come looking for her. She had to have time alone to process what she’d learned.

Time to go into hiding.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Georgia, United States

He could smell chicken shit. A lot of it. Ivan scrunched his nose at the powerful ammonia scent as his eyes began to water.
Great, I now have to pass chicken farms on my way to reach my new apartment.

He followed the female voice that broke up the monotony of the drive by giving him directions. He made note of the location of the grocery store once he’d actually reached the town.
I don’t know if I can call this a city.

The apartment complex was a long brick building. He parked by a run-down sign, which gave directions to the office. He exited and walked along the well-maintained path to the white door. Gazing around, he noticed some people sitting outside, conversing in lawn chairs. Not an odd sight or unfamiliar. Nice to know, actually, that they did that around here as well.

He walked inside, grateful to be out of the nippy air. While it wasn’t freezing, for a man who’d just departed Chile, he’d been warmer. A large black man sat fiddling with a taken-apart radio at the front counter. Pieces were spread all over.

“Can I help you, son?”

He stepped up to the barrier, careful not to send any of the small parts to the floor. “I’m here to get the key to my apartment. New tenant.”

“Uh-huh.” He fiddled some more. “Name?”

Because it’s such a thriving metropolis? You have people moving in and out every day?
“Ivan Vinokourov.”

“I recollect hearing that name. Your company rented it.” He stood straight and stared past him out of the front window. “Thought you were arriving with your stuff. Where’s your truck? No matter. Right nice of them to send us a new teacher.”

Ivan nearly leaned on the counter, only barely halting himself in time. “I’m sorry, teacher? The truck is coming.”
I think.

The man smiled, showing off a brilliant white set of teeth. “Name’s Harold. My boy attends Madison County High. He’s taking physics this year and will be one of your students. We were all sad when Mr Wheeler had his accident. It was the damnedest thing. Anyway, we needed a good long-term sub and you came with high recommendations.” He walked to the small desk in the back by the window. “They said you are one of the best. What are you, like, a professor or something?”

“Or something.”
Why does this man know more about what’s happening here than I do. How come he knows what goes on at this school? And why the fuck wasn’t I told I’d be teaching?
Ivan was having a really hard time wrapping his head around this entire thing and the way it was unraveling. “You know my name because you heard it where?”

“I work at the school as well. Janitor. I hear lots of things.”

“You stay busy then. Working both places.”

“Have a boy to raise and teach responsibility to. If he can’t get a scholarship, he’ll need my help to pay for his schooling. I aim to make sure he gets to college and has opportunities I never had.”

Ivan was even more impressed. “That’s admirable.”

Harold scratched his neck. “Too many of our youth are falling in with the wrong crowd. I want my boy to be a success and not a statistic.”

“You’re a good father.”

He shrugged. “I do what I can. Do you have children?”

An image of Bailey flashed in his head. “No, I don’t.”

“Here we are.” He grabbed some papers and a clipboard. “Don’t despair, you’ll have a few young’uns before too long running around and making you remember the day when you could up and go where you wanted.” A wry smile. “They’re worth it, though.” He picked up his coat from the back of the chair. “I can walk and meet you there—”

“I don’t mind giving you a ride.”

His grin was wide and he whistled. “Ross, get out here, boy.”

A well-built young man appeared. “Yes, sir?”

Ivan noted how he carried himself and gave his own approval, no matter it didn’t make a damn bit of difference if he did or not. The young man had manners and he wore his pants up, not with the crotch hanging low.

“This is Mr Vinokourov, he’s going to be your new physics teacher. This is my boy, Ross. He’s a cornerback on the football team. Mind the counter, leave my project alone and get the phones. I’m doing his walk-through.”

Brown eyes ran over him. “Yes, sir. Good to meet you, sir.”

“Likewise.” Ivan smiled at Ross then led the way to his Chevy Malibu. “This is me.”

“Excellent.” They climbed in. “We go down to the right then take the first left between the buildings. I’ll point out which one is yours.”

Ivan did as ordered, surprised to see there were many more apartments than he’d first assumed.

“Yours is there, you can park, yep, right there. This here is the spot assigned your apartment. If you have more than one vehicle, you’ll just have to jockey for an open spot elsewhere. The open to all spots don’t have the yellow numbers painted in them.”

“Got it.” He did and killed the engine.

“Come on, son.”

For a large man, Harold moved really quickly. Ivan hurried after him then waited for him to open the door. He kept his comments to himself as they completed the inspection.

“Do you need a ride back?”

“I can walk. If you can sign here, I’ll be on my way.”

“Nonsense, I have to wait for my truck. I don’t mind.”

They made the short trip back and Ivan shook his hand but stayed in the vehicle. After Harold went back inside, Ivan withdrew his phone. He called the number that was on the sheet given to him by Howland.

“Yes, Dr Vinokourov?” A woman spoke crisply and he pictured a schoolmarm, no room for idle chit-chat.

“I need to speak to whoever sent me here. Now.”

“Hold please, for Mr Richardson.”

“Yeah.”
What the hell, another name I’ve never heard before.

“Dr Vinokourov, my name is Paul Richardson. I work for Masters.”

There’s a name I know.
“What the fuck is going on? I’m yanked from my job in Chile and sent here where, according to local gossip, I’m the new physics teacher for a high school. I have an apartment with stuff coming. I would like to know a bit more.”

“Didn’t Howland explain it to you?”

“She gave me a sheet with my flight time and told me I was being reassigned.”

“That woman, some days… No matter. I’m sorry, you should have been properly briefed.”

“It would be nice.”

“First, let me assure you, there is a truck coming. We didn’t want you far from the school so there were no furnished places. You’ll be given the basics and we’re also sending some suits to teach in. Now, we need you there because they have a student who is incredibly smart and we want to recruit him. You’ll most likely see other alphabet groups trying to get to him. We don’t want to lose this kid, his potential is incredible. We’ve not seen anything like it in years. Not to this extent anyway.”

“Is this supposed to explain this better? Because I’m now even more confused. Why am I here? I’m a lab rat. I’m not equipped to try to recruit a child.”

“Yes, you are, he’ll be in your class.”

The door opened to the office and Harold’s son stepped out. He waved at Ivan and called out to someone else who sat outside.

“Let me guess, his name is Ross?”

A moment’s pause. “Yes. How did you know?”

“You put me at the place his father works. I’ve met him.”

“Then you’re even closer to success than you were. Good luck.” The call ended.

Ivan tossed his phone on the seat. He wanted to pound the wheel and scream. This was insanity. A large straight truck pulled up, with McElroy and Sons Moving in big black lettering on the side. Ivan stepped out to meet the driver.

“Dr Vinokourov?”

“That’s me.”

“We have your things.”

“Let’s go then. I’m in thirty-four alpha.”

He led the way then stayed out of theirs as they moved the furniture and some boxes in. The men were efficient. Before he knew it, his bed, television and a few other things had been set up. The two bedroom looked so much different from earlier that day when he’d done the pre-moving in inspection.

They left once they had finished. Hell, they’d even brought him some food and had put it away. He stood in his new bedroom and stared in the closet.

“Okay, that’s just freaky.” All the suits they’d sent were hanging. “This is like they have way too much experience doing this sort of thing. Even made the damn bed.”

In the bathroom, he spied exact replicas of the shaving items he used. “Too damn weird.” The two men hadn’t spoken to him, rarely to each other, they’d just done their job and left.

He walked to the living room and sank onto the leather couch, propping his feet up on the chaise portion he currently used. This was going to be interesting, that was for sure.

Teaching? What was next, going into kindergarten to recruit for Theta Corps? Pre-school?

* * * *

On an island in the Pacific