Untrained Eye (43 page)

Offstage the noises continued and somehow Miranda and I were in a
different piece.

Moonlight Sonata
.

The audience gasped at the change. Miranda met my eyes with wonder
in hers. The music grew, I poured love into it, and she, her mom, they
responded. It built, slow to rising, oozing with every care, every ache.
Releasing into a crescendo, pulsing, radiating. Something beyond colorful
filled my heart at the sound.

Tears rolled off the tip of my chin. Miranda’s shoulders shook
from her own tears. The music bled with our emotions, our pains, our hopes, and
shone. I shut my eyes as it filled me, healed me, soothed me. 

Slow, soft, a whisper, the final note trailed off.

Breathing. soft, slow breathing. The sniffles from Miranda, the
hum of the violin beneath my fingertips.

I opened my eyes and saw Miranda do the same.

Not a murmur from the audience. I couldn’t see them beyond the
lights.

“You did it,” I whispered. I felt rooted to the spot.

“I felt her,” Miranda whispered back, her voice trembling. “I
really felt her.”

The audience burst into applause. I wrapped my arm around her and
smiled, fresh tears rolling down my cheeks. “Because she’s right beside you.
She’ll
always
be right beside you.”

We took a bow. Smyth appeared from the side and I guided her
toward the backstage. We’d done our best, gotten through the performance.

I gripped hold of the curtain and tried not to show how hard my
heart was thumping. 

What we would find backstage, I didn’t know.

Chapter 55

RENEE SLAMMED INTO the wall with a thud as Kevin grabbed hold of
his spilled knife and ran at Miroslav. She pulled herself up, lunged at Kevin,
and ankle tapped him. He fell forward and smacked into the floor. The knife
skidded out of his grasp.

He wasn’t a fighter but he was wriggly. He was determined . . .
and she just didn’t want to do serious damage. He was still a boy. She got up
and pulled cable ties out. She stooped to take his wrist.

Smack
.

Renee clutched her jaw. Kevin’s foot had connected with a sweet
kick. She tripped over the wires and smashed to the ground. Stars filled her
eyes. She groaned as her jaw hit the floor, her back tooth cracking on impact.

She spat out the blood. Good thing CIG had a great dental plan.

Kevin lunged for Miroslav.

She staggered to her feet, attempting to shake off the hazy
feeling. She stumbled over the trail of wires on the floor and clattered to her
knees. 

Kevin grabbed Miroslav, threw him off his stool, and laughed at
him.

“Nan, keep her safe . . . Please,” she whispered, hauling herself
upright.

Kevin shot a nasty smile at Miroslav. “Watch her get skewed.”

Renee followed his gaze. Miranda raised her hand to her bow. Renee
dived for the button, shoving Kevin to the side. She scrabbled for the play
button. Why hadn’t she taken Polish?

Kevin folded his arms then dropped them to his sides. “What?”

The music kept going. It wasn’t crackling.

Kevin’s scowl wrinkled his pale forehead.

Renee looked at the stage. Something pulsed from Aeron, it shot
across to Miranda who pulsed with it too.

Renee blinked. Nan was beside Aeron. Another woman stood beside
Miranda . . . and she was playing.

Really playing.

Renee pulled out her St. Christopher’s and kissed it, thanking God
and every saint she could think of.

“Can’t take away skill.” Miroslav got to his feet with his fist
drawn back. He grabbed Kevin by the scruff and knocked him to the ground with
one mean punch. “Or heart.”

He nodded and staggered back to his stool.

Renee blinked down at Kevin.

Out cold.

Renee looked from Kevin to Miroslav and back. “You kept that up
your sleeve.”

Miroslav smiled and raised his chin. “Miss Samson taught me.”

She chuckled. Of course Aeron did.

“Can you fade the music in?” she asked, not sure if Miranda could
pull off the rest of the piece.

Miroslav opened his mouth.

Huber and Frei hurried in.

Huber offered no pleasantries, not even a glance in their
direction. He picked up Kevin, slung him over his shoulder, and headed out with
him.

“A man of many words.” Renee glared after him.

“Did you kiss a wall?” Frei folded her arms.

Renee sighed. “Don’t ask. I’m trying to remember that it’s not
polite to kneecap children.”

Miroslav raised his eyebrows and she gave his shoulder a quick
squeeze. “Can you fade it in?”

He shook his head. “It is not the same piece.”

Renee frowned. 

“She’s something else,” Frei mumbled.

Renee turned to follow her gaze. Aeron. Aeron and Miranda.

Something breathtaking pulsed from them. Pinks, golds, and whites
swirled around them. The music filled her, drawing her out from the inside. Her
breath filled with the dulcet tones, her heartbeat with the rhythm of Aeron’s
bow. Every beat, every note, seeped through her deepest core, wrapping around
her like a shield. Like armor.

Moonlight Sonata
?

“Hope the guy is getting royalties up there,” Frei mumbled. Her
tone didn’t hide her awe. “They practiced that?”

“I have not heard it played that way before.” Miroslav sounded
smitten. She was with him.

“Yeah, she’ll do that to a person,” Frei said.

Renee smiled because Frei had said what was on her mind.

The music stopped, and Renee heard herself whimper. Frei rubbed
her eyes and Renee gave her a quick squeeze.

“Welcome to the fan club.”

“I’m a member of both of them.”

Renee frowned, half-watching Aeron put her arm around Miranda and
bow as the buyers leapt to their feet.

“Both?” She was clapping too. All three of them were.

“Both of you. I love you both.” Frei cleared her throat. “Now quit
drooling at her and move.” She held Renee’s gaze for a moment with genuine
warmth in her eyes. “You want a picture?”

Renee opened and closed her mouth as Frei went to the door and
checked outside.

“Right . . . Move.” She turned but Aeron was in front of her,
brown eyes glistening with tears. Her heart performed some kind of break dance.
“Okay?”

Aeron smiled, glowing with emotion. “Thanks for providing the
percussion.” Her gaze travelled downward and lingered with eyebrows raised.

“Long story,” Renee mumbled, trying to make herself half decent.

“Uh huh.” Aeron’s gaze was still on her ripped blouse.

Renee raised an eyebrow as Miroslav stifled a chuckle. Aeron’s
cheeks filled with color.

Renee cocked her head, deliberating teasing her.

Frei cleared her throat. “Rescue. Kids. Now.”

She sighed and poked out her tongue. “Spoil sport.”

Frei, as always, looked unfazed.

Aeron put the violins in the cases and handed them to Frei, her
cheeks still rosy. “Miroslav, you doing okay?”

Renee
knew
he wasn’t.

“Piggyback,” she mumbled at Aeron. “I’ll take Miranda.”

Aeron saluted, her focus on Miroslav who looked ready to pass out.

“Jäger is out cold in Harrison’s office but he’s a hard man to
keep subdued.” Frei ushered them toward the door. “We have to move.”

They ducked out into the corridor. Hurried down the quiet halls.
The calls from the auction rumbled out from the theatre.

Frei swore in German and Renee felt her stomach lurch. 

Jäger.

He was waiting between them and their escape route. A large blade
in hand.

“Renee, front entrance. If you meet contact. Fire.” Frei handed
the violins to her.

Renee shook her head. “Urs, you can’t . . .”

Frei pulled a blade from her suit. “Go.”

Renee glanced at Aeron.

Aeron shook her head.

“Get her out, Renee. You know she is essential.” Frei met her
eyes. Fear, courage, determination.

Aeron frowned. “I ain’t—”

“Go!”

Renee nodded. She pushed Aeron to move. “Kids first, okay? She
knows what she’s doing.”

If she could just convince herself of it, she’d be calmer.

Aeron let out a sigh. “It feels wrong leaving her behind.”

Renee glanced over her shoulder as Jäger narrowed his eyes.
“Something tells me it’s a personal thing.”

Renee pulled out Aeron’s mask from her waistband and put it on
her, then did the same for Miroslav.

“It is. He hurt her before,” Aeron mumbled. “I don’t want her
going through that again.”

Miranda grimaced and put on her mask. Renee glanced behind,
sending up a silent prayer.

Frei knew what she was doing and she knew when to run. She hoped.

URSULA HELD HER ground. Aeron and Renee needed to get away. Jäger
narrowed his eyes and glanced at their retreating backs.

“A slave who dares to challenge me.” He sneered, his lip curled up
like a snarling dog.

He dodged forward. She blocked his jab. She slammed his blade into
the wall with her own. Sparks shot back at him. He dodged. His scowl deeper.

“You’re slower than you used to be.” She smiled.

He swiped his blade. She parried it.

“You’ll always be a slave.” He swiped again. She parried again.

“Urs, we’re halfway,” Renee sounded in her ear.

“Must have been embarrassing to have a little boy get the drop on
you.” She blocked his route again, flicked her blade out, and nicked his arm.
“Can’t even scare the kids anymore.”

Jäger’s eyes narrowed. A glint of rage shone through. His blade
caught her biceps. She caught him with an uppercut. He staggered backward.

He touched his lip. Blood on his fingertips. “Lucky shot.”

Ursula smiled. “Losing your touch. To think I used to be scared of
you.”

Jäger zipped forward and rammed her off her feet. She blocked his
blade. The handle cracked her cheek as she rolled out of the way. Jäger smashed
into the wall. She kicked his bleeding leg. It buckled.

Her vision fuzzed over as she tried to shake off the blow.

“Some fighter you are.” He used to terrify her. He had haunted her
memories. The pain. The hurt.

“At the garage, Urs, move your butt,” Renee yelled into her ear.

Ursula backed off as Jäger turned. The intensity in his eyes made
the hairs on the back of her neck prickle.

“Huber or not, a lesson in manners is in order.”

Ursula bowed low. Her heart pounded in her chest. She had
definitely stirred his anger and bought time for Aeron and Renee to escape.

“And one remains behind to face her fear,” she mumbled to herself.
It was fitting. She’d planned everything but hadn’t quite figured how she was
going to get herself out.

I HELPED RENEE carry an unconscious Owens from in front of the bus
and tie her up next to a half-naked guard.

The kids were all ready to go.

The bus was running.

“Ursula, move it,” Renee hollered into her mic. She checked her
watch. “We have to leave. We need to meet the plane.” She sighed and threw her
hands in the air. “I can’t leave her, Aeron.”

I gripped my head.
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and
love.
The vision filled my head and I stumbled.
One remains behind to
face her fear
.

All the air was sucked out of me. Hands gripping, squeezing. Frei.

No.

Faith, hope, and love . . . the greatest of these is love.

“Love never fails,” I whispered. I felt it, sent it Frei’s way.
“Hang on. I’m coming. I’ll never leave you behind.”

I glanced at the bus, then at the dirt bike. “Get the kids to the
airstrip and I’ll get Frankenfrei.”

Renee shook her head. “Aeron, I can’t—”

I placed my finger over her lips. “We can. I can. Trust that you
trained me to pull this off. Trust me.”

Her eyes pulsed with confidence. “I do.”

“Then get the kids to the air strip.”

I headed to the locker and pulled out two helmets. I picked the
keys out of the box.

“Keep a seat for us,” I shot at Renee.

She nodded. Her eyes filled with panic, pride, and affection.

“Get moving, dimwit,” I whispered and yanked on my helmet. I gave
her a thumbs up and roared the bike to life.

I sped out of the garage and wobbled. The wind buffeted me but it
was calmer than it had been. I wrestled to turn the bike toward school and
smiled. I’d hated high school. I knew exactly how to express it.