Part 38
Andy gasps as someone, Miranda, shakes her brusquely. "What? What's happening?" She sits up so fast, her lower back smarts.
"Shh. Listen." Miranda places a finger against Andy's lips.
Andy blinks against the darkness of the room. Only a faint light from the crack in the door to the bathroom makes it possible for her to make out the contours of the furniture. And then she hears the unfamiliar rumbling between them where Waldo is sitting up, growling softly.
"He hears something. I doubt this dog growls for no reason." Miranda slips out of bed, groaning as she pulls on one of the robes. "Don't turn on the light. Put something more on."
"All right." Andy nudges at Waldo who is already sliding off the bed and joins Miranda over by the door.
Andy finds the second robe and puts it on, tightening the belt so hard, she has to loosen it to breathe. She joins Miranda by the door just as she opens it a small crack.
"Ruhe, Waldo!" Miranda says to the dog that's nudging at the back of their legs, trying to pass them.
Andy pats the dog's head, hoping he won't bark. She can feel his lips are even pulled back, which means he's truly growling, not just making noise at some mind ghost.
"Think someone's in the house?" Andy whispers, the hairs on her arms rising at the thought of them all being in danger.
"Not sure. I would think Waldo would be even more agitated if that was the case."
"Should we let him out?" Andy is torn. If someone's managed to get inside, the dog might be injured or killed if he attacks them. But he might also alert his owners enough for them to save themselves. Trembling, Andy tugs at Miranda's sleeve. "Let me pass. I'll just sneak up to where the living room and have a peek."
"I should do it." Miranda objects, predictably.
"You're still not well. Let me." Andy knows this irks Miranda, but she can feel how unsteady Miranda is. She doesn't wait, but pushes both Miranda and Waldo out of the way and slips out into the hallway. Here, some faint moonlight creates unfamiliar shadows, but also provides enough light for her to make out where to step. Keeping away from the wall, even if she'd rather pressed her back to it, as she remembers the many paintings and knick-knacks the family has an affinity for. Slowly, she inches through the narrow space, half expecting to hear a creaking of the floor, or someone breathing. When nothing stirs as Andy reaches the corner where the hallway does a ninety-degree turn, she rests her hand against a small dresser and leans forward to peer around the corner.
A dark form takes her by the shoulders and pulls her forward. It happens so fast, Andy doesn't even have time to scream. She yanks back, her heart thundering as the person pulls her forward again.
"Andrea. It's me. It's Max," a dark, husky voice hisses in her ear. "Calm down. It's just me."
"M-Max?" Andy whispers. "What are you…? Waldo's growling. Someone might be here—"
"I know. I saw the silhouette of someone against my blinds." Max whispers too. "Waldo never growls. He can sense them."
"We have to get him and Mi—Moira." It's Andy's time to yank at Max's arm. "Wake your parents, but quietly."
"Got it."
They separate and Andy walks back toward their room. When she reaches the door, she raps her nails against it, to alert Miranda. "It's me." She presses the handle down and Waldo zooms past her out into the hallway. Miranda is standing in the middle of the room, putting on her trousers. "Get dressed. I saw someone outside."
"So did Max." Andy tears off the robe and pajama, putting on her clothes. With their small backpacks and jackets over their arms, they exit the room. Andy looks at the old-fashioned alarm clock by the bed. Three am.
In the hallway, which has no windows, Naomi and Ulrich are waiting with Max and Waldo.
"We're so sorry," Miranda whispers. "Unless this is a common burglar, I think whoever is after us might be investigating one house after the other. Perhaps they noticed you passing them and took note of your SUV."
"And it's parked in the driveway." Ulrich sighed. "That was shortsighted."
Andy shakes her head. "You couldn't possibly know."
"We have to leave. There's no way I'm going to be responsible for any of you getting hurt." Miranda takes Naomi's hand. "If you give us the keys to the Volkswagen, we'll wait about fifteen minutes and then go."
"What makes you think you can leave without them following you?" Ulrich doesn't sound convinced.
"They're gone." Andy points to Waldo who is now laying between them, yawning. "Waldo's stopped growling. We just have to give them a little more time to get farther away from the house."
"All right. But I don't have to like this." Naomi presses her lips together. "I'll worry."
"She hates worrying." Max puts his arm around his mother. "I have a feeling Andrea and Moira can normally take care of themselves quite well."
"I know. Still." Naomi sighs. "Anyone want anything from the kitchen?"
"Two bottles of water, maybe?" Andy follows Naomi to the kitchen door, but doesn't step inside. There are no blinds in the kitchen and even if the moon doesn't show any dark figures lurking outside, she has to be careful.
Naomi hands her four bottles of water, some bananas, and a small box of protein bars. "Here. Just in case."
"Thank you, Naomi. You are amazing. The same goes for Ulrich and Max. And Waldo."
Naomi hugs Andy fiercely. "Be safe. Promise me that."
"I promise. We'll be in touch about the car."
Merely nodding, Naomi follows Andy back to the others. Miranda is crouching next to Waldo, scratching his ears. She gets up, moving somewhat easier than last evening, and expresses her thanks to their hosts one more time. Then she looks over at Andy, her eyes flat.
"I know," Andy says quietly. "It's time to go."
xxxxx
The driveway is only lit by two old-fashioned scones, one next to the front door to the house, and the other by the garage door. Stopping just outside the door, Andy listens for footsteps on the gravel, but the night around them is quiet. She steps off the small wooden step and the crunching sound her feet make against the gravel makes her freeze.
"Just keep going," Ulrich says behind Andy and Miranda. "When you're halfway to the garage, I'll open it with the remote."
"All right," Miranda murmurs.
Andy reaches back and squeezes Miranda's hand quickly. "Let's go." She hurries the ten yards across the yard to the garage and is relieved when the door slides up much quieter than she's feared. Clutching the car keys to the Volkswagen, which turns out to be bright yellow, she aims for the driver's door. She tosses her small backpack and her own jacket in the back seat and slips inside. On the other side of the car, Miranda opens the passenger door. She steps inside and places her bag between her feet and her coat in the backseat. Saying a silent prayer, Andy turns the key in the ignition. Glad she remembers to push the clutch down, she hears the old engine whirr for a few seconds and then turn. Pushing the stick into first gear, Andy eases the clutch up. It takes much closer to the floor than she expects and the small car virtually jumps out of the garage.
"Whoops. Sorry." Andy mutters, hearing Miranda draw in a breath between her teeth. She accelerates only briefly and then puts it in second gear, this time with a much smoother result. "There. I assume back to the highway."
"Yes. But go back north as we said."
"Got it. Keep a lookout." Andy knows she doesn't have to remind Miranda, but she is going to have her hands full driving a stick shift as it has been a while. She makes a left turn after looking for traffic on the residential street. Nobody is out at this hour and if they are, it's suspicious.
"No one in sight," Miranda says. "Keep going."
Andy speeds up until she can slip it into fourth gear. The car is well-kept like Max had said, and it is faster than she thought. "Remind me. It's right and then an immediate left, correct?"
"Yes." Miranda looks back over her shoulder. "Still no one. If we can make a few turns without seeing anyone, we'll have a good chance."
"Yes, I doubt anyone will recognize us in these clothes and hats, even if they pass us." Andy chuckles. "Never thought I'd see you in a Cossack style fur hat and pink jacket."
"That makes two of us." Miranda snorts softly. "You look quite fetching in that baseball cap with a built-in blond ponytail. Not to mention the paisley-patterned down jacket."
"Ha. Sure." Andy quiets as their first turn was coming up. She shifts gears and lets the VW take the turn a bit faster than is advisable. Miranda supports herself against the dashboard and Andy's seat as she keeps her focus behind them, but doesn't say anything. Turning left right away, Andy spots the sign showing how to drive toward the highway, just like Ulrich told them. She finally dares to relax, if only marginally, as Miranda still hasn't alerted her to any other car in the vicinity.
"How far are we going to go before we ditch this car and find something else?" Andy asks as she makes another turn, now actually seeing the highway in the distance.
"Let's go back to Montreux, find a motel, and then take the train to the airport in Geneva tomorrow. We'll get tickets out of here when we're at the airport. What do you think?" Miranda cupped Andy's neck.
"They won't expect that. I think they'll assume we're either still hiding, or if we're on the move, we're heading the same direction we were going yesterday. I agree." Andy wants to object when Miranda removes her hand.
"There's another option," Miranda says, her voice huskier now. "We can put you on a plane to the US tomorrow and I'll catch a flight back to France. I really should take this on my own from now. It's what I've always done before."
"You weren't chased by homicidal stalkers before! Or were you?"
"Well, no, but—"
"There you go." Andy grips the wheel harder. "You need me. You can't expect me to abandon you when I know that." She turns onto the highway, speeding down the ramp and makes sure she keeps the same pace as the few cars that are on the road in this early in the morning. "I'm not going anywhere without you."
Miranda is quiet for a moment, but then reaches out and places her hand under Andy's fake ponytail again. "All right, Andrea." There's sadness in her voice, but also something else that Andy interprets as relief. "All right."
xxxxx
Continued in part 39