Chapter 40
They changed planes twice and finally arrived at an airport in Los Angeles.
"After we clear Customs, meet me at the North East gate," the beach soldier instructed discreetly before he nonchalantly walked away from Alec and Parker and went into a different line.
When they were alone, Parker looked at Alec quickly and his gaze held hers. He was certain she wanted to say something but she looked away and for a moment a flicker of hope sparked within him. He saw something in her eyes. He was certain.
"If you're asked, you were on vacation," Parker instructed softly. Her tone was businesslike, indifferent. Once again Alec's stomach fell. Maybe he mistook her look of warning for something more.
"Parker…" he called to her softly but even he barely heard the word as it scratched past the dryness of his throat.
'Stop it,' he chided himself, 'it's done. She's gone.'
He swallowed thickly to regain his composure in time to see Parker approach the Customs' officer with a seemingly genuine smile.
She was good, he thought sadly as he watched her work her magic on the officer and breeze through the questions. The officer stamped her artificially worn passport and Parker was on her way.
Alec approached the officer's booth and answered the questions with practiced ease. He surprised himself with how well he masked the turmoil within. Years under Sophie's tutelage were not wasted, but he wondered if it was good enough to fool Sonia long enough for him to complete his task.
He held on to the stale smile that curled his lips as the officer stamped his passport and he walked away from the booth and toward the exit leading to their meeting place.
Parker emerged easily from behind a wall as Alec passed it and she kept a steady but unnoticeable pace behind him.
They were all to be as inconspicuous as possible, each keeping up the façade of innocent indifference until they made it to the waiting car at the North Gate exit.
Alec's mind was racing beneath his stoic mask. He went over his plan again and again, trying to think of every contingency. He wanted freedom from the shadow of Sonia that hung over him now, the evil unknown that had kept him holding his breath for the past three years. He wanted to be free of it and he hoped against hope that Nate, Sophie, and Eliot- his family- would be free of it too and Parker would find her real self once again. He wanted them all to be rid of the specter of Sonia.
"There isn't any radio chatter. We're clear," the beach soldier announced as he rolled down the front passenger window as Parker and Alec approached the waiting car.
They both stored their bags and sat stiffly in the back seat.
Alec noticed the dashboard GPS and he saw the projected route to Stevens Street- one block away from the Bilmark hotel.
The Bilmark. That was their target, he knew it.
Alec wondered what was happening there. He wondered if Sonia was waiting.
The numbers on the GPS indicated that they had 38 miles to go before they arrived at the Billmark.
Alec did the math- approximately 40 minutes to think his plan through, backwards and forwards.
His heart rate increased but he kept up the look of indifference as he looked absently out window.
As much as he tried though he couldn't ignore the fact that Parker was sitting close enough for him to slide his hand over to hers. Regardless of how much he wanted to touch her he'd never felt as far from her as he did just then.