"Wait, Annie's out there… alone?"
"She led those goons the other way," she explained causally, still moving. "Wait right here, and when I get back I'll tell you the rest of our plan." She walked away, but I thought I heard her mutter something like, "Since you obviously weren't listening before," under her breath.
A sharp whistle accosted my ears and screeching tires followed.
"Get in," RedRover said, pulling me toward what I assumed was a cab.
"Where are we going?" I asked. "What about Annie?"
"Oh don't be silly," she said quickly. "Your wife will meet us at the airport. She just had to… tie up those loose ends." I'm sure she was giving me a reassuring smile, and for once I was grateful for my blindness.
This whole trip had been so confusing. Being married to Annie felt so… real. So right. Was that just because I was planning to ask Parker to marry me? Or was it really just… Annie?
But I love Parker, I reminded myself. This is just the mission—just the nerves. Annie is my friend; only my friend.
If I told myself that enough times, maybe I'd believe it. Or not.
"C'mon," RedRover whispered. "We are at the airport. I will fill you in as we walk."
"No," Auggie snapped, stopping in place. His abrupt change in mood and speed caused the waitress/hacker to stumble, but she wasn't able to make him budge. "You'll tell me right now."
"Oh, fine," she sighed. "No need to be overly dramatic. Annie is meeting us on the flight, and if she does not make this one, she will catch the next one. She said something about 'standard misdirect and evade'. Then she made a comment about a 'Natasha Incident'." I could feel her shrug her shoulders, and I tensed. "I am just supposed to get us to the airport and onto the plane. She said she would handle the rest."
"No," I whispered to myself. "That can't be what she said."
If she'd really said that—if she'd really mentioned the Natasha Incident—then there was a chance that the 'standard misdirect and evade' might not….
But no! I would not even allow myself to think like that.
"Fine," I said. "Let's get on the plane. I know Annie will be there as soon as she can."
I allowed RedRover to guide me through the airport, through the check in, and onto the plane. All the while, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong.
"Okay," I said when we were finally seated. "What is the plan for the rendezvous?"
"Well…" RedRover started hesitantly. "There really… isn't one?"
"There isn't one?" I hissed under my breath. "What do you mean there isn't a rendezvous plan?"
The engines suddenly roared to life and the plane taxied ahead.
"She simply said she'd meet us in the States."
I relaxed back into my seat so as to not bring suspicion or attention to myself. I had to sit back and trust that Annie had the skills to get her out of this mess. I had to trust that, once I got back to D.C., she'd already be there waiting. I just had to trust.
Unfortunately, trust was never my strong suit.