Freedom 12
"The glass is all cleaned up." Henry announced, coming into the kitchen and snagging a square of paper towel from the roll, off the bench to dry his wet hands. "I covered the window with a piece of plastic I found in the utility room. It isn't perfect, but it should hold until morning. Thanks for the tea, darling."
Alex felt strange, as he stared off into the distance. He noticed he seemed to be focusing out the kitchen window above the sink. "Sorry." Alex muttered in apology. He didn't need to be specific; he was sure that Henry knew why he was apologizing.
"Me too, darling." Henry murmured, leaving his hot tea on the counter to come closer to Alex and embrace him from behind. Henry knew Alex had been projecting his fears onto him and lashing out accordingly. Just as he knew he was too defensive, not wanting Alex to regret leaving the safety of his friends and family for him.
Alex didn't relax into the embrace, as Henry expected him to. He seemed rigid in his arms. Something was off. Alex was staring dead ahead. He had seen Alex hyper fixate once before and it rarely ended well. Alex muttered something, but Henry had to admit he didn't hear it the first time. When he caught it the second time, he felt a shiver run down his spine.
"Sweetheart, go get that phone. We need to call Shaan, now!" Looking out and squinting carefully, Henry now saw what Alex was fixated on.
"Fuck! I'll be right back."
Henry moved quickly and silently through the house, snatching the phone off the nightstand. He snagged the two pairs of jeans they had worn the day before yesterday from the sofa in the bedroom, as well as the two hoodies that were beside them. They still smelled like the small campfire from the previous night. But Henry didn't care; they really needed something more to wear than just their underwear. Especially if they hadn't been seeing things and had really seen lights on in the caretaker cabin by the church.
This was supposed to be a private island. They were supposed to be alone. There were no PPOs, no Secret Service. They were supposed to be as far off-grid as possible. The only people who were supposed to know where they were were Shaan, Zahra, and Trent, their pilot.
Henry returned to Alex, thrusting the clothing at his boyfriend. "I'll keep watch, put some clothes on, and we can call Shaan," he ordered. Henry's voice was firm and full of authority, which only added to its appeal for Alex. He loved seeing Henry exude confidence, especially when combined with Henry's commanding tone.
Henry could read Alex like a book. He knew exactly how that voice affected his boyfriend. Winking at Alex, he turned back to observe the now lit-up house from their vantage point. The only telltale sign that Alex had begun dressing was the rustling of his clothes. Feeling Alex's hands on his hips, he turned to face him. "You call Shaan," Alex murmured, as he slipped in front of Henry.
Henry didn't have to say anything else. He opened the almost fully charged cell phone and dialed the pre-programmed number, immediately. He couldn't mentally calculate the time difference between where they were and DC.
"Zahra. Go." The voice on the other end of the phone answered immediately. It took Henry a moment to think. He hadn't been expecting Zahra to pick up. He had been expecting Shaan. He hadn't really spoken to Zahra, except for a handful of times before. She intimidated him. "Henry? Alex? Are you there?" Henry felt frozen. His voice wouldn't work. Alex noticed how rigid Henry had become and took the phone from him. "I swear to god, if this is another one of your stupid jokes..."
"We have company." Alex rushed out in a whisper. "Someone else is here with us."
"What the actual fuck?" Zahra hissed in reply. "You two are ok, right?"
"Freaking out here, Z" Alex said. "There must have been a small squall. In the utility room, a window's broken."
"I am getting some help, Alex. I promise." Zahra swore, hoping that Shaan would see the message she just sent him. She had Trent's number, but she knew it would hours before he could reach the boys. She knew that diplomatic channels were out of the question. They would then alert the Queen and Henry would be locked away and Alex possibly hurt. She couldn't let that happen. Then everything they had done so far, would have been for nothing. "Stay where you are. I need to make some calls, sit tight."
Zahra had been getting ready for bed when the call came through. Not caring how she looked, she snatched her other phones up off the bed beside her, grabbed her coat from the hall closet, and then locked her door behind her before heading straight for the White House. Dressed in her pink plaid pyjama pants and a Georgetown hoodie Alex had loaned her once during the campaign and she had never returned.
She flagged down a cab and demanded the driver take her to the White House. The driver looked at her like she was insane, but Zahra snapped at him about wasting time and he put his foot on the gas and sped off. Seeing Peter on the phone, it eased her fears. "You can stop here," Zahra said to the driver when they arrived at the booth. She threw him a twenty and told him to keep the change.
As she climbed out of the car, the driver hung back, fully expecting the crazy, psycho ride he had just picked up to be refused entry and hoping she'd need a ride back. It was a slow night, and he was hoping for the extra fare. But to his surprise, the Secret Service let her straight through, and another agent followed her. He hoped that whatever the emergency was, they would hear about it on the news, and he could brag to his buddies about it. Just then, the Secret Service tapped on his window and ordered him to move along.
Inside the White House, she immediately made her way up and into the Residence. Bypassing June's room, she headed straight for Leo and Ellen's room. Outside, she didn't hesitate at the threshold of the bedroom door; she just went straight to Ellen, shaking her awake. "What's happening?" she asked, as she woke her up. Leo woke beside her too. Normally, he slept right through Zahra waking Ellen up over something.
"It's...Ah, it's Alex and Henry." She didn't usually hesitate. That wasn't who Zahra was. But her hesitation showed Ellen just how worried she was. "Alex called, about six minutes ago. They've got some unwelcome company."
"Shit!" Ellen exclaimed, throwing herself out of bed. Leo was already standing. Clearly, she had clued Leo in at some point as to what had occurred. "Do we know who or how?"
"Alex was succinct on the phone. I think Henry was having some kind of panic attack. He could barely get a word out to me before Alex too the phone." Zahra rushed out, as Ellen threw an old pair of jeans and a campaign tee at Zahra to wear. Leo had stepped out of the room, and Zahra began changing, while Ellen too, quickly dressed. "I have messaged Shaan, but last time I heard from him, he had just boarded. He was flying commercial, so it is highly likely he won't get my message until he touches down in...," Zahra looked at her watch and calculated "...four hours."
"By then, it could be too late." Ellen interrupted her, as they left the Presidential bedroom, heading for the Residence kitchen. There was where they found Leo, still in his pajamas and robe, making coffee for the worried women. Neither woman paid too much attention to him, which was good. It let his mind think, uninterrupted.
"Diplomacy has to be out of the question," Zahra said, not realizing if Ellen had considered the danger to Henry. "If we get the Greek government involved, there goes our political relationship with them. Not to mention the dilemma of the boys who are in the country under assumed identities. I have called Trent, the pilot friend of Shaan's. He needs at least twenty-six hours. He is currently in New Zealand, on holiday with his family."
"I have a plan." Leo muttered, seeing if the women would listen to him. No one listened. He was not too surprised. Ellen and Zahra were clearly in crisis mode.
Ellen suggested, "I'll call Oscar and wake him up; he might have a contact or two that could help us."
"I have a plan!" Leo exclaimed, louder, this time to his wife and Zahra. Both women were shocked at Leo's raised voice. He was usually so calm, quiet and stoic. It was such a shock, they turned to him, their faces in surprise and stared at him, daring him to speak, now he had their attention. They had obviously forgotten he had been with them in the kitchen. "What?!" He huffed, frustrated by their callousness. "Alex is my stepson, and I love him like he was my own son; do you really think I wouldn't be wracking my brain to try and find a way to help him and Henry out?"
"Sorry, darlin'," Ellen whispered; she hadn't realized that Leo had tried to get their attention beforehand. Leo always enjoyed the way Ellen's southern drawl would deepen when she was in wife and mom mode. "What's your plan?"
Leo said, "I have a cousin. You haven't met him, El. He deliberately RSVP'd no to our wedding because he didn't want to cause a scene. He is rich, like richer than the royal family, rich. He owns a private Greek island. He is extremely well-known, probably more than Henry and Alex combined right now.
"How do you know where the boys are?" Zahra interrogated Leo. Zahra couldn't recall ever mentioning where she and Shaan had stashed the boys.
"You just said Greek government. I'm assuming that you and your fiancé weren't as stupid as to hole them up in a populated area. No, you're too smart for that, Zahra. You'd have them hiding out on one of the private islands." Leo explained, glaring at Zahra. Zahra grimaced, realising her slip up. Leo did like her, but sometimes he felt like she didn't respect him. A long time ago he knew going forward, that being with Ellen and marrying her, meant she was a package deal. That she came with an ex-husband who was also in politics, two kids whom he had instantly adored and a blunt, direct, take no prisoners assistant, who would one day be her Chief of Staff, but was really like family. But he knew he could handle it. Leo wasn't stupid. Far from it. He was a smart man. A genius actually. World class inventor, with patents, and even more pending. He was safe in the knowledge that his biggest, most successful invention was in almost every home and business in the world. "Let me call my cousin. I know he has a chopper. Let him go and get the boys. They will be safe with him, until we can get to them to collect them."
"Set it up." His wife demanded. She was in officially in mom mode, and no one messed with her kids when she got into her fiercely protective momma mode. That was something he loved about her. "Call your cousin, Darlin'. As soon as it's set up, we'll try to get hold of the boys again."
Leo held out his hand to Zahra, demanding the exact details of where the boys were holed up. Leo couldn't help them if he didn't know exactly where to send his cousin.
Zahra reluctantly handed over the little details that she knew. Leo managed to get his cousin to answer the phone. Neither woman had been surprised when the man in question answered his own phone. Who really knew that Leo's cousin was none other than the world-renowned British entrepreneur and adventurer. The head of highly respected airline, worldwide. He was infamous for his publicity, as well as his records in powerboat racing and hot air ballooning. Despite all of Leo's cousin's accomplishments, he was a classic introvert and when he and Leo had spoken, he had reassured Leo, he had understood why Alex and Henry had to escape the way they did. He reminded Leo that they were family and had been not only cousins, but best friends in their childhood. That he would do all he could for the boys because Leo was family and Alex was Leo's family.
"Tell them the tail of the chopper will read," Leo said, as soon as he ended the call with his cousin. He recited the tail number that he had written down on the notepad in front of him. "My cousin will take care of them. I trust him with my life. He said he will have Alex call me as soon as he has them both with him. He is taking his personal security team too."
"I'll prepare our NDAs for him and his security team." Zahra added, as she pulled out the burner cell and tried to call Alex and Henry. "Sorry Leo, it's protocol."
"No worries." He grinned at Zahra. "Ellen, yourself and the boys will have to sign one for him too. I signed one a long time ago."
"Henry, baby." Alex whispered. They had now turned all of the lights off. More than twenty minutes ago. Alex had suggested that they let their eyes adjust to the dark, just in case they had to make a run for it. "Are you ok? You're shaking!"
Henry couldn't stop shaking. He felt like he had concrete cinder blocks in his feet. "W...what if it is Gran? What if she found us here?"
"It's not, Baby. It's probably just a lost fisherman and he is seeking shelter from the small squall." Alex suggested. The suggestion didn't sit right with Alex, in his gut. But he was trying to keep Henry calm. After being outed by the press and practically chased down by every reporter on the continental US and Europe, he had a gut feeling it was someone from the media.
Henry gasped for air sharply. Whilst Alex was aware that he had had a panic attack and blacked out, coming to cuddled between and June and Nora sandwich, he knew that Henry had suffered harder. Henry had fully shut down. To the point where Shaan had mentioned that he and Bea had to sedate Henry. That his heart rate had been teetering dangerously high and Shaan had been extremely worried for his physical health.
"Breathe, Baby." Alex murmured, not taking his eyes off the caretaker's cottage. He was rubbing Henry's arms, keeping his voice in a low and soothing tone. "That's it." He encouraged Henry. "You're doing so well, baby."
The ringing of the cell on the counter broke through the reverie. Henry's eyes sharply met Alex's. The panic was clear in his eyes. Alex picked up the phone and held his boyfriend close. "Hello."
"There's a chopper coming." Zahra's voice came over the phone line and it sounded breathless. "Tail number ZP2310. It's someone Leo knows. Someone Leo trusts. The password is Balls Out Bananas. He has his own security, and you'll have to sign an NDA. I've reviewed it and it's safe to sign. He has signed for the two of you. Get your things together, he is seven minutes away."