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“Did you like the play, sweetie?” Sarina asked, squeezing Jane Louise’s shoulder. The little girl hugged her next.
“It was funny,” she said.
“We enjoyed it too,” BJ said. “Thanks for inviting us.”
“A pleasant evening,” James said simply. Not a man of many words. He worked in air traffic control at Bozeman Yellowstone International, so he’d been involved with the ruckus after Jacob Calakmul had blown up a hangar.
“Glad you could make it. How’s work, James?” Roth asked, trying to draw him out.
“We’ve heard that the FAA might be shutting down international travel soon. The plague is spreading through Europe so fast.”
Roth glanced at Monica. She and Jordan were holding hands. That was sweet to see. He’d have to ask her what the federal government was going to do about the plague. Would they admit where it had really come from? Or would there be a more believable cover story?
Roth had refused multiple interview requests from the media, who were trying to match what his book said with current events. The official story about the near attack from Mexico was that the Mexican government was undergoing a coup and political unrest in every state, but there were plenty of smaller stories that dissented from that version of events. There were also accounts from those who’d witnessed humans shifting to animals and dozens if not hundreds of conspiracy theories about everything from what had really happened in the White House to what was causing the plague. Air traffic to Europe had come to a halt due to the spreading illness, and from what Roth had been told, things would only get worse unless a cure was found.
They needed a glyph to stop what a glyph had started. Illari Chaska was researching that, and Suki and Sarina would be able to test her findings using the kem äm. The possible ramifications were staggering. Already, Suki could use glyphs to heal injuries, and the government was seeking out other individuals who might also be able to channel the power. Officials had demanded more of the jewelry that could be used to control the kem äm, but so far none had been forthcoming with the collapse of the Mexican government.
In the meantime, Roth had stopped reading his e-mail, overwhelmed by all the demands on his time and attention. Things were far from normal.
“Sarina,” BJ said, “before we came here, Jane Louise asked when she could see your family again. The mansion is too big for us, so we’re staying in our house for now. She’s not ready to start school yet. Not with so many rumors out there. Agent Sanchez said we should probably home school her for a while. I don’t mean to intrude on your lives, but . . . ?”
Sarina hugged Jane Louise again. “The twins would love to watch movies with her, and I think Suki considers her a little sister. She’s . . . she’s part of our family now. We’ll be heading to DC next week but come over every day until then.”
BJ smiled and gave Roth a hug. “And you’re my baby boy now,” she crooned to Roth. Then she squeezed past him and hugged Sarina. “And you’re my baby girl.” Then she tapped Jane Louise on the shoulder. “Want to get a sundae from McDonald’s on the way home?”
“Yes!” Jane Louise said. She waved goodbye and left with the McKintys. Roth felt his heart clench. He didn’t like to see her go. When she wasn’t around, he worried about her. He’d asked Lund to make sure the McKintys had a decent security system, but even so, it didn’t feel like enough. Not after he’d had to walk away from her at the death game. There were news vans parked at the edge of the Beasley property night and day, waiting for someone to show up to talk to. Thankfully, they didn’t know about the McKintys yet. Lund’s crew was keeping them away from the Roths’ home.
“I miss that little girl every time she leaves,” Roth admitted, feeling that painful ache.
Sarina leaned against him. He put his arm around her and pulled her in. With a new insulin pump regulating her blood sugar, she had the flush of good health again. As a family, they’d decided to keep their knowledge of Aztlán a secret for now. At least until they saw how the government handled the information they’d already been given. They’d see what demands were made of them too—Suki, Sarina, and the boys wanted to help, and they had the ability to make a real difference with their knowledge of the kem äm, but they also wanted to maintain some control over their lives.
Roth saw the twins coming, Brillante with his Mountain Dew and Lucas with two cups of homemade caramel Bugles.
“Let’s congratulate Suki,” Roth said to Jordan and Monica over the commotion. The cast and crew usually lined up in the corridor outside the theater to greet the audience. Jordan nodded, and the couple joined them. They had to shuffle along with the crowd to join the line to see the theater members. It was so noisy that Roth’s ears were ringing. He felt his heart racing, his body start to sweat. A feeling of panic made him want to tear through the crowd and run for his truck. But he took some calming breaths, held on to Sarina, and suffered through the noise.
When they got to Suki, she was standing next to Brice, her arm around him. Her face was flushed, and Roth could see the crowd was a little too much for her too, but she was clearly enjoying the moment of triumph. The play had been a fantastic production. And she’d helped with all aspects of it.
“You did great,” Roth said, holding his palm out to her.
Suki shook her head and gave him a real hug instead. “Thanks for coming.”
“We’re so proud of you,” Roth said. He kissed her hair. “Brice. You were awesome. And tell your mom I want the recipe for the Bugles.”
Brice laughed out loud. “It’s a family secret. Sorry. Thanks for coming to the show. We couldn’t have pulled it off without Suki, our awesome stage manager.”
Suki beamed. “Awww, thanks for saying that. The cast is going to Dairy Queen, Dad, so I’ll be coming home late.”
“Just text Uncle Steve and make sure he knows where you are,” Roth said. “But you can go. Just don’t stay out too late.”
“We’re all exhausted. So it’ll probably be around eleven. That okay?”
“That’s fine,” Sarina answered.
Roth felt the burner phone in his pocket vibrate, meaning he had a new text. Then it buzzed again. And again.
Worry began to surge inside his chest. He hurriedly fished his hand into his pocket and pulled out the burner phone. About a dozen alerts had been delivered from an unknown number.
Roth felt engulfed by panic. His heart was hammering as he stared at the screen. His mouth went dry.
