The Web Weaver
While Amber, Dan, and Samuel stood in the driveway of the Lance-Trace estate, paralyzed by the realization that a stolen piece of their friend and business partner's jewelry had been restyled and then delivered to them, the "hunt" continued at the resort.
Vane and a specialized team, dressed in maintenance jumpsuits, moved toward Villa 5. They moved with practiced boredom, keeping the "normality" of the resort intact. The Blue Serene maintenance van drove along the hidden road through the dense trees, only their quiet engine heard within the tranquil paradise.
Vane had chosen to go to Villa 5 from the opposite side of the lake to ensure Sebastian was unaware of their movements. At least, he hoped the man was unaware. Vane and Miller were still both suspicious and felt that Sebastian had to be involved. His secure cell vibrated in his pocket and he casually pulled it out. He already knew who the text was from before he read it.
Cummings: "Report."
Vane: "Still suspect Montague. Just too perfect."
Cummings: "And 5?"
Vane: "There in less than two heartbeats."
Cummings: "Make sure everything is clean. I will put someone on Montague."
Vane: "Understood."
Just as Vane had told Albert Cummings, the maintenance van stopped in front of Villa 5 in less than two beats of a calm human heart. They filed out and began what looked like routine work. They went over the yard first, as if they were searching for a faulty pipe or bad electrical connection, then they entered the villa and made a thorough search of the huge home.
Vane sighed in slight disappointment. They found the "signal bleed"—a tiny, discarded circuit board hidden inside a light fixture—a digital breadcrumb leading to a dead end.
"He's gone," Vane muttered into his comms. "This place is a graveyard of old data."
Miller's voice came back, sounding just as disappointed. "Well, we figured this would be the case. Let's regroup and hit this harder."
The comms crackled to a close and Vane nodded to no one in particular. He looked into the trees where he knew Villa 4 sat, his gut twisting with unproven certainty. He was the best at what he did, but he felt like a puppet dangling from strings purposely loosened.
In his antique Mercedes, the cold crispness of the car AC blasting into his face, Sebastian had watched it all. He had a small monitor in his palm and a wide smile on his face. He had pulled over to look at his GPS and gain an idea of the relative size of the Lance-Trace estate when a sensor was tripped at Blue Serene. He had set traps all over the dense woods around him and the three closest villas to his.
He had immediately dropped his GPS system, pulled out his handheld, and smiled like a spider with prey caught in its web. The maintenance van, the look for a faulty pipe—or whatever. He had to give it to Blue Serene Security; they were pretty good, but not good enough. He would be sure to rectify that soon. Amber Ann deserved the best.
He watched a man look toward Villa 4 and he narrowed his eyes. This one still suspected him. He changed to a different angle, a camouflaged long-scope high in the canopy, and zoomed in. It was not a good angle for the face, but he had enough. His network would figure out who this was soon enough.
He closed his eyes, imagining Amber's face as she read the Latin. He knew she would understand. She was an "Architect." She would see the beauty in the transformation. He hadn't just given her a stone; he had given her a piece of the "old world" refined into something worthy of her.
He put the handheld down and went back to his GPS. He would need to be careful. Dan was sure to have some sort of detection systems in place, but it didn't matter. Amber Ann already understood he was near and she would be waiting for him—no matter how long it took.
"Do you see me now, Amber?" he whispered. "I'm the only one who truly knows your soul."
Across town in a lavish ranch-style estate, Albert Cummings entered the sunroom where Jessica Lance was resting. He was still worried about her; she had finally gotten her appetite back, but she seemed so weak. He brought her a hot bowl of soup and a specially made electrolyte drink. She smiled up at him as he placed them before her on a large oak TV tray.
"I am being such a baby."
He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. "You're not being a baby. You just didn't realize you would love them so much. Gladys has said you can see them, and, if you want, I can always get them back for you. You are their mother."
Albert smiled as he watched her genuinely consider it, then shake her head. She was still his Jessica, but she was evolving, thinking about how her actions would affect other things. She was no longer single-minded; she was becoming the true planner he always knew she was.
She looked up at him with a smile. "I have you. You will give me more children. I can't afford to ruin what you are building." She took a large sip of the bone broth before her and swallowed elegantly. "How are things at Blue Serene?"
He sat down with a sigh and gently took one of her feet into his lap and began to gently rub it. "They are tracking a true pro or a true madman." He sighed. "I think he is a bit of both."
Jessica frowned. "Is Amber Ann in danger?"
"I think so. Do you want me to change tactics?"
She shook her head and continued eating her soup, lost in thought. "No. I think it's time to invite my sisters over for a nice talk."
Albert smiled broadly. "That sounds like a good idea. Tell me what day you decide on and I will prepare everything." He kissed the sole of her foot and took the second one into his lap to massage.