Page 25 of Brave Horizons (Barrington Billionaires #19)

TOPEKA

Everyone looked worn out, their faces drawn and tired.

Sleep had been fitful, interrupted by every rustle and distant sound.

Topeka knew they needed something to lift their spirits, something to remind them that they were more than fugitives on the run.

Her father had taught her when things got dark and heavy, music could be a powerful antidote.

She took a deep breath, patting a beat on her legs.

The rhythm was steady and soothing, a prelude to the song she was about to share.

With a clear, strong voice, she began to sing an old Irish drinking song her father had loved.

The melody was simple, the words familiar, but they held a magic that had always managed to bring light into the darkest of times.

The first verse flowed out of her effortlessly, and she noticed the others gradually stopping what they were doing to listen. Alex paused in his task, breakfast forgotten for a moment. Russ and Hillary turned toward her, their expressions softening as the music washed over them.

Without a word, they took the breakfast Alex finished making and sat on the logs by her. She continued singing, her voice weaving through the trees, lifting their spirits just as it had lifted her father's countless times.

As her song came to an end, Topeka felt a sense of calm settle over the group. Before anyone could praise her talent, a sudden sound pierced the tranquil morning. A ringing. The satellite phone.

Everyone froze, the momentary peace shattered by the urgent, electronic tone. Alex scrambled to grab the phone, his movements quick and deliberate. He answered it, his voice tense. "This is Alex."

Topeka held her breath, watching him closely. The others leaned in, their breakfast suddenly unimportant as they strained to hear the conversation.

Alex listened intently, nodding as the voice on the other end spoke. "Yes, we’re safe for now. We're in the mountains, but we need extraction as soon as possible. Our supplies are limited, and we're not equipped for a long stay out here."

“You missed the rendezvous point that would have resulted in crossing over the Canadian border,” the voice said. “That’s compromised now. The national news is covering the story of Topeka’s abduction now more than ever since they announced suspects.”

“Me,” Alex sighed. “Well maybe we can stay here longer if some supplies could be dropped in. ”

The idea of that made Topeka’s skin crawl. She felt lucky to have a safe place but this was not ideal.

The voice continued with a level tone. “You’ve been burned completely, unfortunately. I know that can be hard to process. You’ve been invaluable to us for years and?—”

“I’m still on the job right now,” Alex cut in. “How far are you from being able to indict and arrest the people you need to? I can keep this going. I can stay off the radar with them. I’m not done yet.”

A long pause looked painful for Alex to endure. “Have all the recorded statements and documents been notarized and gathered?”

“Yes. They’re here with us.”

“This is a unique situation. We never would have assumed these people would track so intensely and for so long. In all my years I’ve never had anyone breech our security in Italy.

Her father and his men are determined. I don’t know at this point if its self-preservation to avoid punishment or if he only wants his daughter dead for betraying him.

But when you pair that with a national missing person’s search, the places you can hide shrink to almost nowhere. ”

Topeka stepped closer. “Then I’m done hiding,” she said confidently. “I can only help with one of those issues. Let me make a video, a statement saying that I’m alive and well. I’m under no duress and want to be left alone.”

Alex looked apologetic as he spoke. “The public would be very doubtful and your father would dispute the validity of the video. If anything, it could get more people interested and involved, which is not what we want.”

“She might be on to something. I think she could go on the news. We find a relatively trusted source and we set up a clandestine interview. She tells them she’s not been kidnapped and is in fact in protective custody.

She can leak the fact that her father and his associates are involved in dangerous and deadly racketeering and she fled for her safety.

It would turn the tide of public opinion. ”

“Wait,” Russ said urgently. “You’ll be showing your hand. People associated with her father will climb back in their holes and hide.”

“Everyone in his network is already aware she’s on the run and she has evidence.

They know about you too. Anything they wanted to hide would be hidden by now.

But you both already collected ample evidence to put them away.

We’ve been waiting to weed out the people involved or those who might protect your father and bring the evidence only to those who can be trusted.

We’re close to that now. You two still need to stay alive and safe in order to testify, but this might be what we need. ”

Alex seemed worried. “Then what? She goes on the news and makes a bold and public accusation. You’re saying you don’t have anywhere to put her to keep her safe.”

“We’d be canceling out one of the bigger issues. The whole world looking for her as a missing person. It would still be hard, but taking that off the table would open up an option or two. It wouldn’t be luxurious accommodations, but I could make something work.”

“And how long would she have to stay there? The process could take ages. There are so many people to round up and take down. When would she be able to return to her normal life?”

Alex asked the questions Topeka had never been brave enough to ask. The long silence was more than enough to show her the truth.

“It’s unlikely she’ll be able to return to the life she had before. Not without looking over her shoulder constantly. We could never guarantee her safety with this widespread level of corruption.”

“So you stick her in a convent in Guam and she just stays there?” Alex’s voice rose in anger. “This is crazy. It’s not her fault.”

“I understand and I can promise you it’s not going to be a convent in Guam. But the risk is not over. It won’t be. Not for a long while.”

“I knew that,” Topeka said, touching Alex’s arm gently. “I knew that when I started this. I’d rather have to sacrifice some of my freedom than have my father murder another person for his own gain. I made this choice.”

“What about Russ?” Hillary asked, her brow creased with worry. “They know about him too, right? So he’s in danger. Where does he go?”

“A different location. We need to split you guys up,” Kenan said. “We wanted you together while you were deposed and your statements were documented but now it’s too risky to keep you together.”

“No,” Topeka argued. “We started this together. We are the ones who risked everything to gather that evidence. I thought he was dead for all that time. Now you want us to go back to not knowing if the other one is okay?”

“Once everyone is settled, we can arrange phone check-ins, but unfortunately this is protocol.”

Russ nodded, resigning himself to their fate. “It’s the right move. They need to make sure they don’t have all their eggs in one basket in case someone shoots the basket.”

They exchanged a sad but knowing look.

Kenan was speaking to someone on his end of the line for a moment. “You guys make it one more night where you are and we’ll have a security team meet you at the foot of the mountain tomorrow morning. Then we’ll regroup from there.”

When the call ended, Hillary broke the silence with a somber observation. “You know,” she began, her voice tinged with sadness, “this will probably be the last day the four of us spend together. Likely ever.”

Her words hung in the air, the weight of their reality sinking in. Topeka felt a lump form in her throat as she looked around at her companions. They had been through so much together, and the thought of parting ways was almost too much to bear.

Russ, sensing the mood, turned to Topeka with a gentle smile. “Topeka, would you sing us another song? Something happy. I think we could all use a little more of that magic you’ve got.”

Topeka nodded, her heart swelling with emotion. She took a deep breath and began to pat a rhythm on her legs once more. This time, she chose a lively, uplifting tune—one that her father used to sing during happier times. Her voice rose clear and strong, weaving a tapestry of hope and joy.

As she sang, she saw the weariness in their faces begin to fade.

Alex’s eyes softened, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Hillary’s tension seemed to melt away, and even Russ, with his ever-present sarcasm, looked genuinely touched by the music.

Maybe it would be something for them to remember her by.