Page 13 of Gamma
Lear eyes me, then glances at Uncle Harris. “I think you know how this is gonna go, man. She comes from a line of strong, stubborn, badass women, Harris. Quit acting like you don’t know how this is gonna go.”
“Fuck!” Harris turns back to me. “Your dad will kill me.”
“My dad isn’t in charge of me, Harris. You let me handle my father. You worry about getting me on that plane to Europe with Anselm and Duke.”
He nods, sighing roughly. “Lear, inform Anselm and Duke that they have a third in their party. Rin, I’ll get you to the airfield myself, but you have to inform your father what you’re planning and make it clear it’s over my objections and that I’m only helping you to keep you safe.”
A few minutes later, I’m in a helicopter piloted by my uncle as it takes off from a nearby tower roof. I’m patched through via my headset to my father.
“Rin, Harris says you’re about to do something reckless.”
“I’m about to do what I have to do, Daddy.”
“Which is what?”
“Find Apollo. They took him, and I’m going to get him back before they decide to just kill him.”
“Rin, honey. This is what Harris and his men do—and they’re the best in the world at it.”
“And that’s the man I love, Daddy. I’m not going to just sit around and do nothing.”
“Rin, please. Listen to me—”
“You’re not going to change my mind.”
“What will you do? What do you hope to accomplish? Anselm, Duke, Lear—this is what they do for a living and they’ve done it for almost thirty years.”
“Which means I’ll be perfectly safe with them.” I sigh. “Look, Daddy, you’re just going to have to trust me. Because I’m doing what I feel is necessary, and I’ll do it no matter what you or anyone says. I’d much rather have the help of Duke and Anselm because as you pointed out, this is their job. But if you try to stop me or something, I’ll do it on my own.”
“Dowhat, Rin? What are you going to do that they can’t?”
“You’re missing the point. But I’ll follow the leads we have so far—Rasmussen, Djakovic, and Spaulding. I’m going to find them, and I’m going to get Apollo and Yelena back. And I’ll kill anyone who gets in my way.”
“Corinna, I know that sounds badass, but—”
“Donotpatronize me. You raised me. I’m your daughter, Mom’s daughter. Look who else helped raise me—Uncle Harris and Aunt Layla, and all the other A1S guys. Is it any wonder this is my response? If I can at all help it, I’ll leave the killing to the professionals. But I’m not about to letanyoneget in my way.” I pause, and my father is silent. “I love him, Daddy. He’s in trouble, and I have to help him.”
“Moving to Houston, running Valkyrie, and living with Apollo…I know you’re not a child anymore, Rinna, but going to Europe and trying to track down dangerous, internationally wanted criminals who are capable of and willing to murder federal judges? That’s different. You’re not trained for it, Rin. You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“Did Mom know what she was doing? Did Auntie Layla? Did Temple, Lola, Colbie, or Selah know what they were doing? Obviously Cuddy is different. But the others, before everything happened to them, were they trained?”
“That was different, Rin.”
“The hell it is!” I shout. “I wasn’t calling to ask your permission anyway. I was informing you.”
“I could have them take you somewhere and keep you safe till this is resolved.”
“You could,” I say, making my voice calm. “And if you did, I’d never speak to you again.” I pause for effect. “And if you think that’s an idle threat, remember the daughter you raised, the person I am, and ask yourself if you raised me to make idle threats.”
A sigh, more of a frustrated growl than anything. “I know you want to help. I know you’re scared for his life. I just…Rin, I thought I’d lost you once, when Apollo kidnapped you. I can’t go through that again.”
“I’ll stay with the guys at all times, and I know to obey without question if shit starts to go down. I’ll try to touch base with you now and again so you know I’m okay. But I cannot and will not sit idly by while the man I love is in danger.”
“I have to say it one last time, honey—I really, really wish you would leave this to your uncle and the professionals. Theywillget him back, alive, and unhurt. If anyone can, they can.”
“And if I can run Valkyrie, I can do this—I can contribute. Do you know any other twenty-one-year-olds running multibillion-dollar companies? No, you don’t. There’s just me.” I strengthen my voice, hearing the truth in my words as I speak them, and feeling my confidence soar. “I got kidnapped by a reclusive, dangerous billionaire and came out on top. I walked away from someone I knew I was in love with, because I knew it was the only way forward. I’ve gotten Valkyrie off the ground. We have rockets in space—andIdid that, all of it. On my own. Not to mention, compared to people like Cain and Apollo’s grandfather, this Spaulding character is small-time. He’s peanuts. He made a huge mistake tangling with us, and he’s about to find that out the hard way.”
“Your mother and I raised one hell of a strong woman, didn’t we?”