Itook a sip of coffee while the phone rang, and Michael answered so fast that I had to swallow quickly.
“Sawyer. What’s the news?”
“Anna, Alek, Bowden, Aurora, and Taylor are all safely on the jet and heading to New York. They just took off a few minutes ago.”
“That’s wonderful news, but I noticed you didn’t mention you or the other kid.”
“That’s right. I stayed back to find Jensen.”
“Wait, say that again. The phone signal must be breaking up because I thought you said that you stayed in fucking Stockholm to find the kid.”
“The signal is just fine.”
“Goddamnit, Sawyer—”
“Stop, man. I couldn’t leave him. When you see the other three, you’ll understand. Aria’s fucking mother is basically a ghost. She could barely take care of herself. The brothers were trying to take care of the little girl. And, Michael, she’s so much smaller than Belle. Cooper looks like a linebacker next to Alek.”
“Fuck.”
“Fuck is right. You would have killed me and Taylor if we’d put them on the jet and sent them back. Taylor is smart and will take care of them. Their mother is useless.”
“Say that again?”
“I said their mother is useless.”
“No, I meant the part about Taylor.” He laughed into the phone while I smiled. “It sounded like you commented about how smart Taylor is. And yes, she is very smart.”
“What is it with you two?”
“It’s nothing. Now, look, I’m going to get on our jet with Aria and head to New York. We’ll collect her mother and siblings and send the TCF jet and Taylor back to Stockholm. It’ll save six hours between the jet coming here from JFK and then back to JFK to refuel before coming to get you.”
“Taylor doesn’t have to come back.”
“Too bad. You don’t have much time, so the two of you need to find that kid.”
“Is Aria with you?”
“Yes.”
“Ask her if she knows of any hideout spots Jensen could have gone to.”
I could hear Michael talking to Aria for a few moments before he spoke into the phone again.
“Nothing that she’s aware of. Remember, Aria had been shipped off to the U.S. and hasn’t been home to see her siblings in a long time.”
“I’d use the term ‘home’ loosely. There was a small kitchen and main room. The kitchen only had one chair at the table, probably for Wade. I think the kids all slept on the floor in the main room, or I suppose the cellar.”
“They’ll never do without again. I’ll get them set up in a home nearby.”
“Keep a close eye on them, Michael. Seriously, the mother is missing a few screws. She’s completely detached from her children.”
“You know I’ll keep an eye on things.”
“Get those kids to a doctor as soon as you can. Maybe have Phillip come over.”
“Are they bad?”
“They’re starved and dinged up from what I could see. Alek has some sort of head injury. He complained of throbbing head pain a few times. He might need to go to the emergency room.”
