“While it’s been many years since we’ve been there, the man who cares for it says the buildings are in quite good shape.”
“How long has it been?” I asked.
Anna moved her hand to her cheek. “The last time was before the accident that took our Amelia.”
“It means leaving Europe, Mama,” said Mercury.
“This is not our home, my dear. It’s the place where we hid.”
Polina reached for Beacon, who stood and walked over to her. “Horatio and Mikhail spent many daysfishing on that lake. We have good memories from our time there.”
“Tell me about it, Babushka,” Beacon said. “You said it’s a great camp? What does that mean?”
“Our great-grandfather Wyndham had it constructed during the era when wealthy families were establishing what they called great camps in the Adirondack Mountains. They weren’t single dwellings. They were more often a collection of buildings spread through the trees—typically, a lodge or main house, smaller guest camps, and a boathouse. In that part of the world, they call everything on a lake a camp, whether it’s a cottage or an estate.”
“Polina knows every stone on that property better than anyone,” Anna said. “She spent more time there than I ever did. It was her family’s place long before I married into it.”
“What’s there now?” Beacon asked.
The door opened, and Razor walked in. “Sorry, the kids are giving Avarie heck. What did I miss?”
Gunner chuckled. “You are so far behind you might as well go home.”
Razor looked from him to me.
“I’ll explain later,” I told him.
“You asked what’s at Onteora,” Polina said to Beacon. “There’s the main camp, which has ten bedrooms, if I recall correctly. It sits at the tip of Sandy Point and has a view of all of Canada Lake. There are at least twelve guest camps in the trees behind it, and the boathouse is on the northernmost side of the property.”
“Wait a minute,” said Razor. “Did she say?—”
“Canada Lake,” Gunner answered before Razor finished his sentence. “Remember that great big old place on the west side, near the island?”
Razor’s mouth gaped. “Am I the only one who thinks this is an incredible coincidence?”
“No,” said Gunner, nudging him. “You’re the last one.”
Mercury stood and held her hands out to Anna. “I think it’s time we take my mother and Aunt Polina home.”
“For what it’s worth, the Adirondacks are spectacular,” said Razor.
“Oh, I meant to ask, what is Onteora? Does it have a special meaning?” Beacon asked.
“Land in the sky,” Polina answered. “It’s a word used by the Native Americans who once lived there.”
Beacon squeezed her hand. “It sounds amazing.”
“It’s even better when you’re there,” Polina said.
The conversationthe next morning took less than five minutes. Gunner explained the danger facing not only Mercury but everyone associated with Minerva. Beacon talked about the plan to relocate, where, and when.
The departure time was set for forty-eight hours, unless we could make it happen sooner.
Beacon divided the work. Kingston and I took the equipment—what to bring, what to destroy, what could be replaced on the other end. Hornet and Delfino handled the travel route and ground security. Amaryllis and Magnolia coordinated with Doc’s team on the aircraft and vehicle staging. Dagger arranged cargo, and Razor handled the Johnstown arrival and the ground team until we reached Onteora.
“The European contact notifications are mine,” Beacon said, looking at me. “My sources. My calls. Ineed to personally reach every one of them before we leave the continent.”
“Understood,” I responded.
