Free Secrets by Nancy Popovich Page B

her only
lifeline.
    What now?
Obviously, she would require assistance to leave this home. It was
guarded by Maurice, perhaps even by others outside. What had BB
called it? Ah yes, a safe house. But safe from whom? And there
wasn’t much time to waste.
    Sonya slipped
on her shoes and jacket, said a quick prayer and silently unlocked
the bedroom door. A night light at the end of the hall provided
enough illumination to allow her to find the stairs. Closing the
door again, she pulled out the cell phone and gritting her teeth at
the expense, pulled up Google maps, waiting impatiently until it
pinpointed her location. Carefully writing her coordinates and the
surrounding streets, she exited the map. There was no point in
incurring the national debt. She could always reconnect once she
left.
    They weren’t as
far away from downtown as she had imagined. The question now, was
how to get a taxi. She was definitely too far to walk. There were
two cars downstairs. Steve’s was a small one, it was late at night
and perhaps she could navigate that one to the Eiffel Tower.
It was likely her best option.
    Opening the
door again, Sonya quietly closed it behind her and began to tiptoe
to the stairway. A hand gripped her arm. Inhaling a scream, she
turned to assess her assailant, ready to do battle. Instead, she
let out a deep breath. It was Madame Lalonde.
    “Where you go?”
she asked in a whisper. “You have hear, ne c’est pas ?” she
demanded.
    “I’m just going
downstairs,” Sonya lied.
    “And out of
door,” Madame Lalonde finished. “I smell lies very well,”
she stated.
    Opening her
bedroom door and steering Madame Lalonde into her room,
Sonya closed the door and took a deep breath. “Yes, I did hear from
Bryan, a text message. I don’t think it was from him, to be honest,
but I have no choice but to go.”
    “You can tell
the others,” Madame Lalonde suggested.
    “I don’t know
who can be trusted,” Sonya admitted somewhat tearily.
    “ Chérie ,” Madame Lalonde took in a deep breath and
began, “you must trust someone. You cannot go alone! The men that
take Lucien and Bryan, they are bad people. You are but a girl. If
you must go, I go too. He is my son.”
    Tears stung
Sonya’s eyes as she studied the older woman standing in her room.
Her forehead was swollen, discoloured and held together with
steri-strips and her arm was in a sling. She most probably had
bruised ribs or worse and was in a great deal of pain. Yet, there
she stood, ready to do battle and to help her.
    “ Madame Lalonde,” Sonya began. “You are hurt! You must stay here. You can’t
come with me!”
    “How do you
leave here?” the older lady demanded quietly. “You cannot walk. You
do not know Paris. Do you know where we are?” she asked.
    Sonya just
shook her head. They were very good questions and she had no
answers.
    “ Chérie ,” Madame Lalonde heaved a great sigh. “You
give me one half of one hour? I find some way to have car keys and
direct you to where we must go. I cannot drive, but you can. What
time we meet them?”
    Reluctantly,
Sonya agreed. She did have to trust someone, and it might as well
be Madame Lalonde. She could always ditch her if the going
got tough. Madame Lalonde had been through enough physical
violence already.
    “Okay. Only
thirty minutes and then I’m leaving, even if I have to walk. They
said 2:30 at the Eiffel Tower.”
    “I be back in
twenty minute, maybe less. I go to my room to take medicine first.
I know where are auto keys. Be ready when I knock on door, oui ?”
    “ Oui! ”

CHAPTER 17
    “You are very
certain?”
    “ Absuloment I am certain! Why else do I tell you? She will
leave alone and you know what will happen. I must have car key and
you must let us go! 2:30 at le Eiffel . I trust you to make a
net for us.” Madame Lalonde hung up her cell phone and
crossed the bedroom to take her pain killers. Bed looked pretty
inviting at this juncture.
    However, old
habits did die hard, and she