I checked into the hotel. She joined me thirty minutes later.
“Shit, they followed me through the airport until I got to another terminal and a restroom.”
“Now what?”
“I’m calling Drex. We’ll stay here until he sends us new passports with these disguises. Flying without the disguises is not an option.”
We put on several wigs and dresses and took several pictures. Then she called Drex, but he didn’t answer. We finally called Acer and Isla, telling them to get in touch with him.
The next day we moved to another hotel and went shopping for more clothes. I picked up a pair of glasses that were horrible.
Drex called and the time change was so different, he woke us up in the middle of the night.
“Sorry, I didn’t get notified of your call. My phone never received your calls and I’m not sure why.”
Gemini explained the problem, and we sent several pictures of each of us to him. Then we destroyed the phone and used a new one we’d brought with us.
Two days later, our new passports arrived. We inspected them and rolled our eyes.
I was Gertrude Lowenstein, and Gemini was Edith Leibowitz.
“I want to be Edith. Why’d they give me Gertrude?”
Gemini laughed. “I don’t know. But does it matter?”
“Guess not. With hair like this, I could be anyone.”
We checked the flights to see what our options were. The same flight was available, but we didn’t want to go that route again. This time we went to Tokyo and then on to Paris.
We arrived at the airport with less luggage than the first time. After we checked in, we went to the lounge area. Nothing suspicious met us that time.
By the time we landed in Paris, we both were exhausted, mostly from anxiety. We dragged our weary bodies to the hotel and crashed for eighteen hours. When we got up, it was eight a.m. the next morning.
I showered and went to look for breakfast. Luckily, I found a marvelous bakery nearby and brought back freshly baked croissants and other goodies, along with coffee for both of us. Gemini showered when I was gone, so we both gobbled up the breakfast when I returned.
“I hate to confess this, but I’m still hungry,” I said.
“Me too. I could eat some eggs and bacon.”
“Yeah, but the bacon here differs from ours.”
We walked around and found another place to eat. After a quick tour of the Eiffel Tower, we ate a delicious early lunch and then visited the Louvre.
It was huge and took up the rest of the day. That night for dinner, we ate near the hotel at a bistro. The food was fabulous.
“I could get fat here.”
Gemini laughed. “I already am.” She was referring to her rubber padding. I patted my fake pregnant belly in response.
Then I blurted out, “God, I really miss Raiden.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow. That’s the first time you’ve admitted it.”
“Can I trust you with a secret?”
“Sure. Scottie, you can trust me with anything.”
“I think I’m in love with him. I haven’t felt this way about a man since… well, you know. I wish we could go home. Do you think those fuckers will ever give up?”
“I do. If Aiden values his daughter and granddaughter, he’ll give in, eventually. He knows us well enough though to know that we won’t harm them, which is the problem.”
“Why don’t we stage their death?”
Gem straightened in her chair and aimed a finger at me. “You know, that might just work. If we did it right, as in if one of them held a knife to the little brat’s throat or something and made the mother believe it, it might be convincing enough.”
Hope blossomed in my chest. “You think?”
“Yes! I’m willing to try because I’m ready to get back home too.”
“Aren’t we a pair? This should be a trip of a lifetime and all we want to do is go home.”
“Can I tell you something?” she asked.
“Since I shared my deepest secrets with you, of course you can.”
“Drex thinks I’m this powerful woman, but I’m only strong because of him. He made me that way. When I first met him I was as weak as a kitten. I suffered from horrible migraines and wasn’t worth a damn. He changed my life, and I’d be nothing without him.”
“I can’t imagine that, but I believe you. I’ve always been strong, but losing my family made me even more so. It made me determined to win at everything. Once you lose, you never want to be down there again.”
Gem nodded