Billy shoved his way in front of Aurora then and whipped one of the coal black guns out. He leveled it at the woman's head and spoke without blinking.

"What do you mean just missed? How long ago and where did they go? You tell me that and the number of bullets in this gun stays the same. Lie to me, or waste my fucking time and an orderly is going to wind up regretting getting out of bed this morning. Squirt, grab the ledger, find the bitch's room just in case this little nurse has a fetish for being naughty."

The nurse squeeked as Aurora went to grab for the ledger and threw her hands up.

"P..please. They just left, you couldn't have missed them! They left just before you got here! Don't sh..."

Billy was already putting his gun away and tearing down the hall as if he was a dog on the scent. Aurora was close on his heels, and then she was at the car a split second before he was, this time, it was he who was driving.

Charlie and Addie watched as Billy and Aurora went inside. Addie had eyes on the front door, which gave Charlie just the quickest of seconds to glance around and assess the rest of the exits. It seemed as if there was only the one, lucky for him though there was also only one parking lot, and they were in it. That's when fate finally gave them a break.

A mop of golden curls went whisking through the parking lot and into a car carried by a large man. They were followed by another man who got in and started the car up. Charlie couldn't wait for Billy, he fired up the engine and threw it into drive. Addie protested for a second, but Charlie, pointed.

"Kid's in that car, there's only one bridge Addie, one."

Callemin tossed the girl into the backseat of the car and got in right behind her.

"Too close Garnier, too close."

"You think I don't know that? I'm the one who shoved you down the hall toward the back door! Merde! How did they find us so fast?"

He revved the engine and put the car in drive, making their way toward the same bridge they had come in on. As soon as they were out of the parking lot a black sedan sped past them and Garnier shook his head.

"Stupid American's don't know how to drive, they are like to get someone killed."

Nonetheless he put his foot down slightly harder onto the pedal then.

Charlie aimed and BAM! The car struck another vehicle, not hard, but enough to do some damage to the fender. More importantly, it was enough to make the other car swerve into the lane of oncoming traffic. Charlie immediately got out and threw open the hood of his car, unscrewing the radiator cap to let steam escape the engine. It would be fine, but it would look the part of a smoking engine until it cooled down a bit. He watched as another car pulled in behind them then, a car with two men, and a little blonde girl.

"Callemin we don't have time to waste, get out and get that guy to move so we can get off this damned island."

"Me? Always me!" He larger of the two men threw the rear door open and closed it quickly behind him so the girl couldn't go anywhere. He had thought he saw her snicker out of the corner of his eye, but Garnier was right, there was no time to waste.

"Move!" The shorter he kept his sentences, the fewer people were going to notice a thick accent. Garnier kept telling him to shut up, that he was going to give them away. The guy at the engine looked up over the hood.

"Oh hey, sorry bout this. Smoking engine, won't start. If you uh, if you want to help me move it, we can get it off the bridge."

Callemin looked back in the direction of his own car and Garnier nodded, so on he went to push the car out of the way.

Billy wasted no time getting to the bridge off the island, but when he got there it was a scene. He spotted a couple of car, one was smoking a little from the engine, but it looked like it was just leaking coolant, guy should have been able to...

"Charlie."

He looked to Aurora then and as he did so, she reached out and grabbed at his arm. Billy looked back at the bridge and watched as the other car that was waiting to pass jerked into reverse and then down the road.

"BILLY SHE'S IN THE CAR!"

Billy for all of his dumb moments threw his foot to the floor and sped after the car with his daughter.

"HE'S GOING TO HURT HER BILLY CATCH UP!"

Billy growled, willing his own car to go faster, and as they passed the bridge he heard a single gunshot. A quick glance in the rear-view mirror and he saw Charlie sliding his pistol back into his waistband before shoving a large body off the side of the bridge.

The kid kept crying and it took everything Octave Garnier had to manage the kid and try to find a second exit from the Island.  As he came around to the front of the building for the second time he realized that the bridge really was the only way out.  so long as they held the damn bridge he wasn't going fucking anywhere.
 

Rora rolled down her window and looked out, gun in hand. 

"Got a shot?"  Billy asked.

"I don't know.  Just stay on them." 

What options did he have?  There was no way off the island.  She was a good person, but even she knew what she'd do.  Brigitte was the only thing standing between him and certain death.  So long as he had her, he had some hope of survival.  He'd be a fool to let her go and if he thought they were willing to shoot anyway; that he was fucked no matter what, then he might shoot her out of spite.  Aurora didn't want to take the shot on him or his car for fear of what it might push him to do and yet... if she didn't take the shot she knew very well what might happen.  It was hard not to feel like she was standing back in Moscow again.  The memory of that last blood-soaked smile painted on Aunt Tara's face haunting her dark thoughts.
 

"Listen to me!"  Garnier snapped.

Brigitte sobbed.

"LISTEN!"  She quieted slightly and Garnier he spoke quickly, "She told you where the treasure is?"

Brigitte nodded.

"She told you not to tell me," He said, driving with one hand and hold his gun with the other. 

Again Brigitte nodded and wiped the snot from her nose with her sleeve.

"You must, you must tell me.  If you tell me then I will let you go.  If you do not tell me then I must take you with me.  I can not let you go.  There are men who will kill me if I do not find the treasure, Petite.  I do not want to hurt you.  I did not want to take you but I had no choice.  You must understand.  I did not lie to you about that, and I'm happy that you know where your mama is now... if you tell me where the treasure is I'll keep you with me only until we get to the other side of the bridge.  I'm going to be very scary but you must know I won't hurt you - IF - you tell me where your mama hid the treasure."

"If I tell you, you promise won't hurt nobody?"

"I swear it, Petite.  I am a thief... I do not kill people, most assuredly not little girls."
 

The car pulled over in front of the bridge.  Charlie and Addie stood near their car, the wind off the water whipping up all around them.  It was a blustery day, a touch cool for a summer month but it was early in the morning still.  In the car, they could see Garnier had a gun on Brigitte. She had been crying something fierce, her eyes were red and puffy, but for the moment she'd stopped.  The man spoke to Brigitte and she nodded to whatever he was saying.  Then they began to move.

Garnier held Brigitte under his right arm, keeping her in front of him.  His gun in his left hand as they exited the car.  Garnier didn't speak, instead, it was the little girl who did the talking.

"Put your guns down!"  She cried out.

Aurora, as her father had when it as she in danger, dropped her gun with only the slightest hesitation.  To her relief, the coal black guns joined their nickel-plated twins on the ground an instant later.

"It's gonna be okay, Angel,"  Aurora called out to Brigitte. 

The man whispered in her ear.

"I told him what he wants."  Brigitte continued

"Good girl,"  Aurora said, nodding and giving her a reassuring smile through her barely contained emotion.

"And I can come back to you when he gets on the other side."

"No!  Addie... Addie step back!"  Charlie called out to her but Addie kept moving forward.

Garnier narrowed his eyes at Addie.  

"Aunt Addie..."  Brigitte said sadly.

Garnier spoke to the little girl but his eyes were locked on Addie's.  "May we both have long happy lives, Petite. Bonne chance à toi." 

Brigitte cried out as she plummeted to the ground and Addie was snatched up.  Instantly a pistol was pressed against Addie's head.  Brigitte lept to her feet and ran to Aurora's open arms.  Over the girl's curly mop Aurora's amber eyes met Addies' gaze, giving her a relieved and grateful nod; a silent promise that everything was going to be okay.

"You'll drive,"  Garnier instructed in his thick accent.  "If anyone shoots at us or the car, I respond with a bullet of my own.  No tricks.  No games.  I get on a plane out of this god-forsaken country and you can go home to your sweet niece.  You're right I don't want to hurt anyone but I will... I swear to God in Heaven that I will if I have to."  

He began dragging Addie towards the passenger side of the car where he intended they both would get in.  Looking to Charlie he called out, "Now, get your car out of my way or your woman joins my friend in the river!"

The cold steel pressed into her temple sent a shiver down Addie's back.  The confidence she had had just a few moments ago evaporated completely.  She did not regret the decision, but she was no longer as certain that this was going to turnout alright.  She looked at Charlie and for the first time she saw within them fear.  It gutted her.  He was her rock.  Her foundation.  Now he was the one who needed a bedrock to stand on as the whole earth shook and threatened to rend itself apart.

She suppressed her own fears and took on an air of confidence.  In a soothing tone she spoke to him, "It's okay Charlie.  It will all be alright.  Let us go.  I promise it will all be alright.  Please do this for me." 

Addie did not resist as Garnier man-handled her to the car.  When they got there he instructed her to open the door and she complied.  He ordered her in and instructed her to climb over into the driver's seat.  As if she needed further motivation he gave her a bit of a shove to get going.  Once she was far enough over to allow him room he got in and close the door.  The gun never once moved from being pointed in her direction.

In the climb from one side of the car to the other side, Addie's skirt got twisted and hung up a bit so she took a moment to unhook herself and straighten things.  The action resulted in the gun getting pressed against her head once more.  "Quick stalling and get this car started!"

"Okay," Addie said as she took hold of the wheel and the stick shift.  "You are in control.  I promised you that I would do as you said to do and I will."  

She was glad to see that Charlie was indeed moving the car out of the way.  The man was a cornered animal and if they did not give him some breathing room, none of this was going to go well for them.  Especially for her.

Billy watched as the care drove past, going down the bridge to it's inevitable escape. He looked to Charlie and held up one finger nodding. Then he turned his wife and his daughter.

"I love you both, you stay with maman, she will take very good care of you, I have to go get aunt Addie back from the bad man who took you."

He threw the trunk of the car open and removed the briefcase that Aurora had put in there when they left Buffalo.

"Billy! I'm not fucking waiting any longer for your big lumbering ass! Move!"

Billy nodded and kissed Brigitte on the head. He could feel her pull on his neck and it took every ounce of strength he had in his massive frame not to just pick both of them up and wish Charlie luck. But family was in danger still, Addie was family, had always been family. There was no way to hope for anything but Billy showing up himself to do something about it. He untwisted Brigitte's little fingers and stood halfway up to kiss his wife and place his forehead against hers. Their moment together, the three of them again, was only displaced by the car horn that Charlie was now laying upon.

Billy whipped around then and got into the passenger seat. For the first time in their lives, both men wiped at their faces and said nothing to each other. Neither was going to make fun of the other in that moment. Both understood everything that had been, was, and would be at stake now for each of them.

Addie looked at the rear view mirror and watched as the last visages of Charlie was replaced with the peak of the road that made the bridge.  Unlike the child, she doubted that Garnier would be letting her loose once they crossed the bridge.  She could tell by what Charlie was doing when she last saw him that he intended to chase after them.  

In that moment, Addie had no doubt as to her feelings for Charlie.  She loved him.  Loved him deeply.  Her heart cried out to him to come to her.  This could not... would not be the last time she saw him.  They would find a way out of this.

"Where do you want me to drive too?"

It was apparent that she knew how to handle the vehicle, but she hoped that he did not believe she was intentionally going slower than she could.  Perhaps he would just think it was the fact that she was a woman and was therefore not an aggressive in her driving that a man would be.  She gave him a glance before watching the road once more.

Garnier felt like every muscle in his body had locked into place, including his finger over the trigger.  He didn't like the idea of killing a dame, but he'd be damned to hell if he didn't get back to Jules now, not after everything he'd been through - not after losing Callemin.  

"The airport."  he grumbled.  "I'll tell you when and where to turn.  If your boyfriend backs the fuck off, maybe we find a place to let you out.  The longer he stays on our asses... the longer you're my travel buddy.  Lose him, and you can lose me.  What's the word your people say... Capisce?"

"Are you trying to fucking kill us?"

Billy yelled out as his head hit the window for the third time. He had pulled the scope out of the case and was using it to follow the car as best he could, making sure that any twist or turn Charlie couldn't see, he was on. Of course, it made it more difficult to brace himself when Charlie had to squeal tires to get past a slower driver.

"Oh, forgive me Billy, I'll take the next turn slower so you can keep up."

Billy growled and nodded.

"I get it, sorry."

Charlie nodded in response and hit the gas a bit more. Swerving once again.

Billy felt the guns bouncing around under his jacket and then looked to Charlie.

"Charlie, how are you with a sniper rifle?"

Charlie almost hit the brakes at the question, and had to refocus on the road.

"I was a sharpshooter in the war Billy. Twenty was my number. 'Nice even number when you got out there Bryant.' Was my sergeant's parting words. So yeah, I know my way around them, why, that what you got there?"

Billy nodded.

"Well, if they stop, I'll take the briefcase."

Billy nodded again and raised the scope to his face again.

"Left on 73rd. Light's gonna turn red, watch it."

"Damn it Charlie!"

She was glancing again in the rear view mirror as she did her best to try and out run him.

"Let's see if you can make this turn."  Addie made a turn into an alley.  The space was tighter, but she did not have to worry about other cars and people.  When the alley emptied out into a new street she made a sharp turn that put her back on track in the direction she needed to go to get to the airport.  If she wasn't able to shake Charlie what would happen?  She had no idea and did not think it would be wise to ask Garnier about that outcome.  

Addie glanced again at her captor to see how much he was paying attention to her and how much was paying attention to Charlie and Billy.  If a chance to escape presented itself, she was going to be damn sure to be ready for that opportunity.

"Your boyfriend is determined... I wish he had your level head.  I don't fucking need you, you know that right?  I got what I came for no one was hurt... no one but that old guard of hers, but he had a foot in the grave anyway and I didn't mean for that to happen in any case."

He shook his head. 

"So long as I have to watch my back, I need you as my shield.  Take this next right... head down that dirt path there, it cuts out to the hangers.  We have a plane waiting for us."

Garnier shook his head.  

"Paris is lovely this time of year.  When we land there, you can decide if you want to stay and for how long, but I'm afraid your boyfriend is leaving us with no other choice.  You're coming with me."

Addie took the turn and as the wheels went from pavement to dirt, they spun up a cloud of dust behind her.  It was not a far drive to the nearest hanger and as she drew closer she could see that it held a very large airplane.  In the cockpit was a pilot and as they pulled to a stop next to the plane, he cranked the engines to life setting the propellers to spinning. 

With the car providing some cover, Garnier got out and pulled Addie with him.  She had no way to balance herself and she half-stumbled her way free as she was pulled out.  Crying out in some pain as Garnier righted her again with a jerk of her arm.  He quickly spun her so that she was facing Billy and Charlie as they finally caught up with them.  The gun was once again pressed against her temple and Garnier began to back them to the plane's stairs.

As he did she looked first to Billy.  "He says that I will be freed once we get to where we are going."  She looked to Charlie and spoke, "Incontriamoci nella città delle luci. Ti aspetterò il mio amore per te."  She had no idea if he could speak Italian, but she knew her cousin did.  With any luck this brute did not know her native tongue.... if he did well it was worth the risk whatever the consequences.  

Billy shook his head and looked to Charlie, who immediately looked back to him. Billy sighed and watched as the plane began to move in their direction and the door closed.

"Charlie, she's going to be alright. I promise you. She will be fine, come into the hanger with me, we will find a plane, or get my plane out here. We know where they are going at least."

Charlie looked to Billy and shook his head, making his way instead toward the passenger side of the car. Billy reached out with one hand and shoved Charlie up against the car.

The smaller man knew he would be outplayed if he followed the rules, so instead he reached his free hand behind him toward his waistband.

Billy reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Charlie, you're my best friend in the entire world. You're like a brother to me. You have been there every step of the way. She's going to Paris. She said she loves you. Don't do something stupid either one of us is going to regret."

Charlie yelled out an intelligible, primordial scream of anguish as he rammed his own head down onto the car then. Billy let him go and watched as his best friend slumped, as if Billy were the only thing holding him upright in that moment. He reached out again and patted the man on the shoulder.

"We gotta get to Paris with some backup Charlie. Lucky for you, backup is already there. Let's get inside and make a few calls while we find a plane."

Charlie, stood then and took in a deep breath before looking to Billy.

"She really said she loves me?"

Billy shrugged.

"Fuck if I know why, but I don't see a reason to lie about it."

With that the men ran into the terminal to make their plans for the next leg of what was quickly turning into an international journey.

A sea of police arrived a short while after Billy and Charlie had disappeared.  They had doctors look over Brigitte and questioned her.  Of course, they had questions for Aurora too about Billy's gunplay and the nurse, which Aurora insisted was overreaction and fear for their daughter.  She hadn't invoked a lawyer yet, but she was prepared to when Agent Smith came striding up like an avenging angel.  The crowd of uniforms disappeared around them at the flash of his steel badge and he smiled down at Brigitte.

"You're quite possibly the best thing I've seen all week."  He said to the girl still in Aurora's lap clinging to her.  Brigitte hid her face from Bob and Aurora stroked her hair.

"Please tell me you have some good news?"

"I was radioed on the way over that your husband and boarded a plane less than ten minutes ago bound for Paris, France."  

Aurora sighed.

"You want to tell me what's going on?"  Bob asked.

Aurora noticed something then, "Where's boy wonder?"

"He won't be working with me anymore,"  Bob said flatly.  "I'm sorry that he made an issue of things, I had hoped he could shelf his shit and be professional..."

Aurora shook her head, "Losing your family makes you say and do stupid shit, Bob, pushing the kid away from what he needs to resolve isn't going to make him a better agent."

"You want him here?"

"Did he play a part in finding my kid?"

Bob nodded.  "I'll get him back."

"Good."

"So... what happened?"

"Brigitte gave us two names, Octave Garnier and Andre Callemin.  Guessing Callemin was an enforcer of some kind.  Octave seems the brains."  

Bob began making notes.

"Billy's cousin Addie convinced Octave to take her as a hostage in place of Brigitte to ensure he could get away without us ... being a problem."

Bob made a slightly annoyed noise but didn't say any actual words.

"Brigitte says they wanted her to talk to her ..."  Aurora hesitated.

Brigitte picked her face up off Aurora to insert, "My mama.  She's inside there."  Her pudgy hand pointed towards the asylum.  "Can she not be in jail anymore?"

"Honey she's not... it's not a jail."

"There are bars on the windows and doors... it's a jail."

"It's just a very special kind of hospital."

"It's dark.  Hospitals are white.  That's a jail & she's scared."  Brigitte squeezed Aurora tight.

Aurora met Bob's sympathetic gaze.

"I'm sorry."  He whispered.  "I'm gonna need you to tell me what they talked about."

Aurora's brow furrowed, her shoulders sank, and she nodded.  "Brigitte says they asked her to inquire about where she hid a treasure."

"Did they say what kind of treasure?"  Bob asked Brigitte.

The little girl shook her head no.  "Mama said I shouldn't tell no one... but I did.  I told Mr. Garnier."

Aurora kissed her head.  "You did the right thing, sweetie, telling him helped you to be safe.  That was just the right thing to have done.  Your ... mother would understand.  She wants you safe just like I do.  I'm sure."

"Your mama," Bob met Aurora's eyes, nodding, "is right.  You did the right thing."

Aurora gave a weak smile to the Agent.

"So... the question of the moment, where's the treasure?"

Aurora gently urged Brigitte, "Tell Agent Smith... if he can find the treasure first, then the bad men won't be able to take it."

"L’Opéra de Marseille."  She said softly.  

Bob nodded and made a note.  "Odd place to hide something, but one I'm sure we can have some of our people stop by easily enough and take a spin through.  Although it would be easier if we knew what we were looking for."

"Can you question her?"  

Bob's eyes lingered on Brigitte, "We will but something tells me if they went to all the trouble of taking your daughter just to get her to open up... she's not likely to comply with the needs of our investigation."

"Bob..."

"We would only need her for a few minutes."  Bob began.

Aurora shook her head.

"Just long enough to get her talking."

"I can talk to her."  Brigitte insisted.  "Please!"

"Damn it, Bob!  She's been through hell!"  Aurora stood up and walked away carrying Brigitte who was still begging.

Bob put a hand on Aurora's shoulder.  Aurora turned back and glared at him, "You've been through Hell, but you're both strong and going to be okay.  You can come in with us.  If anything bad happens you can take Brigitte and leave.  Aurora... please.  If not for the investigation and helping Addie... then for your own curiosity sake and your daughter who I'm sure didn't have a long reunion... why not let her have a few minutes?"

Aurora's nostrils flared.  "Fuck you..."  She whispered through barely retained emotions, but despite them, she began marching towards the Asylum.

The nurses glared at Aurora but Bob smoothed ruffled feathers and literally got them to unlock the doors that separated the world of madmen from the rest of the world.  Her daughter's comparison to jail was spot on, Aurora had been in nicer jails than this place and the sounds here made her want to turn around and leave.  People sounded as if they were horribly sad, terrified, and furious.  It was the sort of unsettling place that Aurora couldn't have imagined if she had tried and it was no surprise that Brigitte clung to her as they made their way down the hall.

When they stopped at Sarah's cell, Aurora wanted to run away.  Every instinct in her said this was a huge mistake, and yet, she found her knees locked.  What if it had been Marie on the other side of that door?  Or even Bella?  What wouldn't Aurora have done to go back through that door again and see either of them?  What would Brigitte one day do to come back to this hellhole ... no, she couldn't walk away.  Not now.  Maybe not ever again, at least not for good.  If only for Brigitte, let alone her sense of humanity.

The door came open and inside a mop of dingy blonde curls, unkempt, hiding the face of a woman skeletal woman in a white hospital gown.  Her feet were bare, but clean her forearm, tattooed with a rather straight forward and bold-lined fleur de lis that would be highly visible at even a distance.  It was as bold and unforgiving as the numbers sometimes branded into cattle.

"Ms. Burdet?"  

Silence.

"I'm afraid," a doctor said from somewhere behind them and just out into the hallway.  "Ms. Burdet's treatments have some side effects which cause her to be less communicative.  She's far more manageable now... but,"

"Manageable?"  Aurora arched an eyebrow, holding tight to Brigitte.

"Yes well, there's a great deal of complexity to Ms. Burdet's condition."

"Mama?" Brigitte called out to the woman.

"Bonnot."  Everyone went silent as Sarah spoke.  "Mrs. Bonnot."

Bob began scribbling in his pad again before correcting himself, "I'm sorry Mrs. Bonnot.  I was hoping I might ask you some questions."

"Est-ce celui-là, ma petite fleur? Celui qui a pris soin de vous?"  

"Oui, maman."  Brigitte replied

Bob looked to Aurora.  Aurora stiffened but remained silent.

"Mrs. Bonnot, about the treasure those men were looking for."

Sarah began rocking where she sat, holding herself and through the dishwater curls, Aurora could see distraught blue eyes peeking at her and Brigitte.

"Perhaps you could tell us what it was or why they wanted it?"  Bob pressed.

"Elle a l'air riche."

"Oui, maman."  Brigitte agreed.

"Je vous ai dit que je vous donnerais une meilleure vie en Amérique."

"What she saying?" Bob asked.

Aurora swallowed.  "She's talking about the treasure.  Keep going."  She whispered.

Bob just nodded, blissfully unaware the only treasure in the room that concerned the three women was in Aurora's arms.

"How did you come into the treasure?"  Bob asked.

"Tu dois être une bonne fille pour ta nouvelle maman et papa."  

The more Sarah spoke, the more Aurora realized something was very wrong with the woman.  Her words were tender, concerned, but her voice held none of that softness.  It was as if a machine were rattling off these details to Brigitte, cold and emotionless, almost as if she were dead.  It unsettled Aurora more than she could express.

"Vous devez rester à l'écart de Garnier et Callemin. Loin de l'homme pour lequel ils travaillent. Il est dangereux, il va vous mentir. Il va te faire mal. Comprenez vous?"

"The suspects?"  Bob looked to Aurora.

Aurora nodded.  "Yeah.  She is warning Brigitte to stay away from them and the man they work for."

"Well, who the hell do they work for?"

"Nous devrions dire au revoir maintenant. Ce n'est pas un endroit pour une petite princesse américaine."

"Je n'ai pas peur, maman, je reste avec toi. Tu peux venir avec nous. Je vais demander. Papa Billy construit une grande maison avec une petite maison pour le grand-père Gavin. Nous pourrions peut-être aussi construire une petite maison pour vous - je peux même la dessiner!"

"What is she saying now?  What are they on about?" Bob asked.

"Brigitte wants us to consider getting her mother out of here."  Aurora kissed her daughter.  "We'll talk with the doctor sweetie.  No matter what your Mama won't be here much longer if only so she can be closer to our home ... but she may need the doctors to help still."

Brigitte got tears in her eyes.  Aurora hugged her and startled as Brigitte resisted and tried to climb down.

"Doctor... is it safe?"  Aurora called out, clinging to her struggling little girl.

"Assuredly.  The lobotomy has left her quite docile."

Aurora let Brigitte scamper back to the blonde and throw her arms around her.  Aurora watched the little girl cling to the woman who gave her life - noting the features they shared, and the warmth with which Brigitte clung to her... how natural it seemed.  Brigitte sobbed, but Sarah gave no sign of any emotion at all.  She simply put an arm around her daughter, in a mockery of what she must remember was once human warmth.

"Je vous donne le seul trésor de toute valeur réelle que j'ai jamais possédé. La protéger. Vous devez me faire cette promesse."  These words, Aurora realized, were spoken to her and not to her daughter.  

Aurora nodded.  "Comme ma mère avant moi ... ma vie avant la sienne, je le jure."

"And?"

"Nothing about your treasure, Bob."  She said sadly, knowing full well she wasn't going to get her daughter out of here without a bit of a meltdown regardless of promises and good intentions.

Looking back to Sarah, "Pour qui est-il? Pour qui travaillent les ravisseurs?"

Sarah pulled back from her daughter and looked at her, perhaps realizing the same things that Aurora had only a moment ago... this was not going to happen without tears.

"Jules Bonnot."  

Aurora narrowed her eyes and then after only a moment realized why the woman had introduced herself with her corrected, married name.  The thought horrified her to her very core.  Aurora had to get Brigitte out of this place, get her somewhere safe and wait for Billy or her father to call.  Hope that the little girl didn't know her own father's real name, hope that she didn't put together the name Sarah said shared her surname or was a variant of Brigitte's middle name Juliette.  

Brigitte Juliette Bonnot. 

For the first time ever Aurora finally knew her daughters full and true name...

No.  Brigitte Juliette Mastrosimone.  That's her name now.  That's her TRUE name. 

"Brigitte we need to talk to the doctor now.  We have to say goodbye."  Aurora urged gently.  That's when the crying began and it wouldn't stop for a long while to come.

The plane was empty save Addie, the pilot, a co-pilot who was napping at the moment, and Garnier who had only begun to let his guard down after an hour in the air as if he expected Charlie and Billy to storm the plane midflight like some sort of dime store superheroes.

He gave Addie a glass of water and her choice of some snack foods.  The plane was most definitely not as nice as the one Billy and Aurora tooled around in, but clearly above the paygrade of a petty thief.  The question was... who was this guy and what the fuck was he really involved with and did Addie care?  It was going to be a very long flight over the Atlantic and there were certainly a lot of things on her mind.
 

"Please tell me that you're in Paris?"  Aurora spoke softly into the phone.  Brigitte had fallen asleep on the couch in the hotel room.  

"Yeah, we made it.  Any news?"

"I have Brigitte."

Gavin breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"It's not done,"  she said.  Gavin waited.  "They took Brigitte to an asylum.  Turns out her mother isn't dead.  She's ... a patient.  A well-intentioned nun thought it would lessen Brigitte's chances of being adopted, so she fudged the paperwork.  The guys took Brigitte to make her mom talk about where she hid something from their boss.  We had the guy cornered, but he had a gun on Brigitte.  There weren't any good moves.  Addie traded herself as a hostage to get her back.  They're flying to Paris now."

"We'll be waiting.  The boss's name?"

"Jules Bonnot."

"We're on it, Squirt."

"Dad... Billy doesn't know it yet, and you should tell him... you're hunting Brigitte's father."

A long pause then as Gavin processed the new information.

"Oh... shit."

Addie figured they were probably half way to their first re-fill destination on this long flight across the pond, as the Americans' were fond of call it. There was still a long way to go, but it had already felt like they had been flying for days.  Addie was beginning to feel like she wanted to crawl out of her skin.  She must really be on edge still.  Rubbing her forearm she tried to soothe her muscles.  Even that did not seem to be enough.  She couldn't stay still.  She shifted in her chair in her agitated state and finally couldn't take it any more.

She knew that Garnier was watching her and she did not want him to think she was making a move against him or anything so she announced to him, "I am just going to stand for a moment to stretch.  My muscles were so tense there for awhile that now they are aching something fierce."

By tell him what she intended to do, she hoped he would keep his guard down.

Addie stood up and stretched this way and that.  The movement seemed to help a bit, but the moment she stopped it kicked back in again.  Hugging herself she closed her eyes and used her hands to rub her upper arms.  She hated feeling this way and she wanted it to stop.

"What is wrong with you?" Garnier asked as he eyed her carefully.

She had to bite back the spat that was forming on her lips as her eyes shot open.  Her words were tense, but she succeeded in removing the anger that had threatened to lace the tone of her words, "It's just nerves.  It has been a stressful time for me as I am sure you can understand."  

She used the back of her hand to wipe away the sweat that was forming on her forehead.  "Is there a way to maybe get some air flowing in here?  I'm really hot."

Garnier's eyes narrowed.  He thought the temperature was actually on the cool side at this attitude, "Are you sure you are not getting sick?"

Addie sighed heavily and shook her head with annoyance, "I'm fine."

She sat down again and looked out the window.

Garnier tried again, "Maybe it will help if you ate a little something.  You haven't touched your snack."

Addie took in a deep breath and tried to steady herself as she looked back at her abductor.  "It is okay.  I am not hungry.  Thank you though.  I am just a bit on edge with everything."

She began to rub her arm again as she looked back out the window.  "Garnier, you seem like under different circumstances you would be a nice guy.  I mean you are no doubt capable of doing some not nice things, but you seem to be the kind of guy that choose not to do those things if he did not have too.  How did you get all mixed up in this?"

Billy grumbled the entire time they were boarding. He paid off the security guys, he paid for seats for both him and Charlie, he also paid for four extra seats around them so they had some room to themselves and could talk without anyone bothering them. He still grumbled. Anything that wasn't a private plane felt cramped, and uncomfortable to Billy now. He hadn't realized quite how spoiled he was until now.

"Would you stop it? Get some sleep Billy. We're gonna need it."

Billy turned to Charlie sitting in the seat two spaces away from him.

"You know, I would have figured you of all people would have trouble sleeping right now."

Charlie opened one eye.

"Oh yeah? Why is that?"

"Because the love of your life is being threatened with a gun maybe?"

Billy almost raised his voice, but if anyone caught wind of the word gun the plan was liable to turn to the nearest airstation and land. That would cause them precious time.

"Billy, you know what it's like to be shot at. To be shot actually. Now imagine that's a daily thing. Imagine for a minute, you get shot at every single day. You know that if you move, you get shot at. If you go to take a piss, you get shot at. If you hear a whistle, you gotta try somehow to  get a stupid mask on your face, and crawl out of the hole you dug for yourself and you're going to either get shot at, or suffocate."

Charlie waggled a finger at his boss.

"You choose to get shot at every time mind you, bullets can miss, gas doesn't. Anyway, now you know you're not going to get shot at for a few hours. You know you can get some shuteye and that when you wake up, it's because you gotta be ready to go."

He drove home the point by shifting the blanket up again and closing his eyes.

"Good night Billy, see you in Paris."

Billy nodded and stopped grumbling. Charlie was right, they needed to be ready. Just like he had said to Aurora the night before they got their daughter back. Sleep was going to be the best tool he had. It just wasn't easy to sleep in a droning metal can in the sky that kept shaking every twenty minutes.

"Damned pilot needs to stop with this crap."

That's when he felt someone sit down next to him.

"Hey, I don't mean to..."

He recognized the face of the woman. She had greeted him when he and Charlie got on the plane. She was tall, and had a fair face. He chesnut hair was tucked and pinned up at the back of her head and into the small cap she was wearing. She looked like a Navy gal, if they had let them into the Navy that is.

"If you're like to sleep sir, I can give you something to help calm your nerves."

Billy nodded.

"Oh boy would that be swell."

He said, probably a little too quickly. The woman nodded though and came back a moment later with a glass of amber liquid and sat down with Billy again. She stayed there, silent as he drank. She didn't say anything just kept her eyes going about the craft. Once or twice she got up and then came right back. Each time she would put a hand on Billy's arm, or re-adjust his pillow or blanket. It was before the third time she got up that Billy fell asleep.

Garnier tilted his head watching Addie.  A smile began to creep onto his lips, a faint hint of amusement or secret knowledge that he was not sharing.  Instead, he poured a glass of water and brought it to Addie.

"Drink."  He insisted with his thick French accent.  "The dehydration and constipation will be the end of you if the headaches don't do you in first.  You tell me how long you've been without and what drug it is... and I'll tell you how I ended up in the United States kidnapping a little girl.  If you like, I'll tell you more... but you have to tell me more about you in exchange.  Tit for tat, as they say."