“Why aren’t we using your other car?” Teddy asked as she jumped in the back.

“Car bombs, my dear. Well, that and trackers—it’s easier to follow a known car and so on. This might seem paranoid, but it’s really not that complicated to set up. Both cars are rentals anyway. Under false names, of course.”

“O-of course,” Emily said as she hopped into the passenger seat. There was something there, something she sat on and had to bounce up to avoid. An envelope with “The Boss” written on it.

“That’s yours. Two thousand. I know, we agreed on three, but that was before I realized you had a plus one. You’ll get the rest soon enough. Oh, and a key and the address to a safe house. It’s not exactly comfortable living, but it’s out of the way and safe.” He bounced on the driver’s seat and fit the keys in the ignition. The van came on with a rumble. “Want me to drop you off at the same place I picked you up?” he asked.

“Uh, sure,” Emily said.

“Good! Feel free to use that changing spot, by the way. Once I give one up I consider it compromised. Or don’t use it, if you have even an ounce of paranoia in you.”

Emily nodded. She didn’t know whether she agreed or not; she just nodded because it was something to do. The envelope came open, and she stared at twenty neatly pressed bills. They looked . . . overwhelmingly small for the amount of money they held.

She wondered if she had ever had as much in her hands at once before.

It was going to be handy. The girls could use more clothes and some things, and she had to think of their education. She doubted they could go to a school, but maybe she could get them educational . . . stuff to teach them with? Homeschooling or something.

It wouldn’t be fun, she imagined, trying to sit Teddy down to do anything like that. Athena probably wouldn’t be as bad.

“Boss?” Handshake said.

Emily jumped. “Oh? Sorry, I was . . . sorry.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “I asked you if you wanted to tell me what you knew of the Cabal, that’s all.”

Emily rubbed her hands together, then stopped. She didn’t want to look nervous, even if it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. “I . . . When we captured that man. Small Package? He . . . Wait, I’m supposed to negotiate for something first, right?”

“Oh, let me do the negotiation,” Athena said. “I’ll have him giving you everything he owns in no time.”

Handshake waved a hand through the air. “Now, now, we can always put that off. Or perhaps we could say that I owe you a favor.”

“Five favors,” Athena said.

Handshake snorted. “Two. Final offer.”