The Girl From Diana Park

by Alec Peche

  The two adults laughed out-loud at that piece of teenage wisdom, with Ariana adding, “You bet kiddo.”

  Damian could see that the last comment had allowed Ariana to move on from her earlier tears. They were approaching her driveway, and the agents weren't parked there at the moment. They had Ariana's phone number and would call her before attempting to drive down her driveway.

  Hermione dropped her backpack in her room and then joined Damian and Ariana in the kitchen asking, “I don't suppose you'd offer me another glass of red wine with the FBI on its way?”

  “That would be a big fat 'no'!” Damian said. “I've returned to my embarrassing parent behavior.”

  “No problem. What should I say to these guys?”

  “Tell them the truth,” Damian advised.

  “Should I admit to being Hannah Sherwood? Won't that get you guys in trouble?”

  “Unless they do a DNA test that cannot prove that you're not Hermione Knowles, and I hope you're too young to testify against us in court. So you might take the tactic of asking them if they're recording this conversation, and asking them not to. You can tell them the truth, but also tell them you'll never give the explanation again to anyone other than Amy and Jason Sherwood,. That puts them in a bind, but allows them to do their job.”

  “What is their job?”

  “I think they were sent by the Marshals Service to investigate Ariana and me to determine if we are a risk to your parents or to you,” Damian suggested.

  “You're not a threat to me, as you could have given me to that Malaysian businessman months ago. You're not a threat to mom and dad, as it's not the way you live your life unless they were threatening me, which they wouldn't do as they're my parents.”

  Damian saw Ariana wipe another tear from the side of her face as she turned to putter around the kitchen.

  “You can tell the agents that if you like,” Damian said.

  “Can I also make them go outside and leave their phones in their car to make sure they are not recording the conversation? Do you still have the device that searches for bugs, so I can scan them?”

  Damian laughed and said, “Hermione, you been living with us for too long. You've become too dependent on technology solutions. I don't have my bug detector with me, so just ask them politely to comply.”

  “Ok. What's for dinner? I had to run more today, so I'm starving.”

  “How about chicken piccata with a salad?” Ariana replied having regained her emotions.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Hermione said fidgeting and looking at the time.

  Ariana saw the movements and said, “If you want to study, we'll call you out when the FBI arrives.”

  “I can't concentrate on homework at the moment. Damian, will you play Fortnite with me? That'll take my mind off these people.”

  “Sure, I'll open up the program,” he said going over to the game consoles and Ariana's TV in her living room to start the program.

  “Don't let me win,” Hermione advised wanting the fierce concentration of trying to beat the game king that Damian was.

  “I won't. You know I always play to win. It's better to practice losing with Ariana and me, then to lose for the first time with your friends.”

  “Maybe when I have my friends over, we can all play this game and see how impossible it is to beat you. That would be fun.”

  “Do all of your friends play Fortnite?” Damian asked not wanting any of her friends excluded.

  “Okay, I have to say that you're clueless, Damian. Of course, we all play,” Hermione said with exaggerated superiority in her voice, but a smile on her face.

  “Game on then!”

  Damian and Hermione were so involved in their game, they didn't hear Ariana's cellphone ping with the text from the agents, nor notice when they came in the door. She let the game go on a little longer than said, “Guys, the FBI agents are here.”

  They both looked back at her, game consoles in hand, disappointment on their faces at having to end the game early. They paused the game, then they both stood up. Ariana said, “Why don't you three go outside on the deck to chat? Hermione can turn on the outdoor heater if you're cold.”

  Damian and Ariana watched the three settle outside and then saw Hermione spring up to turn the propane heater on. It was probably fifty-five degrees outside so not exactly warm, but Ariana wanted to be able to see them through the windows.

  She grabbed Damian's hand and squeezed saying, “This is it.”

  “It will be fine, you'll see. Hermione somehow convinced two rational adults, you and me to take her on in secret and we did. She'll have those agents eating out of her hand in no time.”

  They turned and settled in the kitchen to await the outcome.

  Chapter 33

  Hermione reached for the switch on the outdoor heater, and then sat down asking, “Who are you? Are you recording what we talk about?”

  First one then the other agent leaned forward showing her their ID. She studied each one and then sat back on her sofa and waited for them to proceed.

  “We left our phones out in the car, so we're not recording you,” said Special Agent Tauscher.

  “Are you Hannah Sherwood?” Special Agent Abbott asked.

  “My school name is Hermione Knowles.”

  Abbott sighed and muttered, “You're as difficult as those two inside.”

  Hermione beamed like she'd just been paid a compliment.

  “What's your life been like for the past nine months?” asked Tauscher.

  “School's been good, I love living with Damian and Ariana, we've had some fantastic vacations, and we fought off bad people after one of the three of us.”

  “There have been other battles you've participated in besides the stalker and the recent island attack?

  “Oh yeah! There were a group of convicts after Damian, and there was a Malaysian man who was trying to kidnap me to use me as a hostage to find mom and dad.”

  “There's been another incident besides the recent attack on Damian Green's island?” asked Abbott. From the sound of it, this kid had been through a lot but hadn't broken as of yet.

  “Yeah, dad worked for a pharmaceutical company in Malaysian, and there was a man hired as a private detective from that country who was supposed to find and capture me. The government was holding his old parents hostage to make him chase me. Damian protected me and freed the man's parents, so we're good.”

  “What are your plans for the future? Are you planning on going to college?”

  Hermione never blinked at the change in conversation and instead responded to the question.

  “I have an A grade average, and I've already skipped a grade. I hope to go to UC Berkeley, and I want to compete on the swimming, water polo, and soccer teams. I'll probably only get to do one sport, but I have two and a half years before I move on to college, so I hope to have a good reputation in one of the sports. This summer I'm going to work in Damian's company helping his employees invent stuff.”

  “Do you feel safe in Ariana's house?”

  “Yes.” Weird how she could feel safer in a house without a safe room than in a home with one. Maybe it was because Ariana and Damian had taught her how to fight back in a non-violent way. How to use her brains to outsmart the bad guys.

  “Do you think that Ariana Knowles and Damian Green are a threat to your parents? That is if you admitted that Amy and Jason Sherwood were your parents.”

  “They have no need to be a threat to my parents. They have everything they need without threatening others to get someone else's share..... Does that make sense?”

  “Yeah, it does, and it's a good closing conclusion for our report. Will you show us the way out?”

  Hermione stood up and started toward the french doors into the house, then she turned and asked, “Would you give this to my parents if you see them? It's a recording of my last soccer game.”

  Special Agent Abbott had hated this assignment from the get-go, but no more so then at this moment with a chil
d asking her to pass on information to her real parents.

  “I will.”

  The front door soon closed behind the two agents, and Ariana looked out the front to see their car back up the driveway. She reset her security system and hoped they wouldn't change their mind and come back and then she walked into her kitchen.

  “The chicken is done, Damian, you finish the salad, and Hermione, take care of the rice pilaf. We should be able to eat in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Do you want to know what they asked me?”

  “Only if you want to tell us,” Damian said.

  “Well, it's not like it's a secret and they didn't tell me to zip my lips. They asked if I felt safe here and what my plans for the future were.”

  “Did they ask you if you were Hannah Sherwood?”

  “Yeah, they did, and I told them my school name is Hermione Knowles. That way I avoided telling a lie.”

  “Good job!”

  “They also asked if I thought you were a threat to my parents. I said 'no' as there's nothing my parents have that you want and because you're not like that.”

  “Oh sweetie,” Ariana said hugging the girl.

  Hermione looked over Ariana's shoulder at Damian and rolled her eyes at the snuffling sounds she heard Ariana making. He just smiled, and soon they returned to making dinner as though it were any other night.

  “Oh one thing, I gave them a CD with the footage from my last soccer game so they could get to my parents in case they didn't get the link. I think they'll be amazed at what I'm doing.”

  “Good idea. If I'd thought of it I would have copied all of my coverage of you in your various sports over the past year,” Damian said. “I suppose I still could. I'll make a CD for all three of us, and whoever sees the agents next will be armed with a copy to get to your parents. I didn't video your water polo games from beginning to end, but I've got video clips and pictures of your events.”

  “So what do you think is going to happen next?”

  “I think they'll give a report to the Marshals service and then it could go one of many ways. At worst case, they could remove you from this house because we never legally were assigned to take care of you. They would have a difficult time doing that as they don't have proof that you're not exactly who Ariana and I say you are. I think they will say that you're well cared for here and happy, and....”

  “Yes I am,”

  “And you're safe. What I don't know is whether they would allow you to visit your parents on occasion. They may still view you and us as threats to your parents. I also think they could enter in the middle of the night and snatch you if your parents demanded it.”

  “Should I move over to the island until this is finished?”

  “Good question. Maybe we should do that for the remainder of the week. I think we'll know something by Friday. I can take you to the dock at Tiburon and arrange for a car service to take you to school. That would cut down your commute time and take you to a place not expected. Ariana, I don't think you're at any risk, but you could move to a nearby hotel with Miguel.”

  “I think I'll stay put. I don't feel like I'm at any risk as you say. I'll see you guys tomorrow, and Thursday evening for soccer games, then on Friday, Hermione will likely return home.”

  “Okay then Hermione, pack your bag for four days of school clothes, and we'll return to my house tonight. We'll swing by Tiburon, so we know how long it will take us in the morning to drop you off there and then tomorrow you'll just come home with me after the soccer game. Sounds simple for a few days.”

  They followed their plan for the remainder of the week. Ariana had no disturbances, and no one tried to snatch Hermione on her way to and from school. They heard nothing from the agents going into the weekend and so planned to go back to their normal routine on Saturday.

  Chapter 34

  Amy and Jason Sherwood were allowed to read the report prepared by the FBI about the couple that was raising Hannah. They had a decision to make. The FBI could snatch the girl from these two adults who seemed to be doing an excellent job raising their daughter. The Marshals Service wanted her to stay with the couple, but it was really up to her parents. They had sacrificed a lot on behalf of the government to be the star witnesses in a ten billion dollar lawsuit against a pharmaceutical firm.

  They could decide to keep Hannah with them or not. The downside for the child was she faced homeschooling and no school sports if she stayed with her parents. They had watched two soccer games their daughter had starred in, and they were impressed with her goalkeeper skills. If she joined them, she'd have to leave the team, even though she clearly excelled as an athlete. As former Olympic swimmers, her parents were proud of her accomplishments

  “It seems like it's in Hannah's best interests that she stay where she is. She's with two adults who have apparently keep her safer than we did and yet have somehow given her more freedom.”

  “These years of high school are so important to her future. They said the trial will be over in three years, but I don't know this criminal enterprise enough to understand if we walk free after the court case is over or if we'll need to stay in custody for a while after that,” Jason said.

  “I hadn't thought of that! I had in my mind that we would be free at the end of the court case. To think this could go beyond that is an awful thought. Do you think we could arrange a monthly or even quarterly meet-up with Hannah? I'd really like to hear from her in person and alone to make sure we're making the right decision. Maybe they could bring her here to this safe house,” Amy proposed.

  “Let's ask. That's an excellent suggestion! It's our daughter's future at stake, and we want to hear directly from her to feel good about making the decision to leave her where she is.”

  When Marshal Cindy Gregory entered the living room later to chat with the Sherwoods, they proposed meeting Hannah in person, pleading that as parents they needed to feel solid about making the decision to leave Hannah where she was.

  “Let me talk with the Service to see what we can arrange, and I'll get back to you. I think if we brought your daughter here, then by our policy we would have to move you permanently to a new location, which is a lot of work. Let's see what we can work out.”

  Amy nodded and watched the marshal leave.

  “I wish you had never gone to work for that company. It's nearly killed our daughter and us, and we're losing time with her as she's growing up.”

  “You know I agree with you. I thought we would be safe and I thought we would build a nest egg for ourselves. I thought we would be safe at home in the United States, half a world away from that company. I was wrong.”

  They had been over this ground many times, and nothing good could come of re-thinking decisions already made. All they could do was hope for a meeting with their daughter.

  Marshal Cindy Gregory briefly discussed the Sherwood's request with her partner Marshal Thomas Kinnear.

  “Does the one parent live on some island in the bay? If it's big enough, we could land a helicopter there and have the meeting occur on the island. From the report I read, it's a very secure location as the island has security and protective equipment,” Kinnear suggested.

  “That's what I was thinking, but our service doesn't have a copter, and I don't know if it's in our budget to use one. Maybe the Coast Guard could take us out there. Their officers carry firearms and know how to use them. Besides they would keep quiet about the meeting.”

  “Let's suggest both to HQ and see where that gets us. From a budget perspective, I think it's cheaper to ease these parents minds with a meeting, then to add an agent to care for the teenager if they demand she joins them as a condition of testifying.”

  They put in the call to HQ and made the request with suggested alternatives. Then waited for a response. They knew someone would run it down within their service as strange arrangements were made all the time for the comfort and security of the witnesses they protected.

  A week later they heard back from HQ, and t
he Coast Guard agreed to the assistance with the meeting. They requested a night meeting as rescue calls were rare at night on San Francisco Bay. There might be a worst case scenario where they would have to pull away from the island to assist a boat in distress, but it was unlikely. After HQ read the report of the attack on the island by the yacht, they felt confident that if that happened, Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood and the agents would be safe until the boat could return. They planned for an hour meeting on a weeknight on the island. Now all they had to do was tell the island's owner that they were coming.

  Chapter 35

  Two marshals were waiting in their car at Damian's warehouse in Richmond. They had his photo and were awaiting his arrival at work. They watched occupants get out of their cars, and none matched the photo of Damian Green. They looked up the Department of Motor Vehicles and had found a truck registered in his name, and so far there was only one truck that had arrived, and that man was nearly half a foot shorter and bald as compared to Mr. Green.

  A half an hour after nearly everyone else arrived, a white Ford truck pulled into the parking lot, and the marshal saw that this was the man they were sent to speak to and so they quickly exited their car.

  “Mr. Green, I'm Marshal Jonas Hill and this Marshal Charlie Morton, may we speak with you?”

  Damian was surprised by the approach of the two men and immediately thought they were reporters than he realized they were dressed wrong for that profession. His next thought was more FBI agents. Hermione had returned home late last week, and they assumed the immediate threat of her being kidnapped was over, now he was worried again.

  “Is something wrong with Hermione? Have you taken her? Did you harm Ariana?” he asked taking out his cell phone.

  The marshals were a little surprised by his response and quickly said, “To our knowledge Ariana Knowles and the teenager you call Hermione Knowles are safe. Certainly, we've had no report of anything.”