It was pitch dark outside. It felt sort of eerie, but I was happy to be back home at the same time.
“I’m so sorry,” Lily said as soon as she saw me.
“It’s not your fault,” I reassured her.
Mom gave me a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she said. “I can’t imagine what you went through.”
“The only thing that matters is that I’m here now. All of that is behind me now.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Dax said. Then he pointed to where the kitchen was. “We should talk.”
Lily and mom gave me knowing looks, but I didn’t know what exactly they were trying to say.
Brad led me into the kitchen but Dax told him that we needed some time alone.
The kitchen table didn’t have plates or food on it. It looked like Dax had taken it over for himself, because it was a mess of papers and pens and notepads. It reminded me of the notepad that Delroy had given me, and all the information I shared with him, and I cringed.
Dax tried to clear the table, but not to much success. He put a fresh notepad in front of him and held a pen. Then he put his phone on record.
“What’s all this?” I asked him.
“Callie, you’ve just been kidnapped by one of the FBI’s most wanted. You’re our best witness now to how he operates.”
“Does that mean you’ll put me in the witness protection program?”
He nodded. “Of course.”
“That didn’t seem to work out so well for Peter Hill, did it?”
“That’s not fair.”
“And it’s also not fair to take me away from home. Besides, Delroy threatened my family as well.”
“Then they’ll be put in the program as well.”
“No. I won’t let you disrupt my family’s life like that. I’ll answer all your questions but I won’t let the FBI destroy my family’s lives. My mom has a business to run and Brad loves his job as a cop.”
“This is bigger than all of us. If we’re to put Delroy away once and for all, we can’t leave you here like ducks in a row for him. As we speak, his men are probably on their way here.”
“Isn’t that a good thing? You can catch them in the act.”
He rolled his eyes. “We’ll talk about that later. Right now I want to know what exactly happened after you were taken from that room in Pennsylvania.”
I told him everything that had happened since that fateful day. I relayed every detail I could remember. I didn’t try to hide anything, because what would be the use? Though I did downplay my enjoyment of the crepes. I decided that was best kept to myself.
Once we were done, Dax turned off the recording button on his phone. He put his notes away.
“Off the record, but how are you doing?”
“I’m fine. Now that I’m here that is.”
“You were very brave to escape like that. Not many people would have taken the chance.”
“I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. I knew my days were numbered anyway. And if they weren’t, I knew that I’d be a criminal’s prisoner. Neither was something I was willing to live with.”
“Just promise me you’ll do as you’re told, this time at least.”
“You don’t know me very well, do you?” I said with a smile. A weak one, but a smile nonetheless.
“But I’d like to get to know you, and if you don’t get into the witness protection program, I might not get the chance.”
“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
“I’m sure you can,” Dax said. “But you’ve never been in a situation like this. Let the professionals handle it. You helped as much as you could. Now my job is to make sure you’re safe, just like the other witnesses. Don’t mention Peter Hill, please. We couldn’t have seen that coming. But now that we know that Delroy has inside information, we can keep them safe.”
“But how, how can you keep them safe?” I was frustrated with Dax. “He already got to them once, what’s to say he can’t get to them again?”
“We have a system in place for that. Even I don’t know where the witnesses are being taken next. There’s a whole new team of agents in charge of that now.”
“Does that mean you’re handing me off to some stranger that I’ve never even met before?”
Dax sighed. “I don’t want to do it,” he said, “but it has to be done.” He rummaged through the papers on the table. He was obviously not happy about the situation. “You know if it was my choice, I’d be the one looking out for you, right? But it’s not my choice anymore. The higher-ups think there might be a leak somewhere. They’re not taking any chances, and as much as I hate it, I agree with them.”
“I already told you I’m not going to put my family through this. Brad is a police officer. I’m pretty sure he can keep us safe. And, honestly, I trust the local police more to keep me and my family safe then I would any FBI agent. Peter Hill is proof of that. You might not want to hear it but it’s the truth.”
“You don’t have a choice in the matter,” Dax said, obviously frustrated with me. “You’re going into witness protection and that’s it.”
“I’d have to be a witness first for that to happen, right?”
“What are you saying, Callie?”
“Maybe I won’t be a witness after all. Just think about it. I’m a psychic, Dax. Do you really think that would go over well with a jury? A judge?”
Dax had nothing to say. He knew I had a point. “But you are in danger, don’t you realize that?”
“I know that better than anyone. I just escaped a freaking madman, you don’t need to tell me what being in danger means, all right?”
“I’m sorry, Callie, I didn’t mean to upset you. But this is bigger than all of us. We have to get Delroy once and for all. So he can’t do this to anybody else. Don’t you agree?”
“Of course I agree. That’s why I’m helping you in the first place. If I have some other visions or some other information, I’ll share it with you. But I won’t be putting my life on hold and that of my family and friend, till you guys get this guy. That could take years. We have lives. My mother has a business to run. My brother loves his job. I won’t be the one taking them away from all of that. Could you do that to your family?”
Dax looked away. “That’s not fair. And if I was in a similar situation, hell yes, I would put my family into witness protection. Better to inconvenience them with a new name and a new place to live, than have them ending up dead.”
“Spoken like a true cop,” I said. “Well, my brother is a cop too. And I trust him to keep us safe.”
“We can keep you safe a whole lot better than a simple small-town cop. No offense to your brother.”
“None taken, dude,” Brad said as he entered the kitchen. “But it seems Callie has made it pretty clear that she doesn’t want any of what you’re offering. Maybe you should leave.”
Dax gave me a look.
“He has a point,” I said. “Nothing you say will change my mind.”
“I’ll be right outside if you guys need me,” Dax said. He made his way out through the kitchen door.
I felt a little bad about the way that ended, but he needed to get it through his thick skull that I wasn’t going to throw my life away for however long it took for them to get Delroy. In fact, seeing Delroy up close, I had my doubts that they would get him at all. He didn’t seem like the kind of man that would easily be caught.
“Thanks,” I said to Brad.
“I’ll keep us safe,” he said. “I don’t care what the big shot FBI agent thinks, I’m more than just a small-town cop. I’m your brother. And who better than family to keep you safe, am I right?”
We talked to our mother and to Lily about the situation. They both agreed that going into witness protection would disrupt our lives for too long.
“I have a job, not a great job, but a job. I’m not going to let a bunch of thugs stop me from living my life,” Lily said.
“That’s the spirit,�
� Brad said. “What about you, mom, what do you think?”
“I’ve lived here all my life, and I’m not about to pack up and leave just because a bunch of criminals think they can scare us. I trust you to keep us safe. I think I have an old shotgun of your father’s in the garage. Maybe I should dust it off.”
“Mom!” Brad and I said in unison.
“What?” She asked us, baffled.
“You hate guns,” I said. “And now you want to handle one? I remember you always complaining about having it in the house.”
“Well, things change. That was all before there were gangster assassins killing people in this town. Not to mention kidnapping my daughter.” Then she turned to Brad. “Bradley, what do you say, could you teach your mother how to use one of those things?” She pointed to the gun in his holster.
“Of course,” he said. “But it won’t come to that. I’ll be with you guys twenty-four seven if I have to.”
Mother and I looked at each other.
“Sounds good to me!” Lily said excitedly.
“At least somebody likes the idea of having me around all day,” Brad said.
“And night. Don’t forget the night,” Lily said and we all started to laugh.
Chapter 18
“He’s still out there,” Lily said as she peered through the window. Once she noticed that Dax was looking back, she quickly closed the curtains again.
“Of course he is,” I said, feeling more than a bit frustrated. “I made it clear that I didn’t need him to protect me.”
“You know how men are. If they’re not doing something, then they feel like they’re not doing anything at all. He will probably stay out there until they catch Jordan or his boss or whoever poses a danger to you.”
I didn’t like the thought of that. I didn’t need a babysitter, I was a grown woman that could take care of herself.
“I hope he’s gone by the morning,” I said, even though I knew how unlikely that was.
Lily gave me one of her looks. “Really, girl?”
“I said I hoped, I didn’t say it was going to happen. There’s a big difference between the two.”
“You need to realize that you won’t be getting rid of him that easily, especially after what happened with Jordan and Delroy.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I said. “All I want to do is go back to my normal life. Go back to the city and forget any of this ever happened. Yes, I know how silly it sounds, but a girl can dream, can’t she?”
“You can forget about it for one night,” Lily offered. “Let’s go to sleep. You look like crap, and you need some rest. Especially after what you’ve been through.”
She certainly had a point there. I looked like crap, and I felt like crap too. Being kidnapped seemed to have that effect on me. I went to the bathroom and looked into the mirror. I did not like what I saw.
“You’re right, I just hope I can fall asleep after all this. My mind is still racing. I expect Jordan to jump out of the shadows and get me. I don’t think he’ll be that nice after what I’ve done to him. I basically destroyed his whole life.”
“He got what he deserved, and you shouldn’t blame yourself for any of it. That’s all on him.”
I looked around nervously.
“Stop worrying,” Lily said. “All this is partly my fault.” I wanted to say something, but she stopped me. “It is. And I take full responsibility. Brad is right outside. Dax is on the street. There’s a cop car on the other side of the street as well. And, best of all, I’ll be here the whole night. Just get some rest, okay? Can you do that? I’ll feel even worse if you don’t at least get a good night’s sleep after what you’ve been through.”
“When you say it like that…”
Lily pointed toward the bed. “Now go get some rest, missy.”
“Not until I get a shower. I stink.”
We both laughed. After a quick shower, I did indeed go straight to bed. Surprisingly, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I didn’t even know how exhausted I was.
The next morning, I woke up to birds chirping and to Lily snoring. She was asleep right next to me. I quickly got up and looked through the window, and there he was, looking like a zombie in his car right in front of the house.
I looked at my cell phone and saw that I’d been sleeping for close to ten hours. I knew why I was tired, but why was Lily still sleeping? Maybe she stayed awake, pulling an all-nighter, for my sake? I smiled and let her rest as I closed the door behind me.
Mom and Brad were having breakfast. Or, more correctly, they were just finishing up their breakfast. Mom had made French toast, my favorite.
“Maybe you should invite that nice agent for breakfast,” my mom said as soon as I sat down.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Brad was quick to say.
“I agree with Brad,” I said.
“Some harsh things were said, and though I’ll always be on my children’s side, that man out there deserves at least a nice breakfast and a warm cup of coffee for watching over us the whole night.”
She certainly had a point there. “Fine,” I relented. “But if he starts talking about enrolling us into the witness protection program, he’s out.”
“That’s fair,” our mother said.
“You look like crap,” I said to Dax as I approached his car.
“Thanks,” he said with a smile. “It comes with the job.”
“Well, here’s something else that comes with the job: a hot breakfast and a cup of coffee.”
“Whose idea was that? I know it wasn’t yours, or your brother’s.”
“My mom invited you, but if you’d rather stay out here, that’s fine by me,” I turned to go.
“Wait, wait,” he was quick to say as he locked his car behind him.
“That’s what I thought, funny guy,” I said with a smile. “The only condition is that you can’t say the words ‘witness protection program’ while you’re inside the house.”
“I will certainly try, but I’m not making any promises.”
We had a surprisingly drama-free breakfast. It might have had something to do with the fact that Brad left the kitchen as soon as Dax sat down.
We ate and drank our coffees in silence. We were both that famished.
Once we were done, I decided to broach a subject that was on my mind.
“Don’t you have to go somewhere else?”
“Where else would I go? You’re the last person to see either Jordan or Delroy, and from what you’ve told me, you didn’t exactly leave things on good terms with either. Especially Jordan. So until they’re caught, the FBI wants me to watch you like a hawk.”
“That’s comforting,” I said sarcastically.
“It should be,” Dax said seriously. “Your life is in danger, Callie, you do realize that, don’t you?”
I sighed. “Of course I do. That madman literally kept me locked in a room.”
“Then why…”
“You promised,” I cut in.
“Fine,” he said, with clenched teeth. “Have it your way. But you should know I’m not letting you out of my sight. Any of you.”
“You want me to hang out with my mom, my brother, and my best friend all the time from now on?”
“Yup. At least until Jordan is caught.”
And to think I was preparing to go back to the city. It looked like I was going to be stuck in Picking Hill longer than planned.
I wondered what Lily would have to say about that. She actually had a job she needed to get back to. I could do my job from anywhere.
“I guess I could extend my vacation. I have some sick days that I can still use up. This won’t take more than a week or two, will it?” She asked Dax.
“Umm, we don’t exactly know how long it will take. But as soon as we catch Jordan, you should be safe. It might take longer for Callie, though. She was the one who actually met Delroy face to face.”
“He threatened my family,” I reminded Dax. “An
d this won’t take years. Not if I have something to say about it.”
“What are you saying?” Lily asked me.
“I’m saying that until Jordan and Delroy are caught, I won’t be doing anything but focusing on them. I’ll use my gift in whatever way I can. I just want them locked up and for our lives to get back to normal.”
“Amen to that,” Lily said as she put a piece of French toast in her mouth. “Mmm, this tastes like heaven.”
It wasn’t long before Brad joined us in the kitchen.
“It’s getting a little crowded here. I think I’ll go back to the car,” Dax said.
“Then I’ll go with you,” I said as I got up to follow him.
“But it’s dangerous,” Brad said. “We have to stick together.”
“You can protect mom and Lily, and Dax can look out for me. Right, Dax?”
“I guess…” he said reluctantly.
“Don’t take your eyes off of her,” Brad said to Dax.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Dax was quick to say.
Lily giggled.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Brad said, obviously annoyed.
“Me neither,” Dax said.
Once Dax and I were outside the house, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Sorry, I just needed a breather. Besides, we have a lot to do.”
“You don’t have to do anything. Leave it to the professionals, will you? Your snooping got you kidnapped, remember?”
He had a point there. But I wasn’t about to agree with him. It wasn’t in my nature.
“That’s all the more reason I have to catch these bastards and to bring them down. You guys need all the help you can get, don’t you think?”
“You know how hard it was for me to convince my boss that I should stay here? You’re not making things easier for me. If the higher-ups find out you’re snooping into FBI business once again, no amount of talking will get you out of trouble.”
“You’re such a party pooper. All I’m asking for is access to some evidence.”
“Oh, is that all? Then let’s go. I’ll give you anything you want.”
“Good,” I said. I waited for him to unlock the door so that I could take the passenger seat.
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