Behind the Mask

by Dana Ridenour

  “I plan to go if I can scrape up enough money. What about you, Lexie? Have you given the trip some thought?”

  “I have, and it sounds like an awesome opportunity. I’d be too nervous to travel overseas by myself, but if you all are going, I’d love to go.”

  “I think that all four of us should go,” Savannah said. “It would be a blast.”

  “Since you’ve been before, Nick, what’s it like? I mean, is it like a conference where you sit in a classroom, or is it more hands-on stuff?” Lexie asked.

  “It’s different from the animal rights conferences that we have in the United States. The people conducting the blocks of instruction are all hard-core animal rights activists from all over the world. The emphasis is on underground direct action. At the conferences in the United States, people are afraid they are going to be arrested, so nobody wants to talk about direct action campaigns. Overseas, most of the conference is dedicated to direct action.”

  “Sounds like it’s more what I’m looking for,” Lexie commented. “That’s the stuff we should be teaching in the US, not this fucking welfarist bullshit.”

  All three looked at Lexie with shocked expressions.

  “What? You guys know I’m right. We’re too soft in the US. Most of the US activists are too afraid to go to jail or that daddy will take their car away if they get in trouble. Am I wrong?”

  “You’re not wrong,” Nick answered. “I just didn’t realize that you felt so strongly about direct action.”

  Lexie continued. “I used to think that the answer was harsher laws for animal abusers, but somewhere along the line, I realized that politicians don’t give a shit about animals. There’s no money in saving animals, so the greedy bastards won’t listen when you try to convince them to write stricter animal cruelty laws. Most animal cruelty statutes are a fucking joke. The only way to get attention is to do something drastic. People sit up and take notice when something blows up.”

  “The only way to hurt animal abusers is to hit them in the wallet,” Nick said. “Money is the only thing that’s important to them.”

  “We make it so difficult for new activists to learn the art of direct action,” Lexie said. “There are books and guides out there, but I think the best way to learn a skill is to be able to do some hands-on training and to discuss options in open forums. We’re so afraid of each other that we won’t help each other learn new tactics.”

  Nick ran his hands through his hair. Lexie wondered if it was a sign of apprehension, but to her surprise he continued with the discussion.

  “You definitely need to go with us to The Gathering. It could be the opportunity that you’ve been looking for. But let’s be careful; I know we’re all friends here, but talking about direct action is dangerous.”

  “I know it is,” Lexie said. “That’s why I’m discussing it out here in the middle of nowhere. There isn’t anyone around who can overhear us, and I trust you three. I really want to go to The Gathering. I’ll find a way to scrape together the money.”

  “I’m glad that you want to go,” Nick said. “We need more people like you in the movement, people who aren’t afraid to dig in and get their hands dirty.”

  “I’ll start putting some money aside for the trip,” Lexie stated. “By the way, this lunch is fantastic, Savannah. Thanks for making it.”

  “It’s very good. Thank you, sweetie,” Nick agreed.

  “Yeah, thanks, Savannah,” Haley added.

  “It was no trouble,” Savannah said. “This is nice. Friends hiking and socializing. I feel comfortable when I’m with you guys.”

  “I feel the same way,” Lexie added. “I think you three are the first real friends that I’ve made in a long time.”

  Sadly, there was more truth in that comment than Lexie cared to admit.

  * * * * *

  Lexie’s day had started off badly. After a night of tossing and turning, her cell phone rang at the crack of dawn. An emergency meeting had been called, and her presence was needed at the office. In her efforts to hustle, she had dripped coffee down her new shirt. Damnit. I should never buy anything white. She dabbed at the coffee stain as she walked to the door, only making it worse.

  Kate was there to greet her. “Sorry that I had to wake you up this morning,” she said.

  “No worries. How bad is it?”

  “Bad.”

  “Shit!”

  Lexie and Kate sat down near Adam. The conference room was a frantic mess. People were scurrying around in all directions.

  “The forensic report came back,” Adam said. “We have a positive DNA match on the gloves that were recovered in the dumpster in the alley.”

  “That’s fantastic,” Lexie exclaimed. “Who did it match?”

  “It’s a positive match for Savannah Riley.”

  Lexie’s heart raced, and her palms were sweating. She made an effort to try to look calm and unfazed.

  “Are you okay, Lexie?” Kate whispered.

  “Fine . . . I’m fine.”

  Adam continued with an explanation of the results. “The fire destroyed most of the evidence in the laboratory. The accelerant used to start the fire was gasoline. Nothing specific, just regular eighty-seven-percent-grade gasoline. No fingerprints were found anywhere in the lab. We recovered pieces of a two-way radio that was discarded in the alley with the gloves. There were no fingerprints on it, but our lab is still working on trying to reassemble the radio and pull any GPS data from it.”

  “What’s the plan?” Lexie asked.

  “As you can guess, HQ is pushing us to arrest Savannah and try to make her flip on her coconspirators. We want your input into her mindset. Do you think that she’ll give it up?”

  Lexie felt lightheaded. She needed an excuse to get up and move around. “Do you mind if I get a cup of coffee?”

  “Of course not. Help yourself.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Lexie walked out of the conference room but stopped just outside the door to catch her breath. She overheard Adam and Kate talking.

  “What’s up with her?” Adam asked.

  “She’ll be fine. I think it’s just a bit of a shock.”

  “Isn’t this what she wanted? This is good news.”

  “I know, but we can’t forget that she’s spent almost every day with these people since she arrived here.”

  “Are you saying she’s friends with them?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying, but we have to give her a little time to process the information. We can’t bombard her with this information and expect her not to be emotional. She’ll be fine, but she needs a little time.”

  Lexie knew she shouldn’t be listening, but she wasn’t about to leave.

  “Unfortunately HQ isn’t going to allow us time to process emotions,” Adam said in a patronizing tone.

  “Don’t be a jackass, Adam. You really have drunk the management Kool-Aid.”

  He looked down at the stack of files sitting in front of him. “I’m sorry, Kate. You’re right. I let myself get sucked up in the HQ frenzy.”

  “I’m sorry I called you a jackass.”

  “No problem. I was pretty much acting like one.”

  Lexie took that as her cue to leave and go to the break room, where she poured herself a cup of coffee. She didn’t want it, but she needed a minute to collect herself. Lexie took a sip and returned to the conference room. When she sat down, both Kate and Adam looked uncomfortable.

  “What? Who died? You two look highly stressed.”

  “We’re good,” Adam said. “How are you? We hit you with this information pretty hard. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. This is great news. We’ve achieved what we set out to do. Let’s talk strategy.”

  Lexie could hear her own voice as she spoke, but she didn’t completely comprehend what w
as happening around her.

  “How fragile is Savannah? Do you think she’ll give up the others if we snatch her up and bring her in for an interview?” Adam asked.

  “Nick’s return is bad timing,” Lexie stated. “Savannah was much more susceptible when she was out of contact with him. Now that he’s back, she has a renewed sense of purpose. But she’s young and has never been in trouble, so we have that going for us.”

  “What else do you know about her background that might help or hurt us?”

  Lexie mulled over the question. “Well, her father is an attorney. I’m not sure if that helps or hurts. Her brother attends The Citadel. They’re a very old-South, conservative family. She’s estranged from her family and friends back in South Carolina because of her animal rights activism. Her family might be useful to us.” Lexie slumped in her chair.

  “What are you thinking, Lexie?” Kate asked.

  “This doesn’t make sense. Savannah isn’t sophisticated enough to be able to pull off that lab fiasco. She’s still learning the ropes. I know the DNA evidence puts her at the crime scene, but I don’t think she was the leader. It had to be Nick. That has to be why he left town so quickly.”

  “Why do you think he returned?” Adam inquired.

  “Maybe he felt safe since no arrests have been made, or perhaps he really loves Savannah. I don’t know.”

  “What about Savannah’s roommate?” Adam asked. “What do you know about her?”

  “Haley is definitely devoted enough to the cause to be involved. She’s more security-conscious than Savannah, too. It makes sense that if someone was going to make a mistake, it would be Savannah. She tossed those gloves without checking for security cameras and discarded the radio in the same alley as the gloves. She wasn’t thinking clearly when she ran from the crime scene. How do you suppose she got separated from the rest of the perpetrators?”

  Kate looked up from the lab report she was studying. “She was the lookout!” she exclaimed. “That’s why she wasn’t with the others.”

  “Yes!” Lexie jumped in. “And when sugar turned to shit, she got the hell out of there. That explains why she was alone and on foot when the rest of the group took off in a vehicle. It totally makes sense.”

  “I like the theory, ladies,” Adam said, “but it’s still a theory. We need to get Savannah’s cooperation so we can indict the whole group. Which brings us back to the question of how to proceed with the investigation. With the DNA evidence, we should have enough probable cause for an arrest warrant for Savannah.”

  “I think we have a couple of options,” Lexie said. “One, you arrest her and hit her with all the information and try to get her to cooperate without giving up the undercover operation. I’ll remain in an undercover capacity and try to get her to talk to me after her arrest, but it might take more time than HQ is willing to give us.

  “HQ is going to push for a quick arrest and prosecution,” Adam said. “There was too much publicity surrounding the incident.”

  Lexie shifted in her chair. “The second option is we quietly arrest Savannah and tell her about the undercover operation and see if she’ll work with me to get more substantial evidence on the others.”

  Kate jumped in. “Whoa, that’s risky, Lexie. She could change her mind and expose you as an FBI agent.”

  “Well, that wouldn’t be optimal,” Lexie said, “but I don’t think she’d do that to me. If she confesses, she’ll be a broken mess. We need to persuade her to cooperate and record conversations with her coconspirators. If Savannah was merely a lookout for the group, she could cooperate in exchange for immunity.”

  Mike, who had remained quiet, spoke up. “You’re kidding yourself, Lexie. No judge in his right mind is going to offer immunity to someone involved in an action that resulted in a death. And another thing: the US Attorney’s Office will want more than just Savannah’s statement. She’ll need to wear a wire to gather evidence to corroborate her testimony.”

  “Let’s worry about getting her arrested and see what happens,” Adam said.

  “When you bring her in for the interview, can I watch?” Lexie asked.

  “That’s a good idea,” Adam stated. “Kate and I will do the interview, and one of us will consult with you periodically for input. We’ll expose the undercover operation only if it’s an absolute necessity. I’d better get working on the affidavit for the complaint.”

  Lexie pulled a USB thumb drive out of the front pocket of her backpack and gave it to Kate. “Here are my latest reports.”

  “Let’s go over to my desk and download them onto my computer. Did you bring the recorders with you?” Kate asked.

  “Yep, they’re in here too,” she said, motioning to her backpack.

  “I have a fresh recorder for you on my desk.” Kate got up from the conference table and gathered her files.

  Lexie spent most of the day with Adam and Kate helping with the affidavit. It was easier to sit with them and have the reports readily available. At the end of the day, the affidavit was finished and ready for review by the assistant United States attorney, whom Adam had an appointment with the first thing the next morning.

  On the way home, Lexie played out all the possible outcomes for the case in her head. Deep down, she knew that no matter how she sliced the pie, Savannah would hate her. Like any good undercover agent, she had built the friendship to betray the friendship.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Savannah

  Savannah, halfway dressed for class, leaned over and kissed Nick, who was still naked in her bed. He grabbed her and pulled her back into the bed.

  “Don’t go, babe. We’re still making up for lost time,” Nick teased.

  “And whose fault is that?” Savannah teased right back.

  “Ouch, touché.”

  “I would love to stay in bed with you, but I have a chemistry test this morning. Some of us have to be responsible.”

  “I’ll show you responsible.” Nick jumped on top of Savannah and started kissing her neck despite his scruffy, four-day beard. Savannah burst out laughing.

  “We’ll finish this later,” Savannah promised as she jumped up and finished dressing. “Haley should be home any minute, so you might want to put some pants on.”

  “Bye, baby,” Nick yelled as Savannah was halfway out the door. “See you tonight.”

  Savannah turned and blew Nick a kiss. “Later, Nicholas.”

  “It’s sexy when you use my full name. Come back to bed.”

  “Can’t. Later, love.”

  Savannah threw her backpack over one shoulder and rushed out of the dorm, making a beeline to the chemistry building. She walked her usual route, which took her down an alley shortcut. Before she reached the end of the alley, a dark, American-made sedan pulled in and cut her off. She moved to get out of the way, but two large men wearing bulletproof vests with “FBI” written in large gold letters on the front exited the vehicle and grabbed her by the arms.

  “FBI. Savannah Riley, you’re under arrest,” the larger of the two agents said. He wrenched her arms behind her back and slapped handcuffs on her.

  A third agent, who had been driving the car, pointed a gun at her chest.

  Savannah was in shock. Could this really be happening? “I’m what? For what?” Savannah stammered.

  “Everything will be explained to you when we get to the FBI office. I’m going to search you. Do you have anything on you that can hurt me?”

  “Hurt you? No. Nothing.”

  “Do you have any weapons on you or in your backpack?”

  “Weapons? No. Of course not.”

  The agent patted her down and searched her backpack. He quickly stuffed her into the backseat of the sedan and took off. The whole encounter took less than two minutes, and there were no witnesses to the arrest.

  * * * * *

  Savannah shive
red in the frigid interrogation room of the Los Angeles FBI Field Office. Across from her sat Agents Harper and Summers. They had just informed her of her options.

  Agent Harper continued, “You are charged with conspiracy to violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, conspiracy to commit arson, and felony murder.”

  Savannah’s mind was racing. The fire. I knew that this could happen. What should I do? Nick would tell me to remain silent. Ask for a lawyer. What would my dad tell me to do? Think. Think. What should I do? This isn’t some speeding ticket. It’s the fucking FBI, and they’re talking about me spending the rest of my life in a federal prison.

  “I don’t think I should talk to you, sir,” Savannah whimpered.

  “That’s certainly your right,” Agent Harper said. “Do you know what the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act is?”

  Savannah could barely speak. “No, not really. I’m . . . I’m not sure.”

  “It’s a federal statute that prohibits any person from engaging in any conduct for the purpose of damaging or interfering with the operations of an animal enterprise. The statute includes academic and commercial enterprises that use animals. It carries a steep prison term. You don’t want to be labeled a terrorist.”

  “Terrorist? Oh God, I’m not a terrorist. What are you talking about?” Savannah’s voice was thin and scratchy.

  Kate pulled her chair closer to Savannah. “What Agent Harper is referring to is domestic terrorism. Any person who violates the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act is considered a domestic terrorist.”

  “You mean like Timothy McVeigh?”

  “Yes,” Kate answered. “You need to talk to us, Savannah. We can help you.”

  Savannah’s stomach seized, and tears flowed down her cheeks. Oh my God . . . oh my God. What am I supposed to do? My parents are going to disown me. I’m not a terrorist. I can’t go to prison. I should ask for a lawyer.

  The male agent’s voice broke the silence. “Savannah, before you make your decision, there is something I want you to see.”

  Agent Harper turned on the television that was sitting on a table in the corner. He hit Play on the DVD player. Savannah’s heart sank as she watched a grainy video from the alley on the night of the fire. She thought she might throw up as she watched herself break the two-way radio and throw the pieces in the dumpster. She watched herself remove the gloves and toss them in the dumpster.