“That’s good. It buys us a little time to plan.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Savannah
Three days had passed since Savannah’s encounter with the FBI. She waited for Lexie at the coffee shop on Venice Beach. She watched Lexie round the corner and head her way.
“You want a coffee?” Lexie asked. “My treat.”
“If you’re buying, I’ll have a vanilla latte.”
Lexie grinned. “Sure thing. Be right back.”
A few minutes later, Lexie returned carrying two lattes.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
“How are you doing?” Lexie asked.
“As good as can be expected, I guess. I’m still a little in shock.”
“That’s understandable. Are you ready for tonight?”
Savannah took a sip of her latte. “Ready as I’ll ever be. I’m scared, Lexie.”
“I know. You’ll do fine. Just be yourself. How are you going to bring up the topic?”
“Haley and I are riding to the NWM meeting with Nick. I’ll bring it up in the car on the way home.”
“Sounds good. Do you need a refresher course on the equipment?” Lexie asked.
“No. It seems easy enough. I’ll turn it on in the bathroom before we leave the house. Are you going to the meeting?”
“Yeah. I’ll walk over from my apartment.”
Savannah looked lost in thought. She repositioned herself, crossing her legs Indian style. “I’m dreading the day I have to tell my family about all of this.”
“If you want, I can go with you.”
“You would do that?”
“Of course. I know you’re still upset with me, but I do care about you. All the time we spent together hiking and hanging out wasn’t completely for work. I enjoyed our time together. It made me sick to lie to you.”
“How many cases have you worked like this one?” Savannah asked.
“You mean where I was an undercover agent?”
Savannah nodded.
“This was my first.”
“Really? Wow.”
They sat in silence sipping their lattes.
After a few minutes, Savannah continued. “You’re really good at it . . . the undercover stuff.”
“Thanks,” Lexie murmured.
“I’m still mad at you, but I understand you were just doing your job.”
“Do you think you’ll ever be able to forgive me?” Lexie asked.
Savannah thought about it for a moment before answering, “I already have.”
Lexie looked up from her latte. “In training they told us that undercover agents build relationships to betray relationships. I never understood the gravity of that statement until three days ago.”
They sat in silence finishing their lattes.
* * * * *
Savannah, Nick, and Haley arrived a few minutes before the start of the NWM meeting. Both Savannah and Haley hugged Jeannette as they entered the house.
“Hi, beautiful,” Nick said as he kissed Jeannette on the cheek.
“Such a sweet-talker,” Jeannette joked. “Everyone’s in the living room.”
Savannah saw Lexie in the corner talking to Phillip.
The meeting was uneventful. Toward the end, Lexie asked if anyone had any updates on the animals in the UCLA fire. To Savannah’s relief, it sparked a discussion about the lab action. Prior to leaving the meeting, Savannah made a trip to the bathroom and activated the recording device that was installed in the lining of her jacket. Savannah, Haley, and Nick said goodbye to Phillip and Jeannette and strolled to the car. Haley jumped in the backseat. They were halfway back to the dorm when Savannah turned sideways so she could see both Haley and Nick.
“Guys, I’m still wigged out about the fire.”
Haley and Nick looked at her at the same time.
“What are you talking about, Savannah?” Nick asked.
“You know what I’m talking about. Every time someone brings up the lab fire, it makes me want to throw up. I know you said never to discuss it, but it’s just the three of us, and I need to talk.”
“There’s nothing to discuss,” Nick said angrily.
“A man died, Nick. You and Haley act like it’s no big deal, but it is a big deal. Badger killed that poor guy, and he went off on his merry way, leaving us to deal with the mess.”
The tires screeched as Nick violently pulled the car into a parking lot. He turned so he could face Savannah. “There is no mess. The police aren’t looking at us, and Badger is gone,” he said.
“What happens when he comes back?” Savannah asked.
“He’s not coming back. He’s up north, and he plans to stay there. Killing the security guard was an accident. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“He was a casualty of war,” Haley added. “Sometimes, bad shit happens.”
“I can’t accept that, Haley,” Savannah spat out.
Nick reached over and grabbed Savannah’s chin. “Fucking accept it, Savannah!” he said. “It happened. We can’t change that fact. We have to move on and continue fighting for the animals.”
Savannah jerked her chin out of Nick’s hand.
“You have to stop obsessing over this,” Haley added. “It’s in the past, and you have to quit bringing it up.”
Nick took a breath and spoke more calmly. “Remember when we first discussed the security culture?”
“I remember.”
“What was the first rule?” he asked.
“That we never discuss past actions.”
“And what are you doing right now?”
“Don’t act so condescending, Nick. I know the fucking rules. It’s just the three of us here, and we can’t be overheard. What’s the harm in talking about it right now?”
Nick became hostile. “We do not talk about past acts!” he screamed. “I’m sorry that you’re upset, but you have to fucking let it go. If you snap, you take us all down with you. Do you want to do that, Savannah? Do you want to go to jail?”
“Of course not. I’m sorry that I’m not coldhearted like you and Haley. Killing the security guard bothers me, and I was just the lookout. Not to mention that when the fire was raging, I thought you both were dead. I was terrified I would never see either one of you again. You could be a little more understanding and help me through this ordeal instead of shutting me out. Maybe I’m not cut out for this shit after all.”
“Just chill, Savannah,” Haley said. “As long as you stay cool, nothing’s going to happen to any of us. We need to stick together. Badger is gone. He’s not coming back to LA. The other people involved have all scattered. You’re the only person who can fuck this up.”
“How am I going to fuck it up, Haley?”
“By running your mouth.”
“I’m not talking to anyone. Just you two.”
“Are you sure that you haven’t said anything to Lexie?” Haley asked.
“Of course not. Why would you even ask me that?”
“You two seem awful chummy these days.”
“She’s my best friend.” The words almost choked Savannah to say.
“That’s why I’m asking.”
“I haven’t told Lexie anything. I wouldn’t want to involve her in this fucked-up mess.”
“Let’s keep it that way,” Nick sneered.
The conversation was going worse than Savannah imagined. She needed to rehabilitate herself, in order to get more information. It was time to turn on the waterworks. “I’m sorry,” she said through sobs.
They sat silently for a few moments.
Nick broke the silence. “Savannah, it’s not that we’re trying to be cruel, but you can’t bring this up again. The fire was an awful thing, and I’m sorry that it happened on your fir
st action. It was an accident. You have to understand that Haley and I had no idea that Badger was going to start a fire. He was crazy that night.”
“Nick’s right,” Haley added. “Badger didn’t let us in on his little plan to burn the place down. We feel bad that the guard died, but he was working for the enemy. You have to stop thinking about the fire. It’s over and done. We have to learn from the experience and move on.”
Savannah looked back at Haley. “What about the other people who were involved that night? What happened to them? Will they talk?”
“They scattered to the wind after the fire,” Nick said. “They knew the risk they were taking. Trust me, they’ll never talk about that night.”
“And you must never bring it up again,” Haley said. “This has to be the last time we ever discuss it.”
“I understand,” Savannah acknowledged. “I’ll never bring it up again.”
Nick reached out and touched Savannah’s face. “When the fire started, all I could think about was you. I escaped the fire to get back to you. I love you, Savannah.”
Savannah thought she would die. Her heart was breaking into a million pieces. “I love you too.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Alexis
Lexie walked back to her apartment checking her cell phone every couple of minutes. Savannah was supposed to text when she made it home. Lexie was worried about her, so she called Kate to pass the time.
“Hello,” Kate said. “How was the meeting?”
“Pretty typical. Nothing noteworthy.”
“Has Savannah checked in yet?”
“No, not yet. I’m a little worried about her.”
“She’ll be fine,” Kate said.
“I hope so. I started a discussion about the fire near the end of the meeting.”
“Good thinking. Should make it easier for Savannah to initiate the conversation.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.”
Lexie’s phone beeped to indicate a text message.
“Hold on, Kate. I just got a text.”
The text was from Savannah. All good. See you tomorrow for coffee.
Lexie texted back, See you tomorrow.
Lexie returned to her conversation with Kate.
“That was Savannah. She’s home.”
“Great. Are you meeting with her tomorrow?”
“Yes. At the coffee shop at ten o’clock.”
“Call me when you finish your meeting. I’ll plan to swing by your apartment tomorrow afternoon to pick up the equipment.”
* * * * *
Lexie saw Savannah sitting at an outside table at the coffee shop with two cups sitting on the table.
“My treat today,” Savannah said, motioning toward the cup.
Lexie smiled. “Thank you.” She sat down next to Savannah and took a sip. “Yum. Vanilla latte.”
“Yep.”
Lexie noticed Savannah’s jacket draped over her chair.
“Leave the jacket on your chair when you leave. I’ll stay a few extra minutes and grab it. It’ll look like you forgot it.”
“Okay.”
Lexie looked around to make sure no one could overhear their conversation. “How did it go?”
“They were really pissed that I brought up the subject, but I made them talk about it. I hope I got enough, because that was a one-shot deal. I’ve never seen Nick that mad.”
“How was Haley?”
“As pissed off as Nick, but she’ll get over it. I didn’t see her this morning.”
“I’ll have your jacket back to you tomorrow afternoon with a fresh recorder.”
Lexie pushed a key fob across the table to Savannah.
“What’s that for?”
“It’s a recorder. I want you to put it on your key ring and keep it with you. If you need to record anything, push the red button.”
Savannah put the recorder in her purse.
“I’m not comfortable recording my conversations with Haley and Nick. I don’t want to do it anymore.”
“Too fucking bad you don’t want to. It’s essential that we gather as much evidence as possible against all of the subjects. You can’t pick and choose who you record. This is the only way you can earn credit for substantial cooperation.”
Savannah wouldn’t make eye contact with Lexie.
“I’m sorry, Savannah. I wish that I could make things easier for you. But I can’t.”
Lexie’s throat felt like sandpaper. “How are you going to handle things with Nick?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your physical relationship. Are you comfortable being around him right now?”
“I’m still trying to figure that out. I told him I’m busy with school.”
“How’s school going?”
“My chemistry teacher allowed me to make up the test I missed.”
“That’s good.”
“Honestly, I’m finding it a little hard to concentrate. Betraying my boyfriend and my best friend tends to take away from my study time. I’m not sure I’m going to get the grades I need for this semester. Mom and Dad aren’t going to be happy. Of course, when they find out about all of this, grades will be the least of my worries.”
“Guess that’s one way to look at it,” Lexie said.
“Lexie, do you think I’m going to be okay?”
“What you do you mean?”
“With the court case. Do you think I’ll go to jail? I’m scared.”
“I don’t know for sure, but I think all this work you’re doing is going to help you out considerably. AUSA Griffin will tell the judge everything that you’ve done for the government. Between that and the fact that you’ve never been in trouble, you should be okay.”
“I hope so. I would hate to think I was doing all this for nothing.”
“That’s not the case. You’re saving yourself. I know you don’t want to hear it, but Haley and Nick are not the people you think they are. Both have been involved in actions all over the Pacific Northwest before coming to LA. It wasn’t fair of them to drag you into this lifestyle without telling you the consequences.”
“They told me; I just wasn’t listening. I thought it would never happen to me. In my mind we were simply saving animals. I never considered what would happen if we hurt someone.” Tears filled Savannah’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I get emotional at weird times.”
“Don’t be sorry. I totally understand.” Lexie reached over and took Savannah’s hand. “I’m here for you. I know our relationship has changed, but I’m here to support you.”
Savannah looked up and gave Lexie a half smile. “Thank you.”
Lexie picked up the jacket Savannah left behind, walked home, and waited for Kate to arrive. The doorbell rang. Assuming it was Kate, Lexie ran to the door and flung it open to find Haley. Trying to cover up her shock, she smiled. “Hi, Haley. What a surprise.”
“Can we talk?”
“Sure. Come in.”
Savannah’s jacket was lying on the end table. If Haley recognized Savannah’s jacket, Lexie knew she was fucked. She tried to be as nonchalant as possible.
“Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? I have tea, Coke Zero, or lemonade.”
“No, I’m fine.”
All Lexie could think about was that damn jacket lying in plain sight and the fact that Kate could walk in at any moment. She needed to get to the switch in the bedroom to turn on the recorder for the apartment.
“Hold on a sec, I have to pee. You sure you don’t want anything to drink?”
“No.”
“Be right back.”
Lexie went back to the bedroom, hit the switch on the recorder, and pretended to go to the bathroom. She quickly sent Kate a text telling her not to come. She dashed back into the living room. Haley was flippin
g through a Vegetarian Times magazine.
“Sorry, too much coffee today.”
“Not a problem. Look, sorry to just drop in on you, but I wanted to talk to you about Savannah.”
“Sure. Is she all right?”
“That’s what I want to know. Has she said anything to you?”
“About what?” Lexie asked.
“About anything. She seems preoccupied all the time. Nick and I are worried about her. We were wondering if she might have said something to you.”
“No, nothing. She’s been struggling with school. I think things at home are still a little rough too.”
Lexie was getting a weird vibe from Haley. She seemed suspicious. “You know Savannah. She’s so sensitive,” Lexie added. “Someone probably said something that hurt her feelings, and she won’t let it go.”
“You’re probably right.”
Lexie tried changing the subject. “Any news on the international trip? You guys still planning to go?”
“As long as we can raise the money, we’re going. What about you?”
“Definitely. I’m looking forward to it.”
“You’ll benefit from going. It’s a good time too.”
Lexie needed to lighten the conversation. “Hey, you guys want to come over this weekend for dinner? Nick missed out on my cooking the last time. We could have some food and drinks and watch a movie.”
“Sounds like fun. I’ll ask them. Well, I’d better go,” Haley said. “Sorry to drop by. I was in the neighborhood and took a chance you’d be home.”
“No worries. Swing by anytime you like.”
“Do me a favor and don’t tell Savannah I came by. I don’t want her to think I’m checking up on her.”
“I won’t. Between her parents being assholes and school not going well, I think she’s a little stressed. She’ll be fine once this semester is behind her.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Lexie was walking Haley to the door when Haley turned and held up a handwritten note with one hand and put her index finger across her lips to indicate silence.
Lexie silently read the note: Go to the end of the Santa Monica Pier tomorrow night at nine. Someone will contact you there.
Lexie looked up after reading the note. Haley was looking for some kind of response.
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