These last few years, I had been so hard on my brother. I had shunned him for his weakness, for his addictions, for choosing to serve Alexi and Dmitri in order to repay his debt, for offenses I thought he’d committed. But I’d been wrong about so many things, like Nick’s culpability for the accident that killed our parents and sister, for preventing him from helping Jillian. And now this.
All this time, Nick had been protecting me, and he’d done so in a way that would keep me far from the danger that he subjected himself to every single day. I would never be able to thank him, to acknowledge all that he had forfeited in order to protect me, the older brother who believed he’d done so much to take care of his younger, irresponsible sibling.
The truth was too much to bear. The shame of it crushed me.
Sidorov tapped his fingers on the table. “I’m sorry, Mr. Karras. I thought you deserved to know. I realize it doesn’t make it any easier, but perhaps it will help you make your decision. Dmitri Chernov deserves to rot in prison for the rest of his life. And you can help put him there. I can’t offer you protection—in here or on the outside—unless you help us out.”
I swallowed hard at the threat and turned my thoughts in another direction. I wasn’t the only one at risk here. Nick may have inadvertently brought Dmitri and Alexi to my door, but I had tossed Hannah into the mix in my quest for vengeance. I wiped the tears away and leveled my gaze at Agent Sidorov.
“What about Hannah?” I asked. “Will she be offered any kind of protection?”
“Well, Ms. Maguire might be useful if we were looking at secondary kidnapping charges from when she was taken from the hotel, and I certainly haven’t dismissed that notion, but as it stands now, she has very limited knowledge about Chernov himself. The man who allegedly assaulted her was among the dead at the warehouse, so obviously there’s no need to prosecute on those charges.”
I pounded my fist on the table. “That’s bullshit! Chernov had to have known. One of his men took her. And she was assaulted on his property, while he was there. Surely you can find some way to implicate him!”
“Mr. Karras, Ms. Maguire has been highly traumatized, and any testimony she provides will be open for a difficult cross examination, so if I can avoid it, I’d rather not subject her to that, especially if it isn’t a charge we would likely get a conviction on.”
I couldn’t fault him for that. I’d rather Hannah not have to relive anything either. I nodded in resignation. “Will she at least be safe, from Dmitri, I mean? He won’t go after her, will he?”
Sidorov shook his head. “I doubt it. She can’t tie what happened to her back to Dmitri. His attorney would know that. And, therefore, so would Chernov. He’d only be further jeopardizing himself if he went after her.”
I sighed in relief. “Well then, what will happen to me if I do accept your deal?”
“You will be taken into federal protective custody and arrangements will be made for your living accommodations during the testimonial process. When the process is complete, probably within a year or so, you will be permanently reassigned a new identity and relocated to a secure location of our choosing. Of course, all this hinges on the amount and value of the information you provide.”
I contemplated his response for a moment, unsure of what to do. “Do you feel you have a good case against him? Will Chernov be convicted?”
Sidorov looked at me earnestly. “We have a number of witnesses to various aspects of the investigation, and there are many charges being leveled against Mr. Chernov. We feel confident that we can convict on at least a few, if not all charges. But of course, there is no guarantee. You need to consider that when making your decision.”
I deliberated over everything Agent Sidorov had told me. It wasn’t going to get any better for me than this, and though I did deserve to spend time in prison for all I had done to Hannah, I didn’t think I deserved it for killing Alexi or Dmitri’s other men, especially considering all they had done to Nick. After everything he’d given up for me, Nick deserved some kind of retribution on his behalf. And only I could provide that for him.
I had only one real concern and that was Hannah. I didn’t want to be whisked away without having the opportunity to speak with her one last time. I needed to explain everything myself and tell her why I would likely never see her again. Given all she’d confessed to me regarding her feelings, my leaving might prove difficult for her. I needed to be the one to break the news, to beg her to understand the impossible quagmire I now found myself in.
“Agent Sidorov, I would accept your terms with one small condition.”
He raised his brow at me and removed his glasses. “What might that be?”
“I’d like the opportunity to speak with Hannah, in person, one last time before I’m taken into your custody.”
He shook his head. “Ms. Maguire will be remaining in the hospital for several more days and, I’m sorry, but she cannot be moved to accommodate your request.”
“But surely you can move me to her location.”
“That would hardly be prudent.”
“Still, I insist on this one condition,” I asserted, sitting back in my seat. “I can’t just vanish forever without expressing my...” I paused with my head bowed, reflecting on all the things I would like to tell to her. “…without expressing my regret. I have much to say of a personal nature. Please, Agent Sidorov, I beg you to consider this one request. And then I’ll give you my full focus and attention.”
He sat there contemplating me for a long moment. “I’ll have to clear this with my command, but…I’m fairly confident something can be arranged.”
I smiled weakly. “Thank you. Then I accept your deal.”
We both stood and shook hands.
“Good. A contract will be drawn up within a couple of hours. After you sign it, I will see to the arrangements of your request. Good day, Mr. Karras.”
He packed his briefcase and left the tiny room.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Tyler
A few hours later, I signed the agreement with the FBI. Detective Stevens informed me that the San Francisco Police Department had dropped all charges, and I was free to leave into federal custody. Afterwards, I was escorted through the booking area and into a waiting SUV, the windows tinted black as pitch.
Agent Sidorov and his partner drove me back to St. Mary’s Medical Center where we arrived at the rear of the main building. Sidorov got out and spoke to a hospital administrator who gave him specific instructions on how to proceed. Both agents were tense and on edge. They searched the area thoroughly with their guns drawn while I waited in the car. Sidorov pulled me from the SUV and placed me between him and his partner, escorting me into the hospital through a service entrance.
They pushed me to the rear of a freight elevator and stood ready at the doors, blocking my view. I was accompanied up to radiology and a dressing room where I was given full scrubs and a surgical mask to change into. From there, they hustled me into an MRI room where they conducted another diligent search. When they were satisfied we were alone, they directed me back to the equipment terminal which stood quiet in the dim light.
“Wait here, Mr. Karras,” Sidorov said. “We’ll be in the next room if you need us.”
I thanked them both and sat down to wait. My heart pounded in anticipation, both at being able to see Hannah again, as well as dreading what I was going to have to tell her. I waited fifteen minutes until an orderly pushed a wheelchair through the door, calling out Hannah’s name before departing. I looked across the darkened room toward Hannah who craned her head over her shoulder at the fleeing orderly.
“That guy’s weird,” she commented to herself. Then she turned her attention my way. She watched me, but, in the darkness, did not recognize me with the mask covering my nose and mouth. “Hey, I don’t think I need another scan already,” she said impatiently. “I just had one last night, for Pete’s sake. Could you recheck my doctor’s orders before you begin? I don’t want to be c
harged for an unnecessary test.”
I walked out of the darkness, removed the mask, and bent down in front of her wheelchair. The whites of Hannah’s eyes grew wide, and a slow smile spread across her bruised face.
“Tyler,” she burst out, grimacing in discomfort as she tried to stand.
“No, Hannah. What are you doing? Sit back down before you hurt yourself.”
I turned around, grabbed a plastic chair, and slid it up close in front of her wheelchair. I sat down and took her hands in mine, kissing them both several times.
She stared at me with a bright smile, though bewilderment lingered in her eyes. “Why are you here?” she asked. “How did you get here? What happened to you?”
“Whoa, slow down,” I said as I smiled back warmly, hoping she would appreciate it. I couldn’t help but lean in and kiss her on her mouth, just once. As I pulled back, I looked at her and she still had her eyes closed, as if she expected something more. When she opened them, she looked at me so sweetly. And my heart shattered.
“How are you, Ty?” she asked with genuine concern.
“I’m okay, all things considered. And you, Hannah, how do you feel? Are you on the mend?” I touched my hand to her cheek, stroking her bruised flesh with my thumb.
She laughed softly as she covered my hand with hers. “Yeah, I’m on the mend. Guess I have a lacerated liver or something. They want to keep me here for a few more days. But I’ll live.” She shook her head, her eyes caressing my face as worry wrinkled her brow. “My God, look at you. You have two black eyes. Is your nose broken?”
I mugged my chin up for her and gave her my very best smile, knowing fully how much she would appreciate it. “Yes, but doesn’t it make me more ruggedly handsome?”
We both laughed at my poor attempt at humor.
“Yes,” she replied. “Yes, it does, if that’s even possible.” She reached out and slowly ran her fingers along my jaw. “I’ve never seen you clean-shaven. That’s a good look for you.” She turned serious then and the grin disappeared. “What happened, Ty? I’ve been so worried.”
I looked down at the floor uneasily before returning to hold her gaze. “Well, for starters, I was arrested by the police. But then the feds showed up, and they were very interested in my case, so…” I shrugged.
Hannah’s eyes grew wide again. “The feds? Like the FBI? But why?”
“Well, it seems one of their agents was at the fight, working undercover. He was the reason all the cops showed up as we were leaving.” I bowed my head. “He asked me a lot of questions…about Nick, about Dmitri and Alexi.” I swung my eyes up to meet hers again. “And about you, Hannah.”
She gasped. “About me?”
“Yep. I was backed into a corner, so I gave them the story you suggested. I’m not entirely sure they bought it, but they were very interested in my…participation in their investigation.”
Hannah’s eyes narrowed. “Investigation? What does that mean exactly?”
I expelled a ragged sighed as sadness overwhelmed me. “Hannah, they’ve offered me a deal.”
“What kind of deal? What could they possibly want from you?”
“Well, I either help them by testifying against Dmitri, or...they charge me with multiple federal murders, conspiracy, interfering in a federal investigation. Even kidnapping.”
“Kidnapping?”
“Yes, Hannah. Kidnapping you.”
“What? No! They can’t do that. Not without my—”
I jumped up from my seat. “Hannah, this is the U.S. federal government we’re talking about. They can do whatever the hell they want, and I have very little choice in the matter.” I stopped and sighed, frustrated that I continued to allow my emotions to rule me. “I’m sorry.” I sat at back down and took her hands in mine once again.
“Look, I didn’t want this...any of it. I’ve made some very poor choices. I’ve tried to make up for it as best I can. I didn’t count on becoming so... I mean, I didn’t go looking to become...involved. But, for whatever reason...” I struggled to find the right words, but my throat was tight with emotion I couldn’t control, no matter how hard I tried. “For whatever reason, Hannah, you and I...we seemed to...need each other. It was incredibly intense, but...it was...artificial. It wasn’t…real. No relationship formed under those circumstances can survive the day to day of normal life. We are too different. We would never work. It could never last.”
Hannah stared back at me, her eyes glassy. She sat up straight and ripped her hands from my grasp. She tried to wheel herself away, but I caught the arms of her wheelchair and held her in place.
“Wait, Hannah, please. Let me explain—”
“What are you doing here, Ty?” she whispered, searching my eyes for the answer.
I stared back, willing her to understand. “I had little choice. I took their deal.”
She pulled on the wheels, trying her best to break free.
“No, Hannah, wait. Please, listen to me.”
She stopped struggling and looked me hard in the eye.
“I will testify for them. And in return, they’ll protect me by giving me a new identity and relocating me. I’ll get training, a new job, whatever I need to start a new life.”
“And your old life, Ty? What about that?”
I sighed, my attention back on the floor by my feet. “It’s over. I have to cut all ties and move on. I don’t have any family left. It shouldn’t be too difficult to start over.”
I looked back up at her and the tears I tried so hard to hold back spilled over.
“God, Hannah, I don’t want to do this. You must believe that. I don’t want to hurt you again. I’ve done that too many times already. Every time I hurt you, it rips away a piece of me. There’s so little left of the man I once was. I don’t even recognize myself anymore. I can’t afford to misplace one more part of who I really am. Can’t you see that? You told me how you understood so much of what I’ve been through. Please, tell me you can understand this.”
She nodded while tears rolled down her cheeks, swallowing hard before she spoke. “Yes, of course I can understand.”
“Hannah, I’m so sorry. I hope someday you can forgive me for this, as well.” I held her face between my hands. I kissed her forehead, then each side of her tear-stained face. And then, lastly, her mouth, once, tenderly. I pulled away and looked into her sad eyes for a long moment then kissed her again, long, slow, and desperate. When we parted, Hannah wouldn’t even look at me. She kept her head bowed. I kissed her crown and stood up.
“Goodbye, Hannah. Please take care of yourself, okay?” She only nodded, refusing to speak or even glance up at me. “Okay,” I said once more and walked out of the room.
I stopped just outside the door and heard her sobbing quietly. I walked to the next room and knocked. Sidorov opened the door and I stepped just inside with the door cracked. I watched the orderly return and take Hannah away. It felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest and taken away with her.
Despondent, and destroyed all over again, I walked out of the hospital the same way I came in, into the custody of the FBI, who—without even allowing me to bury my brother—swept me away to a new life.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Hannah
Too restless to lie still in my hospital bed one minute longer, I rose and paced the cold floor of my private room, mulling over Ty’s every word. I should have asked him to stay. If I had, perhaps he would have reconsidered. While he might have guessed how I felt about him, I never actually told him straight out. And now he had made the decision to leave. I’d never be able to see or talk to him again. If I’d told him how I really felt, maybe he would have stayed. We could have fought those charges together, but I never made the offer, and now my regrets were mounting.
As I wandered around aimlessly, the police detective who had tried to interview me as I was being admitted knocked on the open door of my darkened room. I snapped out of my trance and looked up. She smiled politely and walked in to re-
introduce herself. I pushed myself back into the shadows.
“Good evening, Ms. Maguire. I’m Detective Michelle Simmons with the SFPD. We met when you were first brought in to the emergency room. I know that must have been very difficult for you, and you’d like nothing more than to forget, but perhaps you remember me?”
“Yes, Detective, I do.” Though she held out her hand, I remained standing in the dark, trying my best to hide my bloodshot eyes and the tears that refused to cease.
She dropped her outstretched arm. “May I come in?”
“Oh, um…yeah…I suppose.”
“Thank you. I hope this is a good time. We didn’t get to speak very much before and I need to get a formal statement from you.” She pulled a chair from the corner and sat down, a small notepad and pen in hand. It looked as though she planned on staying awhile. “The status of this case has changed considerably since you were admitted,” Simmons reported.
“Changed how?”
“Well, as I believe you may already know, this case is now under federal authority. The SFPD is cooperating with the FBI on your end due to the multijurisdictional police investigations.”
“On my end? I don’t understand.”
“Ms. Maguire, after you were identified last night, a local investigator was sent to your residence. The front door appeared damaged, so the detective entered on suspicion of a crime having been committed. He found quite a bit of blood. Your husband was contacted. He and your son said they had only spoken to you once in the last few days prior to the incident here in The City. They said that was unusual and that they were concerned. Your home was determined to be a crime scene, and your local police department would like to know what happened. So, if you wouldn’t mind going over it with me, I could send them and the FBI your statement and get this whole thing wrapped up.”
My mind spun at warp speed. Oh my God, Beck and Conner know! Conner must be so scared. What else has happened? What have the police uncovered? Where is Tyler, and what has he told them?
The Mistaken Page 33