by Jamie Hill
Christine glanced up at him. “Hi. Did you get some sleep?”
“Yeah. Where’s Rivers? And your mom, and Ethan?”
She stood and moved in front of him. “Mom forgot her asthma medicine. The marshal offered to run her home to get it. Ethan asked to go along—”
“Begged, really,” Stan added, tossing a card down.
Doug’s blood ran cold. “He offered to take her back to get it? That’s not how these things work. Once we’re here, we stay put. If we need something, another marshal is dispatched to bring it to us.”
Her father looked up. “Rivers suggested driving Lil home.”
Peyton added, “He also mentioned E going along, didn’t he, Grandpa?”
“Yes, I think he did.”
Christine’s eyes widened. “What’s going on, Doug? Why would he do that?”
I have no idea. Heart racing, he pulled his phone from his pocket and determined who to call. “What time did they leave?”
“About an hour ago.” She bit her lip.
He frowned. Chicago Witsec would have more knowledge of Rivers, but given the circumstances, he wasn’t sure whom he could rely on in their department. Instead, he dialed someone he knew and trusted, his chief. After explaining the situation, he agreed to sit tight and ended the call.
“What’s happening?” Christine’s voice was shrill. “Where are they?”
“We don’t know yet. My boss is going to find out. I don’t have Rivers’ cell number, so we can’t do much from our end.”
“They’ll be back any minute, won’t they?” Stan tried to sound positive, but his voice faltered at the end of the sentence.
Doug chose his words carefully. “I hope so, but what Rivers did goes against standard protocol. It’s not normal. I don’t like it.”
Christine grew frantic. “I don’t understand! Are you telling me mom and Ethan are in danger?”
“I’m not telling you anything, yet. You’ll know as soon as I hear.” He’d give anything for magic words of comfort, but there wasn’t much he could say. “Did you guys eat dinner?”
“We had chicken nuggets. The rest are in the fridge.” She went into the kitchen before him. “I can warm them up for you.” She prepared a plate, then paced and fidgeted until the microwave dinged. Hands shaking, she handed him the food.
“Thanks.” He tried to catch her eye but she seemed to be avoiding direct contact. Sighing, he grabbed a soda and was halfway through the makeshift meal when his cell rang.
Christine gripped the table, her knuckles turning white.
He recognized the number of his coworker Ben Markham. “Hey, Ben.”
“Doug, the chief is on the line with Chicago Witsec as we speak, but you’ve got a problem, man. Something’s up with this Rivers guy.”
Spotting Stan and Peyton watching from the doorway, he tried to keep his voice calm and expression neutral. “What else can you tell me?”
“Nothing definite, but it doesn’t look good. The boss said to hang on and he’d be in touch soon.”
“Okay, thanks.” He pocketed the phone and shook his head. “We don’t know anything yet.”
Christine’s voice cracked. “You know something. You’re just not telling us. What do you think happened, Doug?”
Stan added, “This marshal, he wasn’t the real deal?”
Doug sighed. “I can’t say for sure. My office is checking into it.”
“You left him with us!” Christine exploded, tears flooding her cheeks. “You went to sleep and we thought that meant we could trust him. Ethan talked to him. Ethan went with him!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t take the guy for face value, I called Chicago Witsec and they vouched for him, so he had to be a real marshal. Something’s obviously gone wrong, Christi. I can’t explain it, but I’m so sorry.”
She pounded her fists on Doug’s chest. “Where’s Ethan? Where’s my son, and my mom? You have to find them!”
He grabbed her balled up hands. Before Doug could speak, Stan reached for his daughter and drew her into his arms. “Don’t jump to conclusions until we know more, sweetie. They might be at the house. Give the marshals time to figure it out.” He smoothed her hair.
Doug looked away. He calls her ‘sweetie’, just like Christi calls Ethan.
Ethan. His heart lurched. If the boy was in danger, he could never forgive himself.
Peyton moved closer to her grandfather. “Do you think so, Grandpa? Do you think Ethan and Grandma are okay?”
“We have to believe that.” He pulled her into the hug.
Without speaking, Doug rinsed off his plate and stuck it in the dishwasher. His phone rang again and he jumped. He glanced at the number before he answered. “Yeah, boss.”
“Doug, listen. Rivers is off the grid. His cell’s going straight to voicemail. Agents are at the house and there’s no sign of him, the woman or the boy.”
His stomach clenched. “Was he really a marshal?”
“Yes, that’s the stumper. His captain said he was a good one, no blemishes on his fifteen year record. Makes this all the more infuriating.”
“Someone got to him.”
“Probably. Until this is over, trust no one in Chicago except Chief Wilson. I’ll text his cell number to you. I’m putting Markham on a plane to you now. He’ll grab a car from the field office and be at your place in a few hours. I don’t want you there alone.”
“I appreciate that.” Doug glanced at the three faces staring at him. He’d already let them down. “I’ll be glad to see him.” He turned his back and walked into the front room. “Damn it, Chief! What the hell are we supposed to do?”
“Keep it together, Doug. Those people need you now.”
“I know that.” His gut ached.
“Wilson’s sending a detective to take descriptions of the woman and kid. She’ll give you a code word. Don’t talk to anyone who doesn’t know it. When we hang up, I’ll text it to you. Erase the text immediately.”
“Understood.”
“Hang on, Marshal. I know it feels like you’re alone right now, but you’re not. A couple dozen people are working on this thing behind the scenes, so buck up.”
“Thanks.” He ended the call and checked his texts.
Spaghetti.
He deleted the message, inhaled, and blew the breath out.
* * * *
Christine forced her breathing to remain calm. When Doug got off the phone he didn’t turn around, so she went to him. “Did they find anything?”
“Come in and sit down. I’ll tell you what I know.”
She sat on the sofa with her dad and Peyton. Doug sat across from them.
“Rivers was a real marshal, but they think someone might have paid him off. He’s not answering his cell, and is nowhere to be found.”
“Have they checked our house?” Stan asked.
“Agents are there now. There’s no sign of them.”
Her father turned to her. “If they didn’t go home, your mom didn’t get her medicine.”
“She has her inhaler. That should get her by for the time being.”
“Not for more than twelve hours or so.” Her dad squeezed her hand. He suddenly seemed to understand the gravity of their situation.
Doug raised his hands. “Let’s don’t get ahead of ourselves. They could still show up. Ethan may have talked Rivers into an ice cream run, or something like that.” He offered a small smile. “Knowing that kid, I wouldn’t put it past him.”
“You’re right.” Christine tried to be positive, but it was almost more than she could bear.
“My chief is sending another marshal to work with us.”
“Jordan?” Peyton asked excitedly.
He shook his head. “Broken ankle, remember? Ben. He’ll be here in a few hours. We can trust him.”
“I trusted Jordan.” She looked at her mom. “She’s the only one we can rely on.”
Christine knew her daughter was upset. The same thoughts tinkered around her mind, bu
t she tried to tell herself it wasn’t the truth. They could trust Doug. Couldn’t they? It wasn’t his fault he’d been double crossed. Was it? “Peyton, please.” She turned to Doug. “Where do they think Mom and Ethan are?”
“I wish I could tell you. Now look, a detective is coming to get their descriptions. The police will put out an APB on them immediately.”
“How do we know we can trust this guy?”
“The detective’s a woman, and my chief gave me a code word.”
She nodded.
Doug gazed into her eyes. “He reminded me that we may feel alone cooped up here, but we’re not. Dozens of marshals are on this case. Once the police get involved, that number will increase exponentially.” He offered another half-smile.
He was trying to reassure her, but the words were cold comfort. Her family was in grave danger. Things were getting worse, not better.
Her dad squeezed her hand again. She gripped it firmly and nodded in Doug’s general direction.
He answered a brief phone call then went to the front door.
A dark-haired woman in a business suit stood on the stoop. “Spaghetti.”
“Come in.” Doug stepped back and motioned her inside. “I’m Doug Jackson with the US Marshal’s Office. This is Christine, Stan, and Peyton.”
The woman smiled. “I’m Detective Lloyd. Call me Sam. I’m here to get descriptions of Mrs. White and Ethan for the APB.”
Christine’s gut churned. She thought she might be sick. “You go first, Dad. I need to use the restroom.” Hurrying out, she rushed down the hall.
As she closed the bathroom door she leaned against it. Gut-wrenching sobs overtook her. This can’t be happening. She’d gone from the terror of losing Peyton to relief in finding her in a matter of twenty-four hours. Now a new, more frightening possibly loomed. Losing Ethan. Losing Mom. “I can’t do this,” she cried.
A soft knock sounded on the door. “You decent?” Doug asked quietly.
Grabbing a tissue, she tried to dry her tears as he entered. “I’m using the bathroom,” she protested.
“No you’re not.” He plucked more tissues from the box and passed them over. “You’re freaking out. I could tell by the look on your face that you needed me.”
Fresh sobs escaped and she fell into his arms. “Oh my God, Doug! Can this really be happening? We just found Peyton. Now…this. It’s too much!”
“Shh.” He rocked her gently, whispering in her ear. “I’m sorry. I’m so very, very sorry.”
Christine wanted that to be enough, but it wasn’t. Her son and her mother were out there—somewhere—with a man they didn’t know. She pulled away from him slowly. “What I needed was for you to protect my family. How did this go so horribly wrong?”
His face fell as if she’d slapped him. “I’d give anything if this hadn’t happened. I promise you, I won’t stop trying until I can make things right.”
She moved away and reached for one more tissue. “The only way to do that is to find my mom and Ethan, safe and unharmed. We should go talk to the detective. Maybe she can help us do that.” Brushing past him, she left the bathroom.
“Mom, what was E wearing?” Peyton asked as she rejoined the family. “A blue-striped T-shirt, right? And jean shorts?”
She nodded and sat on the arm of the sofa. “White sneakers and ankle-high socks.”
“Does he have any birthmarks, or identifying features?” Sam asked.
Christine did her best to describe her son. Witsec had given the police a photo of him from January, when her she and the kids had entered the program. He looked much the same. His hair was longer and he’d sprouted up some since then.
The detective scribbled everything down then rose. “Let me get this information into the system. The quicker we get their descriptions spread, the better off we’ll be.”
“Thank you.” Doug walked her to the door.
“We’ll be in touch.” She nodded and left.
He closed and locked the door behind her, then shoved the shade aside and peered out the window.
“They’ve been gone a long time,” Peyton observed. “It’s not an ice cream run, is it?”
“Probably not,” Stan said. His voice sounded shaky. “I’m at a loss for what to do, here. I’ve never felt so useless in my life.”
“I’m the same way.” Christine’s temples had started to throb.
“We could pray,” Peyton put her head on her grandfather’s shoulder.
“I’ve been doing that,” he replied. “Wherever your grandma is, she’s praying, too. I can feel it.”
Christine felt nothing but a chill. She moved behind Doug, rubbing her hands over her upper arms. “It’s getting dark.”
“We’ll find them.” He stared out the window.
She couldn’t hold the venom back. “You damn well better.”
He didn’t turn around.
* * * *
It was after midnight when Ben Markham showed up at the safe house. Doug let his co-worker in and pumped his hand. “Good to see you, man.”
“Sorry you’ve had it so rough.” Ben dropped his duffle bag in a corner and glanced around. “Wow, this is nice.”
“Everything is better in Chicago,” Doug replied sarcastically.
“Right.” Ben snorted. He glanced at the sofa, where Christine, Peyton and Stan had fallen asleep in a huddle. “No one wanted to go to bed, huh?”
“Nope. Probably didn’t trust me to keep them safe.” He went into the kitchen and opened a soda.
Ben followed, reaching for his own can. They sat at the table. “Don’t blame yourself, Doug. This thing’s been planned for a while. According to our intel, Lillian White has been in the crosshairs for months. She might have been nabbed whether you were here or not.”
Doug groaned. “And no one saw this coming? The Whites should have entered Witsec last year with the rest of the family.”
“Reports say they didn’t want to go. Can’t force people to do what they don’t want to do.”
“Tell me about. I’m not sure anyone understood how serious their situation was. Finding out Peyton was Facebook friends with her grandparents nearly blew my mind.”
“No doubt it helped someone trace them to Topeka. The man in the white sedan was obviously watching them. Now he’s followed you here. To Chicago, anyway. There’s no evidence he’s aware of this safe house.”
“Good. So who hired this guy?”
“I read the case notes on the plane. There are a couple of people who have a vested interest in Larry Stewart’s testimony at Martin Newsome’s trial.”
“Who besides Sal Russo?”
“Apparently Newsome was involved with drug trafficking. Rumor has it he was moving stuff for a very big Columbian cartel.”
Doug’s frustration and rage bubbled out. “Damn it all to hell! That makes this thing ten times more dangerous.”
“No kidding. I’ve got something to show you. Wilson was going to send it to you, but I arrived and I said I’d bring it.” Ben pulled his smartphone out.
“What?” Doug looked at the screen.
Ben gazed at him. “You need to remain calm.”
“You need to show me whatever the hell you have.”
His friend bit back a smile. “Here you go.” He held the phone out and pressed a button which started a video.
A shaky image of what appeared to be Ethan and his grandmother appeared onscreen. Both were handcuffed with duct tape over their mouths. A Chicago Tribune with the current date was perched in front of them.
A synthetically altered voice said, “Larry Stewart knows what he needs to do. If he does it, they’ll be released unharmed. If he doesn’t, they’ll be released in pieces.”
The video ended.
Doug closed his eyes. “Oh for flying fuck’s sake!”
“Yeah. The video confirms our worst fears. Chief Wilson is talking to the District Attorney regarding the best way to proceed.”
“Raise your hand if you think they
won’t make Stewart testify.”
Ben’s gaze was level as he slowly shook his head.
Doug groaned. “So this kid and his grandma are collateral damage? Please tell me there’s another plan in place. Anything.”
Ben didn’t comment.
Doug jumped up and paced the room. He agreed with Stan and Christine about feeling useless. I hate it. He closed his eyes and tried to remember a happier time with Christine. There hadn’t been many, he’d only known her since she’d entered the program. And only really gotten to know her since the trouble arose. But in between all the worry about who was after them and where Peyton had gone, they’d shared some laughs and smiles.
He wasn’t sure he’d ever feel like laughing again. And it’d been too long since he’d seen Christine smile. “Damn it!”
“Get that ‘boo hoo’ crap out of your system, buddy. You need to be calm, cool and collected when those people wake up and look to you for answers.”
He popped his eyes open. “I can’t show them that video. They don’t need to see it. They’re barely hanging on as it is.”
“Your call, man, but they’ll need to know the bottom line. So look, do you need some sleep? I can spell you if you want to catch a nap.”
Doug rolled his eyes. “The last guy who ‘spelled me’ took off with Ethan and Lillian.”
Ben crossed his arms. “You know that won’t happen again. I’ve got your back, and there’s an unmarked police car on the street. The rest of the family is as safe as they can be for now.”
He exhaled a sigh of relief. It felt good to share the burden. He just wished the help hadn’t come hours too late. “I’m not tired, but thanks.”
“You sure? I’m serious. We’re under surveillance here. Besides, I’ve got five levels of candy to be crushed, and an intense game of Words with Friends going with Jordan.”
Doug smiled. “She cheats.”
Ben chuckled. “I know. I’m putting up with it since she’s on bed rest and going stir crazy. Truth be told, it makes me feel superior when I win without using the dictionary app.”
Doug leaned against the counter. “I hear you. I’d feel that way, too.” Thinking about how he felt right then, he groaned. “This whole mess sucks, Ben. I’ve never lost a family member before, let alone two.”