The Rebel

by Alice Ward

  “When can I join you?”

  “I have a very discrete pilot on standby for Monday morning. That should give you enough time to get the preparations in order. John Rogers will be in contact on your regular cell.”

  “That reminds me. I managed to get some alone time in the office, but that isn’t always going to be the case. Claire’s living in here at the moment, and everyone else is spread out through the house. I would never call in front of anyone. But can’t I call from the grounds or our bedroom?”

  “No, it has to be the office. It’s the only room in the house that I’m confident isn’t bugged. I spent quite a bit of money making sure it was a no eavesdropping zone. I understand it’ll be difficult. Just do the best you can.”

  “I miss you, Asher,” I confessed, tears filling my eyes again. “And I hate the way they’re crucifying you on the news. It’s like the whole world is getting off on watching you fall and I hate it. I want to tell them all to go to hell, but Kennedy won’t let me.”

  “Kennedy’s smart. I figured the twenty-four-hour stations would have a field day with the story. Is it really getting that bad?”

  “You haven’t been watching?”

  “Aside from this phone, I’m cut off from the outside world at the moment.”

  “Oh, Asher,” I sighed. “There’s so much you need to know.”

  “You can fill me in when you get here. I’m so sorry, baby, but I have to go. Don’t carry this phone on you. Hide it somewhere in the bedroom and only check for missed calls when you’re alone.”

  “I will,” I promised. I didn’t want to end the call, but I knew it was only a matter of time before someone tried to check on me. I didn’t want to explain why I’d locked the door to send Deacon an email.

  “I love you so much, Lauren.”

  “I love you too. I’ll see you soon.”

  “That’s the only thought that’s keeping me going.”

  ***

  I spent Friday and Saturday dodging my friends and family and carrying out Asher’s instructions. The paperwork explained that my new IDs would take the longest to get in order, so I started my journey to Asher by snapping a few pictures of myself with the web cam and sending them to John Rogers.

  From there, I let Mom run me a bath. I soaked in the water and mentally ran through my wardrobe, deciding which pieces were versatile enough to pack and which should be left behind. I had no idea where I was going or what I would need, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sneak much out of the house.

  After my bath, I spent some time relaxing on the terrace with my dad, who was healing from the wreck on schedule. I offered to help Mom with dinner, but she insisted that I take it easy. I felt terribly guilty, but did my best not to show it. Just after sunset, I announced I was turning in early. Instead, I spent hours going through our closets. I filled a single duffle bag with practical jeans, safari shorts, and long and short sleeved t-shirts. I added my hiking boots and some of Asher’s favorite clothes before hiding the bag behind a tower of boxes.

  I had an uneasy night, knowing that Saturday’s chores would be far more difficult. My day started with Kennedy busting through the bedroom door with a frantic look on her face. I did my best to mimic her uncertain panic.

  “Lauren, you have to get up. Someone from the cybercrimes unit is on their way over. Something happened at your bank.”

  I sat upright against the headboard and stared back at her, widening my eyes. “What are you talking about?” I gasped, tossing aside my blankets.

  “I don’t know the details. They wouldn’t tell me because my name isn’t on the account. The agent I spoke with was at the bank. He’ll be here any minute. You have to get dressed.”

  She threw open my closet door, grabbed a pair of jeans and a black blouse, and tossed them to me.

  “I’ll be in the kitchen. I have coffee brewing and Jackson’s working on breakfast.”

  “I’ll be right out,” I promised.

  She left the room and I took a deep breath. I wasn’t worried about my money, because I knew exactly what happened to it. Asher had laid out his plan very thoroughly in the notes he’d sent. The feds would definitely notice if I drained the account myself. They’d assume I was helping Asher and probably arrest me for aiding and abetting. But if the bank’s entire system was hacked and I was one of many victims, then the authorities would be less likely to believe I was involved. I knew they’d still have their suspicions, but they wouldn’t have enough to charge me with anything.

  I pulled on my clothes and studied myself in the mirror.

  I can do this. I have to do this. My entire future rides on whether or not these people believe I’m surprised and devastated that the money is gone. It’ll probably be best if I cry a little. That shouldn’t be too hard. I have plenty of recent trauma to draw from.

  I smoothed the hem of my blouse just as the doorbell echoed from the living room. I stepped into the kitchen at the exact moment the two detectives stepped into the house.

  “Good afternoon, agents,” Kennedy greeted them. “I understand there’s been some sort of problem at San Jose Mutual.”

  The taller, older agent nodded and extended his hand. “Yes, ma’am. I’m Agent Hammond and this is my partner, Agent Chitwood. Which one of you is Mrs. Reynolds?”

  “I am,” I announced, stepping forward. “This is my attorney, Kennedy Montgomery, and her husband, Jackson.”

  I had no idea where Claire and my parents were. I had a sneaky suspicion Kennedy had asked them to stay away in case the meeting got nasty.

  “It’s very nice to meet you, ma’am. We’re sorry to be the bearers of bad news. Perhaps we should sit down,” he suggested.

  “Of course,” I agreed, gesturing to the sofa. We took our seats and Hammond turned to me with soft, apologetic eyes.

  “I’m very sorry to have to inform you that the bank experienced a security breach early this morning. Your account was one of many that was drained and funneled through a series of overseas banks. We were able to track it to Berlin, but the trail disappeared there.”

  I let my mouth fall open and brought a hand to my chest. “My money is gone? All of it?” I cried frantically. “But that was everything I had. What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

  Kennedy leapt off the couch and rushed to the kitchen. She fetched a bottle of water from the refrigerator and brought it to me, insisting that I take a drink. I obeyed, fanning myself as if I was having a hot flash.

  “Mrs. Reynolds, I understand this is terrible news,” Agent Chitwood said, speaking for the first time. “I apologize for making this more difficult than it already is, but I’m afraid we need to ask you a few questions.”

  “What could you possibly expect my client to know about a bank hack?” Kennedy demanded. “Lauren’s an artist. She knows nothing about computer security.”

  “I understand that. But Mr. Reynolds is tech savvy, to say the least,” he countered.

  I straightened my shoulders, pretending to be offended by his implications. “If Asher had anything to do with this, I certainly don’t know about it.”

  “So you agree that it’s possible your husband was behind the hack?” Hammond pressed.

  I snorted a little too loudly and waved my bottle in the air. “Agent Hammond, at this point, anything is possible. In the last month, I’ve been held at gun point twice, I saw a man die, and I was kidnapped by an unhinged maniac. I also got married, only to have my husband carted off to prison within days. Now he’s God knows where, with God knows who, doing God knows what. If you have proof Asher took the money, I’ll believe you.”

  Kennedy shot me a quick, confused look and then turned to the agents. “Do you? Have proof, I mean.”

  Chitwood shook his head. “We’re investigating multiple angles at the moment.”

  Hammond smiled at us, clearly the good cop of the duo. “If it’s any comfort to you, Mrs. Reynolds, your husband is currently just one of a dozen suspects we’re looking into at the mom
ent.”

  “I apologize, Agent Hammond, but I’m having difficulty finding comfort in anything these days. As I’m sure you’re aware, my husband’s accounts were frozen weeks ago. With him missing, the money in my personal account was the only security I had. It was supposed to give me my fresh start. Without it, I’m not quite sure what I’m supposed to do.”

  Tears fell freely from my eyes and Agent Hammond pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and passed it to me.

  “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Reynolds. I can’t imagine how difficult things are for you at the moment. We’re working around the clock to find the hackers and the bank does have insurance. I can’t promise that all of the money will be returned. But you won’t be left with nothing.”

  “Unless your husband does turn out to be the culprit,” Agent Chitwood added, his voice dry. I didn’t know if he saw through my forced tears, or if he was just an asshole.

  I gave him a defiant glare. “Believe me, Agent Chitwood, if Asher is responsible I’d like to be the first to know. It’ll give me even more grounds to file for an annulment. Now if you don’t have any more questions, I’d like to lie down.”

  I held my sore ribs and Kennedy helped me to my feet. The agents followed us to the door and stepped outside. Chitwood continued on to their car, but Hammond stopped and turned to hand me his business card.

  “Mrs. Reynolds, I apologize again for your troubles. Please don’t hesitate to call me if there’s anything I can do.”

  “Just find my money, Agent Hammond.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He joined his partner and Kennedy and I returned to the sofa.

  “Just what the hell was that?” she asked, her arms folded over her chest.

  “What was what?” I countered, my tone a blend of innocence and exhaustion.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were planning to file for divorce after some of the things you just said. But I do know better. So I need you to tell me what the hell that was about. Do you know what happened to the money, Lauren?”

  “Of course not,” I insisted. It wasn’t technically a lie. I knew Asher had set up the heist, but I had no idea how it actually went down.

  “I wasn’t lying to the cops, Kennedy. I’m screwed without that money. I mean I can get a job and keep myself fed. But how the hell am I going to keep this house up? How will I pay the security team, or your bill for that matter? I’m fucked.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I can’t believe this is happening on top of everything else. And the more I think about it, the less likely I think it is that Asher had anything to do with this. He’s on the run and he’d know that the authorities would follow the money. This is one hell of a coincidence though.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “So did you mean the other things you said? Are you thinking about ending your marriage?” she pressed.

  I sighed and looked to the rug. I knew if I had a prayer of Kennedy believing me, I couldn’t look her in the eyes.

  “The last thing I want to do is abandon Asher. But what choice is he really leaving me? I feel so overwhelmed, Kennedy. And I’m so fucking pissed. He swept into my life and made me fall in love with him. Then he left me, and he hasn’t looked back. What if Asher isn’t the man I thought he was?”

  “I’m not going to tell you what to do. But if you decide that leaving Asher is best for you, I’ll draw up the papers. We wouldn’t have any trouble getting a judge to sign off on an annulment, given the circumstances.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. I can’t believe I’m even thinking about this. I feel so conflicted. I wish I could take a page out of Asher’s book and disappear for a few days, just to think.”

  “If that’s what you need, do it.”

  “You really think I should?” I asked, my voice full of fake hesitation. I was both thrilled and guilt ridden that she’d fallen into my trap so easily.

  “If that’s what you need,” she said with a nod. “You’re not supposed to leave California until the investigations are closed. But it’s a big state. We could take a rail trip through wine country, or I could rent us a cabin somewhere quiet.”

  “I think I’ve had my fill of cabins for a while,” I replied with a sigh. “And as much as I appreciate that you want to go with me, I really think I need to be alone. I love you all and I appreciate you so much—”

  “I understand. You’re thinking about ending your marriage. That’s a big decision. Of course you need some time alone to think. I’ll stop by my bank and draw out a couple thousand dollars for you to take with you. Jackson and I will cover the cost of the security team as well, at least until all of this is worked out.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  I hated deceiving her. Kennedy was my best friend. I’d always been able to count on her and I felt terrible for taking advantage of her loyalty. I told myself I’d make it up to her as soon as it was safe to tell her the truth.

  “That’s what friends are for,” she replied with a smile. “I’ll keep an eye on Claire and your parents while you’re gone. Though I’m afraid you’re going to have an uphill battle convincing your Mom it’s a good idea for you to go off on your own.”

  “That’s why I’m not going to tell her,” I said, dropping my voice. “I don’t want everyone to know that I’m thinking about leaving Asher. I’m just not ready to talk about it.”

  “I really think you should say something,” Kennedy warned. “Their feelings will be hurt if you don’t.”

  I’m about to destroy everyone’s feelings… everyone’s trust and faith. But I don’t have any other choice. I need to be with my husband.

  I hugged my arms to my chest and let my eyes leak once more. “If I say the words out loud one more time, I’m going to have a breakdown.” I pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes.. “I just can’t do it, Kennedy. I’m not strong enough.”

  “Shh, it’s okay,” she assured me. “It’s all going to be okay. You don’t have to tell them. And I’ll keep my mouth shut until after you’re gone.”

  I breathed a deep sigh of relief and wrapped her up in a hug. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I’d do without you. You know that you and Jackson are like family to me, right?”

  “I know,” she cooed, rubbing my back. “And we’ll take care of everything. I’ll go to the bank now. Why don’t you do some research and decide where you’d like to go?”

  I nodded and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. “That’s a good idea. Thank you for talking this through with me.”

  “You’re welcome, Lauren. Now dry your eyes. Claire and your parents will be back from your walk any second. This is your Dad’s first trip outside since the wreck and the doctor warned him not to do too much too fast.”

  She stood, fetched her purse from the kitchen island, and headed for the front door. She turned before stepping outside and studied me for a long, silent moment. I watched the wheels turn in her head and knew there was something about my story that wasn’t quite adding up to her. I stared back, waiting for her to ask a question. Instead, she gave me a weak smile and waved goodbye.

  The moment I was alone, I fetched my burner phone from between my mattresses and locked myself in the office. I dialed Asher’s number, but he didn’t answer and I hung up before the call went to his voicemail. I sat the phone on the desk and stared at it, willing it to ring. A few minutes later, it did.

  “Asher?”

  “Hi, sweetheart. I’m sorry I didn’t answer when you called. I had my hands full. God, it’s good to hear your voice.”

  “I miss you so much.” I clutched the phone to my ear. “But that will be over soon. Everything’s in order. Two agents from the cyber unit just left. You’re still a suspect, but I think I convinced at least one of them that I have no idea what’s going on. And even Kennedy believes that I’m thinking about filing for an annulment.”

  “I wouldn’t blame you if you did,” he said with a sigh.
>
  “Don’t talk like that,” I insisted.

  “I’m sorry. I just feel so damn guilty. Since the moment we met, all I’ve wanted to do is make you happy. Instead, I’ve turned your life upside down.”

  “I don’t care if my life is right side up, upside down, or backwards. As long as I get to spend it with you.”

  “Do you have any questions about the last set of instructions?”

  “No, they were pretty clear. Kennedy thinks that I’m going away for a few days to consider my options. She’s going to help me slip out of the house Monday morning, and then explain where I went to everyone once I’m gone. That should buy us a day or two before anyone realizes I’m missing.”

  “I’m so sorry, Lauren. I hate asking you to put everyone through this.”

  “We’ll make it up to them some day.”

  “Lauren?” I heard Mom’s voice in the living room.

  “Baby, I have to go,” I whispered with a sigh.

  “I understand. Try to enjoy the next two days with your parents. I’ll be counting the moments until you’re in my arms again. I love you, Lauren.”

  “I love you too. And I’ll see you soon.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Fleeing the country turned out to be even more stressful and nerve-wracking than I’d expected. I almost immediately regretted lying to Kennedy. Thinking I needed time away to consider whether or not I wanted to end my marriage, she rented a small condo in Malibu and arranged for a security team to follow me down the coast. Her gestures both terrified me and filled me with guilt. I had no idea how I was supposed to shake the security team. I had even less of an idea how I was supposed to apologize once Kennedy learned what I was really up to. When I woke up Monday morning, I still had no answers.

  I had no idea where I was going or how long it would take me to get there. I dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt and tied a fleece pullover around my waist. I packed a few last necessities in my duffle bag and crept out of the house. Kennedy was waiting for me in the driveway with a tall red-headed man I’d never met before.

  “Are you all set?” she greeted me.