“Who called you?”
“Someone from the Phoenix Headquarters.”
“Why wasn’t I notified?”
Lucas cleared his throat. “I’m not sure why Phoenix didn’t notify you, sir. I wanted to assess first to make sure there actually was a threat before contacting anyone. Also, I am a private citizen and not under any obligation to contact you.”
“Well, we’ll see about that,” he said.
“I’ll find out whether or not this is Michaelson. But I’m not under any obligation to contact you once I find out.”
Touché, Lucas thought.
56
Neil arrived at Audra’s apartment just as she and Lucas were coming down the stairs with detectives and marshal before and behind.
He barely recognized Lucas clean-shaven and was surprised that the man was much younger than he had thought.
“Elise!” Neil shouted, but she just kept her eyes in front of her and got into the marshals’ car with Lucas.
“Why are there U.S. Marshals here?” Neil asked one of the detectives.
“In case you hadn’t noticed, we have a dead body here.”
“Yes, but why marshals?”
“Maybe because there were marshals involved?”
Neil wasn’t sure why the guy would reveal that info to him. Maybe he thought Neil was part of the press.
Marshals, plural. Does that mean that this Lucas guy is a U.S. Marshal, he wondered?
Neil glanced up toward the apartment where the yellow crime scene tape fluttered in the breeze. He looked beyond it and saw the holes from a bullet spray through the door.
Dear God! It’s lucky she’s not dead! He suddenly wondered what would have happened if he had been there instead of Lucas. They might both be dead.
He approached the other detective this time. “If the marshals took them, where would they be going?”
“I guess to the U.S. Marshals headquarters.”
“Where’s that?” Neil asked.
“Do I look like a walking map?” the guy asked. “I’ve never been there.”
“Thanks,” Neil said and ran for his own car.
# # #
Audra and Lucas sat in an interrogation room, waiting to see what would happen next. A lot of things had to be verified.
Lucas just looked at his hands which were laced together in front of him, his elbows on the table. He shook his head.
“For the second time,” he said, “I had begun to think this was all in my head.”
“That’s why I didn’t ask you much about it yesterday. I thought you had decided there was no threat.”
“I was moving that way, but something in my gut told me there was still danger.”
“I’m glad, as always, that you went with your gut.”
She cupped her hands around his bicep. “Please don’t let them separate us again,” she begged.
“They will separate us today because they will want to hear our own accounts of what happened. In fact, I’m really surprised they haven’t separated us already. This would give us a chance to coordinate our stories if we had anything to hide.”
It was hours before anyone came to tell them anything. Someone brought them sandwiches and coffee, but no one who could answer any questions.
Neil showed up and was promptly turned away. He could get no information, even as to whether Elise and Lucas were there.
It was in the wee hours of the morning before the marshal, who was the Chief Deputy Marshal for the Western Washington District, came in with a sheaf of papers in his hand and sat down wearily.
“I’m going to request that you not ask too many questions, that you simply say yea or nay. I will give you a brief time to confer—if necessary.”
Both Audra and Lucas nodded.
“We’ve decided just to give you both new identities and send you wherever you want to go. I would strongly suggest you choose somewhere outside of the United States. You will both be considered officially WITSEC, but off the record. The only files that will exist are in payroll, only under a code name. There will be no files whatsoever regarding your original identities. Your current identity, Miss Woodrow, will end up in a dead end file, just as if you had chosen not to check in with us anymore, which of course has always been your prerogative.
“Mr. James Michaelson was, indeed, the victim’s name. I don’t think I need to say anything more about that.
“Your testimony, Miss Woodrow, in the case of Eduardo Blanco, will be presented at trial by the Assistant Attorney General. Your Grand Jury testimony is very straightforward and should provide all the evidence necessary to convict the man, in addition to what the courts already have from other witnesses to other crimes.
“Mr. Roberts, your testimony will not be necessary at all, now that Michaelson is dead, and we have what we need on Blanco.”
The chief looked at them both to see how they were absorbing what all he had told them. Convinced they both understood, he said, “I’ll give you thirty minutes to confer.”
“We won’t need more than fifteen,” Lucas said, and Audra nodded her assent.
The chief left the room.
Audra spoke first. “If everything’s wrapped up so neatly, why do they need us to take on other identities?”
“Everything may be wrapped up, law enforcement-wise, but we’ll never really be free of the cartel. The chief is right about getting out of the country, and I’m thinking out of the hemisphere.”
“Out of the hemisphere?”
“Well, out of the Americas anyway. The cartels reach from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego.”
“But aren’t there cartels in Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, etcetera?”
“Yes, but we’re not on their hit lists,” he said, smiling and taking her hand. “I’m sorry this has ruined any possibilities for you and Neil.”
“It hasn’t.”
“What do you mean?” Lucas asked incredulously.
“Well, if I said that I wanted a new identity, but to be separate from you, they would do that. I know because I’ve been through this once already. If I wanted, I could have Neil given a new identity as well, and we could be together. Plus, I’d have him all to myself away from his family.”
“If you wanted…do you want?”
“No,” she said, grinning. “I just had to be sure that you knew that we both had that option.”
“I don’t want any other ‘option.’”
“Nor do I,” she said.
He smiled, relieved. “I guess this is truly, ‘Till death do us part.’”
“Pretty much, with or without a wedding band.” she said. “I’ll settle for a protection rune. Where shall we go?”
“What about your budding career?”
“I’m still very young,” she said, shaking her head. “Maybe I deserve a European vacation first.”
“I think that’s a great idea.”
“Then, when we’re ready to settle, maybe Australia or New Zealand.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“With so many choices, why choose only one?”
“Okay then, where do you want to start?”
“I say…France, definitely France.”
“Paris?”
“No. Too commercial. I was thinking more Provence or the Alsace-Lorraine.”
He shook his head. “Lead on, fair damsel. I’ll follow you anywhere.”
# # #
Neil sat tensely on the edge of the couch, straining toward the TV.
“And in other news,” the anchorman began, “the shoot-out on Queen Anne Hill was reported to be between two deputy U.S. Marshals, one of whom had been a fugitive from the service for several months and believed to have been involved in syndicated crime. The Marshals Service has no comment at this time, but it is rumored that the occupant of the apartment may have been under the protection of the Marshals Service.”
A single tear dropped onto Neil’s lap. She could have been the love of his life, but perhaps she was
simply a wisp that passed through, leaving her mark indelibly on his heart.
~ END ~
BILLIONAIRE BIKERS: 3 MC Romance Books Page 72
