by Rachel Dylan
Screams and mass chaos erupted around her. As she looked up trying to determine what had happened, she realized that the US marshal with the bright green eyes was on top of her, shielding her body with his own. He had knocked her down. Probably saving her life.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” he said quietly in her ear. “Are you okay?” He lifted his weight off her and his eyes scanned her from head to toe, as if looking for signs of injury.
“I’m fine.” She paused, trying to catch her breath. “Wait a minute. You think those bullets were meant for me?”
He gently pulled her up off the ground and wrapped one arm around her shoulder to steady her. “Unfortunately, I do. I need to get you to a secure location. Now.”
As police officers swarmed around them, he flashed his marshal’s badge and was able to get through the crowd. He pulled one of the officers aside. “Neil, we need to talk.”
“What happened here?” the officer asked him.
“Drive-by shooting. Approximately five shots fired. Two men, driver and passenger.”
“Did you get a visual on either?”
“Negative, but they were in a black Chevy SUV—model year late nineties. I’m assuming it was stolen, and they’re probably dumping the vehicle as we speak.”
“You’re probably right about that.”
“Look, Neil, call me if you need anything else, but right now I need to get this witness out of here. When it’s safe, we can provide official statements. Please keep me in the loop. You have my info.”
The officer nodded at Max and then looked at her closely. Recognition spread across his face. He must have been following the Diaz trial. “Of course. Whatever you need, Max.”
Max took her arm and led her down the street away from the courthouse. “I should try to explain why I came here today. I think you’re in more danger than you could know.”
“With that lead in, I guess you already know me pretty well.”
“Yes, I do, Ms. Berry.”
“Please, call me Sydney. After you saved my life I feel like the formalities are a bit much. Can I call you Max?”
“Of course.”
“So what’s going on exactly?”
He gently touched her back and guided her to his car, which he’d parked in the lot down the block from the courthouse. He opened the door, and she got into the nondescript gray sedan. Only then did he start to explain.
“I used to work in the gang unit at the FBI.” He paused. “But I came here today to warn you that there was chatter amongst the gang networks about you. Have you ever heard of the East River gang?”
“Yeah, they’re pretty notorious.” She wasn’t ready to provide her specific knowledge of the East River gang to this man she just met. Even if he had saved her life, she thought it better to proceed with caution. That was the way she lived now.
“Well, I put two and two together and I think the East River gang has decided to go after you because of your testimony here in the case against Kevin Diaz.”
“Kevin Diaz is a businessman with multiple thriving companies. What connection could he possibly have to the East River gang?” She kept her voice steady even as her mind started to play out the implications of this new piece of information.
“Kevin’s cousin is Lucas Jones who just happens to also be one of the power players in East River.”
She looked over at him. “Wow. I had no idea they were related.” She paused. “And now you think they’re coming after me because of the family connection?”
“I’ll be honest with you. I’m one of the only ones who believe that Lucas Jones would take action for his estranged cousin. Most of my former FBI colleagues believe that the two of them aren’t on speaking terms. But I do and that’s why I’m here. I had a feeling that East River would retaliate against you and today’s events only confirm my hunch.”
“Are you sure?”
He kept his eyes on the road. “I felt pretty strongly about it before, but you were almost gunned down in broad daylight outside the courthouse. So, yes, it’s a threat I take seriously. The US Marshals’ office is taking it seriously.”
“What does all of this mean?”
“It means that for the time being you’ll be in my protective custody. It was one thing when you were just testifying in a murder trial against Kevin Diaz. But circumstances have changed. If you’re a target of the East River gang because of your testimony that impacts everything. First and foremost your personal safety. When you agreed to testify as an expert witness for the state, it wasn’t under these circumstances.”
She took a second and looked out the window as they drove. “Is all this really necessary?”
“Most people are thankful for the protection, Ms. Berry.”
I can take care of myself, she thought. “It’s Sydney, remember? And it’s not that I’m not thankful. It’s just that I’m having a hard time processing all of this. I’m not exactly used to being shot at when testifying in a major trial. Not to mention being told that I’m going to have my every move shadowed by someone I just met. I just need a few minutes to think it all through.”
He nodded. “If you decide to continue to testify tomorrow, I’ll make sure you are able to safely arrive and finish your testimony. Then we’ll determine the next steps after that.”
“What do you mean if? Why wouldn’t I testify? I already committed to it.”
“That was before you knew about the danger to your life. The prosecutor will have to talk to you about the risks involved. And then we’ll need to lay low until there’s a proper threat assessment conducted on the risk to your life from the East River gang.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Wait. Are you talking about putting me into the witness protection program?”
“That would be premature at this juncture.”
“But you’re not ruling it out?”
“I never rule out any course of action. Doing so is the easiest way to get you or someone else killed. But the lead prosecutor and state’s attorney are going to be fully briefed on the current security issues, and they may seek that route for you. Especially after what just happened.”
“Unbelievable.” She lived a solitary life so she didn’t have to worry about a family, but this marshal was throwing her a curve. Granted, he was just doing his job, but that didn’t mean she felt comfortable with him taking over. She was a private person. She’d only trusted a man once before, and she shuddered thinking about him.
“I know this is difficult for you. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe and try and give you as much space as is reasonable.”
“I guess I understand. But how could the state not have known about this connection to the East River gang?”
“Since there isn’t any proven contact or links between the two cousins, I don’t think the state believed this was a relevant issue. Lucas thought Kevin sold out by working in corporate America. Or at least that’s the story that’s on the streets.”
“But you’re skeptical?’
“Yeah. I’m not doubting that there’s friction between the two of them, but I don’t buy for a minute that Kevin Diaz is completely on the up and up. The FBI is investigating his operations trying to find any other ties to East River or organized crime. However, it’s not their top priority. Like I said, I was the one driving that charge, and now that I’m gone it’s less of a focus. Regardless, in my opinion East River made clear today that they don’t want you to testify.”
“But I’ve already started my testimony.”
“And they don’t want you to finish it,” he shot back. “You’ve only gotten through the preliminary questions. Nothing you’ve said so far will hurt Diaz. It’s the rest of your testimony that would be problematic for him. So for tonight we have to be on lockdown. I’m taking you to a safe house in the area.”
“I’ll need something to wear for court tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry. All of that
will be taken care of. We have a fully stocked safe house, and if need be we can send out for any additional necessities.”
She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes for a second trying to steady her ever escalating nerves. She liked to be in control, and right now things were spiraling quickly into a place she didn’t like to be. Lord, I need you now.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes. How much farther until we reach our destination?”
“It’s just outside the city, so only a few more minutes.”
“Sorry to sound impatient.”
He glanced over at her. “You were just shot at. You have every right to feel a mix of emotions. I’m actually quite impressed at how you’ve held yourself together.”
She wanted to change the subject and take the focus off of her. “Are you from around here?” she asked.
“I’m from Chicago, but I’ve lived all over working for the FBI. For the past few years I worked out of the Atlanta field office. And now as a marshal, I’ve been assigned to the Northern District of Georgia.”
“I like living in Atlanta,” she said.
The car suddenly swerved, stopping her from continuing her thought. What was going on?
“Hold on,” he said loudly.
She gripped onto the console.
Then he slammed on the brakes.
*
Max’s day was going from bad to worse. If he hadn’t gotten to the courthouse when he had, his witness might have been killed—gunned down in broad daylight. And now a man stood waving his arms right in front of his car in the middle of the road.
Max had to swerve to keep from hitting him. But it was close. And now his senses were screaming that something was terribly off. They were winding through the suburbs on the way to the safe house. What was this man doing?
He thought of Sydney. How much more could she handle today? She certainly hadn’t signed up for being a target of the East River gang. His years in the FBI gang unit had shown him just how ruthless a group like East River could be.
“Are you going to get out and see what he needs?” she asked.
They sat in the car, not moving, as the man approached. Max estimated him to be in his forties, approximately six foot tall and two hundred pounds. He definitely didn’t look like a damsel in distress.
“What’s wrong?” she asked Max.
“I don’t like this.”
“He probably needs help.” She reached over and grabbed his arm. “We can’t just ignore him.”
“Stay in the car, okay?”
Before she could answer, he checked his sidearm and then opened the door.
And that’s when the man lunged forward. The attacker was fast, but Max was faster.
Sydney screamed, but Max stayed focused on the threat in front of him. But when a gunshot went off, he instinctively turned to look. And there was Sydney wrestling another man with a gun.
He didn’t have time to do a thorough analysis of the situation, so he quickly launched into action. When his attacker landed a blow that connected hard with his jaw, pain shot through his head. But it wasn’t enough to lay him out. There was no way was he going to lose his first official witness as a US Marshal. With a swift uppercut he made contact with the attacker’s face. Calling on his martial arts training, he followed with a precise kick to the ribs. His assailant landed on the ground with a resounding thud.
He drew his gun and turned, ready to take the shot to save Sydney’s life. But somehow she had gotten the other guy on his knees and the man’s gun was now in her hand. How in the world had she managed that? “Keep that gun on him, Sydney.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” she said.
He pulled out his handcuffs and secured the original assailant. Then he walked over to her. The other man was on his knees with his hands in the air. He pulled out a second pair of cuffs from his jacket and put them on the perpetrator.
He would need to call this in ASAP, but he also needed to get Sydney to safety. What if others were coming? These guys could have been waiting for them. Which meant additional threats could be in the area.
He pulled out his cell and put in a call. Backup should only be a few minutes away. That would give him a moment with the suspects. He read them their rights since he didn’t want to get caught in a legal snafu, and then he looked at the first man.
“Who sent you?”
“I’m not talkin’.” The man’s blue eyes weren’t filled with fear but determination. Clearly he was a hired gun.
Max walked over to where Sydney stood beside the other man. Her auburn hair had come loose from her ponytail. “You sure you’re okay?” She looked shaken as she gripped her hands together, but after a moment answered him calmly.
“Yes.”
He turned his attention to the man. “You got anything to say?”
The guy grunted, and Max took that as a no. No surprises there.
As they held the men at gunpoint he leaned in to her. “Where in the world did you learn to incapacitate an attacker like that?” He guessed her to be only about five feet four, but she was a powerhouse.
Her brown eyes were wide as she looked up at him. “Self-defense classes.”
“That looked like a whole lot more than self-defense class.”
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
He was intrigued. Sydney Berry had secrets. And if he was going to be able to keep her safe, he probably needed to find them out. But at the moment he was just glad that her first secret actually worked to their advantage.
He was kicking himself for taking his eyes off of her earlier. She was his first and only priority. Granted, she wasn’t officially in the Witness Security Program, known commonly as witness protection, but he had been tasked to keep her safe until everything could be sorted out.
Sirens sounded in the distance. He looked at her. “Why don’t you get in the car? I’ll handle this, and then we can be on our way.”
She frowned but then got into the sedan.
A moment later the local police arrived, and Max filled them in on the specifics. He’d also looped in his FBI contact. Then he made the call he was dreading. Reporting this incident to his boss, Deputy Elena Sanchez, was hardly the way to make a good first impression, but he had no choice.
Then finally he was ready to hit the road with Sydney. But not to the original safe house. That was too risky now.
He wouldn’t feel even an ounce better until Sydney had safely completed her testimony in the morning. And even then the threat of the East River gang still loomed large.
Once they’d been driving for a few minutes, he decided to break the silence. “Want to talk about what happened back there?”
“You think those men were connected to East River or someone else associated with Diaz?”
He decided it best to be open and honest with her about the threat. “I think East River has put a hit out on you.”
“I had a feeling you were going to say that,” she said.
He saw her look out the window and take note of her surroundings. “I know it seems like I’m driving in the other direction now, but given what just happened we’re going to an alternative safe house.”
“But we’re not staying there long?”
“No. After you testify we’ll go to another location. This is just for tonight. We have a list of safe house options already planned for you.”
“I guess I don’t get much of a say in this, huh?”
“You always have a say, but you should know that I have your best interests in mind. Also, I’m sorry about what happened back there, however, I’m thankful that you were able to defend yourself.”
“Me too,” she said quietly.
He looked over at her. As she stared out the window he could see the tension tightening her features. He tried a different topic of conversation. “How long have you been a sketch artist?”
She turned to lo
ok at him, and her shoulders immediately seemed to relax. “I’ve been drawing forever, but I started taking it seriously during college. I didn’t finish school and instead took art classes with my tuition money. Then I started with small jobs and it grew from there. Referrals are very important in my business. But I do more than just draw faces. That’s what you think of when you think of a sketch artist. I’m a forensic artist. I can do a lot more, like crime scene re-enactments and stuff like that.”
“I imagine the work comes and goes.” He wanted to engage in conversation to try to calm his own building nerves, as well.
“Yes. I’ve been very busy as of late, but those first few years were tough. I took other odd jobs to make ends meet. I worked at a library for a bit and as a server at a restaurant. All to pursue my real dream.” She shrugged. “With all the high-tech advancements, the field is changing a lot, it’s really exciting. Computers can do a lot, but there’s still something to be said about a human hand.”
“I’m a big fan of using technology in investigations. I had an experience with a traditional sketch artist in the past who wasn’t on point.” That was an understatement, but he didn’t think it was the best time to go into his misgivings about sketch artists right now.
“Don’t get me wrong. The technology for doing things like facial reconstructions or accident simulations is absolutely amazing,” she replied. “But I still trust my abilities to use pencil and paper and sketch based on the eyewitness interview for the purposes of identification.”
He didn’t reply because it only would have led to an argument that he didn’t think she would want to have right now.
“You said you were at the FBI before. How long have you been a marshal?”
He didn’t really want to give an exact answer. “Not very long.” He could feel her gaze on him as he drove.
“Hey, don’t tell me I’m your first witness.”
He smiled. “Okay, I won’t tell you that.”
“Wow.” She blew out a breath. “I am your first witness.”
“That’s true, but I’d been with the FBI for a decade. It’s not like I’m new to law enforcement, so I’m not a true rookie.”
