They'll Call It Treason

by Jordon Greene

  It had been awkward at first. Sofia introduced her to the green-eyed beast, he had held more muscle mass back then. It had all been a blur. Dinner, laughs, fireworks and now she wore a ring. She loved him. And now – now she didn’t know what to do.

  Kate attempted a smile, but only a halfhearted grin crossed her lips. Gray sat looking at the table, his hands clasped together on the tabletop, silent.

  He took a deep breath and looked up at Kate, “How you holding up?” His voice was quiet and worried.

  She glanced at him for only a moment before looking down at the table again, “I’m alright.”

  “Kate, you’ve heard what they are saying about Ethan, right?”

  “Yes,” her voice trembled.

  Gray let a few moments lapse. Then he broke the silence, his voice sincere and worried. “You don’t believe it, do you?”

  She looked back up at Gray, her eyes deep and troubled, “No, of course not. Ethan couldn’t, he just couldn’t.”

  “I know. Something has gone wrong somewhere.”

  “Ethan wanted me to tell you what happened, at least what he could tell me over the phone.”

  Gray looked up at her intently, waiting.

  “He said that he and Jason went down to Georgia because they got a tip that the Congressman was in danger. They went to prevent it, to protect him,” Kate explained. “But another agent in Georgia stopped them. It was another agent that killed Jason and helped the shooter, not Ethan.”

  Another agent?

  The idea had crossed Gray’s mind during the drive down from Norfolk. He had quickly buried the far-fetched notion.

  Could it be though?

  He trusted Ethan, but for a moment he wondered if that trust was misplaced. Just one more thing the Bureau would have to figure out.

  “He’s going to Blowing Rock,” Gray’s voice trailed off, explaining what Ethan had meant over the phone. His unfocused gaze rested somewhere beyond Kate, off into the distance.

  “What? But he said Rockingham.”

  He refocused on Kate. “There’s no safe house in Rockingham. Not that I know of, anyway – not that we ever used.”

  Gray let his eyes wander back to the table in contemplation and then back to Kate. “You remember when Ethan went undercover a few years back? Doing drug busts?”

  “Yeah, that’s around the time we met.”

  “That’s right,” Gray confirmed. “Well, you'll also remember he went through a small paranoid phase. I never could understand how he thought the way he did sometimes and remain in the Bureau. Never mind that though, he's long abandoned that nonsense.”

  “Before he left the drug unit, he convinced Dante and me to go in with him to purchase a small cabin up off the Parkway in Blowing Rock, near Boone,” Gray continued. “Dante and I saw it more as a vacation spot, so we helped him."

  Gray shook his head, reminiscing, "It's been years since Ethan's referred to it as the 'safe house.'"

  Kate stared blankly at Gray. Why did he not tell me?

  “Ethan said that if anything ever happened, some crazy shit, we could go there. When he said the safe house in Rockingham, he meant Blowing Rock.”

  “Why did he not tell me about this?” Kate begged.

  “Don't let it get to you Kate. Ethan went through some major pains to be sure the cabin wasn’t tied to any of us. Most of all you. He felt it best not to tell you. Once we finally convinced him his fears were unwarranted he said he felt too much like a dumbass to tell you.” Gray explained. “It’s been a while since I’ve heard it referred to as the ‘safe house.’”

  Even with Gray’s explanation, worry plagued Kate’s mind. Does he not trust me?

  “He was going to tell you Kate… eventually. He just never got around to it, I guess.”

  Across the diner, the door opened with the familiar dinging and two men in black suits strutted in. He watched as Kate eyed the two men suspiciously.

  Earlier than expected.

  “Kate,” he said trying to divert her eyes. “We’re going to go with them. We have to let the Bureau do its job. They’ll figure this out.”

  Kate’s mouth fell open in confusion. Her eyes burned into Gray. The pain behind those brown circles dug into his heart. She believed he had betrayed her. It hurt, but he held his ground.

  It’s for the best, he assured himself.

  “How could you?” She asked, her voice raised an octave. “It was an Agent that tried to kill Ethan. How do you know you can trust them? Don't you trust Ethan?”

  Her words hurt more than he had expected them to. It all felt wrong, but he willed himself forward.

  “We have to let the Bureau do its job,” he repeated like a broken record, attempting to keep his emotions at bay. He would do anything to defend Ethan and Kate. Cooperation with the authorities was the only way.

  The two black suits moved among the tables until they stood next to Gray.

  “Agent Whitaker, Doctor Connors?” the shorter, brawnier of the two asked.

  “Yes,” Gray volunteered while Kate sat stone still, refusing to talk or even look at the two men.

  “We’re here to take you in for questioning,” the other stated, towering over the booth, his eyes stern and commanding.

  “Can I see your identification?” Gray asked, surprised they had not volunteered them up front.

  “We’re with the FBI. I’m Agent Bradley Townsend,” the shorter one responded.

  “I’m Agent Donovan Howard,” the other finished.

  Something was wrong. They should not have hesitated to flash their badges.

  “Then you can understand why I'm asking to see your badges,” Gray asked. An uneasiness flooded into his stomach. “Please.”

  Townsend reached for his coat. Instead of withdrawing his ID, he pulled the material aside to reveal a pistol.

  Gray looked at Kate. Shame and a dull fear, not for himself but for her, washed over him.

  Gray carefully got to his feet, positioning himself between the two men and Kate. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. His mind took inventory. Two agents, no imposters. At least two pistols, maybe more. The shorter man seemed tougher. His shoulders were broad and his stance ready. The taller man, Howard, was no pole himself though.

  The diner was mostly empty. A mom and daughter sat near the front entrance, the girl's pony tails flopped about as she smiled happily. An older black man with dreadlocks sat in the corner lost in his smartphone. A waitress passed by the two so-called agents.

  “I need to see some identification, fellows,” Gray repeated.

  Townsend went for his gun, but Gray was quicker. He brought his fist up hard and fast into the man’s stomach, simultaneously grabbing the arm going for the gun. Without losing a second, Gray snapped back, yanking the arm with him. The gun clanged to the ground as Gray brought his elbow back, flat into Howard’s jaw.

  Falling, Howard’s head slammed against the booth before tumbling to the ground. Townsend was recovering from the blow as Gray laid another fist square between his eyes.

  A shrill scream rang through the dinner as a woman screamed “gun.” The diner erupted into panicked voices as its occupants tried to flee the small space.

  Gray yelled back to Kate, “Let’s go!”

  Kate slipped out of the booth, dodging the taller man's body as he tried to grab for her from the floor. She ran for the door as Gray put himself between her and the two men. Her thoughts became a blur as she realized they were on the run.

  Gray swiped the abandoned gun from the restaurant floor and slipped it down the back of his slacks. He pushed Kate forward. They had to get out before the two imposters rebounded.

  Crack!

  Wood exploded inches away from Gray’s head on the exit door trim. He glanced back long enough to glimpse the not so gentle giant, Howard, back on his feet, gun in hand.

  “Dammit! Run, Kate!” Gray yelled as they sprinted across the parking lot.

  Dark, heavy clouds obscured the sky outside. The cool
air sent a sudden chill down Kate’s spine. The whipping wind stung her nostrils. Gray trailed behind at a sprint, pointing toward his gleaming, gunmetal grey, BMW X5.

  The few yards between the vehicle and diner seemed expansive as Kate’s heart pounded. The sound of the bullet breaking through wood repeated in her head. Finally to the car, she slung open the door and stepped in just as Gray jumped into the driver's seat.

  “Keep your head down,” Gray barked as he shoved her down in the seat and revved the engine to life.

  Clang.

  A shot ricocheted against the hood. Gray’s eyes went wide.

  “Oh, hell no!” Gray growled.

  He rammed the shifter into reverse and slammed the accelerator. The SUV careened backward. Horns blared and tires screeched as the BMW bounced into traffic, jolting off the curb. Gray shifted into drive and dropped the pedal to the floor.

  Gray laid on the horn as he barged through the first intersection. It was useless. Cars blared back and skidded out of control trying to avoid the oncoming BMW. Water began to splatter against the windshield and the wipers came to life.

  Kate turned to see the chaos of the intersection. Without warning a black Charger careened around the turn, its back-end fish-tailing out behind it.

  “They’re on us,” Kate told Gray. “Do you believe me now?”

  Without answering Gray pressed the BMW forward, bolting through a red light. He bit his lip as a truck barely avoided clipping his rear bumper. Their pursuers slowed, letting Gray put a few car lengths between them.

  His mind was frantic. What was the best course of action? Did this prove anything? There was more to the situation than he was previously apprised of, more than the media was telling. That much was deathly evident to him now.

  Gray looked to Kate for a brief second. Her dark eyes begged him to trust her.

  “Damn,” Gray yelled angrily. He jolted the SUV down a side street. He needed to know more. Maybe the only way was to get to Ethan before anyone else did. It was suicide though, running from the Bureau.

  What was this though, other than suicide? He made up his mind.

  “Were going to find Ethan,” he said. But it would have to wait until they lost their tail.

  In the near distance Gray caught the sound of sirens. Now they would have to deal with the police as well.

  Great! Just what we need.

  Ahead he swerved to the right down another street at what looked like a bank and floored the gas again. Suddenly he braked. Traffic was at a standstill ahead of them. Thinking fast, he slammed the shifter into reverse and accelerated, swerving to miss an oncoming sport car.

  Before Gray could bring them around the SUV jolted to the left as the Charger rammed into Kate’s door. Kate’s head bashed into the window; she yelped in pain.

  Gray grunted through clenched teeth as he was thrown like a rag doll. He refocused his attention on the Charger beside them, catching view of a pistol as the door opened.

  “No, no, no, no,” he exclaimed, shoving the accelerator to the floor. The BMW tore away. Metal screeched as the vehicle lurched away, ripping the Charger’s bumper from its bolts and knocking the armed man off his feet.

  Gray swung the SUV around and shot forward. The sound of sirens grew as a pair of black and gold city police cruisers careened around the corner. Gray jerked the wheel to the right, scantly avoiding a collision with the second cruiser.

  “Dammit! Can’t you guys drive down here?” Gray shouted.

  The Charger was gaining on them again. It swerved between the two police cruisers, ramming the rear quarter panel of last cruiser in the pack. The marked car veered out of control, skidding sideways into a fire hydrant. Water shot high into the sky, adding to the drops already falling from the sky.

  Gray leaned into the accelerator, summoning every ounce of power the BMW’s engine could muster. He was pressed into the back of his seat as the SUV shot forward. Horns blared as Gray weaved back and forth between his lane and oncoming traffic. The Charger matched him step for step.

  The other cruiser caught up with the imposters. Gray smiled in surprise and thanks as the cruiser tried to clip the Charger’s rear bumper.

  In response, Townsend leaned out the passenger window and opened fire. Gray watched the cruiser veer left, ramming the back of an old sedan, and careen sideways into a storefront.

  Gray sighed. Any fleeting doubt in his mind about their pursuers vanished.

  “Did they just… did they?” Kate asked in disbelief.

  “Definitely not FBI!” Gray nodded.

  He was not willing to be an easy target. Gray floored the accelerator as an opening revealed itself up ahead. He maneuvered the car on top of the yellow line and straddled it, dividing traffic.

  Beep! Beep!

  Swerving back and forth, he avoided oncoming traffic. Metal squealed and sparked as another SUV scraped the side of Gray's BMW. Gray’s side mirror banged against the window and then clattered to the ground. Kate screamed as she caught sight of an eighteen-wheeler heading straight for them. Gray jerked the wheel to the right, slamming the SUV into the front quarter panel of a brand new white Mustang. He fought to keep control while checking the rear-view mirror.

  “Shit!” Gray yelled.

  The Charger had not lost an inch; instead, they had gained on them, pressing in between cars, taking advantage of Gray’s wake. Gray pressed harder on the gas. Metal screeched loud as Gray wedged the BMW between an old beat up Ford Taurus and a minivan – a few more dents would not hurt now. Sparks flew as they jerked away from the tight squeeze.

  Kate grimaced at the scratching noises. A trickle of blood ran down the side of her face.

  Gray jammed the accelerator to the floor, torque revved through the engine and propelled them forward. The enemy was only a few yards behind them. Ahead, Gray spotted an overpass and decided to take it.

  “Hold on Kate,” Gray assured her, hoping he was right.

  Slowly the Charger closed the gap between them. Gray swerved to the side as they attempted to pull beside them. The Charger veered to the left and managed to get through, tapping Gray’s bumper.

  The contact jerked Kate violently. She gasped, fear pulsing down her spine. Gray’s eyes were wide and alert, searching for a way out.

  The bridge was getting closer, concrete barriers rising on each side. The road below looked to be deserted. Losing the Charger did not look promising.

  Pop! Pop!

  The BMW jerked. Gray gripped the wheel, trying to hold her steady. He glimpsed a pistol in his rear-view mirror. They had shot out his back tire. The SUV’s no-flat tires were holding, but handling was a nightmare. He could not keep their speed up for much longer. He refused to let up on the accelerator though. The Charger swerved away and veered back, slamming into Gray's door.

  “No!” Kate screamed.

  By the time Gray realized what was wrong it was too late. The BMW jammed up onto the concrete barrier. Airbags shot out, slamming Kate back in her seat. Pain seared through her face and back.

  The car went airborne. It seemed like an eternity, suspended in air. They flipped sideways off the edge of the bridge. Then the full force of gravity took over as the BMW’s roof slammed into the pavement below. Then everything went dark.

  CHAPTER 24

  January 29 at 2:45 p.m. EST

  Norfolk, VA

  Blue lights flickered on the server panels around Austin. The cramped room was filled with over-sized military grade server stacks. One small piece of the Bureau’s vast computer network.

  He cursed as he had to retype another command. His fingers failed to glide over the keyboard with their usual ease. He tried harder to focus on his task, but questions kept getting in the way. Something just felt wrong. How could Ethan have done what they claim? Yet, how could they make the claim unless it was true?

  On top of his preoccupation with the troubling contradictions, he was growing increasingly nervous. He was to report for a polygraph test in under an hour. Whether
he liked it or not, Austin was now part of the Bureau’s internal investigation into Ethan — his past, his motives… and his friends.

  Austin was not worried about the polygraph itself. What did he have to lie about? He knew nothing about what had happened beyond the fact that Ethan and Jason traveled down to Atlanta on a lead. That was it. It was the questioning he dreaded: the dubious connections that the Bureau would inevitably concoct, the insinuations of association, and most of all, the possibility they may be right.

  Yet, in his gut, Austin still could not swallow a conception of Ethan as a terrorist, a cold calculating murderer. It just did not fit with the Ethan he knew.

  No, the Ethan he had grown to admire over the past four years was a likable guy. He cared about his friends and his country. It had always just been evident to Austin that Ethan would protect both at nearly any cost to himself. Austin could think of nothing that had ever indicated Ethan was capable of this. Nothing.

  He tapped Enter on the keyboard one last time and snapped the laptop screen shut, sliding it back into its slot on the server stack. He leaned against the cool black boxes for a moment, careful not to hit any buttons.

  Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement at the room's entrance. On the opposite side of the glass door stood Dante, waving his hand.

  Austin nodded with a raised eyebrow, leaving his perch on the server. What was Dante doing here? At the end of the room he pushed the bullet-proof glass door open.

  “Dante?” Austin said, emphasizing his surprise to see the gentle giant.

  Dante took a quick glance behind him before speaking. “You know Gray left, right?”

  “Left?” Austin asked, confused. “What do you mean he left?”

  “A few hours ago. He got a call from Kate.” Again Dante glanced behind himself warily. “She said Ethan called her.”

  “What? He called Kate?” Austin almost yelled before catching himself, now understanding Dante’s paranoia. “What did he say?”

  “He claims the reports are false,” Dante said. Austin tried to gauge whether Dante believed it. Austin sure as hell wanted to, but disagreeing with the Bureau's assessment of the situation seemed inadvisable.