“You mean like Al Qaeda?” This was starting to sound like a James Bond movie.
“Sometimes, although Tessler isn’t fussy about his clients. He deals with the former Soviet Union, Al Qaeda, drug dealers in South America, and independent so-called patriot militias in the United States.”
“American citizens,” she gasped. “Like Timothy McVeigh?”
Evan Davis nodded grimly, his lips drawn flat. “Just like that. We think that’s how Simon was drawn in to this. They appealed to his patriotism and talked about the evils of a government that had all the weapons and power. We think that’s when he decided to arm rebels against the U.S. Government.”
“‘If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.’” Katie shook her head. It was all so unreal.
“Pardon?” The Marshal was frowning.
“It was something Randall said a lot. He talked about how citizens had a right to be armed and how the government was becoming too powerful. He talked about Big Brother knowing our every move and controlling us.”
“That makes sense from what we know about Simon. From the transcripts I’ve heard, we believe he thinks he is doing the right thing for the country.”
“Arming Al Qaeda is the right thing for the country?” Randall wasn’t a stupid man.
“He may not even know that’s where some of his weapons ended up. Tessler probably only told Simon what he wanted to hear.”
“So where do I come in on all this?”
The Marshal gathered up the photos and tucked them in a folder. “You can place them together. You can help connect the dots between the men. Plus, you may have seen something in the office that seemed innocent at the time, but could mean something to our case.”
“So he had me blown up?”
Marshal Davis nodded again. Damn, the man had patience, she’d give him that.
“Everyone thinks I’m dead?”
Marshal Davis walked over to the television and turned it on to the local twenty-four hour cable news network. Immediately, video of the burning wreckage of her car was playing before her eyes along with the words “Tampa woman dead in car explosion.”
He didn’t need to turn the sound on. The grisly pictures said it all. No one would believe she’d survived it. They’d bundled her in the car before the smoke cleared. He snapped the television off with a definitive click, bringing her out of her daze. Seeing it in this way had brought it home. She’d almost been blown up by a car bomb.
“I have to call my sister. I can’t let her think I’m dead.”
Nora must be losing her mind right about now, frantic at the news. Despite their chilly relationship through the years, they were all the family each other had.
Marshal Davis patted her hand. “Ms. Johnson, listen, can I call you Katie? You can call me Evan, okay?”
“Sure,” she shrugged. “May I call Nora now?”
“You can’t call your sister. No one can know you’re not dead.”
Katie jumped up from her seat and her head spun until she grabbed on to the back of the chair. “I have to call Nora. She’s my only family. She’ll be beside herself if she thinks I’m dead.”
The enormity of the day started catching up to her and tears welled up in her eyes. She needed someone familiar, not these strangers who were trying to tell her what to do.
“Your sister is friends with Randall Simon.”
“So? Nora got me the job. She won’t tell him. I’ll make her promise.”
Evan stood and scraped a hand down his face. “I can’t keep you safe on a promise, Katie. That’s my number one job, keeping you alive. Nothing else matters to me. To do that I have to make sure everyone thinks you’re dead and to remove you from where people might recognize you.”
“Remove me? What does that mean exactly, I ask with deep fear of your answer?” Katie’s fingers squeezed the chair, her knuckles white. She was being sarcastic and bitchy but she’d had a hell of day.
“Put you into protective custody. Civilians call it Witness Protection. We’ll give you a new identity.”
She dropped down into the chair, her knees giving out. The right one still ached from her fall on the pavement. She was pretty fond of her current identity.
“For how long?”
“Perhaps until we bring Simon to trial, definitely until you’re able to testify for the Grand Jury.”
She buried her face in her hands, tears starting to leak from her eyes. “This gets better and better every moment. So, I’m going to be stuck in this hotel room until then? I’ll go crazy.”
Evan shook his head and started pacing the room. “No, we won’t keep you here.”
Katie scrubbed at her wet cheeks. Crying wasn’t going to solve this. “Then where?”
“Montana.”
“Montana?”
“Harper, Montana to be exact. I have an old Army buddy there who is now the sheriff. He said he’d take you in, watch over you. I’ve already talked to him. He’s a good man. You’ll be okay there.”
She shook her head. “No, thank you.”
His face went slack and his eyes widened. She’d managed to shock the Marshal. Good, it was time someone else was surprised in this little scene. “What do you mean, ‘no thank you?’”
“Just that. No, thank you. I appreciate what you’re trying to do but I think I’ll pass.” She shook her head when Evan started to protest. “You’re telling me Randall wants me dead. Listen, Randall can be an ass sometimes, but he’s no killer.”
A muscle worked in Evan’s jaw. “Then explain your car being blown up.”
She licked her dry lips. “I can’t. I just know I can’t let you hide me in the wilds of Montana until you figure this out. I can’t do it. I don’t want Nora to believe I’m dead. Hell, I don’t want my friends to think I’m dead. You can release a statement saying that I miraculously survived or something. They can say they assumed I was dead but then they didn’t find a body. See? That makes sense.”
“We’ve already fixed it with local first responders. The body was blown into tiny bits and then burned beyond recognition. Trust me when I tell you we’ve dotted every i and crossed every t.” Evan rubbed the back of his neck. Katie assumed she was the cause of the pain located there. “So you think this is all a mistake and we should let you waltz out of here?”
He was starting to understand. “Yes. I’m a nice person. I volunteer at the animal shelter. I let people with one item go in front of me at the grocery store. I brake for squirrels crossing the road. Nice people don’t get blown up by would-be terrorists.” Too late, she realized how stupid her statement sounded. “What I mean is, yes, sometimes nice people get blown up but this was some kind of a mistake. I want to go home.”
He couldn’t possibly realize how much she wanted to go back to her own house and her own bed and curl up for a week. She craved something, anything, familiar.
Evan closed his eyes, his expression a mask of frustration. “Katie, I can’t let you go home. You’ll end up dead.”
“Isn’t it my choice? Don’t I get a say in this? If I don’t want protection, can’t I refuse?”
“Do you have some kind of death wish?” Evan’s eyes snapped open and he practically yelled the question. “Do you want to die? Because you will. You’ll be dead within days.”
Katie bit her lip. “I don’t want to die,” she said in a small voice. “I just want to go home.” She tugged at the robe she was wearing. “I don’t even have a change of clothes.”
“I sent Marisa to your home to pack you a bag.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “Did you take my keys?” These federal agents were high-handed and pushy.
“Let’s just say there was no need.” Evan smiled.
She threw up her hands and whirled around at the sound of the hotel room door. The other agent, who must be named Marisa, was striding in with a grim, pale expression. Katie searched for a suitcase or even a duffle bag but saw nothing. Her hopes of a fresh change of clothes sank like
a stone.
“We need to talk, Evan.” Marisa looked at Katie.
“Did you get my clothes?”
Marisa pressed her lips together. “Unfortunately, no. Have you been watching the news?”
Evan turned back to the forgotten television. “Earlier. What’s going on?”
“They got there first, Evan. The place was a disaster, fire and smoke. The fire department was already there. We high-tailed it back here to make sure this location was still secure. I left Donovan back there so he could search the remains for any laptops or electronic devices. Assuming they didn’t get them before they torched the place. We also tried to retrieve the cell phone she left behind at the restaurant. It’s gone. They must have got there first.”
“Shit,” Evan muttered under his breath. “Is there anything left?”
Marisa shook her head. “Nothing.” She turned to Katie. “I’m sorry about your house.”
Katie desperately wanted to wake up from this nightmare. “My house was on fire? It’s destroyed?”
Evan put his hand on her shoulder as she fell back into the cushions of the chair. “I’m sorry, Katie. They probably thought you might have paperwork or any sort of evidence at your house. They wanted to destroy anything that might incriminate them.”
“I didn’t have anything work related at home.” Tears stung the back of her eyes. “My stepfather left me that house when he died.”
She felt a welcome numbness spread through her body. It was a relief from the pain and confusion she’d been feeling since she’d met these people. It was better to not feel anything. She couldn’t deal with reality at the moment. She swallowed hard and looked up at Evan. His eyes were sad but his expression was determined.
“I need to see it,” Katie said. She wasn’t sure she could trust these people to tell her the truth. They’d say anything to get her to go into hiding.
“You need to see it?” Marisa looked at Katie like she had two heads.
“I’m not sure I can believe you. I need to see it with my own two eyes.”
Evan crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing. “If I arrange for you to see your home, and it is in fact burned to the ground, will you go to Montana? Will you go into protection?”
She swallowed hard, her throat still raw from the smoke. “We’ll see.”
Evan shook his head. “Not good enough, Katie. I’ll be taking a huge risk letting you go back to your home. I need some assurances that it’s worth it.”
She might be beaten and battered, but she wouldn’t be bullied. “You’ll have to take the chance because if I don’t get to see my house, I’m definitely not going. Let’s say if I saw my house burned to the ground, I might be in more of a frame of mind to cooperate with you.”
Evan swore and shook his head. “Fine. After dark we’ll take you to see your house.” He pointed to her, his jaw set and firm. “But you will not get out of the car no matter what. You will stay in the vehicle, see your house, then come right back here.” He nodded to Marisa. “We’ll take you about ten o’clock tonight.”
They suggested she take a nap, but she was too wired to sleep. Instead, she paced back and forth and watched the local cable news as they covered the car bombing. By the time ten o’clock rolled around, she was as nervous as a cat. She was also starting to feel sick to her stomach as the inevitability of what she was going to see started to creep into her consciousness.
If they were willing to let her see her house then she figured it had, indeed, been on fire. The only question was the extent of the damage. She prayed there might be something she could salvage, something familiar.
When the car pulled onto her street and she saw the smoke rising from the pile of rubble, she clapped her hand over her mouth, determined not to be sick. Marisa didn’t pull up in front of the house, which was surrounded by yellow tape, but she did park close enough that Katie could see there really was nothing left. Tears leaked from her eyes and ran down her cheeks unheeded.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve this,” Katie said quietly.
Evan patted her shoulder. “You didn’t do anything, Katie. You’re an innocent pawn in all of this. These are ruthless people, people who value money over life. That’s why I’m determined to get you somewhere safe.”
Evan let her stare at the charred remains of her home for quite a while before signaling to Marisa they should go.
“We can’t stay here, Katie. People will get suspicious about a car parked here for a long time. We need to move.”
She nodded, the numbness back. She welcomed it. The pain was too acute to bear. It was better to feel nothing until she could feel everything. She dashed the tears away with her fingers, making her decision silently. She really didn’t have any choice. Someone wanted her dead and she wanted to live more than anything.
“What part of Montana am I going to?”
Chapter Two
Evan carefully watched the woman sitting in front of him instead of looking out the window of the airplane. Katie Johnson had been through hell and back in the last twenty-four hours and, other than fainting and being incredibly stubborn, she’d been remarkably resilient. After his partner had delivered the news yesterday that her home had been destroyed, the life seemed to have leaked from her and she’d been quiet, stoic, and compliant with their requests.
It all added up to someone who could fall apart at any minute. He wouldn’t blame her if she did. She probably deserved a good cry and a couple of drinks, although he’d deliberately kept her away from alcohol. She was currently sipping a root beer as he reviewed her new identity and life.
“How long do I have to stay here?” she asked finally, peering out the window at the mountainous terrain. She’d told him she’d never traveled to the west so this would be strange and new to her.
“Until the Grand Jury testimony, at least. Afterward, if it’s still not safe, well, maybe we can find you another new place. A new identity.” He flipped open a file folder and pushed it toward her. “I think you’ll like Harper. It’s a nice little town with friendly people. I served in the Army with the sheriff there. Seth Reilly is a good man who’ll protect you.”
She gave him a quivering smile. “Let’s hope he doesn’t have to.”
Evan admired her bravery. She wasn’t a whiner, which was a point in her favor. Seth wasn’t the most patient of men.
“Let’s go over your new identity again. What’s your name?”
“Presley Abigail Lawson. I’m twenty-six and I grew up in Wheaton, Illinois, which is just outside of Chicago. I root for the Cubs and the Bears and I like deep dish pizza.”
He nodded. She was also a damn quick study. She’d barely glanced at the file and she’d been spouting facts to him the entire flight.
“That’s great. From now on, we never mention Katie again. You have to start thinking of yourself as Presley. No one else knows your former identity. What else can you remember? It’s all the details that make this believable, Presley.”
“Can I ask you first where you get these personas? Is this someone’s job to make up people and build them a life?”
“Actually, yes, it’s someone’s job. Now what else can you remember?”
To his amazement, she reeled off the entire file in practically one breath. He sat back in his chair, dumbfounded. If she’d memorized a third of the file they would have been thrilled.
“How did you do that? You only looked at the file for a short time.”
Presley shifted in her chair and shrugged. “I have a good memory.”
“You have a terrific memory. That’s amazing. I’ve never seen anyone remember the entire file before.”
Presley took a drink of her root beer before answering. “As I said, I have a really good memory.”
She didn’t want to talk about it. Fine. “We can move on then. Harper, Montana has about ten thousand people. Small enough to keep an eye on you, but large enough that you can blend in. And make no mistake, Presley, we want you to blend
in. That’s what the clothes are all about.”
Presley lifted a foot in the air and regarded the cowboy boots solemnly. “I didn’t think the clothes Marisa bought me were about my taste, I assure you. I’ve never worn a pair of cowboy boots in my life.”
“We filled your wardrobe with jeans, sweaters, and boots because that’s what the residents of the town wear. You need to blend in. Look like one of them. That’s why we changed your hair, too.”
Katie Johnson had been a stunning blonde. Presley Lawson was a sultry brunette. Marisa had suggested cutting Presley’s hair short as well, but when he’d seen the tears well up in her eyes he just couldn’t make her do it. He had talked her into wearing her hair pulled back in a French braid instead of wild around her shoulders.
It hadn’t made one bit of difference to how beautiful this woman really was. She was someone who was going to get attention wherever she went, which was why Evan had chosen Harper. If she’d been plain or even ugly, he would have hid her in a big city. He didn’t know why those particular combinations worked for witness protection, but they did.
Presley laughed this time. “Actually, all you did was change my hair to its natural color.”
Evan smiled. “That’s why it looks so good on you then.” He pushed a plastic bag across the table. “This is your new driver’s license, social security card, credit card, and check book. All the things you’ll need to start fresh. There’s money in the checking account and a decent credit limit on the card based on what Seth’s going to pay you to be his secretary. Don’t worry, you’ll earn every penny of it.”
“I’m sure I will. Is he okay with my being his assistant?”
Evan cleared his throat. She might as well know what she was getting into. So far, she’d had a strong backbone on her. “About that, well, Seth can be tough to work for. He’s gone through quite a few secretaries. He’s a little impatient, but don’t worry, you’ll be fine. He knows you’re coming and is glad to have someone take the job.”
“You mean assistant.”
Evan frowned. “Pardon?”
“You called it a secretarial job. Those don’t exist anymore. The modern term is administrative assistant.”
Cowboy Command Page 2
