Protecting Lyndley

by Amanda Bennett

  “Rough night? Or should I say day seeing as it is still night time and you look hungover as fuck.” I knew he was goading me, but if he pushed too hard right now, he wasn’t going to like the guy he got in return.

  “Sure. It was only made worse when my boss told me I was going to have to up and move.” I sneered at him as we both walked into the office together.

  I stopped mid-stride as Tom jerked back on my elbow. “Look Wakely, I’ve given you your time to deal with whatever shit you need to deal with, but now I need to say something. This shit has got to stop, and now. I can’t put you on this case if you’re going to be drunk the entire god damned time, and not be able to do your job. So you tell me right fucking now, can you do this?”

  The broken part of me wanted to tell him no, that I couldn’t deal with this right now, but the Marshal in me decided to suck it up and show him what I’m worth. “I can do this, Tom. I swear I’ll get my shit together. I will keep the little princess safe, and then in a few weeks when you find her a permanent safe house, I’ll make sure I have all my shit in order for the next one. You can trust me.”

  “God I fucking hope so. Let’s go, we got shit to do.”

  I followed Tom inside, preparing myself for what came next. Little did I know that what came next, would practically break me.

  Three

  Lyndley

  About a million and one things ran through my mind as I watched every police officer in the Chicago area gawking at my best friend’s lifeless body. I couldn’t find it in myself to get out of my car. So here I sat, behind the steering wheel, watching a horrific nightmare play out in front of me. I could feel the tears stinging the back of my eyelids as I forced myself to not blink.

  I practically jumped out of my skin a few seconds later, when a tall man tapped on my window. I reached for the door handle to open it, but found myself in a daze. The tips of my fingers grazed the cool metal, but still failed at the actual act of pulling on it.

  “Miss, can you please open your door?” I could hear his voice in the distance, but my brain wasn’t registering what he was saying to me. “Miss, I need you to open your door, now.”

  I blinked my eyes a few times as my eyesight became hazy due to the amount of tears falling down my face. I nodded my head at the man, and finally opened the door. I glanced up at his tall frame from underneath my tear soaked lashes, and lost all control of my emotions.

  “Miss, it’s my understanding that you knew the victim. Is that correct?” His voice was less than empathetic, and I knew that my night was about to get worse than it already was.

  “Yes.” I mumbled.

  “I have a few questions for you. Do you have time to talk with me?”

  “That depends, are you going to take the douche out of your tone?” I knew I was making this more difficult for myself, but I just watched my best friend get murdered. What did these people expect from me?

  “Miss, I would appreciate it if you didn’t talk to me like that.”

  “Well, I would appreciate it if you treated this case with some compassion.” I gave him an aggravated look and slowly stood from my car.

  “I’m sorry for your loss, Miss. I apologize if I’m a little abrasive. It comes with the territory. Can you tell me what happened?”

  He pulled out a small notepad and stood there, pen poised, waiting for me to fill him in on all of the horrific details. “Well, my boss and I have been working on the Nelson brothers’ case. Needless to say, all of us involved had a police tail for the last month or so while we got ready to take it to trial.”

  “Was Mr. Walker involved in the case as well?”

  He didn’t look up from his notepad, so I continued as if he hadn’t even asked me anything. I needed to get this out before I had a full on mental breakdown. “Mr. Cooper and I just had a meeting about two days ago with the FBI and the agents that have been watching us. Everything seemed fine. No one had heard anything about anyone coming after us, or whether or not the rest of the organization knew what we were up to.”

  “I’m sorry to cut you off Miss, but I have to know if Mr. Walker was involved with the case?”

  I rolled my eyes in anger. “No, he wasn’t.” I growled. “He was working on an entirely different case. Like I was saying, everything seemed fine. Tonight we both ended up working later than usual. Being new employees, we don’t really have set hours. When we got down to the lobby, I noticed that the detective assigned to me was nowhere to be seen.”

  “And what is his or her name?”

  “Detective Dawson. So I tried calling him, but his phone went straight to voicemail. I left a message and Reese waited with me in the lobby to see if he would call back. After twenty minutes, I asked Reese if he would walk me out to my car. Detective Dawson had been teaching me safety precautions, and Reese and I both made sure to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

  “So no one was in the lot from what you could tell?”

  “No. No one was in the lot, just like I just told you. It was just Reese and I. We were saying good-bye, when a car alarm went off. We glanced around a few times, but still didn’t see anything. So I got in my car and Reese started walking towards his. That’s when…” My voice broke as I thought about Reese’s body crumbling to the ground.

  “I’m sorry, Miss.”

  “It’s Lyndley. My name is Lyndley.” I half shouted.

  “Calm down, Miss. I mean, Lyndley. I need to know what happened next.”

  “He got shot. He got shot and then he died. There, ya happy now?”

  “Lyndley, I’m very sorry. I know this can’t be easy on you, but I just have a few more questions and then we can get you home. Now, did you see the person who shot Mr. Walker?”

  That was the one question I so didn’t want to answer. So I simply nodded my head when I heard the man in front of me clear his throat. “Sorry, yes I saw him, but barely. He had on a black hoodie, a black pair of pants, and was carrying a forty-five. I know because he aimed it directly at me. I started my car to take off, but he ran as soon as a pair of headlights illuminated the parking garage. That’s all I know.”

  “Thank you for your time, Lyndley. Here’s my card. If you ever need anything at all, or remember anything else, please don’t hesitate to call. We will have someone take you to your house and explain where we go from here.”

  He started to walk away when his words finally settled into my overly exhausted, traumatized brain. “WAIT! What do you mean, where we go from here?”

  He slowly made his way back over to where I was standing next to my car. “Someone from the Marshal service will be coming by to talk to you tomorrow morning, or I guess I should say in a few hours. Have a good night, Lyndley.”

  I was left standing there, flabbergasted. I couldn’t believe what was happening, and to top it all off, the asshole detective that interviewed me was now walking away like it was no big deal. What was wrong with everybody? This was someone’s life that had been taken. And then it hit me; no one had called to tell Claire.

  The tears came faster now and I found myself practically hyperventilating. I crouched down, wrapping my arms around my knees and rocking back and forth. If I had learned anything over the last eight years of having panic attacks, it was to rock myself like a baby. I could hear footsteps through my erratic breathing, and I quickly turned to see who was approaching me.

  Before I could respond, Detective Dawson was scooping me up in his bulging arms. I wanted to yell at him, to tell him how much I hated him at this very moment, but all I could do was silently sob into his shoulder as my arms wrapped securely around his neck. I wasn’t sure who called him, or what happened to him, but a small part of me didn’t care at the moment. He was here and that’s what really mattered.

  I slightly lifted my head from his shoulder so I could whisper in his ear. “Where were you?”

  His lips came down right next to my ear, “Someone knocked me out from behind. I’m so sorry, Lyndley. This never would’ve happened
if I had been watching my own back.”

  I laid my head back down on his comforting shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Dawson. It was inevitable.” The next thing I remember was waking up to a strong hand gently shaking me. When I opened my sleepy eyes, Dawson’s face came into view and I was surprisingly relieved to see a familiar face.

  “Lyndley, the Marshal is going to be here any minute. I wasn’t sure if you wanted to get dressed or anything.”

  I let a halfhearted smile form across my chapped lips. “Thank you, Dawson.” He held his hand out for me to take and I did. He led me down the hall to my room and tightly closed the door behind me. Day two of the worst day of my life, here we go.

  Four

  Ky

  The drive from the crime scene to the witness’ house was tedious and my truck was stifling, causing me to need a drink more than I ever had. So I found the closest bar and saddled up for a quick drink. I was traveling alone, which made it that much easier to get away with shit, but I knew Tom would be calling in the next hour to make sure I made it to the witness’ house, so I had to hurry.

  “What can I get ya?”

  “Whiskey and ginger, please.”

  “You got it, honey.”

  I glanced up at the waitress for a brief second, but found myself having no interest in her. She sat my drink down in front of me and gave me ‘the’ look, but I just simply passed my twenty-dollar bill to her and downed the mouth-watering drink.

  The cool liquid slid down my throat, barely leaving a burn in its wake. My mind and body instantly relaxed, and now I was ready to do my job. I finished the last sip and slid my glass towards the bartender.

  “Wait, your change.” She shouted as I began walking out.

  “Keep it.” I shouted back as I waved on my way out the doors. I quickly made my way out to my truck and headed to the car rental place up the street. I was instantly dreading having to drive all the way to New York with this girl, and I hadn’t even met her yet.

  I made it to her house in less than thirty minutes, and just in time for Tom to call and ream my ass for being a few minutes late. I glanced around outside, taking in the expensive neighborhood around me. She definitely wasn’t hurtin’ for money that’s for sure. I took in a deep cleansing breath and headed up the steps to the door.

  I pulled my hand back ready to knock, when a large muscular man answered the door. If this guy was here to look after her, what the hell was I doing here?

  “Hi, I’m Deputy US Marshal Wakely. I’m here for Ms. Caverly.” I was a big guy, but this guy dwarfed me in height and size. It was quite intimidating.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Detective Dawson. Come on in.” He waved me past him and into a small living room off of the front of the house. “Lyndley, I mean Ms. Caverly will be down in just a minute. Can I get you something to drink?”

  I could go for anything alcoholic, I thought to myself. “No, thank you.” We both sat in silence for what felt like an eternity before Ms. Caverly finally graced us with her presence. Glad to know she thought I had all fucking day.

  She came in so quietly, I almost didn’t realize she was in the room until I looked up and saw her. She was absolutely gorgeous. Her waist length honey blonde hair cascaded down her back, and her emerald green eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She was captivating and all consuming, leaving me a bit breathless.

  Between the alcohol swimming around in my brain and the tightness in my jeans, I was having a hell of a time pulling myself together. Her little detective friend cleared his throat, and that’s when I finally spoke.

  “Hi, I’m Deputy US Marshal Wakely. I’ve been assigned to your case.” I held out my hand for her to shake, but she cowered away from me. Her hair fell forward a bit, concealing her right eye as she looked at the ground. I had to fight the urge to push the hair back from her face, to get a better look at her.

  “Hi, I’m Lyndley.” She looked up briefly from under her long lashes. “Can I get you something?”

  “No, I’m fine. Thank you though.” I motioned for her to take a seat across from me, and surprisingly enough she did. It didn’t take long for her to warm up to me. She eventually sat back and looked directly at me. I can’t say I was surprised though. I had a knack for making women want to open up to me.

  “So what exactly happens now?” Her voice was soft and gentle, doing things to parts of me that had been neglected as of late.

  I glanced over at Detective Dawson. “I’m sorry Detective, but this is where I ask you to leave.”

  “Does he have to?” It was strange the way she was taking up for him, but I brushed it off to a comfort thing.

  “I’m sorry, but from this point on you and I are the only ones who will know where we go and what happens.”

  I could see sadness sweep across her crestfallen face. “I guess this is good-bye then?” She whispered in his direction.

  “I suppose it is.” He stood and pulled her into a loving embrace. There was definitely something more to them than just a detective and witness kind of relationship.

  I stayed put on the couch as Lyndley walked Detective Dawson to the door. I tried not to listen in on their good-byes, but when I heard her small cries echoing through the hall, I couldn’t help it. I silently stood and waited for her to return, when she did, I handed her a Kleenex from the coffee table and reached for her to take a seat next to me.

  “I’m very sorry for all of the loss you are experiencing, but nobody can know where we go from here. Do you understand?”

  “I’m not an idiot. I know how the witness protection thing works, it just sucks.”

  I sat back in awe of the girl sitting in front of me. No longer sat a meek, delicate girl, but a strong willed, fiery woman. It was a turn on, and I found myself being even more attracted to her. “No one was calling you an idiot.”

  “It was implied. I guess I should get to packing, huh?”

  She stood and I stood right along with her. “Look, Ms. Caverly we have about an hour to get your affairs in order. I can’t tell you exactly what will happen next, but just so you know, you will never be able to come back to this house.”

  “I understand.” She started in the direction of the stairs, but slowly turned when she reached the bottom. “And it’s Lyndley.” Before I could respond, she disappeared up the stairs and I was left alone.

  Five

  Lyndley

  I quickly ran up the remaining steps and straight into my room, gently shutting the door behind me. My eyes fluttered shut as my head fell back against the hard wood. My heart was racing and my palms were sweating. I had never felt this reaction before just by simply being in the presence of a guy. Maybe it was the whole Marshal thing or maybe it was just because he was that good looking.

  He was tall. If I had to guess, I would put him at about six two and solid muscle from what I could tell. His muscles were perfectly accentuated by his black long sleeved shirt, and his jeans hung low on his hips causing dormant parts of me to feel alive again. He had the swagger of a cowboy, and his voice was raw and gravely, which caught my attention the moment he spoke.

  My eyes slowly opened as I remembered that he was still downstairs waiting for me. I half ran to my closet, pulling my suitcases down from the top shelf. My fingers frantically grasped the edge of the handle on one of them, when both came tumbling down on top of me. I let out a loud screech as I went falling to the floor.

  My head smacked the floor and my hands flew up to protect my face. A small laugh escaped between my lips as I lay flat on my back, staring at the pile of leather pinning me to the ground. Before I had a chance to push the suitcases off of me, a large hand was reaching for one of mine. When his skin touched mine a surge of electricity shot through my body. Before I could say a word, his throaty laugh was vibrating off the walls in the small space that we were currently occupying.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m not the most coordinated person.” I laughed. He pulled me from the pile, my body pressi
ng flush against his. I glanced up into his wondering eyes and instantly felt flush. The sea of blue pulled me into some sort of trance, and I suddenly felt weak in the knees. He cleared his throat, bringing me out of my daze and pulling me back into reality. “I’m sorry.”

  I pulled out of his grasp and began retrieving my suitcase from the ground below me. I thought he had left my room, but as I stood to start gathering my belongings, there he was perched on the edge of my bed, staring.

  “No reason to be sorry. Do you need any help?”

  He made no attempt to move, and I could only assume that he was only offering to be polite. “No, that’s okay. Thanks though.” He gave a nod in my direction.

  I felt weird under his scrutinizing gaze. He made no attempt to speak after that and neither did I. It was all very unsettling. At this point, I had no choice but to make small talk. “So, do you know where we’re going?” I glanced back at him as I stuffed my intimates into a bag.

  “I do.”

  That’s it? Seriously, either this guy was really bad at communication, or he didn’t want to talk to me. Either way, this should make for an exciting time. “You don’t talk much, do you?”

  He shook his head as he let out a loud laugh, but he still refused to engage in conversation with me. I rolled my eyes in a mocking manner as I went about my business. Regardless of how this man made me feel, there was no way I was going to let him control how this went.

  “We need to get going soon.” He was now standing in my bedroom doorway, looking down towards the front door.

  “I’m almost done. I just have a few more things to-“ Suddenly the house was filling up with smoke, and a loud ringing blared through my ears. I quickly covered my ears as I searched for him in my room.

  The smoke was getting thicker and I was finding it hard to breathe. I dropped to the floor and began making my way over to the open bedroom door. I pushed my hand out in front of me and felt the thick rubber sole of a shoe. I instinctively pulled my hand back to my chest and started backing up towards the bathroom, but then I felt someone grab my ankle and tug me towards them.