by Rachel Dylan
“What about Berkowski? Has the FBI taken him into custody?” Kip asked.
Jay paused before responding. “They didn’t get a chance. I just learned that Igor had him killed. Time of death within the last two hours.”
“Oh no. We have to stop this monster. Before he kills again.” She closed her eyes and started praying. Because right now God was her only hope.
After a few minutes of prayer, she tried to compose herself. “Where are we going?”
“Away.”
“C’mon, Jay. You’ve got to give me more than that.”
“We’ve got a plane waiting. Honestly, I’m not sure of the exact destination. Everything right now is so tightly guarded. On a need-to-know basis—and then even a need-to-know-at-the-time. I’ll get the flight manifest once we arrive.”
A plane. She hated flying. But she didn’t have a choice. She had to get as far away from where Igor thought she was as quickly as possible. But she couldn’t escape the haunting feeling that wherever she went, he wouldn’t be far behind.
TEN
Sadie buckled herself into the seat of the small airplane and tried to brush aside the inkling of claustrophobia that was descending on her.
“You okay?” Jay asked from the seat directly across from her. Aside from the pilot, the plane only had room for a few additional passengers. Kip sat beside her.
“I just don’t like flying.”
“Just remember to breathe. And you’ll be fine.”
“Where are we going?” Kip asked.
“We’re headed to Colorado.”
She put her head in her hands and said a prayer. She needed strength right now. For that matter, she always needed strength. Her world, or rather the world that she and the Witness Protection Program had carefully crafted, was crashing down around her. She couldn’t blame Kip if he hated her. She’d been the one to talk about faith and honesty, and look how that had turned out. Deep down she knew that she did the right thing by not telling him who she was. But she felt she did the wrong thing by allowing herself to form a real connection with him. She could tell he had feelings for her too. And that’s where she was in error. She prayed for forgiveness, for guidance and for the capability to get through this.
Jay leaned forward. “If it makes you feel any better, the flight will be broken up. We’ll stop in a couple of hours to change planes. Just an extra security precaution.”
“Do we know where Igor is right now?” she asked.
“No, he was last spotted in El Paso yesterday morning. But with his private jet, he has mobility that is hard to track. Although, he isn’t the one that I’m concerned about. I’m more interested in his hired guns.”
“What else do you know about the investigations?”
“I know about the FBI investigation. Is there something else?”
So he didn’t know about the DEA. Or if he did, he was playing dumb. Should she tell him? She looked over at Kip who shrugged his shoulders—he was obviously frustrated. It was her call to make. “We tracked Artur in New York to a meeting he had with a DEA agent. The DEA is also investigating the Vladimir network.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised. The drug-trafficking part of their business is growing exponentially. That’s something the DEA would want to be a part of.”
“Are they doing an inquiry to make sure Berkowski was the only mole?” she asked.
“I’m sure they are. But my sole focus is the safety of my witness. Which means you. What the FBI or the DEA does is their business. You’re my witness. And I’ve never lost a witness. You understand that?”
“I appreciate it. I know you’re upset with me.”
“You were doing so well. You had been following the rules completely. For years. I know your file by heart. I actually didn’t have any doubts that you’d stick with the program forever. I see I underestimated your desire to seek revenge on Igor. I should’ve known better. When I heard that Igor was expanding his operations into Texas, I should’ve gone to you directly. But I thought you were doing so well, I didn’t want to cause problems. I was wrong about that and will probably face a disciplinary hearing. No going back now, though. We have to move forward and do what is best for you. And the top priority in all of that is keeping you safe. I’m hoping that the FBI investigation will yield something to nail Igor once and for all. He deserves to be in jail for the rest of his life.”
Once they were airborne, the plane bumped up and down, driving her crazy. She knew the turbulence would be rough in the small plane.
“Do you get motion sickness?” Kip asked. It was the first thing he’d said to her directly.
“No. I just don’t like flying. Hopefully I won’t get ill.” Although as she said it, she wondered if she might. Her stomach rumbled, gripped by a wave of nausea. She’d been through a lot. The mental and emotional strain bore down on her.
She looked at Kip and knew he was mad at her. She’d not been honest. Hadn’t he had enough pain and betrayal in his life already? It hurt her to think that he might believe she was just using him to further her own personal battles. How could she ever make him understand?
At the beginning, she certainly was willing to work with him because it helped her get to Igor. After all, he was the one who brought her the consulting offer. But she took it. And they’d saved those innocent girls in the process. That was one positive. However, somewhere along the way, Kip became something more to her. He definitely broke the FBI mold that had haunted her for so many years. He was a good man. He deserved better than this. Especially given what he’d been through. Would it ever be possible to make it up to him? To make him understand what Igor had taken from her?
And her poor father. She knew it was useless to continuously rack her brain in search of explanations. Igor might be the only person who could tell her truly why he came after her family. She wanted to get that chance to confront him. In some ways, she wished she’d taken the opportunity when she’d had it. She’d learned that the FBI agent that failed to protect her family had died in a car accident years later. So, she could never go to him for answers.
They had been just an average middle-class family living in New York City. What had her father done? Or seen? Something that made eighteen-year-old Igor come to their home and shoot both her parents. In the back of her mind, she worried that her father might have been involved with something illegal. He seemed like such a nice and normal man. But that was to an eight year old. Could he have been wrapped up in the Vladimir network? Did he have a history with Igor’s father, Sergei?
One thing was certain: she was going to do everything in her power to find answers. Jay might think his biggest job was keeping her safe. He was wrong. His biggest job would be to keep her from escaping. Because she was going on a manhunt for Igor Vladimir.
“Kip, can we talk?”
“I’m not ready to talk about this yet, Sadie. I’m sorry.”
And her heart broke in two.
* * *
By the time they’d changed planes and made it to Colorado, Sadie’s legs were cramping and her head ached. The second leg of the flight was even worse, especially as they descended down through the mountains. Kip was still giving her the silent treatment. She couldn’t blame him. He would probably need a bit of time to process all of this. And right now everyone was tense and on edge. Sadie was gripped by fear of what was to come.
They’d driven in silence to a cabin in the mountains. When they pulled up to the rustic lodging, she felt a small sense of relief.
“I promise you that no one will find you here, Sadie,” Jay said.
Loud barks rang out as soon as she opened her car door. “Is that a dog?”
“Yes, that’s your guard dog. Her name is Zoe. She’ll protect you.”
“No, I’ll protect her,” Kip said. His tone firm.
And for the first time since he found out the truth, Kip took her hand and squeezed. She wanted to start crying at his demonstration of loyalty to her. But she needed to be strong right now.
“Whose dog is it?” she asked.
“She’s the dog of the local K-9 unit’s trainer. She’s the best there is, and she’s used to working with a lot of different handlers.”
“So the local police know about me?”
“No. I just told them that I was bringing a female who was in need of a protection dog. They didn’t ask any questions. I’ve worked with this trainer before on a case years ago. He knows not to push. He’s here now. This is one of his cabins he owns and manages. He rents it out, but it’s empty right now.”
“Are you sure it’s secure here?” Kip asked.
“There’s no way anyone will know that the two of you are here.” He eyed Sadie. “Especially if she keeps on that heinous wig.”
She shuddered. “We’ll have to talk about that. Also, if I’m going to be here for a while, I’m going to need you to get my cats and bring them here. I’m not sure if they’ll get along with the dog, but we’ll figure something out.”
“I know how much you love your cats. Don’t worry. Once I get a better read on the security situation, then we can get you set up like home. I can’t make any promises about going back to El Paso, though.”
“And what about Kip?” she asked.
“We’ll figure something out. Obviously he wasn’t part of the plan.”
“Don’t worry about me. Sadie’s safety is the top priority.”
It felt great to stretch her legs as she stepped out of the car. A huge German shepherd ran up to her. A man’s voice rang out, and the dog stopped in its tracks. The man walked out of the cabin. He was tall and dressed in a police uniform. She guessed he was in his fifties.
“Zoe, sit,” he ordered. The dog sat right in front of Sadie.
“Zoe, guard,” he said.
Sadie leaned down, and the dog licked her hands. She surely missed her cats. But there was a sweet look in Zoe’s dark brown eyes that put her at ease. This dog would protect her. She knew it. Between Kip and Zoe, she was in good hands.
The man walked over. “Come on in. My name is Barry. And you’ve already met Zoe. She’ll keep you company and stop anyone from messing with you. I guarantee you that.”
Barry shook hands with Jay. “Good to see you again, Jay.”
“It’s beautiful up here,” she said.
“I know. We love it. It’s nice now in the summer. Might be a bit cold for you in the winter, but we don’t have to talk about that right now.”
She didn’t plan to be here in the winter. That was for sure.
“Barry, why don’t you take Sadie and Kip inside?”
They followed Barry who gave her a smile. He seemed like a nice man. Zoe trotted along right beside her with her tail wagging quickly back and forth.
“This cabin’s plenty big. It’s got three bedrooms and two baths. Sadie, you can have the master bedroom. It has its own private bath. So you’ll have all the privacy you need. Kip, I just found out about your arrival, but no issues there. Just take either of the other bedrooms you’d like. Sadie, I just ask that you let Zoe stay in the room with you. It’s best if she’s with you at all times.”
She turned to Barry. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into with me, do you?”
He laughed. “I can only imagine. But it’s not my job to pry. I know Jay’s a good man. He does the right thing. So anytime I can help him, that’s what I do.”
“Thank you.”
Barry spent some time teaching her the key commands for Zoe—including Guard, Friend and Attack, while Kip conducted a full sweep of the cabin. Zoe seemed excited to have a new friend. Sadie felt calmer just knowing Zoe was there.
She walked through the cabin and was amazed at how large it seemed. As she entered the master bedroom and saw the colorful patchwork quilt covering the bed, it reminded her of how tired she really was. She shut the door for a moment of much-needed privacy.
Zoe’s cold nose nudged her hand. Sadie knelt down to rub her furry ears. “We’re going to get through this, Zoe.” Zoe’s tail wagged even quicker, and she was impressed with how the dog picked up on her cues. Seeing Zoe made her realize how much she wanted to meet Kip’s dog, Colby. She quickly pushed that thought out of her mind. There could be no future now with Kip. It’s something she’d just have to accept. Even if he would eventually forgive her, he would never trust her again. Zoe nuzzled up to her, and she let the tears flow freely. It was just her and Zoe. And she didn’t have to be tough. Right now she could let it out—all the pain and frustration. And loss.
After a few minutes there was a light knock at the door. “You okay in there?” Kip asked.
She wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled herself together. “You can come in,” she said quietly.
Kip walked through the door. “Are you sure you’re all right? You’ve been through a lot. If you need some time I understand that.”
“I’ll be fine. Like I always am.”
Zoe danced around by her feet.
“I see you made quick friends with her.”
“She has taken a liking to me. I think I do better with animals than people. I usually don’t attract people but repel them.”
“Don’t say that.” He reached out and touched her arm. As he did, Zoe turned all her attention to him and growled. “Whoa, there, Zoe.”
“It’s okay, Zoe. He’s a friend. I guess it’s good to know that she can do her job.”
Only then did Zoe step back away from Kip.
“Barry left. I told him we would be fine.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“Keep you safe. Just like I said. Jay said he has another agent who will be working with us. Between all of us, you’ll have round-the-clock protection.”
“In addition to your cute guard dog,” Jay said as he walked into the room.
She turned her attention to Jay. “Are we sure we can trust another agent? What if he’s been bought off by Igor?”
“I can guarantee you that it isn’t true. And it’s not a he, it’s a she.”
“Oh.” She actually hadn’t ever dealt with any females in Witness Protection. The former marshals she’d dealt with had all been men. The women who were around her at the very beginning were all social workers aiding Witness Protection but not actual agents.
“Don’t tell me you’re sexist. Look at you. You’re a top-notch P.I.”
“Of course I’m not sexist. I just haven’t met any female marshals in the program.”
“You’ll like her. And she’s the only person in this world I knew I could trust.”
“How do you know that?”
He looked directly into her eyes and took a step forward. “Because she’s my sister.”
“Wow. How crazy is that? Is she older or younger?”
“Younger. But only by a year. We’re super close. And I know she’d never turn on me. She should be here any minute. We usually don’t work together, but I made an exception. Things will get better, Sadie. I promise.”
She looked up at him. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Jay. You know I’m still searching for answers. I can’t rest until I have them. And now I’m concerned I never will. What could my father have been caught up in? You promise me that you don’t know?”
“I’ve told you before, I was never told. Once I got your case five years ago, that was never an issue.”
“Can you find out? Surely someone in the FBI knows.”
“Sadie, you know this isn’t the time to be poking around,” Kip said. “I promise I’ll do what I can to look into it once the threat is neutralized.”
“It’s exac
tly the time,” she said.
Zoe started barking and running around. Although the discussion was interrupted, Sadie couldn’t keep her gaze off Kip. She wished she knew what he was thinking.
Jay stepped to the door. “That’s got to be my sis. Her name is Val.”
She wasn’t going to let this topic go. He might be saved by his sister now, but she definitely wouldn’t forget.
Sadie and Kip walked downstairs. She saw Jay embracing his sister.
Val pulled back from the hug. She could’ve been Jay’s twin. Tall, dark and thin, she was the female version of Jay.
“You must be Sadie,” Val said with an outreached hand and a smile.
“That’s me.”
“And I’m Val. You’re a tough lady to put up with my overbearing brother.” She punched Jay in the arm. It was evident that they had a strong relationship.
Zoe circled around Val’s legs.
“It’s okay, Zoe. She’s a friend.” Sadie reached over and touched Val’s arm, and Zoe’s tail started thumping again.
“And this is Kip,” Sadie said.
Kip took Val’s hand. “I’ll let you two ladies get acquainted and have some time together. I’m going to take a shower.”
Jay stepped forward. “And I’m going to run into town and stock up on some additional supplies. That okay with you two?”
Val rolled her big brown eyes. “Go. We’ll be fine. And we’ll gossip about you while you’re gone.” She winked at Sadie.
Jay grumbled something and then laughed.
Val grabbed her hand. “Let’s sit and have a chat.”
“I’ll be right upstairs if you two need anything,” Kip said.
Val took off her suit jacket, and Sadie couldn’t help but notice the gun holstered to her side.
Sadie sat on the couch, and Zoe lounged by her feet. Val sat beside her on the sofa.
