by Rachel Dylan
***
“Do you think Olivia’s ready for this fight?” Micah asked Ben looking directly into his dark eyes.
“It doesn’t matter if she’s really ready, Micah. It’s a battle she has to fight and the time is now. We have no one else. She’s the one God has chosen who has to stand up and take this on. She has some idea that she’s meant to be here. But it might take her a little time to figure out exactly what she’s going to be involved with.”
The angels stood behind Olivia watching over her in the conference room. But she hadn’t sensed their presence as she continued to type away on her laptop and hum a tune.
“She isn’t fully appreciative of how strong she is, but she’ll get there,” Micah said. He stood tall, his blond hair barely touching his shoulders. The angel warrior was strong but kind—and fiercely protective of Olivia.
Ben nodded. “At least she has the foundation to build upon. A strong faith that has been growing ever since she was a little girl.” Ben paused. “Unlike our friend Grant.”
“I’m much more worried about him. He has no idea what he’s going to be facing, and he doesn’t have the skills to defend himself. Nina Marie and her followers are building up strength by the day, and she’ll surely want to go after him. We can only do so much to protect Olivia and Grant against the forces of evil running rampant on this earth.”
“But we’ll do everything we can.”
Micah looked at him. “You and me—quite an angel army.”
“The best kind.”
“Let’s pray for her now.”
The two laid their hands on her shoulders to help prepare her for the fight to come. A fight unlike anything they’d ever known before.
Excerpt from Expert Witness
Chapter One
“All rise.” The bailiff’s deep voice echoed through the crowded Atlanta courtroom.
Sydney Berry took a deep breath and stepped down from the witness stand. Unfortunately, her expert testimony as a forensic artist in the murder trial of businessman Kevin Diaz wasn’t over. She’d have to come back tomorrow and testify about her sessions with the eyewitness and the drawing she’d created of the suspect. The goal—to get the sketch of the suspect introduced into evidence. It would bolster the eyewitness testimony to have the contemporaneous drawing in front of the jury.
If the defense attorney was able to tear apart her testimony, the prosecution’s case would be severely weakened. And a guilty man likely would walk free. She refused to let that happen.
She walked out of the courtroom doors, and then the other bailiff standing outside nodded to her, indicating she was on her own. Dear God, please give me the strength to get through this. Let my testimony help the jury so that justice may be done for the murder of an innocent woman.
“Ms. Berry!” A male voice rang out down the courthouse hallway.
The last thing she wanted to do right now was deal with the press. She’d refused every media inquiry thus far, and she would do the same again today. Because of Kevin Diaz’s position in the community, the local Atlanta media were having a field day covering the trial.
“No comment.” She turned around and came face to face with a tall man in a dark suit and a navy checkered tie. No, he didn’t look like the press. He had to be a Fed. His dark brown hair was cut short, and his eyes were a striking deep green.
“I’m not a reporter,” he said. “Please let me escort you to your vehicle, and I’ll explain.”
She took a step, and he followed her.
She turned to him. “Who are you?”
He looked her in the eyes. “I’m US Marshal Max Preston.”
Close. She had figured him for FBI. Having dealt with the FBI quite a bit in her line of work, she knew its style, and he fit it perfectly down to the gun she caught a glimpse of on his right hip. Though she wasn’t accustomed to consulting for the US Marshals, they were obviously built from the same mold.
“As you can tell, I’m a bit preoccupied right now with this trial.” She reached into her pocket for her business card. “Here’s my card. Contact me and we can set up a consultation. But it will probably be a few weeks before I can fit it into my schedule.” When he refused the card, she pocketed it and pushed open the courthouse door. The summer heat of Atlanta hit her, and she already felt her hair starting to frizz.
“I know this is bad timing, but I need five minutes,” he said, following her outside.
The persistent marshal wasn’t taking no for an answer. They walked down the courthouse steps on to the sidewalk.
“Really, sir, this isn’t a good time.”
He touched her arm. “It’s important, Ms. Berry. I wouldn’t come to you like this otherwise, but I really need to talk to you. Now.”
Then she heard car wheels screeching loudly. Looking toward the street, she saw a dark SUV barreling down the road in their direction at top speed. Instinctively, she took a step back.
The tinted window rolled down, and the sound of gunshots exploded through the air. Before she could duck, she found herself hitting the sidewalk hard and tasted the faint taste of blood in her mouth.
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 l
ook. 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?”
