Page 94 of Dangerous Pursuit

“We’ll do the best we can. Give us a couple days to figure things out. I’ll reach out when I have some answers for you, all right?” He holds out his hand to shake, and I take it.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Mia

“Hello?” My greeting sounds skeptical. Caller ID showed Agent Wallace’s name, but I haven’t heard from them for months, so the call has me nervous.

“Hi, Mia, it’s Agent Wallace. Is now a good time to talk?”

This is so out of the blue. Hearing the voice from my past again gives me butterflies in my stomach.

“I’m home, and my mom is the only other person here, so we’re good.”

“Great. I have some news for you. Can you put me on speaker so you can both listen in?”

“Um, sure. Let me just go to the other room. Hang on.” I press Mute and go into the kitchen, where I find Mom.

“Agent Wallace is on the phone and has something to tell us. I’ll put it on speaker, okay?” I sit on a stool at the breakfast bar.

“I wonder what it is,” she says, taking the seat next to me.

I unmute the call. “Okay, we’re both here, and you’re on speaker.”

“Great. We just had a new development. As you know, we’ve been building our case against not only Frank and Jay but also their boss, whom you were fortunate enough not to meet. Unfortunately, your testimony was only enough to bring in Frank and Jay. Our goal was to use their cooperation to go after their boss, but it’s been somewhat difficult to navigate.”

“Are you any closer to reaching a trial?” I ask.

“We’re not, and because of that, your name hasn’t been submitted as a witness of record, which is good news considering we have another key witness who came in having had direct contact with all parties, not just Frank and Jay. That means you aren’t essential to the case since he’s willing to testify. We’ll only use your testimony if jurisdiction allows us to submit you as an anonymous witness. Either way, you’re in the clear. You’re being released from the program and are both free to return to your previous identities if you choose.”

“What do you mean, if we choose?” I’m seriously shell-shocked right now, but not enough to have missed that last part.

“In cases lasting an extended period, people tend to settle into their new lives, and sometimes it’s more appealing to stay where they are. Each situation is unique, and we leave it up to the individuals to decide what’s best for them before we help facilitate whichever direction they go.”

“So, you’re saying we’re being released from the program, but if we want to stay, we can? What if we stay, can we still contact our family and friends?” I have so many more questions.

“Yes, Mia, that’s exactly what I’m saying, and yes, you are free to call anyone from your past after you’re officially released. The next step would be making any final arrangements to help you transition out of the program and processing the paperwork for whichever location you choose. We realize it’s not always aneasy decision. Take some time to talk it over and call me in the next day or two so I can get the ball rolling. Reach out with any questions that come up. I know we have some details to work out regarding school and living arrangements, but we can tackle those items once you’ve decided where to park yourselves.”

“Wow, okay. I guess we have a lot to talk about, then. Thank you, Agent Wallace. I’ll let you know what we decide.”

“Good luck, ladies. Bye.”

“Wait! What about our names? Can we go back to our real ones?” I ask.

“Yes, but if you stay where you are and want to keep your new ones, you can also do that. We’ll take care of all the logistics during the exit protocol.”

“Okay. We’ll decide soon.”

“Sounds good. Bye, ladies.”

I hang up, and my mom and I sit in silence, staring at the phone. Why now? Wasn’t 278 days long enough to be tormented? Nope, now I’m faced with one of the most difficult decisions yet. The hole that finally started to close just opened wide again.

Jackson

“We made a deal. I expect you to hold up your end of the bargain. You can either bring her to me or tell me where the fuck she is so I can go get her myself.” I’m in the interrogation room at the FBI office in San Diego, 280 days after my life fell apart and two days after I made a delivery to put it back together. I came as soon as I got out of the shower to a fucking voicemail from Agent Bale saying that Mia was staying put.

“Look, Jackson, we talked to them and explained the situation. They know we have another witness in custody and that we’re taking his testimony in place of hers. We told themthey were free to return but could also choose to stay where they were. They chose to stay.”

“And where is that?” I ask, barely keeping my anger under control.

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