Page 31 of No Escape

“I thought Valerie was in psychiatric care,” Jackson said with a stern gaze.

“She was,” Will explained. “Some bright spark thought she could be in the same place as John Murphy. He escaped and Valerie followed, with her sister in tow.”

“Suzie?” Jackson said. “That means both of them are in danger.”

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” Charlie said, gravely, “but we need a list of John’s family members. We think she’ll try to predict his next target.”

Jackson frowned, scratching his chin. “I’m not sure I can help. You know I’m on suspension and can’t access FBI resources right now. The report on our unit is due in two days.”

“We know, Chief,” Charlie said, his voice tense with urgency. “But you have connections, people who might be able to get that information. It’s crucial that we find Valerie before it’s too late.”

Jackson sighed, looking conflicted. “Alright, I’ll see what I can do. But you two have to be careful. You’re already pushing your luck being involved in this. Hasn’t anyone inquired about your presence?”

“Not yet,” Will replied. “The local police department seems happy for our help. But if it gets back to Director Heinlein that we’re helping unofficially…”

“That snake will have you both off our books, permanently,” Jackson said.

“We understand,” Will replied, his voice firm. “But we have to help Valerie. She’s in over her head, and we can’t let her face this alone.”

Jackson nodded, his expression resolute. “Give me some time, and I’ll get back to you. Just be ready to act quickly when I do.”

“Thank you, Jack,” Charlie said, relief washing over his face. “We’ll be waiting.”

The call ended, and Charlie lowered the phone, looking at Will. “Let’s hope Jackson can come through for us.”

Will nodded, his gaze distant. “If he doesn’t, we have no way of knowing where any of them might go.”

***

Jackson Weller stared at the computer screen as the call ended. He clicked the power button and waited for it to switch off. As the screen turned to black, all he could see was the outline his face caught poorly in the matte black.

It was like looking at a shadow. A grim approximation of the man he had once been.

Jackson stood up and walked through his apartment. He hadn’t cleaned it properly in weeks. A thin layer of dust could be spotted here and there, covering furniture and places he hadn’t touched for some time.

He hated it. Hated his situation. Hated what he’d become.

He moved over to his brown leather couch and switched on the television. A blue hue covered the room, briefly lighting the rows of leather-bound books that lined the walls.

Jackson lived alone, having always preferred the bachelor’s life. But during all his years as an FBI agent and then department head, he had found that a hole inside had slowly opened.

A darkness that could never quite be filled.

He flicked through the TV channels, searching for something that might take his mind off things. His days had largely been punctuated by that, a searching for escapism. Something to pass the time and deaden his mind.

He stopped on a news channel and his eyes widened. A female reporter was standing in the street outside a convenience store with a huge crowd of people gathered around her.

Her voice boomed over the speakers, reporting on the police search for a dangerous fugitive who had escaped from a psychiatric facility.

Then images flashed before him. One of John Murphy, then two more of Valerie and her sister.

“Valerie Law’s whereabouts are not currently known,” the reporter said. “But she was last seen in this neighborhood, fighting with a man some believe to be John Murphy. The question on everyone’s lips is: Is she trying to catch him or help him? Is she a hero or an FBI agent hellbent on helping a killer finish what he started?”

Jackson switched the television off. He felt his blood boiling.

He had indeed always had an emptiness inside of him. But the only thing that had ever come close to filling that void was the friendships he had made in life.

Valerie, Charlie, and Will were three such friends. And while Jackson often maintained a distance from them due to his difficulties with intimacy, their friendship was not something he could easily abandon.

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