Читать книгу Expert Witness - Rachel Dylan - Страница 11
ОглавлениеSmoke filled Sydney’s lungs as she tried to draw a breath. Max was on the ground beside her, and his face was bleeding. Then she noticed the shards of glass littering the floor around them, and realized he must have been hit by one.
Max gripped her waist and pulled her up off the floor. “We’ve got to move.”
Trying to catch her breath, she took a step and pain shot through her leg. Blood covered her right arm as it throbbed at her side. But now was not the time to worry about that. They were literally under attack.
The smoke was clearing a little so that she could see. But that also meant they could be seen by whoever had attacked them.
A gunshot rang out, and Max pushed her back down to the ground.
“Where did that come from?” she asked.
“I’m not sure, but it sounded like it was from outside. We’re going to move farther in to the interior of the house.”
Her heart raced as, on their hands and knees, he guided her further away from the windows and toward the center of the house. I don’t want to die. She’d been through so much in her life. She wasn’t going to give up now. She could handle this, too. Taking a deep breath, she crawled toward the bathroom door.
Pulling her in, he shut the door and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She couldn’t help but flinch as he touched her—but it wasn’t from the pain.
“What hurts?” he asked.
“My arm and my leg. But I don’t think it’s too serious.” She paused and looked up at him. “Your face is bleeding.” She reached up and touched his cheek, trying to determine where the blood was coming from. “Looks like you got hit on the side of your face with a piece of glass.”
“Yeah, I think it’s just a nick. I’ll—”
His remark was cut short by a deep male voice that rang throughout the house. “Anyone here?”
Max put his fingers to his lips indicating that she should not respond.
“Preston, are you there? It’s Davies.”
She watched as Max’s shoulders visibly dropped. “He’s one of ours,” he told her.
“Back here, Davies.”
Max helped her to her feet and opened the bathroom door.
Through the clearing smoke she saw a man and woman both dressed in suits approaching them. “The suspect was able to flee,” the tall blond man said. “We wanted to make sure the package was secure.”
“Are you okay?” the woman asked.
“A bit sore,” Sydney replied. “But I guess it could’ve been much worse.”
The woman looked at Max. “So, what happened?”
Max wiped the blood from his face with a handkerchief. “They broke through the window with a smoke bomb. Probably planned to use that as a diversion to grab Sydney.”
The blond man stepped closer. “Ms. Berry, I’m sorry, ma’am. We should’ve introduced ourselves. I’m Phillip Davies and this is Elena Sanchez. We work with Max and are both deputies with the US Marshals.”
They shook hands with Sydney.
“I’m sorry to rush you,” Elena said. “But we need to address any immediate medical issues, and then you two need to move. It’s not safe here.” As she ushered them down the hall, she said, “Ms. Berry, I’ve got a bag for you in our car. Given these attacks, we have to assume our system has been compromised in some way. An electronic security breach is unlikely, but it’s more possible in my mind than a mole within the US Marshals.”
She led them into the living room with the blown-in window and assessed the surroundings. Then she turned to Sydney. “Ms. Berry, you’re going to be taken to a safe house that wasn’t in the list of those assigned to you. Deputy Preston, this is officially need-to-know right now. Meaning you, Deputy Davies and I are the only three people to know the locations of any future safe houses. Keeping the circle this small will ensure Ms. Berry’s safety.”
Sydney noted Elena’s take-charge attitude. She liked the tall dark-haired marshal with welcoming brown eyes already.
Elena took her arm. “I’ll get you safely to the vehicle while they secure this area. Deputy Preston, we’ll switch cars and you’ll take mine.”
“Roger that,” Max said.
Elena led her out the front door and to the driveway. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
“Not badly. Probably just superficial wounds.”
“I’ve got a med kit in the car. I’ll take a look at your arm.”
“Thank you.” She paused and tried to gather her thoughts. “Am I still going to be able to testify in the morning? Because I think that—”
“Wait a second, Ms. Berry.” Holding up her hand, Elena cut her off. “Since you’ve been sworn in as a witness already, you shouldn’t say anything about your testimony. I don’t want you to get in trouble with the court. I understand that you want to testify, and we will do our best to make sure that happens. Deputy Preston will continuously conduct a threat assessment, and it will ultimately be his call as to whether it is safe to bring you into the courtroom tomorrow morning.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” Elena removed the medical kit from the trunk. “Sit in the car while I see to your arm. Ask away.”
“How long have you known Max?” She tried not to yelp as Elena pushed up her sleeve to reveal a nasty cut that was still oozing blood. Elena opened the kit and started to clean her wound.
“Just about a month.”
“A month? That’s it?”
“He’s recently transferred from the FBI. But don’t worry. He has a stellar reputation. Word is that he took on the toughest assignments in the gang unit, including a stint of deep undercover years ago that proved to be invaluable in a number of convictions.” Elena finished cleaning the cut and then bandaged it. “So you should have no concerns about him.”
“How long have you been with the US Marshals?”
“For quite some time.” Elena gently pulled Sydney’s sleeve down over the bandage. “And I wouldn’t change a thing. Best decision I ever made. I thank God every day for opening up the opportunity for me.”
She received a measure of comfort from Elena’s words. If it weren’t for the Lord, she wouldn’t have made it through the past few years. And now she needed Him more than ever.
“I’m sure Deputy Preston has mentioned that given the attacks, the prosecutor and the FBI will want to talk to you about your safety and your options. One of those options is witness protection. I just didn’t want you to be surprised when those discussions started in case he hadn’t given you all those details.”
“I understand,” she said softly.
“Here, take these.” Elena handed her a package with two pain relievers and a bottle of water.
“Thank you.”
“The perimeter is secure,” Max reported as he approached the vehicle with Davies beside him. Sydney had to admit the two men were quite a formidable presence.
“Great. Then you two should get going,” Elena said. “Here’s the address.” She handed Max a piece of paper.
Sydney shook Elena’s hand. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re more than welcome. Deputy Preston, she’s in your hands now.”
“Understood.”
Elena gave Max the car keys, and they spoke in hushed tones for a minute. Sydney couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she knew enough to understand that she was in danger. A danger that was coming from multiple fronts.
She pushed down the fear deep inside of her. Every fact indicated that Max Preston was a professional who would do his best to keep her safe. But her insecurities and mistrust ran deep.
Max got in the car and started the engine. Then he looked over at her. “I know you want to testify, but I think that would be a very bad idea until we get more security in place.”
“How would that work?”
“We’d have the prosecutor ask the judge for a short continuance based on the very real threats and actions that have been taken against you.”
“We don’t even know who is behind all of this.”
“You’re right. It could be people working directly for Kevin Diaz. Or it could be the gang. Or both. But all of the signs point to East River. If Diaz had his own hired guns, I don’t think they would’ve gone about it in the same way.” He checked behind him and pulled out of the driveway.
“Wouldn’t it be better for me to testify and get it over with? That would at least neutralize one of the threats. After I testify the sketch I did and my testimony are in front of the jury. Even if Diaz and East River are sending people after me, it won’t matter at that point.”
“Except for revenge.”
She shuddered at the thought. “I think their primary goal would be to stop me from testifying in the first place. Which is why I need to testify in the morning. The sketch I created will help substantiate the testimony from the eyewitness. The prosecution is concerned about how the eyewitness will hold up on the stand. But if my sketch is entered into evidence, that will provide support for the reliability of the witness.”
He smiled. “You’re a very tough woman, Sydney, and I respect your tenacity. But my job is to protect you. I’d feel a lot better if we were authorized to have additional security in and around the courtroom. I think we’ll get it, but we’ll need a short continuance from the judge to get that all set up.”
She prayed that she could trust this man. “So what kind of delay are you thinking?”
“Just a day or so.”
“And for now?”
“We go to the new safe house. Then we’ll have some dinner and settle in for the night.”
She noticed him looking in the rearview mirror. She turned around but didn’t see any cars. “Did you see something?”
“No. Just being extra cautious.”
“Do you have a theory about who that was at the first safe house?”
“I have a lot of theories. But it would be logical to hypothesize that all of these threats today have been from the East River gang. That’s what I think is most likely. If Diaz is involved, I think it’s through his connection to East River. He’s a powerful man with a lot of resources.”
“How closely have you looked at the possible connection between Diaz and his cousin Lucas Jones?”
“Not deeply enough. While you were outside with Elena I put in a quick call to a former colleague at the FBI asking him to work that angle. The shooting at the courthouse was something the gang would definitely do. Your testimony threatens to convict Diaz of murder. Someone with his power and influence can’t be underestimated. Even if Diaz and Jones aren’t on the best terms, Diaz could’ve provided him with a huge payout to get the job done.”
“I agree with you on that.”
“I know it’s hard, but just try to relax. We’ll be at the next safe house soon.”
But how could she when his eyes kept darting to the rearview mirror?
* * *
Morning light filtered through the closed blinds as Max paced the first floor of the safe house, clenching and unclenching his fists in an effort to calm his nerves. Fortunately, last night had been uneventful. Not that he’d slept much. It had stormed most of the evening. According to the weather report, there was no end in sight to the line of powerful storms moving across the South. The strong summer rain pounded down outside and thunder roared.
He’d decided that even though she was determined to testify, it would be too dangerous to get Sydney into the courthouse today. His first order of business then was to talk to the prosecutor and the FBI to try to get a security-based continuance. Given the circumstances he had no doubt that the judge would grant it.
When he walked into the kitchen Sydney sat at the table with a cup of coffee. Her long hair was loose and flowed down around her shoulders. She was attractive, but she wasn’t just a pretty face. He’d seen her take down that attacker with strength and determination.
Sensing his presence, she looked up. “Good morning.”
“Were you able to sleep?”
“Not very well.” She paused. “But probably a bit more than you did.”
“I’m able to function on very little sleep.”
“From all those years undercover in the gang unit?”
“Well, that’s a big part of it.” He paused. “Elena must have told you about my background.”
“Yes, she did. She spoke very highly of your track record at the FBI.”
“After a while, you learn how to operate without much sleep.”
“Whatever it is, I thank God that I’m still alive today.” She looked up at him.
“You’re a believer, I take it?” he asked.
She nodded. “My faith is tied to who I am. I honestly wouldn’t have made it to this point in my life if it hadn’t been for my faith.”
He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised. She was an artist, after all, and in his experience they were emotional, empathetic. Both things he was not. Things he had rejected years ago. In fact, he was the complete opposite. Some people even called him cold and calculating. But it came with the turf, and it made him good at his job.
She stood, walked to the cabinet and pulled out a cup. “Coffee?”
“Thank you. Black, please.”
She poured him a cup and then turned around, her eyes full of life. “I’m not judging you, but I take it by your silence that you don’t share my views on faith?”
He sat down and wondered for a moment how he should answer. The last thing he wanted to do was alienate this woman. But he also had to be truthful. “I’m not a religious person—at least not anymore. I rely more on a rational and scientific approach to life these days.”
She smiled. “Saying you are or aren’t religious carries a lot of connotations with it.”
He sipped his coffee and considered his response carefully. He decided to take the direct approach. “I don’t go to church, Sydney.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Is that how you were raised?”
“Actually, no. My parents were both churchgoers. I was expected to attend church with them every Sunday until I left home to go off to college. When I was young I considered myself a Christian and felt good about it. I enjoyed going to church. As I grew up, though, I started having second thoughts. In my experience, just because people went to church didn’t make them better people. Actions speak a lot louder than words. By the time I got to college I had a healthy and logical skepticism about the entire thing. I took a few classes on different religions in college. I viewed them in the same way as I did my other coursework in philosophy.”
“I wasn’t raised by people of faith. My dad was never in the picture, and my mom didn’t see any point in going to church. But when I found God, my life changed forever.” She put down her cup and smiled at him. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to try to convince you to change your mind. I believe we each find our way in our own time. But I do believe with all my heart that God is watching over us right now. Both of us.”
“If that makes you feel better, then I’m all for it.”
She shook her head. “It’s not just about making me feel better. I realize you don’t think this, but God is not imaginary. Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
He shrugged his shoulders. His phone rang, and he was glad to have an out from the awkward conversation. The last thing he needed was a lecture on faith. He knew better. He’d lived through a childhood with parents who acted one way on Sunday morning and a totally different way the rest of the week.
“Deputy Preston,” he answered.
“It’s Elena. We have a problem.”
“What?” Immediately his pulse started to thump.
“I just got off a conference call with local police and the FBI. Kevin Diaz has violated the terms of his bail. He’s not in Atlanta, and no one on his staff or his legal team knows exactly where he is. Or if they do know, they aren’t saying.”
“What? You can’t be serious. How in the world did that happen?”
“His lawyers are trying to say there has been some sort of miscommunication about his schedule. They’re pushing back hard that there’s nothing wrong here, and that Kevin will be located promptly. But the judge has been informed and is not happy. The FBI will start to look for him along with the police,” Elena said.
He didn’t need to hear any more. “I’m implementing the alternate strategy we discussed yesterday.”
“Yes. That’s the best thing to do given the circumstances,” she said.
“Roger that.”
“You should move soon. I’ll keep you posted on any developments on Diaz.” She paused. “And watch your back, Max.”
He hung up and looked over at Sydney. Her eyes were focused on him like a laser beam.
“What’s going on? And don’t sugarcoat it. I need to know the truth. I deserve to know the truth.”
He agreed. It was better to just say it. “Kevin Diaz has violated his bail. No one seems to know exactly where he is.”
Her eyes widened as she sat for a moment in silence.
“I’m sorry. But this means we’ve got to get out of here as soon as you can get ready,” he said.
“What’s the plan you were talking about implementing?”
“We’re leaving Atlanta.”
“Whoa.” She stood up and walked over to him. “Are you talking about witness protection?”
“Not yet. Just protective custody for now, but we are going to leave the city. It will be safer that way. And the location is not attached to you in our electronic system, so we have that angle covered just in case there’s any risk of a security breach.”
“But I can’t just abandon my life.”
“I realize your apprehension. This is only a temporary solution until we figure out exactly what’s going on and the level of all the threats against you.”
“Temporary? How can you be so sure?”
He sighed. “I can’t. But for now we’ve got to start mobilizing. Go get ready and gather up what little stuff you have. Then we’ll get out of here.”
She nodded and walked away, and he resisted the urge to go to her. He needed to stay alert. Focused and determined to protect Sydney Berry at all cost. Her words about God watching over them were nagging at him, though. It wasn’t God, but hard work by the US Marshals that was keeping her safe.
And where had God been when he had needed Him in the dark days of his youth? When his dad had been gone for days on end doing who knew what and his mom hadn’t been able to put together a coherent sentence because she had been so strung out on prescription meds?
Abandoning that line of thought, he gathered up his stuff, and within half an hour they were on the road. The rain had gotten worse and lightning streaked through the sky. He had to drive much slower than he would’ve preferred given the circumstances.
“Where are we headed?” Sydney asked him when they had been on the road a while.
“We aren’t going to stay in one spot too long. We’re going to use the small Georgia towns to our advantage. First stop is a town called Pikeville in south Georgia.”
“Never heard of it.”
“I hadn’t, either, until this case. It’s a rural area, though. I know that much.”
“And what will we do there?” she asked.
“Lie low.”
“Doing what?”
“You sure do ask a lot of questions.”
She shrugged. “I think I have the right to do so. And small towns can be difficult. Everyone knows everyone. We’ll stick out.”
“That’s why we’ll have our cover story and never stay long enough for anyone to start asking the really tough questions.”
She sighed. “When are you planning to share the cover story with me?”
He dreaded this explanation because he knew she wouldn’t like it. “I need to explain something to you. This cover is just temporary and specific to our current strategy. If the situation changes and you are formally placed in the Witness Security Program—otherwise known as witness protection—your cover would be entirely different. In fact, it wouldn’t be a cover but a new life. A new name, a new past, a new everything.”
“I don’t want a new life. I already told you that. I’ve worked so hard to have the life I have now.”
Loud thunder boomed, and he saw her flinch. Something deeper than what he had tapped into so far was going on with her. It wasn’t just the Diaz case that had her edgy. “I get that. I just didn’t want there to be any confusion between what’s happening now and what could possibly happen in the future.”
“Now that you’ve gotten that off your chest, let’s get back to my original question. Our cover.”
“Right.” He glanced over at her. She sure was feisty this morning. “We’re working on a special story on Southern towns for a national magazine. If anyone asks, we’ll just say that we can’t reveal the identity of the magazine because the feature is a surprise. The less we have to say to anyone the better.”
“Where will we stay?”
“Mostly hotels or inns. We’re just traveling through. Getting what we need for our story and then moving on.”
“So we’re coworkers?”
“Exactly. And just to make it simple, I’ll call you Syd instead of Sydney, and we’ll switch last names. So you’re Syd Preston and I’m Max Berry. Once again, if you were to go into the program, you’d have a completely different name. These names are only temporary to get us through the first town.”
She let out a breath. “I’d rather not even think about that right now.”
His phone rang, and he put it on speaker as he drove. “Deputy Preston,” he answered.
“It’s Elena.”
“Hey, you’re on speaker with Sydney.”
“Great. How are you holding up, Sydney?”
“Given the circumstances, I guess I’m all right.”
“Hang in there. You’ve got a team of people around you protecting and supporting you. Don’t forget that.”
“Thank you,” Sydney said.
“Any more word on Kevin Diaz?” Max asked.
“They’re still searching for him. His people are busy with the PR spin. One of his staffers claims he had to attend a board meeting for one of the nonprofit corporations he works with. But that just may be an excuse to try to buy Diaz time. Regardless, the terms of his bail were clear. He violated those terms, and I imagine once he’s located his bail will be revoked.”
Max huffed out a breath. “What a piece of work that guy is. He thinks he’s so powerful that he’s above the law, and the normal rules don’t apply to him. Any further intel on ballistics from the courthouse shooting?”
“Still waiting. At this point there’s no evidence tying Kevin to the shooting. If I had to speculate I’d say it’s more likely that it was East River acting on Kevin’s behalf. Regardless, neither threat is neutralized, so we stay the course with Sydney.”
“Give me a call with any developments.”
“Will do. Stay safe. I just looked at the weather radar and there are severe storms all around the area. It’s making the drive around here treacherous, and it looks even worse in your direction.”
“Understood.” He disconnected the call and looked over at Sydney. She sat quietly, her hands folded in her lap, a hard-to-read expression on her face. “What’s on your mind?”
“How quickly this whole thing has spiraled out of control. I can’t say I’m surprised that Diaz thought he didn’t have to abide by the conditions of his bail. But with all his resources I’m sure he’ll wiggle out of it somehow.”
They drove for a long time in silence while lightning lit up the sky that was growing ever darker with storms.
“If Diaz’s exact location is unknown, do you think it’s possible that he could come after me personally?” she asked.
“No, that’s far too risky, especially given the latest events. But I do think he may send some hired guns after you. Or, if I’m right about the connection between the cousins, the East River gang may just do the dirty work. Eliminate the threat you pose forever.”
“And by eliminate you mean kill.”
“Yes, but as I’ve said I’m not going to let that happen.”
She forced a laugh. “Getting your first witness killed probably wouldn’t bode so well for your career as a marshal.”
“Don’t even talk like that.”
“Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood a bit with an ill-timed joke.”
“Why don’t you tell me about why you became a sketch artist? You told me how you did, but why?”
“You really want to know?”
“Yeah.”
“I felt like it was a way to use my gift for something positive. I knew I was a talented artist, but drawing pretty things didn’t quite feel like enough. Then I felt even more determined once I found faith. God gave me a special talent, and I want to be able to use it.”
Back to God again, he thought. But he couldn’t blame her. He’d been the one to ask the question. “Your faith is commendable even if I don’t adhere to it.”
“Why are you so hostile?”
“I’m not hostile,” he quickly added.
“You’re on the defensive.”
“I’m not. It’s just that I’ve seen supposed faith in action, and I have a hard time accepting it.”
“Since it obviously makes you uncomfortable, we can talk about something else.”
He wasn’t uncomfortable, was he? Sydney had a way of reading him, and he was beginning to dislike it. He’d grown to be a man of thought and action, not one of feeling and faith. The only thing he had faith in was himself. Hadn’t everyone else in his life failed him in one way or another?
His family life may have looked wonderful on the outside. Two supposedly loving parents, both doctors who were highly respected in their fields. But Max had been just a fashion piece to them. Neither his mother nor his father had really cared about him, and the only time they had had any opinion of him it had been negative.
When he’d chosen to go into law enforcement instead of medical school after college, they had practically disowned him. But he didn’t need them or anyone else, for that matter. He’d learned long ago to rely only on himself.
By the time the two of them drove into Pikeville, it was early evening. After they settled into their adjoining hotel rooms at the Pikeville Inn, Max went to Sydney’s room to discuss their next steps. He found her pacing back and forth.
“I should tell you something,” Sydney said.
“What?” Max asked. He looked over at her. Her lips were pursed and her eyebrows narrowed. He had no idea what she was going to say.
“I didn’t bring this up right away because it didn’t really seem relevant,” Sydney said. “But I’ve had some time to think it over, and now listening to everything you’ve said about the FBI and the lack of connection between Kevin and his cousin Lucas, I just need to put it out there.”
“What is it?”
Sydney started pacing back and forth again. “Maybe the FBI is right. Maybe this doesn’t have anything to do with Lucas trying to protect Kevin.”
“Why do you say that?” Max asked.
Sydney glanced away and then made eye contact with him. “Because there’s another reason the East River gang could be after me.”
