I narrowed my eyes. “Why?”
“To make sure it isn’t compromised.”
I gave it to her. My fingerprints smeared the screen. She passed a small black device over my phone. The light stayed green. “We’ll finish later,” she said quietly, handing it back to me.
Mark cleared his throat and spoke in a low tone. “They’ll take you home to pack. You’re staying at a secure location. Don’t fight it, Sabine. We need you to stay alive.”
I thought about arguing, but the memory of the wall of emergency vehicles downstairs shut my mouth. I nodded once, letting the fight drain out of me.
The tall blond woman, Kara, picked up my bag from the floor and held it open. “Pack up. We leave in five.”
My laptop went in first, followed by the charger and two spiral notebooks. I slipped three large binders of research and notes next to the laptop. The bag sagged under the weight, the straps creaking in her hands. She shifted it to her shoulder, and I caught the dark line of a holster strap.
“You need all of this?” she asked, nodding at my desk.
“Not all of it, but some,” I said, sliding my pen case into my leather purse.
The other woman was beside me. She picked up one of my old reporter’s pads. “You keep these?”
I grabbed it back, my fingers brushing hers. “Eleanor, right? Yeah, I collect them.”
She gave me a long look, like she was weighing whether my nerve was worth the trouble, before giving a single nod.
I crammed the shorthand pads into my purse and zipped it shut with difficulty. Kara’s eyes tracked every movement, her jaw set like she was already thinking three steps ahead.
I swung the strap over my shoulder. “Ready.”
She stepped toward the aisle, a silent cue for me to move. I stayed where I was a moment longer, watching her.
“You planning on herding me all the way to the car?” I asked.
“If that’s what it takes.” Her eyes swept the room again before landing back on me. “The Bellantes don’t send warnings for show. You’re already on their list.”
“That list probably has politicians, cops, maybe a few judges. I’m a reporter. They can’t just make me disappear without people noticing.”
“They can make you wish they had,” she said. Her tone was flat, like she’d seen it done.
Eleanor shifted her stance beside us. “They’ve ruined people without ever touching them. You don’t have to be in the same room for them to take you apart.”
I met her gaze, expecting to find the same hard edge Kara wore. Instead, her expression was steady, almost calm, but it carried the same weight.
“Sounds dramatic,” I said, though my voice didn’t land as sharp as I meant it to.
Kara tilted her head toward the exit. “Let’s move.”
She took point as we crossed the bullpen, moving at a pace that was fast enough to make me feel like I was trailing behind. Eleanor stayed close atmy back, her footfalls quiet against the low hum of conversation and ringing phones.
Mark stepped out of his office as we neared, and I paused.
“Be safe, Sabine. Listen to them. Do what they say.”
I rolled my eyes, but let him wrap his arms around me in a hug that felt more like a goodbye than I was comfortable acknowledging.
“I’ll be back at work before you know it.” I kissed his cheek.
“You better be. It’s going to be quiet around here without you giving me shit ten times a day.”
I forced a smile as I walked away.
