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Hackles raised, Avril snorted in disgust. “I’m not a drug dealer or criminal ratting on a member of his gang. I’m a federal agent who gave two years of my life to bring down a billion-dollar drug syndicate and child-s
muggling racket.” She dug one finger into the table. “I don’t want to go into witness protection but if I have no choice, then I’m going somewhere I like, that’s for sure.”
“We have a few places that might suit you.” The man wearing the badge sounded like a car salesman. “Small towns, where you could get by working in a truck stop or in one of the restaurants. The idea is to keep a low profile and not draw attention to yourself.” He went on, describing a list of mundane, boring examples of a new life.
Wanting to roll her eyes, Avril listened but shook her head. Nothing he had said convinced her to accept his offer. “I’m not hiding. I want a life. I’m owed a life for what I’ve suffered over the last two years. I’m a trained law enforcement officer. I’m sure as hell not waiting tables. I did that working through college and I worked my butt off to make the grade. I obviously need to be able to protect myself, so I want to at least live in a place where I can legally carry a weapon.”
“That’s not possible.” He clasped his hands on the table in front of him and raised both eyebrows. “What you’re suggesting would take extensive plastic surgery—a complete makeover. I’d need to get permission from way above my paygrade to authorize that, Agent Parker.”
Avril shrugged and leaned back in her chair. “I’ve all the time in the world.” She met his gaze. “The media will have a field day if one of Viktor Carlos’s men takes me down. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to change my appearance, but I’m not cowering from that monster for the rest of my life. Either I’ll find work in law enforcement or work toward being elected as a city counselor, whatever. I’m planning on making a noise about spousal abuse. No woman should have to go through what I did and so many people just don’t want to get involved. I’m going to change that attitude if it’s the last thing I do.”
“That’s very brave of you and it will be a tough path to follow. Now, if you’ll go with my men outside, there’s a breakroom just down the hall.” He stood and waved her toward the door. “I’ll make a few calls and see what I can do.”
It was then Avril discovered that US Marshals didn’t have a whole lot to say. They directed her to the room and left her to use the coffee machine, help herself to a few wrapped cookies, and spend time in the bathroom. In contrast to the courthouse, this room was stark, cold, and only the smell of coffee lingered. Goosebumps prickled on her arms as she sat for over an hour staring at the bare walls, her mind racing with the implications of being in witness protection. All the while, the two men standing outside the door remained motionless. No one was getting near her. She pondered a future outside the DEA. Being an only child, she’d been lonely, and then when fate had handed her the final blow by taking her parents, joining the FBI had been her only solace. It had been her life. All the friends she’d made had become a surrogate family. The idea of being completely alone concerned her. Being part of a team had been her life for so long. It was like being cast out without one soul to go to for advice or even to visit. She envisioned a lonely existence because, in truth, she’d never be able to trust anyone again. The abuse she suffered under Michael’s hands had scarred her. Being powerless to fight back, had given her a very up-front and personal insight to spousal abuse. One thing was for sure: She’d never allow a man to strike her again. She’d fight back and scream her protests to the powers that be to stop it from happening to others. Trying not to wallow in self-pity, she looked at the positives. At least she’d taken down the kingpin of a drug-manufacturing cartel and saved millions of lives by stopping the poison from getting to the streets.
Eventually, the word came for her to return to the small office. She sat down and waited for the man across the desk to speak. After he said nothing but just stared at his computer screen, she cleared her throat. “Have you come up with a solution?”
The man turned to face her and raised his gray eyebrows. He shrugged. “I can’t guarantee this will work and I must stress that once you accept the placement, you’ll be on your own. Any interference from us will bring attention to you. The arms of the cartel are endless. It was a family business and you can be assured Viktor Carlos will always have someone out there willing to serve their own type of justice. A vendetta is for life and you should be aware you’ve placed yourself in a very dangerous position.”
Trying to keep her cool, Avril stared at him in disbelief. “The DEA placed me in this position. I was doing my job and now you’re saying I’m the one on death row. Give me a break. Is this the thanks I get for my service?”
“The powers that be will be watching over you, but at a distance.” He leaned forward a little as if sharing a confidence. “I’m not ruling out that assistance may be supplied in the future, perhaps someone in the same situation as you, but it will be up to you initially to create a new life for yourself. We figure changing you enough so you can hide in plain sight would give you the best opportunity to work in your chosen field… as in law enforcement, but at a different level.”
The tension in Avril’s jaw relaxed a little. “Go on.”
“You’re owed a debt of gratitude—there’s no disputing that—but the only place I can suggest is a backwoods town in Montana. A place by the name of Black Rock Falls.” He turned around his screen to display a picturesque town with a backdrop of mountains and pine trees. Blue sky stretched out forever. It looked like heaven. He raised both eyebrows. “The sheriff died recently and the town is being run by an acting sheriff, but he’s old and the townsfolk will be electing someone more suitable. But so far there are no candidates. The council elections are next November. That would give us time to change your appearance and set up a cover story as a cop who needs a break from city life. You’re smart and resourceful. If you get the townsfolk behind you, you might get elected. Worse case, if you lose the election, they’ll employ you as a deputy. From there, you would have a chance to put yourself forward in the elections, but that’s a wait if you don’t make it the first time.” He gave her a long look. “It’s a start, but it’s up to you. Do you figure you can make it work?”
Avril stared at him in disbelief. “You honestly believe they’d accept a woman as sheriff? You’re crazy.”
“Things are changing. Women have loud voices and you’ll be going there as an experienced big-city cop. That goes a long way in a small town. We’ll give you creds as a gold-shield detective. That will gain you a ton of respect.” He smiled at her. “It’s a pretty place. Low crime rate and big open spaces. Blue skies that stretch forever and a growing community. It will be the last place the cartel will look for you. You’ll have the chance for a normal life. We’ll make sure you know everything about the town and its laws. You’ll slide in like a local. What do you say?”
Thinking of the ten million she’d stashed in an offshore account waiting for her, she nodded. That sort of money could keep her comfortable for life. As they couldn’t change her DNA, fingerprints, or eyes, she’d always be under constant threat of discovery. But who would look for her out of Black Rock Falls? She met his gaze. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
Ten
The US Marshals had taken Avril to a secure facility and hadn’t given her location. She had no phone or connection with the outside world apart from a US Marshal, a doctor, and a couple of nurses who refused to talk about anything but the weather. She’d undergone extensive facial reconstruction and surgeries to change her body shape, including breast implants. Not the huge ones, just enough to take her from flat chested to what she’d consider normal. She let out a cheer when at last they gave her the luxury of a TV.
The constant flow of nurses moving in and out of the room drove her crazy. All she wanted to do was to relax and watch the news. It was the only respite from the long days holed up in the same room. She’d had no contact with the US Marshals about the plans for her future. She picked up the TV remote and watched the familiar anchorman talk about politics. Then without warning an image of her flashed on the screen followed by a burned-out shell of a boat. Her world tilted sideways as the
newsreader’s voice slammed into her.
“Avril Parker, the DEA agent responsible for the arrest and prosecution of underworld kingpin Viktor Carlos was found dead after the speedboat she was traveling in caught fire and exploded…”
The rest of his words became a jumbled mess of nonsense. Shocked into disbelief, she gaped at the screen trembling. In a few seconds, her life had been snatched away from her and just as quickly she’d be forgotten.
Why hadn’t anyone explained this to her? The shock sent the hospital monitors into overdrive. Nurses came running and moments later she sunk into a drug-induced sleep.
Now legally dead, she hung in limbo for three long days before the US Marshal arrived to explain.
“It was the best thing to do.” The US Marshal shrugged. “The cartel might buy it. They might not, but it will give you the best chance of survival.”
Avril looked up at him from her hospital bed. “So, who am I now?”
“We’ve chosen the name Jenna Alton.” He gave her a satisfied smile. “It was discussed at length and was the most popular choice.”
Unconvinced, Avril stared at him. “Jenna Alton? I don’t look like a Jenna.” She wrinkled her nose and gasped at the sudden wave of pain from her surgery. For heaven’s sake, she had no sense of smell and hadn’t been able to breathe properly for over a week. “Can’t I have something else? Say, something closer to my real name. What about April?”
“No, that’s the name we’ve chosen for you. The paperwork is already underway. When the bandages come off and you dye your hair black, the name will suit you. That’s your name from today, so get used to it, Jenna.” He sighed. “It fits well in Montana. How are you going with studying the local laws and customs?”
