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Stand your ground, stay strong. Don’t let them see that you are petrified on the inside.
He can’t get you here. You must do this, otherwise no one else will stand up to stop him.
“I won’t say a word until you put it on the record that you will protect me.”
“Okay, we will protect you,” the female detective across from me just blurts out without any meaning behind it.
“Do you think I’m stupid? You need to agree to put me under witness protection until he has been charged and the court case puts him away for a very long time. I want the whole package deal, otherwise nothing I know is leaving my lips.”Please, can you just help me? I need to get out of here. Once he finds out I have gone to the FBI then there is no turning back. He will arrange for me to be hurt, disappear, or even worse, killed.
“Until we find out what you know, how can we promise that? You might have nothing we need,” the bitch in the chair opposite me replies.
“Fine, then I’ll just take it straight to the media. I’m sure they will want to know all the information that I have on my partner, Senator Jason Condell. Especially the part where I tell them that the FBI didn’t want to help me and had no interest in what I have for them.”
What the hell is going on here? I thought this agency was supposed to be here to help keep this country safe. Instead, they are interrogating the innocent woman who is trying to bring what is going on to their attention.
“If I had a dollar for every scorned woman who turns up here after breaking up with a high-profile person with some supposedly useful information, then I wouldn’t still be working in this overworked, underpaid job.”
Oh my God, what is this woman’s problem?
I think I’ve made a huge mistake. I need to get out of here. I just need to run on my own. Take what I have in cash, which is all my life savings, and disappear. Surely, I can find somewhere far away to start over. It’s not like I have anyone here waiting for me.
My mind is racing and my stomach churning so much I feel like I’m on the verge of throwing up.
I jump as the door bursts open and a very serious-looking man storms in, slapping a folder down on the desk in front of the agent who has been the devil in disguise. I have no idea what it is, but it looks thick.
“Dismissed, Agent Cole.”
The shocked look on her face says it all. This guy is some big deal. “Sorry, sir, I don’t understand,” she says, standing up to look at him face to face.
“That’s the problem, isn’t it. I will speak to you in my office later. You can leave now.” The way his eyes are, there is no way you would want to argue with him.
“Yes, sir.” Picking up her phone and leather portfolio folder, she doesn’t even give me another look as she exits the room.
I’m so confused, but I must say, I'm not disappointed she’s gone.
Although something tells me this just got very real. The blinds on the room are drawn, and the man proceeds to turn off the recording device and the microphone that allowed what is being said in this room to be heard from outside. I’m not sure that's a good thing, but I suppose it will remain to be seen.
The other agent, who had been in the room all along but spent most of his time messaging on his phone, finally steps forward.
“I’m terribly sorry about that, Miss Templeton. This here is Senior Special Agent Lester. He would like to talk to you and discuss the information you have.”
It’s like the whole tone of the room has changed, and I can’t gauge what is happening.
“Okay,” is all I manage to get out as I try to watch the body language of Agent Lester. He is looking me up and down, and it feels intimidating to say the least.
“Leah, my name is Tom. Is it okay if I call you Leah?” His tone is totally changed from the first time he spoke after bursting into the room.
“Um, okay, yeah.” My brain is spinning with so many thoughts and the constant change of what is happening.
“Thank you, and as Paul just said, we are sorry about Agent Cole. She didn’t realize who you were. So, let’s start again. You have some information that you feel may be of interest to us, and in return, you would like to be protected because you feel your life will be in danger. Is that correct?”
“There is no feeling about it. The moment I stepped into this building I signed a death warrant. So, I need to know I’m going to be protected. I can assure you, this is more than some woman trying to get social media fame. Otherwise, I would have done that straight up. I packed a bag with my essentials, closed my bank accounts, and threw away my phone. Took a bus, then a train, and a taxi, all paid for with cash to get here. So, I would say that gives you some sort of indication of what information I have to share, wouldn’t you agree?” Finally finding my strength again, the anger that I’ve been feeling for days, knowing I’m about to give up my life because of him, is resurfacing now.
“Yes, I would. I can’t say much, but all I can tell you is I have already started the process of getting you placed into emergency protection tonight, and you will be transported to a safe house under our WITSEC program. We believe you may be of great help in an ongoing investigation that has already begun.” These guys are good at not giving away a single emotion on their faces.
“Shit. Then you know.” My voice trembles a bit from sheer relief that finally someone is going to believe me, and maybe, just maybe I’m going to make it out of all this alive, and Jason will pay for the terrible things he has done.
“Oh, I know plenty, but I need you to start from the beginning and tell me what you know. Don’t rush, take your time, and don’t leave any parts out. We are here to help you, Leah.”
