Safe and Sound
1. Two Months Dark

Authoress Note: I got this idea while working on Breathe and catching up on the current season of Covert Affairs. What if Annie had listened to Auggie when he begged her to come back to him? What would have happened? Well this is my idea of what would have, or could have, been if she had listened to his plea. I have twenty-two chapters planned so far and that is only the first part; I'm guessing this will roughly be thirty-five chapters before I swap to the sequel but we'll see.

This entire fan fiction is dedicated to Marie King for encouraging me through Breathe. At the time of completion it was my longest fan fiction to date had 9 followers; 4 favorites and 5 reviews.

Thank you for encouraging me when no one else would Marie and I hope you enjoy Safe and Sound.

Disclaimer: I do not own Covert Affairs.

Annie Walker had been dead for almost two months now. Declared a rouge agent of the CIA her superior Calder had gunned her down in cold blood; of course it was after she had tried to kill him first but rouge agents weren't allowed within the CIA and everyone knew that.

It had been almost two months since Jessica Matthews started on a journey across the world looking for the information she needed to bring down Henry Wilcox. She was currently somewhere in Spain; she'd only been there a few hours and she needed to find somewhere to sleep for the night if she didn't want to sleep in the cold; for it being the end of February it wasn't warming up much. It took Jessica a few hours to find a town where she could blend in; even with her hair dyed a darker color. She was able to secure a room for cash with no questions and a hot meal before she began scouting out the town she was in. It wasn't where she needed to be by any means but, the body had to have sleep at some point before it shut down. She allowed herself a bath before putting on the one clean pair of clothes she had left; sleeping in clothes meant a quicker escape if it came down to it.

Sleep was hard to come by most nights as she listened to the sounds of people moving out and about in the towns which had made her start napping during the early morning hours and traveling in the late afternoon and at night. Buses seemed to run at all hours of the day and no one was alert enough to question a young woman traveling alone in Spain at that time of night. When she woke up six hours later she felt more rested than she had in weeks; a quick look out her window told her she had a few hours until the sun set which gave her plenty of time to get to the next town by sun rise. From there she would use her alias and take a flight to Russia and then onto Mongolia and from there take a bus to Hong Kong. She would be on the road for a week because of taking a bus but it was the safest way. Mongolia and Hong Kong didn't track their people that traveled by bus as strictly as they did their air travel and there wasn't a direct route from Mongolia to Hong Kong she would have to change buses at least once if not twice.

She still had close to two thousand in cash but that wasn't a lot. She thought maybe once she got to Mongolia she could lay low and pick up a job as a waitress for a few weeks to up her cash flow if she could find a slum priced low enough to not eat the money she was making. She tried to sleep on the bus ride but a certain techie kept entering her mind every time she drifted off. She had gotten so used to his voice being in her ear that she heard him even when he was thousands of miles away.

Since Annie Walker's death over two months go Auggie Anderson had played the part of a grieving friend. He had made the call to Danielle and Michael and it broke his heart to hear such a blood curling scream come out of the once very soft spoke Danielle. He had come into work every day and seemed to live off coffee; the bags under his eyes evidence enough that the Head of Tech Ops was getting nowhere near enough sleep. He kept replaying the last conversation he truly remembered having with Annie.

There are things I need to say to you….important things….

That one line recorded on the CIA database for forever more haunted him in his sleep; even though she was alive she was no longer accessible to him and that broke his heart even more. The fact he hadn't held her in two months made his bed seem too large and his apartment seem too empty without her laughter echoing off the walls. Even Mingus didn't seem to do much expect drive him into a deeper depression; he had no way to keep track of the woman he told he would always be in her ear. It was a broken promise; something that didn't sit well with August Anderson. When Joan made her way into his office the heaviness of her steps told Auggie something was wrong.

"You need to take some time off Auggie. You need time to grieve. I talked to Arthur. You are taking a month's vacation whether you want to or not. You are also joining Arthur and I for dinner tonight. I'm making Chicken Parmesan. Dinner's at five and your vacation starts tomorrow."

Auggie had never taken his head phones off but Joan knew he had heard every word he was told by the clenching of his jaw; he was using work to escape the pain of an empty apartment and she knew that; which explained why she was banning him from the DPD. It did however give him time to focus on helping Annie as much as he could off the books.

When he asked his driver to drop him off at Joan and Arthur Campbell's house he could practically feel the man raise an eyebrow but he was paid well enough to know not to ask questions. He knew when Joan requested him for dinner that it was anything but a request; but he also knew if he didn't show up they would more than likely show up at his apartment and he hadn't let anyone in since Annie had last been there and it wasn't the prettiest of places at the moment. He didn't need his boss to force him to take any more time off than she already was.

Auggie was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed the car had stopped moving until his driver spoke to him. Auggie just shook his head and exited the car; grateful when Joan met him halfway to the walkway and started to guide him.

"I'm so glad you came Auggie. There are some things Arthur and I needed to talk to you about that aren't safe to talk about at work; I'm sure you understand." She said barley above a whisper as they made it into the house and Joan sat him down at the bar in the kitchen, handing him a beer from the fridge before sitting down across from him.

"So I'm sure you're wondering the real reason I'm making you take a month off." Joan said, waiting for Auggie to nod before she continued.

"When you leave tomorrow you will use your credit card to purchase a ticket to Glencoe, Illinois. From there you will pay cash for a ticket to Tampa, Florida. At Tampa a man with a private air plane will be waiting for you. He will take you to an unknown island off the coast of the US. While you are crossing an identical plane will crash into the ocean. They will look for you for a week and then pronounce you dead. There are maybe a grand total of thirty people living on the island you are heading too. A man I know as Jacob will meet you once you land. Arthur and I have a cabin there in my deceased sister's name. It is fully paid for and we pay Jacob and his wife Sarah to maintain the cabin, animals and gardens. Jacob and Sarah will help you prepare for winter. It's a lot of work from what they've told us as we're usually never there in the winter but Sarah and Jacob will get you prepared. Maintain darkness for at least five years. I know it's a long time and I can't guarantee that you can come back within five years."

Joan stopped speaking, taking a sip of her glass of wine before continuing.

"Is she worth it Auggie?" she asked, finally. She knew she was asking the man a lot if he wasn't willing to give up his comfortable life for Annie.

The raw emotion that he allowed to cloud his face gave her the answer she needed.

"She'll always be worth it Joan. Will we have power?" he asked, thinking about the technology he was used to working with.

"Somewhat you'll have power before winter hits; once winter hits you're out of luck until almost the middle of March. When you get to Tampa someone is going to pic-pocket your ID and your cell phone; let them. They need to be in the plane when it goes down. The CIA will seize all your assets and cash; give it six months to liquidate and then the entirety will show up; save it in case your location is ever compromised. You won't need much cash where you're headed. You'll grow most of your own food and hunt for food or barter usually. Jacob and Sarah will get you set up on what needs to be done before winter and explain the rest. You need to go home; pack a bag with enough clothes for two weeks. Oh, don't worry about your records by the way. There will be a hand-crank record player there so they will be shipped in about two weeks along with any of Annie's."

Joan knew her two agents well enough to know that they loved their music and she wouldn't force them to an unknown location for years without it. That would just be too cruel. She laughed at her own thoughts before continuing.

"I'm guessing a week's worth of summer clothes and then a week's worth of winter?" Auggie asked, she had mentioned 'what needed to be done before winter' so that meant it would be hard winters for them.

"Yes, I know you have some of Annie's clothes. You may want to grab some for her. She's been in the same two outfits for weeks now." Joan said, letting Auggie know that she was at least somewhat physically ok, which felt like half his burden was lifted off his shoulders. " The first thing that needs to be done when you get there is to take inventory of what is already there and see what needs to be done before winter. The second thing will be to build furniture. There isn't much. A modern day stove and refrigerator but they'll do you no good once the second week of November hits. There is a room that is full of bookcases but I'm not sure what Arthur and I have there and then the animals and the garden. Like I said Jacob and Sarah will help you set up for winter. How soon can you pack a bag?" Joan asked, glancing at her watch before looking at her phone for the second time in two minutes.

"Ten minutes once I get home why?" he asked, downing the last of his beer.

"A seat just opened up for a flight to Glencoe tonight if you want to get a head start." Joan said, smiling at man that had walked into her home so broken. The grin that lite up his face told her his answer.

"Eat first. It doesn't leave until eight. You have time to eat and then for me to get you home and packed." She said, as Arthur finally joined them from upstairs.

"Hey Auggie; I take it Joan has explained your options to you?" he asked, giving the man a slight pat on the back, which he was expecting.

"Yes sir. I leave tonight." He said, as he listened to his boss, no friend, plate his dinner.

"Good. I just emailed a few friends. They'll be meeting Jacob with a new supply truck about the time Annie gets in and speaking of Annie about the time you get on your plane tonight a drop will be made for her with the name 'Catherine Anderson'. I hope I wasn't too presumptuous?" Arthur asked, looking in Auggie's direction to gauge his reaction. The soft look followed by the grin that lit up his face told him he wasn't. "You'll get supply trucks twice a year. Once right before you are snowed in for the winter, which could be anywhere from the second week of October to the second week of November, and once a few weeks after the final snow melts, which is usually in mid-to late March. There will be your basic supplies you need to can foods, etc. but books and notebooks will be sent each time as well. If you have any reading requests write them down as you think of them and give them the list when they come for your supply list. You won't have time for reading until you are stuck for the winter but you'll be snowed in for almost five months of the year so it helps to be prepared. If you read a book a day that'd put you at 150 books a year. Jacob and Sarah will run your supply trucks and help you get prepared for the winter; they are closer into town so if they aren't prepared they can go and buy things. You won't have that luxury. Over-prepare by any means. What you don't use this year you'll use next year. "

Arthur stopped to fix his plate before he returned to the bar, taking the seat across from Auggie.

"You'll have enough medicine in the first truck to last you a year and Sarah will teach Annie enough herbal remedies to get you guys by without a doctor. It will be tough but people have lived like this for hundreds of years…is she worth it Auggie?" he asked, asking the same question his wife had earlier.

"She will always be worth it." Was his only reply as he finished the last decent meal he'd probably eat in a week.

"Good. Then Joan will take you home. Run him by an ATM before you do. You can pull $8,000 out without throwing up any red-flags. Stu will make it look like you purchased a vintage autographed record for that amount to cover the withdrawal and rewired your bank account to allow you to withdraw that much from the account."

The fact Stu was in his bank account didn't sit well with Auggie but he knew he would need the cash when they got there. In an uncharacteristic Auggie move he pulled Arthur into a hug, whispering a 'thank you ' in his ear before following Joan to her car.

When they pulled into the bank he gave Joan his card and his pin; knowing she would need the information off of it to have the CIA 'seize' all his assets. When she turned around and pulled another $8,000 out of her own account and handed it to him he knew they truly had someone in their corner when no one else was.

Joan was kind enough to help Auggie pack, to cut down on his packing time as he packed his own things and she grabbed a bag for Annie.

"Your furniture will be sold but I plan on doing a sweep before the true sweep and gathering any pictures and whatnots and storing them at my house." She said, as she noticed his hands grazed over a picture of Annie that was on his nightstand.

"Thanks Joan; for everything." He replied. Soon enough they had left the apartment and true to his word used his debit card to pay for a ticket to Glencoe, Illinois, getting the last available seat on the flight. When it came time to board Joan pulled Auggie into a tight hug with a whispered 'take care of her', it would be the last time she saw him for at least five years.

Jessica was exhausted but she was glad she had finally made it to the airport. While she was waiting for her ticket someone bumped into her by accident. A woman with the same dark colored hair and close enough facial features that Annie wouldn't be surprised if it was her long lost twin.

"I apologize miss. I think you dropped this." She said, handing Jessica a think manila envelope. Jessica felt the woman pic-pocket her passport, ticket, and identification but the smile the strange woman gave her told her it was for a reason. "Miss Jean will be glad to know you're alright." Was all her twin said as she left Jessica and walked away towards her original flight. Jessica's eyes immediately lite up in recognition. Jean was a name she had heard Joan use on occasion. Saying it had the same number of letters and had three of the same letters that her birth name had. She managed to slip into the bathroom before opening up the thick envelope.

Inside was $10,000 in cash. A driver's license, birth certificate, and passport for one 'Catherine Anderson', one plane ticket to Crete, a cell phone and a note that read:

Once you reach Crete a man with a private jet will be waiting for you to take you the rest of the way. When you reach the island the jet takes you to; call the number in the phone a man or woman will answer; tell them your name and location and then destroy the phone

It wasn't signed but she knew who it was from and she knew that she could trust that it was a good set of identification. The 'Anderson' part told her Auggie probably had something to do with it. A glance at her ticket told her she had twenty minutes to make her flight; making it by the skin of her teeth.

The flight to Crete was shorter than she expected. It only took twelve hours from start to de-boarding the plane and since she only had the bag she had checked to carry on the flight it enabled her to head straight to the entrance.

A man holding a sign that said 'C.A.' was waiting for her in the lobby when she walked up to him he gave her a smile before they headed in a different direction in the airport lobby before finally re-boarding a two-seater air plane. Before they took off he told her to get some sleep. They had about a ten hour flight time and there was no point in trying to force mind to stay awake; so Catherine took his advice and did just that.

When Auggie finally made it to Florida he was exhausted but true to Joan's word, a man walked up to him and picked up his bag. Saying 'hello' before guiding Auggie out towards a small private jet, once inside the jet with the hatch fully latched his pilot turned to him.

"My name is Daniel. Joan told me to tell you that the first leg of Catherine's journey went well and she has started on her second leg as you are about to. We still have another eight hours but I assume you slept on the flight from Illinois?" the man asked, continuing when Auggie gave a verbal 'yes'. "Good. Then your seat is four steps to your right and this," the man paused, handing him a thick book "is the flight manifesto in braille. It's the first half of your supply shipment for the year. I'll be doing two more shipments this year because it will be your first year on the island. After that you are down to two shipments are year. Use this next year to track what you use the most and what you need to make it through the winter and we'll make next year's list based off of that. There are also a few crates of books on homesteading, animal cleaning and raising, food gardening and canning, things that you'll need to survive for the winter. Most books are in English and have a second copy in braille for you so you will be able to keep up with what Miss Catherine is learning. Jacob and Sarah will check it against what they ordered once we get it to the cabin and from there if anything was forgotten it will be shipped via cruise liner and left at their house this first year. After that what was forgotten was forgotten but Jacob and Sarah will explain more in detail what all needs to be done."

From there Daniel left Auggie alone as he started going through the braille version of the flight manifesto. It was thick and heavy and it would probably take him the full four hour flight to go through. Jacob was kind enough to show him where the coffee pot was, before fixing him an overly large travel size coffee mug and began his pre-flight check list.

As Auggie started on the manifesto he flipped to the very last page, whistling as the page number read '300.' From what Joan had told him the house was a two hour drive; how they expected to get all the supplies to the house was beyond him but Joan and Arthur both told him that Jacob and Sarah knew what they were doing so he would have to trust them.