Chapter One: Danger

Dawn was working at her local library shelving books. It was almost closing time and had been a slow night, the one night they were opened late usually was. There were only two men in the whole building and they were talking quietly at a small table in the far corner of the room. This was usually against the rules but since no one else was there Dawn had let it slip. There were usually two people on for the late night shift for safety reasons but since things were slow and Mrs. Smith couldn't see well after dark Dawn had let her go home early saying that she could handle things. Dawn shelved the last book and went around shutting down computer terminals and other equipment for the night. She also started putting the chairs up so the cleaning crew could vacuum in the morning. She worked her here way across the room leaving the corner where the men were talking for last. As she approached the last few tables one of the men got up and walked over to her.

"What do you want?" he asked, putting his hand in his pockets.

"I just came to tell you that it is closing time and I have to lock up now," Dawn responded.

"Just give us a few minutes and we'll be on our way," He commented. "I'll even get the rest of these chairs for you."

Having nothing else to do until the two men left Dawn went to the desk and started straightening it up and gathering her things to go home. A few minutes later the men passed by the desk on their way out the door. One of the men stopped and glared right at her.

"By the way, we don't appreciate anybody discussin' our stuff behind our backs if you catch my drift." He stated menacingly as he followed his friend out of the door.

As soon as the men left Dawn locked the door behind them and went back to gathering her things together. Just as she bent down to pick up her bag she heard a knock at the door and almost jumped out of her skin. Turning around she laughed as she saw her best friend and neighbor Amanda Rogers, who owned the pet store down the street.

"What are you doing, trying to give me a heart attack," Dawn hollered as she let Amanda in the door.

"Mrs. Smith stopped by on her way home, she was nervous about you closing up by yourself and I told her I would walk home with you." Amanda responded.

"Well I am glad you stopped the last couple of guys that just left were a little creepy."

Dawn proceeded to tell her friend what she had over heard and everything else that had happened with the two strange gentlemen, finishing with their threat on the way out the door.

"You should go to the police" Amanda stated panicked "you could really be in danger."

"All they will do is tell me they can't do anything 'because it is my word against theirs, I don't even have names or anything."

By this point the two women had reached the building where they lived. They stopped talking as they passed the security guard in the lobby. Once in the elevator they continued their conversation.

"You could be right but be careful and I am walking you home every night for a while Mrs. Smith or no Mrs. Smith." Amanda responded.

A couple of days later the two girls were having a girls night in and just hanging out cooking dinner and watching movies. In between movies Amanda got up to make some more popcorn and Dawn began to set up the next movie. As she put in the DVD she noticed the time on the clock.

"Hey Amanda, do you mind if I catch the news real quick before the next movie." Dawn hollered from the den to the kitchen.

"Sure not a problem," was the response "that will give me a chance to do these dishes."

Dawn changed the channel to the local news station. On the screen was the picture of a middle-aged man in a suit. The image then shifted to a video clip of police and rescue workers pulling a body out of the water.

"Oh my Gosh, Amanda get in here" Dawn called

"What is it", the other girl asked, as she rushed in from the other room.

" On the news they just found a body at the same place those guys at the library said the were going to go and "take care of business"," Dawn exclaimed making the gesture for quotation marks with her hands as she said the last part. "I should go to the police and tell them what I know."

"You don't have any names or anything," Amanda pointed out. "You yourself said they were probably trying to scare you. This could just be some weird coincidence."

"I could look at mug shots or talk to a sketch artist maybe or even participate in a line-up," Dawn argued, "then at least I will know I did something."

"Okay first of all no more crime shows for you," Amanda stated getting serious. "Second thing are you forgetting something. Hello, threats made at you if you talk, ring any bells."

"But if I don't go they might never get the right guys." Dawn continued stubbornly.

"Fine I will go with you but only because I know that once you have an idea in your head there is no changing your mind," Amanda stated defeated.

The two girls finished there evening and went their prospective ways promising to meet in the lobby the next day to go to the police station.

The next day Dawn and Amanda walked into the police station and asked the receptionist whom they should talk to about the murder they had seen on the news. The receptionist called Detective Sargent out to meet them. After leading the girls to a conference room and hearing their story the Detective had Dawn write out a statement. Then he gave the girls his card telling them to call him if anything else came to mind or if they saw the men again.

A couple of days later Dawn received a suspicious package in the mail. Not noticing a return address she quickly called first Amanda and then Detective Sargent. Detective Sargent arrived not long after Amanda and brought with him Officer Boom from the bomb squad just in case. They brought the package to a safe location where Officer Boom looked it over and then went about opening the package. He brought the opened package to the detective who then showed it to the girls. The box was lined with newspaper and contained a dead rat with a typed note pinned to it. The note said: Maybe next time you will listen to what we have to say. The note was unsigned.

Dawn and Amanda looked at each other and then at the two police officers there expressions clearly read, "Okay what are you going to do now".

The two girls were placed in protective custody until the trial and then due to the nature of the criminals it was suggested that the department help the girls start over in a new location. In other terms they were given new lives curtosy of the witness protection program. Amanda was able to find homes for the animals in her shop surprisingly fast and she and Dawn were introduced to an agent who would be helping them set up their new Identities. Due to the nature of his work he requested that they only refer to him as Agent "Q". Agent "Q" assured the girls that he would be taking them someplace where no one would think to look for them. He said this mainly for Dawn's sake winking at Amanda as he spoke.