Andy had to catch this train. Running from them now rushing through the station. How in hell had they found her?
Andy had been so careful. Must have seen her photo in the paper that she had told John her Editor not to print it but he had without her knowledge.
Damn it, her writing for The NY Mirror wasn't even noteworthy, no one read it. But the photo. Pulling her hoodie closer, concealing her face.
Paying her metro fare, Andy had thrown away her phone in the trash like she'd been taught once. Had her bag of a capabilities kit from her work locker that she'd put together once but never thought she'd need it, she couldn't risk returning to her apartment now.
Her belongings and everything else in her place didn't matter, Andy's life did. Had to leave all of it behind, later she could replace them. With a new identity. Another city or maybe a small town again. Starting over. NYC was supposed to be safe to hide in. A city of millions and they found her.
The Marshalls assured her that she would be safe in a big city. Was anywhere safe for her?
It was good she didn't have a pet. Andy was so tired of this.
Her hands still shook at what she'd done. Shaking it was kill or be killed. He was one of them. It had been self defense. Andy felt sick again and ducked into a public bathroom.
Washing off her hands with sprinkles of blood on them. His blood. Looking up at herself in the restroom mirror. Pale and still shaky from shock. Wiping a splatter of blood off her face.
Andy rummaged and found it, taking it out of her bag. Another thing to cut away.
Needed to do this. To stay alive, it had to be done. Cutting it off.
Rubbed inky polish into her shorter hair now, flushing the cuttings down the toilet. It was just hair it would grow back.
Andy tucked a NYU ball cap over her new shorn hair.
Andy's life since she was fifteen had been a lie. False. All of it. Except her first name. Always looking over her shoulder for them. Nate didn't even know this part of her. Her family photos of her parents were false they were really US Marshalls from Witness Protection. All of it was lies.
Fabricated to protect her.
Nate never knew her really. The real Andy. Couldn't tell him. Had to keep it a secret. Who she really was and what she'd witnessed years ago.
Andy exited the bathroom.
Walking in a crowd jamming onto the subway this busy lunch hour, Andy could feel them here, searching for her.
Andy pulled out a map and started to study the route as if she was a tourist, saw one surveillancing the crowd, trying to find and flush her out. Andy stood near a group of tourists as if part of them. He luckily didn't look at her. Talking into his mic, walking away from her.
Andy slouched with her hood pulled down and got on, going uptown,
She needed three things, a phone and somewhere to hide and a first aid kit. Holding her wound that seeped darkly staining her jacket and her palm as she got off at a stop she knew.
Andy desperately needing to contact her handler at Witness Security Program or WITSEC for instructions of where her next location and meeting point was.
The Maras Cartel had found and were hunting Andy Sachs.
Miranda was having an awful Wednesday afternoon, Lucia and Paul brought her monstrosities to feature in July's issue. Emily was doubling assisting this week for both her and for Nigel who was filling in, as of this evening Miranda made Nigel temporary acting Editor to Runway so Miranda could take a long deserved vacation with the twins. Runway would be missing their resident dragon lady for six weeks.
Most staff didn't know if a pre vacationing dragon was as dangerous as a stressed workaholic one.
Stephen would maybe join them next week in the Hamptons, Miranda was reluctant but Stephen recently had been hinting at possibly considering reconciling with her and not continue this separation. Conveniently forgetting it was idea in the first place.
Miranda honestly didn't know if she wanted Stephen to be back with her, part of her didn't want Stephen back in her life and her girls.
Emily was typing up Miranda's many meticulous instructions for Nigel as two men approached with badges. Held out to her. FBI.
''Good Afternoon. We'd like to see Miranda Priestly regarding an Andy Sachs.''
Emily Charlton and Serena knew one thing forbidden to say in earshot of their mercurial boss, nobody at Runway spoke of Andy Sachs. Ever. Especially saying her name in front of Miranda. Unless they wished and wanted to be fired immediately. It had been twelve weeks since Andy left Runway.
Emily gulped. Blimey the FBI what had Andy Sachs done.
Miranda had heard them regarding Andréa. Taking off her glasses.
''Emily. Show them in. Now.''
Both agents were shown into Miranda Priestly's office, Emily offered refreshments, both gentlemen declined her offer, sitting across from a striking white haired woman with blue eyes.
Ramon introduced himself stiffly as he shook Miranda's hand as she took his graciously as Miranda sat down.
''Has Ms Sachs been in contact with you today Ms Priestly?''
Miranda shook her head icily. Why would her greatest disappointment be in contact with her? Andréa had no reason to and wouldn't dare, not after Paris.
Miranda had last seen her sillily wave to her across the street.
Andy Sachs was just an assistant. Marginally competent and smart but all in all not a good fit for Runway. No Sachs was much too lofty in ideals and judgment to endure being near Miranda.
Yes Miranda did read Andy's writing in that rag paper The Mirror but only just to remind herself never to hire anyone remotely like Andréa again.
''No she has not. Agents. What is this all about?'' Miranda smoothly asked hiding her curiosity with an inscrutable ivory face as she took in both FBI Agents in front of her glass desk.
'' Do you Ms Priestly know the real Andy Sachs?''
Miranda's brow rose. Of course she knew Sachs sort of, she was from Ohio, was young and very naive and blindly insipid about right and wrong and also a quitter with a thin skin. Miranda also knew NY would eat her alive.
''Here let me acquaint you with her.'' Ramon produced a folder for her to see for herself.
Introducing Andy's former boss to her last assistant.
Miranda gripped the edge of her desk as she was shown more than she wished to know about Andy, flickering her disgusted blue eyes on each page of a full file dossier on Andy Sachs.
In Miranda's outraged opinion, Human Resources hadn't done a good security check. How in the world did HR not discover any of this about Andrea?
Agent Ramon supplied her. ''We sealed her records but we've been surveillancing Andy for a long time. She's been in and out of trouble for years. Her parents were drug traffickers.''
''No more.'' Miranda pushed the file away. She'd actually trusted Andy.
Andy had serious criminal ties. Miranda couldn't believe she let Andy near her children and in her house.
Sachs had a criminal record.
Ramon lied to Priestly that Andy was involved in many criminal activities since fifteen and she had fatally harmed a federal agent today being pursued to be brought into federal custody. Shown CCTV photos of Andy being chased downtown.
''Sachs escaped and is on the run.''
''If she was to come in contact with you or anyone here at Runway. Call me. This is my number. That is my direct line. Ms Priestly. As warning Andy Sachs is a very dangerous individual.''
Miranda took his card. Read it. Agent Ramon d y Machadiaz.
Both Agents left her. Miranda held the card still, Andréa was a criminal.
Miranda couldn't believe it. Andréa certainly fooled her with her fake wholesomeness.
Ramon calmly spoke on the phone ''No I have to see her boyfriend Nate.'' as he rode on an elevator down to the Elias Clarke lobby. The concha mujer with the blanca hair was a dead end and without a doubt, no friend of Andy Sachs, his target.
He hadn't seen little Andy in such a long time. It would simply be lovely to catch up and meet again with her.
A reunion of sorts, he was so looking forward to seeing Andy after so long and cut her flapping tongue out. Chismosa. He'd feed her tongue to his dogs what he should have done, the last time they met.
The real FBI Agent Ramon d y Machadiaz was dead. Killed by him and assuming his identity, Miranda Priestly had no idea who was in her office earlier.
The El Cortador Labios.
Touching his Santa Muerte necklace. Soon. Sachs you'll meet me. Death.
Miranda told Nigel all about Andy.
''Six? A criminal wanted by the FBI.'' Nigel shook his head in utter disbelief. Was this a joke?
Nigel sobered at Miranda's seriousness.
''Not Six. Miranda please Six wouldn't do any of that. She's a good person…remember when she brought in those specialty cookies on that holiday…she'd made them. Come on Andy baked for us and even gave some to the twins after you had Cara taste one. You said it was quaint.''
Nigel knew enough not to defend Andy to Miranda anymore. Dropping the subject of Six. Nigel knew many things and one of them was that Six wasn't a violent criminal.
Miranda numbly told both if Andy was seen that the FBI left a number to call.
All of them saw on Emily's Mac computer screen, breaking news a smiling picture of Andy. Local channel 7 reported that Andy Sachs was a person of interest.
Emily was still in shock. Andy seemed so harmless and well sort of dorky.
Cass saw Mom was late, they needed to be ready for tonight's car trip to their beach house for summer vacation, Mom was going to drive them in a rented station wagon not Roy it would just be the three of them, singing along to the radio. Cassidy had been busy, adding supplies they'd need.
Adding a jumbo bag of marshmallows for s'mores and a badminton kit and Frisbee and boogie boards. More things Cassidy had stuffed in her suitcase and Car's.
Patricia was coming also, Emily had picked up at the vet, Patricia's pills for the ride.
Letting Patricia who was barking at the kitchen door, out in the back garden, the dog bounded out after something in the dark. ''No. Patty. Come. '' Patricia always chased Mrs Van Leeuwen's cat. Caroline called the huge St Bernard back.
''Patricia not near Mom's roses.''
Saw something move outside, Cassidy nudged Caroline who also saw it. Someone was there, both saw them in the shadows of the manicured garden. An intruder.
Scared but bravely bluffing Caroline spoke to them.
''He-Hello. Who's there? We have 911 on hold. The police are on their way. So you better just leave us alone.'' Caroline's voice shook with fear, shaking with her sister next to her.
Cassidy began shining a flash light on them near the far wall with roses growing up it.
Both twins saw them slowly approaching.
Andy groaned in pain as she saw how much she'd frightened both redheads in front of her, pulling off a hood. Cassidy and Caroline knew her.
''Andy?''
It was her. Mom's last assistant. The same one who got them the unpublished Harry Potter book. Who actually use to talk to them every evening Andy brought The Book and Mom's dry cleaning. Andy was cool and she baked for them once even Emily tried one. Half of one.
Andy was clasping the wall so not to collapse down to her knees, hurt. Andy's normally warm cognac brown eyes were in pain and glassy.
''I need both of you to help me.'' Andy asked.
''Okay.''
Cassidy saw blood.
Both twins heard Mom's key in the door. ''Bobbseys I'm home.'' Miranda called as she armed the alarm.
Turning the corner into the kitchen, blue eyes colliding with Andy Sachs.