34.
May 22nd
Washington DC Airport.
Stiffly, Diana grabbed her passport that was in the name of Nikki SinClair and let Wandell complain a few people behind her about having his bag searched.
They were almost home.
They were so close.
After a just utterly relaxing stay in London in the hospital and then to New York, Diana had one last connecting flight and then she would see her husband, her father, and be on a mandatory three week paid vacation. One of those weeks she was pretty sure she would be sleeping.
She grabbed her bag from the X-ray machine conveyer belt and ignored the screaming muscles in her back.
Ticket in hand, she spotted a Starbucks in sight.
"Thank you Jesus," she muttered.
And having an hour till her flight to Raleigh she was going to need a major caffeine buzz. A big one. Sure, it'd be better to drink water or juice after what she'd just been through, but, she needed that buzz.
As she crossed the busy airport in the nations capital and headed toward the coffee joint someone called her name.
"Diana! Diana Gibson!"
It took every single ounce of willpower not to turn and to keep on walking. Not to mention the training she had. With the passport in her hand naming her as someone else.
Determined she headed for coffee world, but no longer needing the buzz.
The voice was closer, "Diana Gibson?"
She was almost to the coffee place when a hand fell on her arm. Diana whipped around, her mind working a million miles an hour. She faked a look of confusion and looked over two men both in suits.
They screamed Federal Agents to her.
"Diana Gibson?"
Nikki SinClair she remembered, the passport in her pocket labeled her as a French Citizen on a work visa in Tampa Florida. A nanny. It was one of the several passports she had whilst working for her contracting company.
Confused she shook her head.
Spotting Wandell exit security and hide in the crowd, he had spotted her. She was slightly relieved.
"What's your name?"
She perfectly faked confusion, "Je suis désolé, je ne vous comprends pas."
The men shared a look.
The older one with glasses and grey hair asked, "Do you have any id?"
Diana cocked her head.
He took out his badge, a federal badge, and pointed to his id next to the badge. To which she nodded and pulled out her passport. Handing it to them, "Identification! Oui."
The younger agent with a shaved head and football players build took it, looked it over and asked, "Do you speak any English Miss. SinClair?"
Diana made a face of disgust, "Anglais! Non, une telle langue vulgaire."
After a look, the older agent again flashed his badge, "Ma'am you'll have to come with us for some questioning and to confirm your identity."
Diana pointed to the Starbucks.
"Je suis l'officier désolé. J'ai besoin du café. Je vous souhaite la chance dans votre investigation pour Diana."
For the first time a bubble of fear filled her. She couldn't be caught with a passport in another name while her prints matched up to her. Not only would she be in trouble for that, her active field status would be blown and that would be the end of that job. She needed to get away.
A plan was forming.
With a glance at Wandell she grabbed her passport back and screamed in French, "Partir! Je n'ai fait trompe rien!"
From across the way Wandell pulled the fire alarm as he walked by, hidden by the crowd.
In that initial moment of shock when both men turned she bolted, she ran into the crowd like her life depended on it. As were the other people in the crowd as the fire alarm went off.
An hour later…
Diana had two calls to make on the bus she was seated on to Raleigh.
She had already called Hoot to tell him she had missed her plane, and when her bus would arrive.
From the back of the near empty bus she then called her office.
"This is Diana Gibson, four four five seven nine eight two three twelve, I just had a code blue," she whispered into her cell phone.
The lady on the other end replied, "Confirmed. I'm putting you through to Aristotle, hold please."
While lovely music from Beethoven played Diana watched the countryside of Virginia roll by. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and tried hard not to fall asleep. But she really needed to know what kind of trouble she was it.
Wandell was on his way home via bus too.
On his way to Minnesota.
When Aristotle's voice came over the line a sense of relief filled Diana. "Diana, what has happened? Tell me everything."
hours later…
Diana stepped off the bus and spotted her husband almost immediately. He was waiting for her just like he said he would be when she called him an hour ago. When she called to let him know she'd be to Raleigh in an hour.
And when she let him know that the Georgia Police and GBI were looking for her because her fingerprints had been found on a bag that held the bloody clothing of a missing Jordanian national.
She was a Person of Interest.
Utterly exhausted she stepped off the bus and into Hoot's waiting embrace. He wrapped his strong arms around her and held her close. He kissed her temple and cheek and finally her lips. Then whispered against her forehead that he loved her with all his heart.