March 17, 1965

Rachel came over today. She just showed up on our front porch as I was making dinner, minutes after Elijah got home from work, and came in the second he opened the door for her.

"What's going on, Rach?"

"Well," she began. She stood very straight, arms folded, head tilted back just slightly so she could look her brother in the eye. "You know Steven, right? My boyfriend, the one who's an intern at the hospital?"

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "There any other boyfriends I should know about?"

"No, no, just the one. He told me an interesting story about a Klansman who was picked up by an ambulance, a bullet through his hand and another bullet hole in his robes. Somehow, his hood was missing. I thought of you."

"Sorry, I don't see how those two connect."

"You know damn well how they connect, Elijah!" She shook a finger at him, inches from his face. "You're the only one who could make those shots and get away unseen and you know it!"

He brushed her hand away. "No, I'm not. Last I checked, I wasn't the only man in Meridian who owned a rifle."

"No, but you're the only one dumb enough to use it that way."

"Dumb? You call saving a man's life dumb? That's what it is?"

"No, no, it's not dumb." He relaxed just a bit. "But it is crazy. You know what those lunatics would've done if they'd seen you?"

"Well, they didn't." He started to walk away, but Rachel grabbed his arm.

"But they could have. Taking his hood? Elijah, what were you thinking?"

"I needed to know who he is. Can't do that when he's wearing a hood."

"But the others-"

I stepped in. "The others had scattered, Rachel. I made sure of it."

She looked at me, then Elijah. "She's going with you, too? Elijah-"

"I volunteered."

"She did," he echoed. "And if Laurie hadn't been there, I wouldn't have taken his hood."

Rachel pulled away, staring at him as if still trying to process it all. "You can't be doing this."

"Can and am. Somebody's got to." He caught her hands and looked her in the eyes. "And it won't be forever. Once the department comes to its senses and I can do my job..." He snapped his fingers. "It'll be over. Just like that."

"You know that won't happen anytime soon."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

She pulled away again, and this time I caught her wrist. "You can't tell anyone."

Rachel just looked at me like I had bugs coming out of my ears.

"You know about it," Elijah said. "One is enough."

"Mom and Dad-"

"Can't know, and they can't hear it from you. Word can't get around."

She stared at us for a long minute. "You're not gonna stop, are you."

"We already said we wouldn't. Not now, anyway."

"We know what we're doing," I added softly.

Rachel watched us again, as though waiting for us to grab our rifles and head out right then. Then she yanked her hand away and stormed out the front door without a word.

The kitchen had fallen silent, so much that Laurie could hear a dishwasher gurgling away. The scene was frozen, as though Danny had imprisoned them all in ice: The ghosts, staring at Elijah; Laurie, holding the cell phone to her ear though Cynthia was long gone; and Elijah, watching them all with green eyes the size of saucers. Under the circumstances, there was only one course of action.

Laurie slipped the cell phone into her pocket and smiled past her pounding heart. "Hello, sweetheart."

Elijah blinked, then quickly came forward, grabbed her hand, and pulled her out of the kitchen and out of earshot. "Laurie, what're you doin'?"

"Networking," she said, pulling her hand free. "I thought you, of all people, would understand the importance."

"Not with them, you're not." He gripped her shoulders. "Laur, those cons are dangerous. You know how many times Edna's been in and outta here?"

Laurie couldn't help smiling. "So her name is Edna. And this is her fourth stint, according to her."

"You talked to them? Oh, Laur..."

"What? I'd think talking to a woman who has escaped from one of the most secure locations in the universe would come in handy before too long."

"How? When, Laurie? Since when has...has...fraternizing with the enemy ever done a lick of good?"

"Since-" She stopped as realization hit her with the force of a blow. Watching her husband- an almost frenzied look in his green eyes- she understood him in an instant. A long pause stretched between them. She exhaled slowly, and when she spoke her voice was soft.

"It's done more good than you might think. More than you've seen." Her fingers brushed his cheek. "Please, Elijah. I know what I'm doing. Trust me, will you?"

He didn't answer; just gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Okay, Laurie. All right."

She smiled, a sad, knowing sort of smile. "Thank you," she whispered.