Chapter 5
The US Marshals Service wasted no time in informing Jim about the deal. Jim initially refused to let Shannon get involved in the investigation, citing the possible risks she would be in. But after some persuasion and pressure from IMF's top management, he eventually agreed.
Shannon didn't take the news easy when she heard it from Jim.
"But Jim, our mission was over. We're not supposed to be involved in the investigation anymore!" Shannon said adamantly.
They were standing in the living room of her apartment. Jim personally went over to tell her about the deal.
"I know, Shannon. But they said Luis can be a valuable asset to them and they want his cooperation. And he won't cooperate until he talks to you."
"I don't want to do it."
"You have to, Shannon." He put his hands on her shoulders reassuringly.
"Look, they promised they'll take extra precautions to protect you in case he plans to retaliate. And I will be there to personally see that you'll be safe from harm."
Shannon evaded his eyes and turned away. "I don't want to face him again," she said quietly, looking down.
"You don't have a choice. You will have to face him. It's most likely that he will only confront you about your relationship with him and will demand answers. Just keep the meeting short. The US Marshals Service still doesn't trust him one hundred percent so in spite of his demands, they're putting a bug and a hidden camera in the location of your meeting."
Shannon felt frustrated. She was trying to put the Bogota incident behind her but it looked like it's not over yet. She didn't know if she could manage to face Luis again or how the meeting would turn out.
It will be very awkward for sure. She thought.
It took a while before Shannon gave Jim an answer. "Fine then, I'll do what you asked," she said eventually with a deep sigh.
xoxoxo
Within 48 hours, the meeting was set. Luis was flown to the US accompanied by Ricardo and two deputy marshals from the US Marshals Service. They landed in Seattle where Luis was given a room at a decent hotel.
The meeting was to take place in a small conference room in the same hotel where Luis was staying. A deputy marshal would be assigned to station himself in a room one floor above Luis' hotel room where he could eavesdrop and monitor the meeting. Two deputy marshals would also be on standby outside the door of the conference room.
Shannon arrived at the hotel ten minutes before the meeting. Wearing a beige blouse and a black pencil skirt, she was met by Jim in the lobby on the ground floor. With him were Ricardo and another man with salt and pepper hair.
"Shannon, I'd like you to meet Steven Callahan, the deputy marshal in charge of this meeting," Jim said, introducing the aforementioned man to Shannon.
"Ah! The woman I've heard so much about," said Steven, shaking Shannon's hand.
Shannon gave him a tight smile while clutching her shoulder bag.
"And of course, you know Ricardo from Colombia's Administrative Department of Security," added Jim nodding towards Ricardo.
"Nice to see you again, Shannon," Ricardo smiled at her warmly.
"Likewise."
Jim cleared his throat. "Are you ready, Shannon?"
"Where is he now?" she asked, referring to Luis.
"He's in the conference room waiting for you," Ricardo answered.
"You have nothing to worry about, Ms. Reed. He's under tight security and my men are on high alert to make sure nothing goes wrong today," assured Steven.
"Right! Let's get this over with," replied Shannon with a little impatience.
"We'll be in room 7-D monitoring the situation," said Jim.
Shannon nodded. Jim already prepped her about the setup a day before so she knew where everyone was stationed.
Jim, Steven and Ricardo boarded the elevator together while Shannon took a separate elevator across from theirs.
Shannon's elevator stopped on the fourth floor. With a deep breath, she stepped out of the elevator and stood momentarily in the hallway. She closed her eyes for a few seconds feeling nervous and ambivalent. Then she straightened herself and with a determined look on her face, turned left to where the conference room was.
Here we go. She thought.
xoxoxo
Two deputy marshals stood at each side of the wooden door outside the conference room.
"Good morning, ma'am," greeted the two deputy marshals as Shannon approached them.
She smiled in acknowledgement.
"I'm ready for the meeting."
"Right, ma'am," nodded the deputy marshal standing on the left. He knocked on the door twice then swung the door open for her.
Shannon walked into the conference room and saw Luis sitting in a chair – his back towards the window. For a brief moment, their eyes met.
"We'll be right here outside, ma'am in case you need us," said the deputy marshal who was still holding the door open.
She turned to look at the deputy marshal. "Thank you."
With that, the deputy marshal closed the door firmly.
In the middle of the conference room stood an oval wooden table surrounded by six black chairs. Luis was sitting in the corner of the table near the door. He was wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt – no tie. The sleeves of his shirt were folded halfway through his elbows. This time his face was cleanly shaved, his hair perfectly combed.
There was heavy tension in the air as Shannon walked towards the table wordlessly. Luis' eyes followed her every move. Shannon pulled a chair from the corner of the table across Luis and sat facing him – her hands folded on her lap.
Meanwhile, in room 7-D, Jim stood behind a deputy marshal who was sitting in front of a TV monitor. He was flanked by Ricardo and Steven who stood watching the monitor. On the screen, they could see Shannon and Luis inside the conference room. The deputy marshal flipped a switch in front of him. A pair of audio tapes beside the TV monitor began to turn. They could hear Shannon speaking in the conference room.
"So, they said you refused to cooperate in the investigation until you talk to me. Well, here I am," said Shannon, her voice firm and clear.
They stared at each other. A long, awkward pause passed between them. Luis searched her face but couldn't see any indication of emotion. Her face and her eyes were unreadable. A sharp pang of pain tugged at his heart but he didn't show it.
"Here we are," he responded finally, his voice flat.
Shannon wasted no time and got straight to the point. "What do you want?" she asked coldly.
Luis' jaw clenched. He suddenly felt angry. In a controlled voice, he said, "How about you tell me what your real name is."
"That's not important. I'm not here to talk about myself ̶ " she started but Luis cut her off.
"I'm not telling you or them anything about my uncle until you tell me your real name!" he said in a sudden outburst, his voice now seething with anger. "And don't lie to me because I will know!"
Shannon hesitated. IMF agents were not allowed to reveal their real names to persons of interest for security purposes. But looking at Luis, it seemed that he wouldn't budge until she gave him her real name.
"Shannon," she finally answered. "My real name is Shannon."
"And your last name?"
She paused. "Reed."
"Your full name is Shannon Reed?"
"Yes."
"Where are you from?"
Shannon sighed impatiently. "Look, can we skip this already?! It doesn't matter where I'm from."
Luis folded his arms across his chest. "It matters to me," he answered.
She pursed her lips in frustration. Then she gave in. "I live here in Seattle but I'm originally from Connecticut. Now can we move on?"
Luis stared at her. In his mind, he couldn't reconcile the fact that the woman in front of him was the same woman he fell in love with. The woman sitting across the table from him now was a complete stranger.
Shannon leaned closer to him, her hands on the table. "Look, you already knew this was going to happen sooner or later. It's just a matter of time. I know you're still hoping that he would change but deep down, we both know your uncle would never change. You can't help him even if you try. He's so far gone now. He has to face the consequences of his actions. He has to pay for his crimes."
She paused. Then in a lowered voice she continued, "You once told me you want a life of your own away from your uncle. This is your chance to do just that."
Luis smiled bitterly. "So you're using my words against me now, huh. Everything I told you in Bogota you're now using against me."
She leaned back in her chair. "It's not personal. It's business."
"How many men have you seduced and slept with in the past to get what you want, huh? Do I belong in a long list of men you toyed with and used to extract information?"
Shannon looked offended. "I'm not that kind of woman."
He smirked. "Yeah, right! I doubt that."
"Think whatever you like about me. You can hate me all you want. That's fine. All we want from you is to cooperate with the investigation. If you refuse, then you will most likely go to jail same as your uncle. But if you cooperate, the US Marshals Service will protect you. You will be under their Witness Protection Program. You can start a new life here in the United States," she said.
"A new life?" He smirked again shaking his head. Looking dejected, he leaned back in his chair, his hands limp on his lap.
"We were supposed to start a new life together in Bogota. We were supposed to get married. You made promises with me when you accepted my proposal. But now…" he paused, his voice breaking.
"But now I know all those promises were just lies! You were lying to me the whole time!"
"You're the one who asked me to marry you even though you knew so little about me," she reminded him coldly.
His eyes welled up.
"Shame on me then for falling in love with you – or a version of you that doesn't really exist. Shame on me for believing everything you said to me. All the kisses you gave me, all the caresses – they were all just pretense! The Sarah I knew wasn't real. You were just pretending. You used me to get to my uncle!"
Luis tried to keep his feelings in check but he failed miserably. Tears fell down his face.
"I would have understood if you were there to spy on my uncle. But to use me like that… to accept my proposal like that only to leave me in the end…"
Shannon looked away. His words stung her. She couldn't bear to see him this way. She bit her lip as guilt washed over her. But then she remembered she had a job to do there and that they were being watched.
She quickly masked how she felt and looked at him. "Just accept their offer, Mr. Magdalena. Trust me, this is the best option for you," she said more gently this time.
Then she stood up and quietly left the conference room.