Chapter 19
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A/N: Time jump. We're getting closer to the end of this. Finally, some relief in this chapter.
Sunday–12:15 pm
March 2011 (Approximately 4 months later)
Redstone Women's Center
Life as she knew it had changed. Again.
In January, Ivy left the Center to live with her sister in Pennsylvania. Tess and Roni moved in with some friends in a house in Chicago. She missed them but wanted nothing but the best for them.
Someone moved in to Roni's suite. She's nice but keeps to herself.
There have been no updates on Bobby. They likely moved him somewhere safe. She hopes he's happy and doing well.
It occurred to her one day that Bobby made sure she still had the use of her phone. He hasn't called her, but she assumes it's not safe or else he would.
The US Marshals still don't know about her phone, and Dana looks the other way.
As far as she can tell, Malik has disappeared and his associates are in hiding for now.
xxx
Alex reads a lot. Aside from work, it's the way she passes the time.
She still has the use of Tess's rope ladder and other supplies after they left and she's got Gunther to run out and get things the center won't let her have. They seem to be in a better place since the incident in the woods.
One day, her boss Lee Sullivan shows up at her place with a box.
"I was told to get this to you. It arrived downtown a couple of weeks ago. Sorry, but it's been busy. I just got around to checking the receiving desk."
Alex accepts it and examines the outside of the box. It's a small square box, about a cubic foot in size. It's plain. There are no labels or postal markings. Lee wrote her name on a Post-it and put it on the box.
"What's this?"
"No idea."
"Sent from the bureau?"
"Within the bureau, I think. It was sent in a larger box with a note to give this box to you. It passed the bomb-sniffing dog's test," he adds with a smile. "But I'd rather be here while you open it, if you don't mind."
She nods.
Lee retrieves a pocket knife and slices through the tape. He opens the flaps and looks inside.
Other than the packing material, there's a small card inside an envelope and a box with pineapple kitchen timer inside.
"What…?" Lee shakes his head and laughs.
Alex's smile widens. "Thanks for bringing this, Lee. It's fine. I know who it's from. Enjoy your Saturday with your kids. See you Monday."
Lee looks perplexed. "Okay…then. Enjoy your timer. See you Monday."
"Bye." Alex goes to close the door.
She pours herself a glass of wine and goes back to the package. She takes out the notecard and reads it.
xx
Hey, it's me.
Can't give my location for now.
Just letting you know that I'm okay.
Pardon the silly gift, but this way you'd know it was me
before you opened the card.
I think about that Thanksgiving often.
I'm working on a plan.
See you soon.
Yours,
BG
xx
The note is in his handwriting. She reads it another ten times and then has to reach for the tissues.
God, I miss him.
Alex picks up the box with the timer next.
Ivy had given her the same exact pineapple timer, which she got as a gift, but didn't want. Alex took it with her to Bobby's for Thanksgiving dinner because they were cooking a turkey and she thought they could use it. She left it with him.
Bobby must have found another one to send her as a little reminder of that holiday they spent together.
Aside from Bobby giving her a Thanksgiving dinner at his place, he also arranged for her to talk to her family securely. For that, she'll always be grateful.
Alex puts the little timer beside her bed.
Silly or not, she loves it.
xxx
Friday–8:00 pm
Redstone Center
The week goes by, mostly uneventful.
By Friday night, she's waiting for her weekly visit from Gunther.
She goes to the window to say she doesn't need any supplies, but standing beside Gunther are Tess and Roni.
"Hey, Rapunzel! Get down here!" Tess yells.
"What?" Alex laughs. "What are you doing here?"
"Come on, we're going out for pizza and beer!"
She tells them to give her 10 minutes. She changes clothes, fixes her hair, and climbs out through her window to meet them.
She leaves the window open and fixes the ladder so that she can get back up and inside again.
As soon as she's on the ground, she's hugging her friends. It's great to be back with them.
They go downtown and hang out for a few hours. Drinks, pizza, and updates on each other's lives.
It's one of the best nights she's had in a while.
xxx
Saturday–3:00 am (the next morning)
Redstone Center
Alex climbs through her window and onto her bed. While she's stowing the rope ladder, and thinking about a shower and bed and sleeping until noon, she realizes that she's not alone.
Dana switches on a lamp in the living room. "Where th' hell were you?" she asks, her southern accent coming through strong.
"Blowing off steam. You should try it sometime."
"This grand plan you uncovered a while back… We've got intel that says things are coming to a head. You're moving."
"Where am I going?"
"I'll explain later. You've got an hour to pack what you'll need for the next two weeks before we leave for the airport. We'll send for the rest."
x
So much for sleep.
Alex writes a note to leave for Gunther to give to Tess and Roni. It's a quick goodbye for now. She's got their address and she'll figure out a way to contact them when she can.
Then there's Bobby and his note. Still no idea what he meant by a plan that they'll be together soon. The goal has always been to return to New York.
She hopes he's already there.
That card and pineapple gift meant a lot to her. Just that note keeps her going.
She tucks both the card and the pineapple timer into her bags.
A half hour later, she has most of what she needs. After a quick shower and change of clothes, she finishes packing.
She leaves the note for Roni and Tess at the window and texts Gunther. Moments later, they're in the SUV, heading to the airport.
It's not even 5:00 am. Dana hasn't told her anything.
There's also the Glock Bobby gave her. She couldn't leave it behind and there's airport security. She opens her bag, retrieves the weapon, and hands it to her.
As an agent, she has her own service weapon—a revolver. It's kept in a lockbox at the field office. No weapons allowed at Redstone.
"How did you get that?" asks Dana.
"It's Bobby's. He gave it to me because he didn't trust Kirkpatrick and we still don't know who else was working for Malik."
Dana takes it and puts it with her things. She may understand the circumstances, but it's clear she's not happy about it.
They move through security quickly and Dana buys her some breakfast. Then they're sitting at a gate where the destination says, 'Dallas/Ft. Worth.'
At the next gate over, there's a plane departing for JFK. She wishes like hell her ass was on it.
Alex finishes reading a book and has nothing to do but listen to boarding calls and people-watch. A couple lets their little kids run around in the waiting area, so they'll burn up their energy before the two-and-a-half-hour flight from Chicago to Dallas.
Finally, they're boarding.
Since it looks like she won't get any information about this trip and she's tired, she takes a nap.
An hour into the flight, she wakes up because of the snack cart moving past them. The flight attendant fusses at passengers to move their elbows and belongings out of the aisle.
Alex's neck is sore, but the nap helped. She passes on the inflight beverage and cookies and dozes off again. Dana's shaking her awake as they arrive at the gate.
Moments later, they're in the terminal. After a trip to the restroom, and a stop for some coffee and a bag of Skittles, they take the airport tram to another terminal and find the next gate where the plane is departing for Phoenix.
Phoenix? She's going to Phoenix? What the hell?
Worse yet, the plane is delayed by an hour and is expected to leave in two and a half hours.
Dana spends two hours on the phone with bureau-related business. Then they're boarding the plane and finding their seats.
After the airlines finish the inflight safety spiel, Alex turns to the senior agent. "Are you going to clue me in here?"
She pulls a folder out of her bag and hands it to her. "You've got a new assignment. Might find it interesting, but regardless, you were requested. Fortunately, you won't have to live in a women's center. It's more like a private cottage in a gated community and looks nice from the outside."
The folder is from the US Marshals Office and just lists her name, occupation and her address in Phoenix. She's single. Same alias. No history of abuse. It looks like she picked up and moved to another part of the country. There's a contact name, Agent Gavin Brennan, who she'll report to about the assignment.
"I don't know anyone in Arizona."
"You didn't know anyone in Chicago, and it looks like you made friends. It's more secure. No more climbing out of windows."
Alex shakes her head. "I'd rather be back in New York. I want to see my family."
"You know why that can't happen. But they're safe and doing fine."
"Thank you."
"Sit back and relax. It may not be as bad as you think." Dana closes her eyes and settles back, falling asleep in minutes. Then it's a two-hour and 45-minute flight to Phoenix.
Alex tries, but finds it impossible to fall asleep on this flight.
xxx
They arrive at the airport and spend 40 minutes waiting for her bags to arrive on the baggage carousel and another hour waiting for some agent at the Phoenix office to drive over, pick them up and bring them back to the office. It seems like a cab would have been faster.
She's very jet-lagged. Although she respects Dana, she hates her at the moment and needs time to herself.
It's 3:30 pm local time when they pull up to the FBI field office.
It's too hot. She didn't dress for Phoenix, so she's taking off layers and down to a sleeveless top and khakis. She carries the coat and sweater she wore because they won't fit in her overstuffed suitcases.
Maybe a clue that she was traveling to a warmer climate would have helped, but why make it easy?
Dana checks in with someone at that office and leaves her with little more than a 'goodbye' before taking off for the Tucson field office.
It's Saturday at the bureau, and there's a skeleton crew.
She waits in the front lobby area where there's no desk clerk and she's given a visitor's badge by a security officer, then escorted down a hallway and tells to go inside the third small conference room on the left and Agent Brennan will be waiting.
Alex reaches the door, opens it, and steps inside. There are three people seated at a long conference table.
She turns back to shut the door, then looks over at the three agents in the room.
Alex smiles because she recognizes one of them.
Agent Gavin Brennan.
Witsec. Poor Bobby.
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