Chapter 12 - The Safehouse
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"Somewhere safe" turned out to be a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. Virginia. Two hours from DC. No neighbors. No cell service. No internet.
"This is insane," Karen said.
"It's temporary."
"It's a prison."
"It's protection." David had driven us himself. He was standing by the door, keys in hand. "You'll have everything you need. Food. Supplies. A phone that's monitored. If anything happens—anything at all—you call me."
"And if we need to leave?"
"You don't leave."
"David—"
"You don't leave." His voice was hard. "I'm risking my career—my life—to help you. The least you can do is follow instructions."
Karen stared at him. Then nodded. "Fine."
"Good." He handed me a phone. "This is the only phone you use. It's secure. My number is programmed in."
"What about Jake?"
"Jake's back in the city. He's my eyes and ears. If anything changes, he'll let us know."
David left. The door closed. The lock clicked.
We were alone.
The farmhouse was nice. Big. Comfortable. Fully stocked.
But it was still a prison.
Karen explored the house. I checked the windows. The doors. The perimeter.
Nothing. Just fields. Trees. Silence.
"This is going to drive me crazy," Karen said.
"It's temporary."
"That's what they said about the freezer."
I didn't have an answer.
We settled in. Days passed. Then weeks.
We cooked. We read. We played cards. We talked.
We talked about Dad. About the good times. Before everything went wrong.
"Do you remember the time he took us to the beach?" Karen asked.
"He got sunburned so bad he couldn't wear a shirt for a week."
"And he still went to work. With his chest all red."
"He said it was 'professional development.'"
We laughed. It felt good. Normal.
But the shadows were always there. The fear. The uncertainty.
Every time the phone rang, we jumped.
Every time a car passed, we froze.
We were waiting. For what, we didn't know.
Then the call came.
David. His voice was tight. "We have a problem."
"What?"
"Ray. He's been found."
"Where?"
"Dead."
I felt the floor drop out from under me.
"Dead?"
"Someone got to him first. Before we could."
"Who?"
"We don't know. But whoever it is, they're cleaning up. Eliminating witnesses."
"Karen—"
"I'm calling. We need to move. Now."
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