Protecting Her(104)

The driver in the limo nods toward the back seat, signaling me to get in. I walk over and open the door and step inside. Once I’m in, I hear the doors lock and we drive away.

“Jack?” I lean forward toward the partition that separates us.

“Don’t talk until we get there.” The voice comes out of a speaker in the back. It kind of sounds like Jack, but I’m not sure if it’s him. I couldn’t see much of the driver’s face because he had his head down and a chauffeur’s hat pulled low over his forehead.

We drive for almost an hour. Wingate’s flight already left and soon Pearce and Garret will be waiting for me at the airport. I need to call Pearce and let him know I won’t be there.

The limo slows down as it approaches a building that looks like a warehouse. A large door, like a garage door, lifts up and we drive inside the building and down a ramp, parking in front of an elevator. It looks like we’re in a parking garage, but there are no other cars here. No people. Nothing.

The driver gets out and opens my door. “Come on.”

I step out of the car and look at him. “Jack?”

He removes his hat. “Yes.” He takes my hand. “Come with me. I’ll explain everything.”

We go in the elevator and he stares at a panel on the elevator wall and the light on it goes from red to green. Then the elevator begins moving down, and keeps going for what seems like forever. It finally stops and we exit the elevator and Jack leads me down a narrow hall lined in concrete.

“Go ahead,” he says, motioning me into a room at the end of the hall. It’s also lined in concrete.

I cautiously enter the room, with Jack right behind me.

“What is this place?” I ask, feeling a little claustrophobic. It’s a small room and I know it’s deep underground. I feel like we’ll run out of air if we stay here too long.

He doesn’t answer my question. Instead he goes over to a bottle of scotch that’s sitting on the table. There’s nothing in the room but a long metal table and eight metal chairs.

“Would you like a drink?” He holds up one of the two short glasses that were sitting by the scotch.

“No,” I say, even though a drink would help calm my nerves. But I need to stay focused and alert.

He takes a seat at the end of the table, near the scotch. “Sit down.”

I sit next to him and notice I’m shaking again. I don’t like this. I don’t like that he took me to this underground room. The Jack I know wouldn’t do this. Why would he take me here? What is this place?

His hand covers mine. “Rachel. I’m sorry about this, but I didn’t have a choice.”

I pull my hand back. “What’s going on here, Jack? Are you going to hurt me?”

“No. Just the opposite. I’m trying to save you.” He reaches in his shirt pocket and takes out a folded piece of paper. He unfolds it and sets it in front of me. It doesn’t say who it’s from. There isn’t much on it. Just a few short phrases. I read what it says.





Grievance against: Member 1479K.

Order: to remove obstacle created by Member 1479K

Obstacle: 35-year-old female, mother of member 1525K

Previous attempts to rectify this matter: several attempts, including private meetings and warning letters; all met with resistance and a refusal to cooperate Remedy: flight from DC To Hartford





“What does this mean?” I ask Jack, holding up the sheet of paper. “Is this about me?”

“Yes. They were going to kill you on today’s flight.”

I suck in a breath, then swallow. “Who’s ‘they’?”

“I’ll explain in a moment. But for now, you need to see this.” Jack takes something out of his suit jacket. It looks like a cell phone with a very large screen. He sets it in front of me. “I can’t get television reception down here, but this is what was airing on the news just now. I recorded this when we were in the car.”

He taps the screen and a video begins playing. A reporter holding a microphone is standing in a grassy field. Off in the distance I see a fire burning, black smoke filling the air. Fire and rescue trucks are lined up next to it.

“According to witnesses,” the reporter says, “the plane nosedived into the field soon after takeoff. It’s believed everyone on board died on impact. Senator Wingate was accompanied by his press secretary and two speech writers. Also on board was Rachel Kensington, wife of billionaire businessman, Pearce Kensington.”