“YOU DON’T need that, Robert,” Jack said calmly.
He was conscious of several things at the same time—Leo taking a step forward, Amanda’s mouth gaping even further, and the look of bewilderment on Robert’s face as the gun in his hand trembled.
“How do you know my name?” he demanded.
Amanda had come up behind him, her wide-eyed look betraying fear and dread. She grabbed at Robert’s arm, distracting him slightly.
In a split second Jack weighed up his options, and in a move so fast he doubted either of the teens really saw it, he surged forward. One hand fastened around Robert’s wrist and twisted hard; the other caught the gun as Robert screamed and dropped the weapon.
Jack was aware Leo would only have been an instant behind him if he hadn’t made his move, and out of the corner of his eye he saw that Leo’s knife was now in his hand, although he quickly tucked it behind his back when he saw Robert was disarmed. Robert’s eyes were now as fearful as Amanda’s.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Jack said quickly. “I’m here for Alex Sutherland.”
“That’s bullshit,” Robert spat. “Alex didn’t say anything about you.”
“Well, he said a lot about you,” Leo put in.
He carefully holstered his knife without the kids seeing it. Jack was grateful for that; they were spooked enough already.
“Who are you?” Amanda spoke for the first time, her voice trembling slightly, although it was obvious she was trying hard to keep it together.
“Why don’t we all sit down,” Jack said. “I’m Jack. This is Leo. We’re here because Alex is in danger.”
Amanda’s eyes grew impossibly wider, and she sat down hard on the bed as though her legs had given out. Robert glanced down at her, clearly worried, and then he sat beside her, settling his arm around her shoulders.
Leo took a step backward and returned to his place in front of the door, and Jack pulled out the rickety wooden chair from beside a beaten-up desk and straddled it, facing the two teens.
“You know Alex and his family are in Witness Relocation,” Jack began. He held up his hand when Robert bristled. “We know you guys have been contacting each other. Even though Alex was warned against it.”
“How do you know that?” Robert said sharply. “Where’s Alex? I’m not saying another word until you tell us where he is.”
Jack heard Leo sigh heavily behind him. “He’s trying to tell you. You need to shut up and listen.”
Jack threw an exasperated look over his shoulder, but Leo just shrugged, unconcerned. When Jack turned back, Amanda looked a little less freaked, although Robert was still staring belligerently.
“Okay. Here’s everything you need to know. Witness Relocation arranged two previous placements for Alex and his family. Both were compromised. We’re pretty certain there’s been some kind of breach of protocol. It might be internal—that’s being investigated. Or it might be something Alex or a member of his family did to draw attention to themselves.”
“Like contacting us,” Amanda said softly.
“Like contacting you,” Jack confirmed. “The messages you sent each other could have been intercepted. Or possibly when you guys met up, Alex was followed home.”
Amanda’s eyes darted nervously around the room, as if afraid the bad guys were hiding in the shadowy corners. Jack ducked his head to hide a smile. It often struck him how differently civilians thought and reacted.
“So Alex is lying low until we figure out what’s been going wrong.”
Sean had warned him a hundred times not to disclose anything else to the kids. His only mission here was to recreate the conditions of the previous meetings, and then return home.
“But Alex is okay?” Robert said.
“Absolutely,” Jack said reassuringly. “It just wasn’t safe for him to come here today.”
Robert and Amanda exchanged a look, both seemingly convinced, and some of the fearful tension drained out of them.
“So now we just have to hang out for however long you guys did when you met before. And then I go home,” Jack said.
“That’s it?” Robert said dubiously.
“Just do everything exactly the way you did with Alex.”
“Mostly we just talked,” Amanda said.
“So let’s talk,” Jack said brightly. He pointed to the gun that he’d put down on the desk. “You can start by telling me what that’s all about.”
Robert mouth set in a thin, hard line, and Jack could tell he was about to dig his heels in.
Leo shifted his weight and then leaned back up against the door. “You know if you don’t tell us, we’re going to be pretty suspicious,” he said flatly.
“You think I’d rat Alex out?” Robert hissed. “He’s my best friend, you asshole.”
“Then tell us why you’re carrying,” Jack pressed.
“Because Alex told us they tried to kill his dad, for God’s sake,” Robert sputtered. “He said it was dangerous. No way I was going to let him walk into a trap.”
“Where did you get the gun?” Leo asked.
Robert dropped his gaze briefly. “It’s my old man’s.” His head came up defiantly when he added, “But I know how to use it.”
“You know how to shoot at a bunch of tin cans,” Leo said. “Believe me, that’s not the same as being able to defend yourself.”
“And you’d know?” Robert scoffed. “You’re just a fucking kid!”
Jack so rarely thought of himself or Leo as kids, though he supposed he was actually the same age as Robert, and Leo was barely a year older. Still, he’d never felt like an average teenager and had certainly never lived like one. Even on his assignments, when he was mimicking the lives of ordinary kids, everything about his life was different.
When he glanced up, Amanda was looking between him and Leo, a curious expression on her face. Her question didn’t come as any surprise.
“Who are you?”
Jack had been prepped for the question and had a well-rehearsed answer to hand. “We’re friends of Alex’s,” he said. “He asked us to come here and meet you because he can’t get away himself.”
“You know where he is?”
“We do, but we can’t tell you. It’s too dangerous for you to see Alex right now,” Jack said. “But you need to treat this meeting exactly the way you would any other meeting you guys had together.”
“Right,” Robert said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, and Leo immediately straightened from his slouch and took a step forward.
“Who are you calling?” he demanded.
Robert scowled in his direction. “We always get pizza. I’m calling Domino’s.”
Leo exchanged a meaningful look with Jack. “Do you always call the same place?”
“Sure.”
Leo arched an eyebrow, but he gave a curt nod. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, then extracted a twenty-dollar bill and held it out to Robert.
“What’s that for?” Robert said.
“To pay for the pizza,” Leo replied.
Robert shook his head. “I always pay,” he said firmly. “It’s the only thing I can do for Alex these days. Shove your money.”
Leo shrugged and returned the money to his wallet. While Robert called and ordered, Leo bent over Jack’s shoulder and spoke close against his ear.
“You think this might be a problem?”
Jack turned his head. “It’s a pattern. That’s always potentially a problem.”
His gaze followed Amanda as she climbed off the bed and crossed the room before disappearing into the small bathroom. Her eyes had darted furtively toward her purse, but she hadn’t picked it up. Jack was glad to see she had left her cell phone on the bedside table; he didn’t want to spook her any further by searching her before allowing her to leave the room alone.
When she returned a few minutes later, she threw a look toward Jack that he couldn’t quite read before ducking her head quickly and resuming her seat on the edge of the bed. Jack tried to catch her eye again to figure out what was going through her mind, but her head remained resolutely turned away.
While they waited for the pizza to be delivered, Jack tried to get them to talk about Alex, but Robert was clearly distrustful and didn’t share much, and Amanda seemed to be taking her cues from him.
“How long have you and Robert been dating?” Jack asked, trying to find something to break through their reluctance to speak.
“Almost a year,” Amanda said.
“I guess you miss Alex?”
Amanda stiffened almost imperceptibly, her eyes darting to Robert’s face, and she only relaxed when Robert snapped, “I told you already, he’s my best friend. Of course I fucking miss him.”
Leo had moved silently and was now standing beside the window, staring out between the blinds. Jack noticed the gun had disappeared from the desk, and Leo’s hand was resting lightly on his hip.
“Pizza’s here,” he said quietly.
Robert stood up and opened the door to the sharp knock. Jack’s own hand was bent behind his back, his fingers brushing the handle of his knife. He turned his head, his whole body tensing. Although Leo was armed and just a few steps away, it felt weird to sit out in the open, an obvious target if this turned out to be a setup. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled when the delivery guy glanced his way, but it was no more than a perfunctory look; he seemed more intent on collecting his money and checking his tip.
Leo stayed where he was when the delivery guy left, his eyes glued to the activity outside the window. Jack heard a car door slam shut and then the squeal of tires, and a moment later Leo turned away from the window with a small shrug. If the pizza guy had any part in this, he was a damned good actor. Still, Leo asked the necessary question.
“Have you seen that guy before?”
Robert looked mystified. “Maybe. I don’t really remember.”
Leo barely suppressed an irritated sigh, though he didn’t try to hide his frustration. Civilians never seemed to notice any of the things Jack and Leo had been trained to observe. Or maybe, Jack speculated, Robert just didn’t take any notice of the people he deemed unimportant.
“I think he was here once,” Amanda said quickly. “The second time we met up. But all the other times it was different people.” There was a faint blush to her cheeks, as though she had read Jack’s blunt assessment. She was surprisingly perceptive for an untrained bystander.
At the end of two hours of painfully stilted conversation, Jack stood up. “How did you do this?” he asked. “Who left first?”
“Alex did. We gave him a ten-minute head start, then we left together,” Amanda replied.
“You two always traveled in the same car?” Leo asked.
Amanda nodded.
“Okay. We’ll do it the same way,” Leo said. “Jack, you’re first out.” He nodded toward Robert. “Then you two. I’ll give you a few minutes and then I’ll close up here.”
“What happens now?” Robert asked.
“Nothing changes,” Jack said. “We need you to do exactly what you did in the past. Same messages, same contact. Hopefully next time you set up a meet, Alex will be able to come himself.”
Robert stuck out a hand, and Jack shook it. He had thawed a little over the two hours, although he had remained cool toward Leo, excluding him from the conversation and ignoring him as though he wasn’t even in the room. It didn’t seem to bother Leo, who stood by the door the whole time, his attention seemingly fixed outside.
Amanda smiled shyly at Jack. “Thanks for being such a good friend to Alex,” she said. Jack was a little surprised when she stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek, one hand brushing over his hip, the other cupping his face lightly. He caught a waft of cheap motel soap, not quite masking the scent of her floral perfume. He managed to control his blush, even when he caught the smile that tugged briefly at Leo’s lips.
He stopped himself from telling her he was just doing his job, remembering in time that he was supposed to be a friend of Alex’s rather than an operative. Instead he mumbled a good-bye and stepped away from her.
“I’ll catch you later,” Leo said, his eyebrows quirking upward. “I’m going to check out Domino’s.”
“See you,” Jack muttered.
With a last wave toward Robert and Amanda, he opened the door and slipped out of the room. The courtyard outside was empty as he crossed toward his car and climbed in behind the wheel. He felt Leo’s eyes on him as he started up and drove away slowly, resisting the urge to turn his head as he passed the room door.
It didn’t take more than a few miles before he spotted the tail.