Jared Raynes was a big man. Not that he was built like a linebacker, but he had a presence that was right there on the nail from the beginning. Using the word ‘Imposing’ did not do him justice.

Once the introductions had been made, he said,
“This is my show, ok? If I tell you to duck, you duck. Got it?”

There was no visible dissent. Sylvie was smiling. She knew him and how he worked. If she was ok with going along with him, then I would as well.

“I understand that you guys came up from North Carolina. Please tell me that you didn’t drive into the city?”

"No Sir," said Sylvie.
"We left the car out to the east and took the Metro from Largo Township into the city. We borrowed the car from a relative of Queenie’s."

He looked at Queenie and smiled.

"Am I right in thinking you would like to return the car at the earliest opportunity?"
That was more of an order than a question.

Queenie smiled and nodded her head.
“Good. Anyone who has been watching the comings and goings here will have seen three women. One less will confuse them when we move on.”

He saw our unease at his last statement.

“The various security agencies watch the comings and goings at each-others headquarters as a matter of… shall we say prudency. The media are also camped out watching the comings and goings for the several Federal Grand Juries that are sitting in this building. Your arrival will have been noted but as none of you are known to the media, you should be good in that respect. Any heads up on a likely defector is worth its weight in gold.”
He looked at us for confirmation before continuing.

“It is pretty common knowledge that almost every department of government, apart from the Secret Service, leaks like a bucket that has taken a dozen shotgun rounds. Being able to minimize any internal damage is all part of the game that they all play. Not being embarrassed means more chance of increased funding if you get my meaning.”

He continued.
“As I said, your presence here will have been recorded, especially, with the FBI Agent that Mr Lane here sent packing with a flea in his ear they will be on the lookout for you. If you are a person or persons of interest to a particular department, then they may well have assigned people to tail you when you leave. Reducing the size of the party from three to two is just one of the methods we have of getting rid of the tail should it exist."

There was no dissent, so he added.

“Here is what I propose we, or rather you do next. The three of you will return to Largo via the Metro as if nothing had happened here. Queenie, please get in your car and go home and thank you for helping justice to be served.”

“Sylvie and Tiffany, once you have said your goodbyes, I want you both to return to Capitol South Metro, and then walk towards the Supreme Court building. You can’t miss it as it is behind the Capitol building and on the opposite side of the mall. I will be watching for anyone tailing you. You won't see me, but I'll be there. Once you reach the Court, carry on along 1st Avenue towards Union Station. If there is no tail on you, I will meet you there. Do not carry anything other than what you are carrying right now. There will be plenty of time later to purchase new clothes and everything. For now, we travel light. Is this clear?”

“I can understand the need for caution but isn’t this a little OTT?” I argued.
"What if we find that we are being tailed?"

He smiled.
“That is a good point. On my last assignment of this type, the client got sloppy and gave away our plans. It was only by luck that we were able to survive being run off the road, and he was able to testify before a Grand Jury. If there is a tail on you, then I'll do what every good citizen should do and call 9-1-1 on them. They will have to argue their way out of what they will be accused of and that is stalking a minor. The DC PD are very hot on that sort of thing because of the sheer numbers of school parties that we get visiting the Capitol. For many of those children, this is their first trip away from home to a big city without their parents, if you get what I mean.”

“Ok, message understood.”

Then I asked,
“What will you be doing in the meantime?”

Jared smiled back at me.
“I will be marshalling the resources I’ll need to keep the two of you safe until Tiffany can testify at the Grand Jury. I’ll also be arranging for a safe house for us to use. Believe me, I won’t be idle. However, doing this sort of thing at a moments notice is not unusual for us so it should not take very long to arrange. By the time you return from… Largo, I or one of my team will be in place to check for anyone tailing you.”

“Thanks, Mr Raynes,” I said

"Jared, please," he said smiling.

---

It was very hard not to look over my shoulder as we travelled out to Largo. None of us spoke more than a few words on the journey. I'd done a lot of talking that day, My jaw was in need of a rest. It was only temporary but a welcome respite.

After saying goodbye to Queenie, Sylvia and I returned to the city as we had been instructed to do. To see the rear of the Capitol silhouetted against the setting sun was nice, but we were not tourists even though we pretended to act as they would do.

Union Station came into view at the end of 1st Avenue, its lights getting ever brighter as the sky darkened. There was still no sign of Jared Raynes or any obvious federal agent who might be watching us but could find no one.

After a while, I began to get worried. To anyone tailing us, I thought that it would be pretty obvious where we were going. I began to plan an alternative if he failed to show up. I was not sure how Sylvie would take my 'Plan B'.

Sylvie noticed my increased nervousness.
“Patience Tiffany. I’m sure that Jared is keeping watch on us. He did say that he would didn’t he?”

"I know, but all this cloak and dagger stuff is…?"

“Not your thing?”

“Yeah.”

---

When we entered the concourse of Union Station, Sylvie spotted Jared right away. He was looking at the departure boards. We walked slowly up to him, but didn't say anything.

"I'm glad you made it," he said without turning to face us. The man must have eyes in the back of his head.

Neither of us said anything.
“Shall we get out of this den of iniquity? There is a train leaving for New York in fifteen minutes. I already have our tickets, and it leaves from Track five.”

His words, although softly delivered, were full of confidence.

Sylvie and I walked toward the platform. I sensed that he was right behind us.

“Coach B,” he said quietly.

---

The train left the den of iniquity as he’d called Washington right on time. Our carriage was fairly busy, but we had a four-adjacent-seats to ourselves, but once again, conversation was hard to come by. After the scheduled stop in Philadelphia, we were almost the only occupants of the coach. I relaxed, but that was short-lived.

Jared’s phone had received several messages during the trip, but he didn't communicate their contents to us. I guessed that we didn't need to know or at least didn't need to know at that time. He was clearly a man of few words, which after some thought, I guessed was what had made him a good CO. Sylvie had told me a bit about her time under his command as we walked through the Capitol district.

As the train began to slow down for the Trenton stop, Jared said,
“Ladies, this is where we get off. Before we do, please take your phones and put them in the trash basket on your way off the train. If anyone is tracking them, they'll see them heading towards the Big Apple while going in a different direction."

“I thought that we were going to New York?” I asked.

"That was a little diversion. There will be a vehicle waiting for us outside the train station.

Again, he spoke very few words, but they made it very clear what we should do.

Outside the train station, a woman was waiting for Jared. They exchanged a few words, and something was handed over to him by this woman. Then she disappeared into the station without even looking in our direction. I guessed that she had a 'train to catch' to somewhere.

Jared motioned to us to follow him towards a nearby parking lot. Our 'wheels' for the next part of wherever we were going was a dark-coloured SUV with blacked-out windows in the back.

“Please sit in the back ladies. I’ll drive. We have just over an hour’s journey before we stop for the night. My associate took the liberty of purchasing some necessities for you. They are in the back behind the rear seats.”

Those words told me that we were not going very far, but would probably be going a lot farther the next day.

Sylvie and I got in the back and strapped on our seat belts. Jared started the engine let out a sigh.
“Sorry guys, it has been a long day for us all. I expect that you are tired and hungry. There is a place where we can eat next door to where we are staying.”

He drove us away from the station. A few minutes later, we were going through the suburbs of the city. I saw a sign saying 'Rte 31 – Lebanon’. That meant little to me other than I was lost. This was part of the country that for some reason I’d avoided on my travels.

I must have dozed off and only woke up when Jared turned off the highway and onto a side road. He had just driven us into the parking lot of a Motel. I could see a 24hr diner next door. What would we do without them eh?

---

We stopped to eat at the diner. It was food and it was hot. Other than that, it was unmemorable but it did the job of filling a hole. None of us spoke much during the meal. I just wanted something to eat and then sleep.

Our rooms for the night were connected by two doors.

“Please keep this unlocked just in case,” said Jared as we said goodnight.

We closed the door on our side, allowing Sylvie and I to be alone at last.

“He is a man of few words, isn’t he?” I remarked.

"He is. That's what made him such a great CO. When he said something, you took notice. Our company had far fewer casualties than all the others in the deployment. He cares about the people under him.”

“But you took one, didn’t you?”

"I did, but there was nothing he or anyone could have done to stop it. The IED that got me was a new type to everyone at the base. I survived, but the two bomb disposal people didn't. If one of them hadn't sheltered me from most of the blast, I would not be here today. I was a full forty yards from the device when it went off. Prior to the events of that day, we had not seen any IEDs that powerful and so directive in their blast pattern.”

“I get you. Where do you think we are going?”

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure yet. We need to get you back to DC at very little notice so that you can go before the Grand Jury, but beyond that, I have no idea."

"Somewhere not too far from an airport with a direct flight to DC, perhaps?"

“Possibly. Now, I’d like to get some sleep. There is no telling when we will be pulling out.”

I knew when it was time to shut up and get some rest.

---

Sylvie’s words proved to be correct. Jared was knocking on our door before 06:00 the next morning.

“Ok, ok,” I called.
“Give us ten minutes.”

“We need to leave in five. It appears that someone has managed to follow us despite my best efforts.”

Those few words made us instantly forget about waking up in a controlled manner. We splashed some water on our faces and stuffed the things we’d used during the night into a carrier bag and after a quick brush of hair, we were as ready as we’d ever be.

“Jared, we are ready,” said Sylvie.

“Good. Please go out the door and get in the SUV as if nothing special has happened. I’ll do the same. The plan is for us to get in and drive off as if we don’t have a care in the world. Got it?”

I looked at Sylvie, who smiled.
“We got it.”

“Don't rush or look for a watcher. We need to be leaving, and giving the world the impression that we had planned to hit the road at this time. Chatter amongst yourselves. Normality is the rule, ok?”

I wasn't going to argue with him, nor was Sylvie.

“Just leave the door key on the bed. On the count of three. One… two… three… go.”

Sylvie and I left the Motel room and walked a few yards to the SUV. As we stepped into the pavement of the parking lot, the car flashed its lights at us, and I heard the doors unlock. We got in the back as Jared got in the front. We even appeared to argue which side we were going to sit on.

As we drove out of the lot, I saw at least six police cars' lights flashing on a side road. They had surrounded a black Suburban SUV. Officers had their guns out and were pointing them at the SUV.

"The local Sheriff's department did a drive-by in the night and noticed the DC plates. The people inside refused to answer when challenged by the officer. When the Sheriff called me half an hour ago, they were in a stand-off situation. Where they are parked, gives them a great view of the exit from the Motel parking lot. Because, they refuse to identify themselves, they will be kept there for at least three hours. The local law does not like heavyweights from DC appearing on their patch without warning."

"How… how do you know that they are part of law enforcement from DC?"

“The plates come back as an FBI pool vehicle,” I asked.

I looked at Sylvie and said,
"Didn't Amy try to tell us that there was a leak in the DC Field Office?"

"She did, and this very much proves it.”

“Never mind ladies. We will be changing vehicles in a few hours. The new one will appear to the DMV as being owned by a farmer from upstate NY or something like that.”

---

Jared drove for almost two hours, down roads that seemed to get narrower at every turn. He wasn't using a map which seemed to imply that he'd been here before. At last, the tarmac ended, and he carried on up a track that thankfully wasn't that rough or at least as rough as the one that led to the Judge's cabin. I looked out of the window and knew where I'd rather be right now, and that wasn't here.

My musings were rudely interrupted when Jared did a sharp left turn, and there in front of us was the entrance to an old Railroad Tunnel.

Jared drove into the darkness of the tunnel and stopped. Just as the vehicle stopped some lights came on, and some doors started closing across the entrance.

He turned around in his seat and said,
"I know that we were not being tailed when we left DC, so how did the Feds find us? One possibility is that someone has put a tracker into your purses or on your person. This place is 100% shielded thanks to the presence of a lot of Iron Oxide in the rocks. This will allow us to find out if there is a tracker, and take appropriate action. Shall we take a look ladies?”

I rather liked being talked to by a man as an adult. That was a nice change. The Judge had done the same…

We all got out of the SUV and followed Jared over to two trestle tables.

"If you could empty the contents onto the table, I'll get the scanner."

He went over to a box that stood by the brick wall of the tunnel and pulled out an electronic device.

Jared used the device to scan the pile of items. It didn’t go bleep. He turned to the bags themselves. Again, it remained silent.

“That leaves your clothes.”

Almost as soon as he put the scanner onto Sylvie's coat, it bleeped.

“Did you let this out of your sight when you were in the DOJ yesterday?”

"No… Wait a minute. I did. Tiffany, was in another room giving her deposition, and I went to the bathroom. I was gone only a few minutes, and I had my bag with me all the time."

“That’s probably it. What sort of time was this?”

“Not long after we’d broken for lunch. They brought some food to us.”

“That is useful information.”

He thought for a moment before saying,
“I must report this back to the Marshall’s Service. As I keep saying, there are leaks everywhere in DC. Please put your things back in your bags and get everything from the SUV. One of my co-workers will be here soon with a replacement vehicle.”

“Aren’t you going to destroy the tracker?” I asked.

“No. My friend will take this SUV and lead those tailing them on a wild goose chase towards the Canadian Border or somewhere. I don’t want to know where for obvious reasons. Because, I asked you both to sit in the back, there are no traffic camera pictures of you. Seemingly simple security actions like this, can and do save lives in this business.”

Jared went outside the tunnel to make a phone call. I looked at Sylvie, who took my hand.
“This will all be over soon.”

“I hope so, I really do hope so. I’m not sure if I can take all this much longer.”

She smiled at me.
“When I was on deployment, I got through the bad times by thinking of green places and the sea, the wild sea. It made a change from the arid and often barren landscape that we normally operated in.”

“Ah, the think of places that you have good memories from the past.”

“Exactly.”

“And if there are none?”

“It can’t be all that bad… can it? What about skinning your first jack-rabbit?”

“Ok, that is one option. I'd prefer to remember catching my first catfish. I was only seven, and I thought that it was a monster. Mom gutted it, and we had grilled catfish and mashed sweet potato that night. It was the best I'd ever had mainly because she'd coated the catfish in some homemade Cajun Seasoning.”

Sylvie smiled at me and squeezed my hand again.

---

Jared returned with a frown on his face.
“Our next set of wheels has been delayed a bit. Maybe another hour.”

“That was a fine breakfast we missed!” said Sylvie.

“I’m just as hungry as you. We'll make up for it later, that I can promise."

"What exactly is this place?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

“This was part of a spur on the old Lackawanna Cut-Off Railroad. Their mainline ran from New York to Buffalo in a direct but very bendy route, and this bit was built to speed up services around 1910. It was ripped up in the 1980s. Now the Amtrak Services all go via Albany, and the old line is for freight only. This spur was never completed. A big change in the geology just outside the other end of the tunnel made it uneconomic to continue as it was in the middle of the Spanish Flu epidemic after World War 1.”
He smiled.
“That and three collapses in the tunnel roof a few hundred yards from the other end inside a month… They just gave up.”

“How do you know all this?”

He smiled.
“My great grand Pappy was a driver on this line during WW2. I grew up less than ten miles from here.”

That explained a lot. If you weren't a local, then finding this place would be quite difficult. It was a great place to hide away for a few hours.

---

The other driver turned up just under 50 minutes later. It was another woman. I wondered if all the drivers in the Marshals Service were women?

“Sorry for being so late. I had a flat just this side of Scranton. A local cop with a big hammer, helped me undo the lug nuts.”

“You are here now,” said Jared.
“Are you clear on your part of the operation?”

“Yeah. I hear Mt Washington is nice this time of year, or maybe Lake George?"

Jared laughed. That was the first time I'd seen even a half-human side to him.

“Fine. There is over half a tank of gas. I think that you are good to go. The tracker is in the pocket behind the driver's seat. If they haven't caught up to you in say 36 hours, crush it and go home. If they do, just put your hands up and surrender. Don’t try to fight whoever it is who wants to do serious harm to these two ladies.”

“Gotcha boss.”

“Look after yourself you hear!”

She smiled back at Jared and nodded her head.

Less than a minute later, she drove away into the late morning sun.

He turned to us and said,
“It might look like that this is almost a one-man operation but I am a mere cog in a team of many other Marshals. We are working to a general plan that is tried and tested but the fine details are changed on a regular basis. You… we are being watched over by a number of my friends and have been since you left me in DC yesterday. Those friends are very good at their jobs so don’t even think of trying to look for them. Just think of them as my backup team.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this yesterday?” asked Sylvie.

“Guilty. I should have done that as soon as we got off the train. The tracker that we found just now reminded me that I hadn’t. Those who are after both of you will probably try again to stop Tiffany from appearing in front of the Grand Jury. I will not let that happen.”

The tone of his words made it clear to me that he would try his best and if that wasn’t enough, he’d go down fighting. I began to see why Sylvie had such faith in him as an officer. It struck me that in the whole encounter with the driver, no names had been used. His words about simple things keeping people safe were not just words to him. He was a man to have on your side and not your enemy.

“We will wait here for an hour, then we can be on our way. There is a great diner about twenty-five minutes away. It should be great as it is run by my sister. She makes a great plate of Cheesy Grits with Black Eyed Peas thanks to her time at Fort Bragg.”

I laughed and looked at Sylvie, who rolled her eyes. Then she smiled and shook her head.

[to be continued]