Alice jumped out of the truck, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and exhaled slowly. She was outside Nel Peterson's home, and she could see the woman peeking through the filmy curtains.
“I can do this. This will work.” Alice whispered.
She breathed slowly and relaxed herself. She cleared her head and tried to look bored as she opened the back doors of the truck.
The moment she put down the cardboard box and cart and rang the door bell, Nel flung the door open.
“You aren't...”
Alice gave her a quick look.
“Act normal.” she whispered. “Please let me in.”
Nel nodded and opened the door.
Alice stepped cautiously into the apartment and leaned the cart on the wall. Nel closed the door casually, and in a split second, she had spun around and reached out to seize Alice by the wrists.
The blonde was ready for her.
Will had spent a whole month of one of his vacations, which were few and far between, training herself and Maya.
When Nel reached to grab her, Alice ducked quickly to the side and pinned Nel's arms with a few quick moves.
With a powerful thrust, she shoved Nel's cheek against the cart's handle.
“Listen to me, Nel. My name is Alice. I'm with Jay. He sent me to bring you, Tyler, and Kim to safety. Promise not to hurt me or call anyone, and I'll give you proof.”
“Okay, okay.”
Alice released her and held out Jay's ring.
“Recognize this?”
Nel pushed back a strand of brown hair and took the ring, examining it carefully.
Slowly, she nodded.
“This couldn't have been anyone other than Jay. Besides the fact that his name is carved in it, Kim and I are the only one who know about this dent in the front. The dent here...Kim and Tyler are the only others who know about it. Jay punched a wall. Dented ring, two broken knuckles...yeah. Like you wanted to hear that, right? This is totally Jay's.”
“Okay, so where's Tyler?”
“Ty, you can come out.” Nel called.
Tyler came around the corner, looking around like a frightened child who knew he'd done something horribly wrong.
“Mr. Fog.” Alice said curtly, spitting the words through her teeth.
“Hi.” he came around the corner and stood still as a stone, obviously aware of what would happen if he moved.
Alice nodded at him. “Hi.”
She turned to Nel and smiled grimly.
“Nel, understand that this is not in any way a sign of rebellion against Jay, you, or...Tyler.”
Ten seconds later, Tyler was on the ground, pinching his bleeding nose in his fingers.
“I deserved that.” he groaned.
“Yeah, you did.” Nel told him, taking his face in her hands and looking at the damage.
She looked up and called out,
“Kim, it's okay.”
“Wait, Kim's here, too?” Alice exclaimed eagerly, rubbing her sore knuckles.
Kim Dowry walked into the room, her arms crossed. She bent down and helped Tyler to his feet, then turned to Alice.
Alice was impressed by the collected, tough look in Kim's eyes. Burchell had a strong woman.
“Can I have Jay's ring?” Kim asked calmly.
---
Five minutes later, the four of them were sitting in Nel's living room. The curtains were tightly closed, the doors were locked, and the smell of fresh coffee wafted through the house.
“Why are you here?” Tyler asked.
Alice wiggled her hand and rubbed it a little.
“I wish I was here to break your face...maybe a couple ribs... but for now I can't afford the trouble. I have a letter from the guys for you.”
Kim leaned forward.
“This doesn't sound good.”
Alice shook her head.
“It's not. Basically, we need to get the three of you to David's house. You're not safe here anymore, thanks to Tyler.”
“What's the plan?” Nel asked, handing Tyler a dish towel full of ice, which he applied to his bloodied face.
“It all depends. Do the police know that Tyler's here?”
“Nope.”
“Kim, what about you? Where does the FBI think you are?”
“They think I'm at my dad's house. I ran out the back a couple nights ago. My parents sent me here; they're telling the police that I don't want to see anyone. It won't be long until they find out the truth, though.”
“That's all I need to know.” Alice said. She stood up and went the box that she'd parked in the corner.
“This is your way out.”
She hesitated.
“This is the tricky part. We'll be making a stop at a nearby hospital. Nel, You're going to act as my partner.”
Nel sat back down. “What are you talking about?”
“I have a relationship with the hospital staff...only, I'm not myself there.”
Alice smiled proudly and pushed her hand through her hair.
“Everyone at the hospital knows me as one Dr. Robert Hanson's girlfriend. I make an effort to call into the main office and ask to speak to him on a regular basis. I also drop in and visit, bring him lunch, stuff like that.
“That's only the surface of my cover, though. This is one of my better cons, I think.
“I've made Robert believe that I'm an undercover agent for NYPD. He think that I'm investigating one of the other doctors there. This has been very successful; Hanson is always focused on that doctor, leaving me to work uninterrupted in my real task there.”
She hesitated.
“Which is?” Kim prompted.
“It's complicated and touchy...” Alice sighed. “Listen, the American government approved the organization that Will and I work for. David Crubell works for them too. You girls haven't met him yet; Jay and Will are staying with him.
"Anyway, the government didn't go any further than approving us. We practically have to beg for our supplies.
“Fortunately, quite a few of the big names in this country have seen our potential and are supplying us with what we need. I don't always like the way it happens, but it happens. I'm in charge of directing funds and filling requests for our organization's medical needs from this hospital.”
“Okay.” Nel said slowly, thinking it through. “So what are we going to do?”
“I'm going to get my 'boyfriend' to help us out. We're going to take Will to the hospital.”
“Will's hurt?” Kim asked, bewildered.
“Tyler didn't tell you.” Alice sighed.
“It slipped my mind.” Tyler mumbled.
“He was shot a few days ago. David has medical training, but Will needs some more professional care.”
“So how are we going to pull this off?” Nel asked.
“You and I are going to bring Will to Robert's house; we can't call the ambulances from David's house. His location is heavily protected and off limits to the public knowledge. We'll call for the ambulance from Robert's place.
'I can almost tell him the truth; Will is an agent who was hurt in the line of duty, and we need to get him proper care without revealing his true identity. David has some fake paperwork that we can use, and we'll make up stories beforehand so that everything matches.”
“So, you'll have Robert help you confirm Will's story and make sure he gets taken care of at the same time.” Nel said thoughtfully.
“Yes.”
“Why do you need me? Why not Tyler or Jay, or even Kim?”
“I know the answer.” Kim answered, pushing a wave of blonde back over her head.. “Our faces have been plastered all over the news. No one has really bothered you yet. You won't be recognized, but the rest of us will.”
“Exactly. I'll follow the ambulance in the moving truck, with Kim and Tyler in the back.” Alice gripped Nel's hands earnestly. “You have no choice, Nel. If you fail, Will is going to die.”
Nel's hands shook, but she bit her lip and sat up straight.
“When do we leave?”
“Good girl. We'll leave first thing in the morning.”
---
Kim kicked the box open and climbed out into the belly of the moving truck.
“I hope this works.” she muttered, helping Tyler and Nel out of their respective boxes.
Alice had the three of them climb into cardboard boxes inside the house and loaded them into the truck, so that they wouldn't be seen by neighbors, or any unfriendly and prying eyes. Now they were on their way to David's, where Nel and Alice would leave Tyler and Kim.
“It's brilliant! Of course it will work!” Tyler exclaimed.
The three of them sat against the wall of the van as it jostled down the road. Tyler stole a few glances at Nel, then reached out and squeezed her hand.
Nel pulled away from him.
“Leave me alone, Tyler. You and I are through. You know that.”
“What?” Kim exclaimed.
Nel nodded. “When he showed up at my house, I agreed to shelter him, but he hasn't earned my love.”
Tyler protested with his eyes as he stared sadly at her.
“Nel...”
“I don't want to talk to you, coward.” she snapped.
Kim cradled her chin in her palms, lost in fantasizing about the approaching moment when she would see Jay's face.
She put her hand to her chest, where she'd hung Jay's ring on a gold chain under her blouse. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on her suitcase. She painfully imagined that Jay was holding her hand again, telling her that it would all be alright.
“Kim, are you okay?”
Kim leaned into Nel's comforting embrace. Her friend stroked her blonde hair and kissed her forehead.
“I can't wait to see him. It's been so long; what if he's different?” Kim blurted.
Nel squeezed Kim closer to her.
“Don't be ridiculous. Jay? Change?”
“I know he's going to be the same man he always was...but I want him to be happy.”
Tyler looked at her soberly.
Kim got up onto her knees and stared at him. “He's the same, isn't he?”
“I've never seen him so serious, and he's got a lot on his shoulders, but I know...” he crawled to her and patter her hand. “I know that the minute you walk through that door, he's going to be the happiest man on earth.”
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