| With Ethan behind them, Sheriff Carl is standing next to his wife, Debbie, by Vic in his hospital bed. �Look at him, Carl! How could you lsend him in there alone? Why the hell was he doing out by the lake in the first place?� Debbie cries at Carl. Carl is a lost for words as Debbie continues to yell at him. Ethan slips out of the room and sees Justin sitting alone beside his father�s bed. He enters quietly. Justin is holding Craig�s limp hand, and there is comfort for Justin within this weathered hand that belongs to her father. Justin�s knee now has ace bandages holding the ice bags in place. �How is your friend?� Justin questions still looking at his father hand. �He�s gonna make it. He�s got a fractured skull and broken ribs. Dr. Hampsted�s keeping an eye out for internal injuries.� �Dr. Hampsted seems extremely competent, actually too competent for a town the of Custer.� �I know. We�re lucky to have him.� �How long has the good doc lived in Custer?� �Just about two years. How�s your father?� �Improving. How long has Daphne lived in Custer?� �Daphne? Shit, Justin, in the last few hours two people that I care about have almost died and your making small talk.� �I�m not making small talk. How long has she live here?� �I don�t know a year maybe two,� Ethan says still puzzled on why this was important. �And your friend with the big tits?� �About a month. Jesus, Justin, what is going on. there is even a FBI team waiting to talk to you.� �Are you sure they�re really FBI?� Ethan paused a moment. �they flashed their badges and...� �You believed them? You�re not going to able to help me if you can�t help me figure out who we are really dealing with.� Justin shakes his head. �I don�t have to talk to anyone who has a security clearance lower than mine. Do you understand?� Worried, he answers, �Yes and No. Just what have you been doing all these years?� Justin reaches into coat pocket, pulls out an ID card, and hands it over to Ethan. The identification card has Justin�s picture on it. The card is for the National Security Agency. �I was forced into the NSA in order to protect myself. I am like their hostage. I need you to trust me, Ethan. You Em are the only ones I will warn. Understand this if you try to help me, it could get you killed. Double cross me, and you will be a dead man. Because there is someone who will kill you.� �You�re serious?� Ethan questions. �How do I know this ID isn�t a fake?� �Good question. Call information. Get the phone number for the main switch board at the Pentagon then ask for Lieutenant Cody Sheffer.� �That�s won�t be necessary, I believe you. I�ve had people sniffing around here from the Department of the Interior. I never really checked them out. I figured you were into something, but I never imagined the NSA.� �I�ve done what I�ve had to do. For... I f you want you can just walk away, and I won�t think any less of you.� �Could you at least clue me in as to who the bad guys are?� �International espionage specialists, mercenaries, maybe even the CIA counter intelligence squad. I don�t know who the bad guy are anymore. It could even be elements within our own government! All I know is that am only a chess piece in this game until they have want they want.� �What do they want?� Justin shrugs. �Maybe a disc, but I�m not sure.� �Do have the disc?� �No. Then why are you involve?� �Lets just say, I know who has what they want, they know who has what they want, and think I can get them what they want� �How?� Justin shrugs again. �I guess for a trade. If they just wanted me dead, I would be dead by now, but I�m sure once they have want they want... I�m as good as dead anyway. That�s why I keep running like a scared little rabbit. I�m just trying to stay alive.� Ethan studies Justin. �Well then, I can get you out of here, anyway, with this.� He holds up Justin�s ID. With a weak smile, Justin nods. �I�ll take you to my house, and we�ll take it from there. I want to help you, Justin. I need to help you.� |