12 Months...
Chapter Four
Still image of two teenagers playing with wildflowers was framed with proud words �Friends Forever� on top. She picked up the frame and looked at the younger versions of the two women she had just finished having dinner with.
�My brother took that picture.� Chris said from behind. She sat on the couch opposite to her guest.
�How long have you two been friends?� She asked still holding the picture.
�Oh God! Forever. Our dads were best friends, so when we were born only months apart. We ended up growing up sharing from playpen to dresses. So, it is forever.� Chris validated the writing on the frame.
�But the picture you might be interested in is that one�� Chris said pointing to a bigger frame that stayed on the center among all her other picture displays. She picked up the frame herself and handed it.
It was a group picture of graduates of 1990 Police Academy.
�Here is Olivia.� Alex said getting excited at seeing a younger Olivia in the picture. �And you are here too. You were in Police Force?� Alex asked her host.
�Yes� but I quit right after I graduated. But I was there.� Chris started and ended the topic she didn�t want to talk about.
Meanwhile Alex kept her focus on only one face on that picture, letting everything else fade away.
�You should go back to your life.� Chris finally said after allowing Alex ample time to stare at Olivia�s picture.
On the morning after her birthday Alex was presented with two choices. One, she could get a new life, new name and new Agent. That was the safest choice for her. Two, she could participate in the FBI�s bait and wait plan. For that she could either go back to her old life and wait, or she could stay with Gem�s real life and wait. Both the plan was dangerous for her life but that would help the FBI to flush out how the criminals after her had found Gem�s real life. Yet going back to her life was still a safer alternative to staying as a target for the people who had already found her. But that would mean that Gem and her family had to go into hiding. Now, Alex already knew how painful giving up one�s life was. She wouldn�t wish that on an enemy let alone have her friend go through it. So, regardless of the danger she was in, she had insisted on saving Gem�s life from going into hiding. That is why she was now is Chris� home with Chris� family as they were Gem�s family.
�No, I let that life go already. They gave me a choice and this is what I choose.� Alex said putting back the frame at its place.
�I know you chose to try and save us rather than go back to your life. But G told me the reason she got you to let go of your life in the first place. You left your life because you believed that what you felt for Liv might never be reciprocated. She told you that Liv was straight. But she is not.�
Alex who was looking down looked right at Chris now only focused on her words.
�She is gay Alex. She had a girlfriend when we were in Academy. We lost touch after Academy due to things that tore us apart, so I have no idea if she is with someone or not. But you wanted to hold on to your life because you wanted to hold on to any possibility that may have existed to be with Liv. Now, I am telling you that � that possibility does exist. So, you should go.�
While Chris appreciated what Alex did. But Chris did not want to depend on Alex like she had once depended on Olivia. She knew that what she had wanted from Olivia was not right, but she had depended on her, and at the last minute Olivia had abandoned them. She did not want that to repeat. She believed in Gina theory that gay women would ultimately choose their lovers or their love life so, it was better that Alex got all the facts before hand and leave them as it was bound to happen.
�We did fine when Liv didn�t choose us� over her girlfriend. We�ll do fine now too.� A long buried bitterness surfaced as Chris mumbled to her self, thinking about her old friend.
Alex had no idea where that came from. She had no idea what Olivia had done or chosen or why. But at that moment it didn�t matter. No matter what Chris said and what Chris believed, she had made her choice. Yes, the fact that Olivia was gay and if she ever could go back to her life, then she could pursue the beautiful detective was tempting. But, at that moment that was still a part of the life she had given up. And what mattered was the life at hand, life in which she had a made a friend. And she was not about to choose any one over her friend.
And just at that moment her friend entered the living room.
�Well � Sarah is asleep.� She announced crashing beside Chris.
�Who died here?� Gina asked again seeing that both her friends were quiet.
�I was just telling Alex all the facts and telling her to leave now rather than later when all our hopes are up.� Chris was the one who answered.
�Look� I have no idea what history you guys have with Olivia. But if you think ��
�No we don�t think so.� Gina cut Alex�s words before she could complete.
She looked at her best friend beside her before she talked. �What Chris doesn�t understand is what Witness Protection does to people? We are not criminals. We don�t have series of shit that we are glad to leave behind. Rather we are people with lives filled with love and care everywhere. When we leave this for a complete new life� everyday is dying. I have seen it happen to best of people. I have seen them break down.�
Gina was still turned to Chris but as she continued she looked at Alex who numbingly understood every word she was saying.
�I have seen people cry whole night � every night� for months. I have seen people go crazy� seen them be someone they would never be. I have seen it all and that is not what I want for you and Sarah. You two are my life and just the thought of taking your lives away was killing me. I am really grateful to Alex that she decided to see this through with us� so please Chris. I beg you to let go of what happened with Olivia. She is not Olivia.�
Gina who rarely cried had inkling of tears on her eyes when she finished. And Chris understood. She understood for her friend.
�Okay� I was just scared that�s all.� Chris apologized to Alex. When Gina started to talk Chris usually gave in.
Alex nodded feeling no ill towards either of the women in front of her.
�So� now that I am here what is next step?� Alex asked changing the subject for everyone.
�Well it is bait and wait operation as they said. Now you read that letter that was found on the man who was snooping around in your apartment.�
�The man that was lying dead in my bedroom, the next morning; he had a letter?� Alex asked since that was the first time she had heard anything about any letter.
At that point Gina opened her work briefcase on the coffee table and took out a file. From inside the file she took out an envelope and handed it to Alex. The envelope had �Gina� scribbled on top. Alex opened it and took out the letter that read.
G,
Your life or Ms. Cabot�s?
Choose
�He had this on him? That is how you guys knew that he knew of your real life.�
�That and the fact that he was following me here.� By which Gina meant in Chris� town.
Gina handed another file to Alex. A file that they had complied against the man that she had killed in attempt to save Alex.
�That is the FBI�s compilation of his activities for the last six months. I knew he was following us when we got out of caf� on the day I took you to see the prosecutor. So we put a trial on him. For couple of months he just went around hopping cities trying to find you. Typical to small time crooks who try to make quick cash by finding information for big timers. The only thing that was different about this guy though was that he seemed to have no contact with anyone else. He made no phone calls. No local or long distance. He has no cell phone. No laptop or computer. No local mailboxes. No contact with anyone out of ordinary. Yet, he changed his search from you then suddenly to me.�
�And you believe that he should have done so only if someone gave him your name or your real name.� As an ADA Alex always participated in the briefing of cases, so she was good at understanding how detectives thought.
�Exactly, someone should have told him or given him the list. But he was on surveillance 24/7 and we found no means of communication on him. He hopped from one motel to another. Lodger�s Cabin, Daylight Inn, Howard�s Cottage, Comfort Motel. We didn�t miss his beat. Yet I know we missed the person who has been giving him, his instructions.� Gina said flipping through the papers.
�But why do you think that this is isolated? Like Agent Ward said, it could be much bigger. They could have the list.�
�Because they found me.� Chris answered instead. �G�s life is a dead end by itself. Her father died about five years ago. After that she has no family. She has couple of addresses but she never uses mine. Now if you were looking for someone�s weak point you wouldn�t go looking for her friends do you? She has been divorced twice and they didn�t go after her ex-husbands. So, we concluded that it had to be someone who knew about our friendship. For that it has to be someone from our past. The reason we say past is because of the fact that the letter calls her �G�, right now only Sarah and I call her G. But when we were in high school or in Academy everyone called her G.�
Alex stared at the letter. There was nothing significant about it. It was the stationary from one of the motel and it looked like it was written in a hurry. The only unusual thing was that the �i� of Gina was not dotted but it was dashed like you would do for a�t�. But many people did that in a hurry. So, Alex put down the letter and looked through other papers on the folder. Her attention caught a picture of two cigarette butts.
�That is another reason we knew that he was in contact with someone. Three times during our entire surveillance we found the second cigarette butt in his room. The first is his, Marlboro Menthol Lights. The other one is American Spirits Lights and that is not his brand.� Gina explained seeing Alex�s interest on them.
�American Spirits Yellow.� Chris corrected.
�What?� Gina was a non-smoker so she completely missed Chris� point.
�That is Adam�s brand so you don�t call it American Spirits Lights; you call it American Spirits Yellow. It comes in three colors. Yellow, blue and green. Yellow is light. Blue is full flavor and green is menthol.� Chris educated the two non-smokers.
�But you never saw someone out of ordinary going in or out of his room?� Alex asked.
�Nope� no one except the motel staff and they have video surveillances on the lobby so we have his door activity on tape.�
�Forget about him. He is dead. You killed him remember.� Chris said interrupting the two women who were re-reading the file. �What now? My daughter has missed three days of school already.�
�Well� we wait. Her court date is in a month so we wait for them to attack her. CAU is all around us so we should be fine.� Gina outlined the plan in one sentence.
After spending couple more hours discussing in detail the role of Criminal Apprehension Unit, the role of Alex in the house and their over all plan, they decided to call it a night. Just as Alex was about to enter the guest room, Gina thanked her one more time for choosing to come to their rescue.
�Don�t worry about it G. I wasn�t going to leave you.� Alex reassured. �As long as you promise � that in case I die. You�ll tell Olivia about my actual death in person.� Alex was smiling but half-heartedly that was her wish.
�Stop thinking about Olivia.�
�I can�t.�