Saturday April 13, 2019 – Waiting

7:00 am

In three hours, we will be transferring Lauren and Sophy into witness protection. The exchange is set for 10:00 am at the superior court building. I’ve been up since 5:00 am going over the details, reviewing the contingencies. We will be taking my car. There will only be five of us, myself, Lauren, Sophy, Peter and one of his crew. Attracts less attention that way, much easier to blend into the crowd. We’ll pull up to the stairs, hand them over to witness protection, and that will be it.

We have kept an extremely tight lid on the details. The only ones who know the exact transfer time and location are myself, Peter and witness protection. There is always the possibility of a leak, but we have done our best to contain it. We also have broad daylight working for us. Any attempts to get to Lauren will have to be direct and out in the open. I don’t know if Sonrisa is willing to do that, but we need to consider it. At least we will be able to see what is coming. The three of us will be carrying weapons, and as added protection, we will all be wearing kevlar vests. But the truth is, if a leak occurs and we are ambushed, our chances are slim. God, I hope it doesn’t come to that. Lauren has placed her trust in me. Her life is in my hands. I wish I could do more to guarantee her safety, to protect her and her daughter.

Someone of Max’s caliber would have been a great asset to our team, but she turned me down. Last night, we were playing a game, we flirted and danced around each other, but this morning, everything is deadly serious. Max doesn’t trust me and I gave her no reason to. My little maneuver with the barcode cost us both a lot. She had let her guard down, she let me get close to her, but then I pulled away. It will probably take us a long time to get back to where we were before that, to rebuild the fragile connection we had developed.

I thought I could buy Max’s services in exchange for some information, that it would be a simple business arrangement. Nothing is ever that simple. She is not willing to risk exposure. I caught a glimpse of the fear in her eyes when she described what Manticore would do if they recaptured her. Last night, I tried to ignore those eyes, but this morning I don’t blame her. Beneath that tough exterior is a vulnerable girl who has already seen too much of the harshness of life. I don’t blame her for wanting to protect herself.

Yet I still wish there were some way to show Max that there is more to life than hiding. I think it would take a long time to convince her of that, even if I did help her find the others like her. She obviously cares deeply for them, but the price I asked of her is too high. She is too used to keeping her head down, minding her own business, not rocking the boat. She could be so powerful, just like that goddess, Bast, she is so attracted to. But she hasn’t discovered that strength in herself yet.

Max

Hiding your power

Behind a tough shell

A vulnerable girl

Lost without family

Afraid of the world

Bast

Heart of a protector

Eye of an avenger

Strength of a destroyer

Giver of Life

I see her within you

Last night, I told Max I knew everything about her, but it’s not true. I know a few facts about how she was made, but I don’t truly know her at all. I’ve barely begun to see inside her, to see her potential. I don’t think the scientists at Manticore could have possibly anticipated the woman she has become. I could spend a lifetime getting to know her. Maybe later today, after the transfer is completed, I will track her down.

The apartment is quiet. Lauren and Sophy are still asleep. But I can’t sleep, not with the weight of their lives on my shoulders. In a while, I will wake them up and help them prepare. I’ll miss them when they go, but I’ll be able to breathe again when they are safely out of my hands. This is the most difficult part of my job, these last few hours, the waiting, the uncertainty, the responsibility...