Page 66 of Not Our Daughter

“Touché.”

“So what happens next for us?” Lisa asked.

“We’ll have a long legal battle ahead of us. And we’ll require your help.”

“Okay, but are we free to go?” Cole asked.

Their entire future hung in the balance of the agent’s response to this question.

“Technically, yes. But we’ll want to protect you. The ramifications of what is about to happen tonight in DC are beyond explosive. It’s going to shake things up for a lot of powerful people. I want to make sure you don’t get caught in the cross fire.”

“What about Jade?” Cole asked. “Can she stay with us?”

“Yes. I’ve already talked with Legal. We have some hoops to jump through the next few weeks, but that can all happen while you’re together.”

Cole was relieved to hear that. It had been a lingering anxiety in the back of his mind ever since they arrived at the hotel.

“Where will you take us?” Lisa asked.

“Somewhere no one else knows about. It’ll be nice, don’t worry. We keep you there until the dust settles. But I gotta get going myself. The first big domino is about to drop. You guys can stay here tonight. I’ll have agents available to get you whatever you need.”

Burns and Myers hurried out the hotel suite door, leaving them alone. Sitting there, Cole looked over at Jade and Lisa. Both seemed a little shell-shocked. Just like him. They were free. No more running. No more hiding. No more lies. It felt overwhelming. He had let go of this possibility a long time ago. They both had. Lisa’s eyes began to well up with tears. He could feel his own begin to water. It was over. All of it. After thirteen years. They both leaned into Jade, hugging and kissing her, and just held each other for a long time.

Fifty-One

Carl Fisk stood at his office window, expensive bourbon in hand, staring out over the lights of Washington, DC. It was well after midnight. He should be home in bed right now, getting some rest in preparation for a huge day with his client tomorrow in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. But sleep had been impossible the last two nights. Not with what hung in the balance right now. He’d had some powerful clients create big messes before, but this one took the cake because of everything currently at stake. Like his client, who was sitting in a hotel penthouse suite not too far away, Fisk was eager to get some good news. The kind of news that allowed them both to finally exhale and embrace what tomorrow had in store. If all went well, his client would be confirmed as the next United States Supreme Court Justice by tomorrow afternoon.

But why hadn’t they received an update?

Fisk turned when there was a knock at his office door. He was surprised by it. He’d sent his assistant, Brenda, home a half hour ago. Had she returned? He walked over and cracked the door open. He was shocked to see Ross Lester standing there. Same cheap brown suit as always. Same sagging old face and hollow eyes. His FBI insider had been calling him regularly with updates on their dire situation. But why was he suddenly showing up at his office unannounced instead of just calling? This couldn’t be good.

“What’re you doing here?” Fisk asked.

“I’m going away for a while,” Lester said.

Fisk tilted his head. “What the hell do you mean?”

“It’s over, Carl. They know.”

Fisk’s eyes narrowed. “Who knows? What’re you talking about?”

“The FBI knows I’ve been feeding you information. So I’ve got to disappear.”

“Where?”

“Anywhere. Nowhere. It doesn’t matter.”

“What about your wife?”

“That’s probably over, too.” He shifted his weight. “But I’m afraid that’s not all, old friend.”

“What is it?”

“It’s over for your client, too. You’d better get over there. In a few minutes, there will be more than twenty FBI agents at his hotel.”

Fisk’s mouth dropped open. This couldn’t be happening. Not when he was this close to having his man sitting in one of the nine most powerful chairs in the world.

“Are you serious?” he said.

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