Page 17 of Close Protection

"How soon do we leave?" Ivy asked,conceding the point without acknowledging it directly.

"Now," Marten replied. "This vehicle has been secured by Detective Scott personally. Unmarked, unregistered to the department."

Julia nodded, her hand resting near her holster. "We'll need supplies."

"Already loaded in the trunk," Marten said. "Basic provisions, emergency equipment, weapons cache."

"Weapons?" Ivy echoed.

"Standard protocol for high-risk witness protection," Julia explained without looking at her. "We prepare for contingencies."

Contingencies. Such a clinical term for armed confrontation with Knox's enforcers.

Marten handed Julia a small package. "Burner phones. Off-network. Check-in protocols are inside." She turned to Ivy. "Dr. Monroe, your testimony could dismantle one of the most sophisticated criminal organizations this city has seen. We can't afford to lose you."

The statement was purely professional—Ivy was an asset, a witness, a means to an end. Yet it carried a weight that settled uncomfortably in her chest.

"We should move," Julia said, checking her watch. "Window of opportunity is closing."

Chief Marten nodded. "Good luck. Stay dark until you reach the location." She held out her hand to Ivy. "Thank you for your courage, Dr. Monroe."

Ivy accepted the handshake automatically. "I just followed the money, Chief. The patterns were there for anyone to see."

"But you were the one who saw them," Marten replied. "That makes all the difference."

The unexpected acknowledgment caught Ivy off-guard. Julia was already opening the passenger door, her posture conveying urgency without words.

Ivy slid into the seat, watching through the window as Chief Marten spoke briefly to Julia, their expressions grave. Then Julia was behind the wheel, guiding them toward the exit.

"What did she say to you?" Ivy asked as they emerged into late afternoon sunlight.

Julia's eyes remained fixed on the road, constantly scanning. "She reminded me that this case is bigger than either of us."

The simple statement carried undercurrents Ivy couldn't quite decipher.

"I need to know the plan," Ivy said, deliberately steering the conversation to safer ground.

Julia navigated through side streets, her driving pattern seemingly random yet purposeful. "Mountain cabin about two hours north. Remote, defensible, off any property records linked to the department or me."

"And we'll be there until the grand jury?"

"That's the current timeline. Three weeks, possibly longer depending on court scheduling."

Three weeks. Ivy leaned back in her seat, watching the city thin out as they headed north. Three weeks alone with the woman she'd spent one reckless erotic night with.

The universe really did have a perverse sense of humor.

"You're angry," Julia observed, breaking the silence.

"Wouldn't you be?" Ivy countered. "My life has been reduced to running and hiding. I'm being hunted by criminals, betrayed by the system meant to protect me, and now I'mfacing isolation with—" She cut herself off abruptly.

"With me," Julia finished for her. "The complication you never anticipated."

"I don't like feeling powerless," Ivy admitted, the words escaping before she could contain them.

Something in Julia's expression softened fractionally. "I understand that better than you might think."

The simple statement created a momentary bridge across the chasm between them. Ivy studied Julia's profile—the sharp jawline, the focused eyes, the controlled movements that betrayed years of training.

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