Page 90 of Operation: Valiant Angel

“Is Coop in his office?” Madison asked.

“Yeah, he headed that way after our debrief,” Wilson answered.

“I’ll see you later. Let’s get the girls together to play soon,” she told Reina. Then she walked down the hall in the direction Reina knew led to the kitchen and Angel’s desk.

Wilson laced his fingers with Rae’s. He kissed the top of her head. “Shepherd’s waiting for us.” He gave her hand a gentle tug as he stepped towards Shepherd’s open door in the corner.

Reina pulled on his hand, stopping him. “Is there anything I need to know?”

“No, it’s routine.” He gave a smile and then continued walking towards Shepherd’s office. He knocked on the open door.

“Come,” Shepherd said.

They entered the office. Reina saw the man sitting at the big desk in front of floor to ceiling windows. He stood and walked over to the seating area to the right of his desk. They joined him there. He extended his right hand to Reina. “I’m Shepherd. It’s nice to meet you.” He held a manilla folder in his left hand.

She shook his hand. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you too.”

He motioned to the couch. He sat in a chair opposite them. “Stella Adams is going to face a variety of charges in multiple jurisdictions,” Shepherd said. “She won’t walk free for many years, certainly not while her daughter is still a minor. If you’re still willing, you’ve been given custody of Lilly Carona. The Marshals are waiting for my direction on the creation of new identities for you both.”

“Is one for me really necessary?” Reina asked. “It sounds like everyone associated with Iowa is either in custody or dead.” She was glad Blake Henning was dead.

“For your protection it is best,” Shepherd said. “People in jail can still have visitors and pass info along. And they do get out at some point.”

He handed the folder across to her. She opened it and read the name she was getting. She giggled. She turned to Jimmy. “Did you know?”

He glanced at the sheet of paper in her hand. He smiled. “I was consulted and agreed.”

“Rachel Wilson,” she read aloud.

“Rae is an accepted shortened form of Rachel,” Shepherd said. “The second page is Lilly’s. I need for you to sign yours in that name so the Marshals can create your ID.”

He handed her a pen, and she signed on the line. She remembered the process from last time. They’d create for her a driver’s license, passport, and issue her a credit card, enough for her to establish bank accounts. Last time they gave her eight hundred dollars. She had a lot more than that in her bank accounts now. “What about my bank accounts under Reina Ellis?”

“They’ll clear them out and issue a cashier’s check under your new name so you can take it to the bank of your choice to establish accounts. They should have that all done within ten days,” Shepherd said. His gaze went to Wilson. “I assume the delay in her getting access to funds won’t be an issue.”

“Not at all,” Wilson said. “I’ve got you,” he added, a wink to Rae.

“Thank you both,” she said. She flipped to the second page. Lilly Wilson was the name Lilly would be taking.

“Wilson mentioned you wanted to talk to Stella Adams. I can arrange a visit,” Shepherd said.

“Yes, please,” Reina said. “No matter what she’s done, she is Lilly’s mother, and I want her to know that I will take good care of Lilly. And would it be okay to offer to write to her to tell her how Lilly is doing, maybe send her pictures? And maybe when Lilly is older, she can write Lilly, or I can take Lilly to visit?”

“I’d think long and hard about what you’re offering her,” Shepherd said. “But if you want to do that, yes, I’ll provide youwith an anonymous PO box address she can have. She can never know your real address, understand?”

“Yes, I do. Thank you. And I promise, I will think about it.” And she’d talk with Jimmy about it as she hadn’t yet. She also wanted to give Stella a piece of her mind for the situation she’d put Lilly in and the harm she’d done that Reina would now have to make sure Lilly recovered from. She wouldn’t mention that to Shepherd though.

“Do you still have your ID under Reina Ellis?” Shepherd asked.

“Yes.”

“Your flight will have to be booked under that name as the Marshals won’t have your ID issued under Rachel Wilson soon enough.”

“Okay, no problem. I have both my driver’s license and passport with me.”

Shepherd’s eyes went to Wilson. “Angel can make your travel arrangements. She’s off today but can take care of it from home. I messaged her. She’s expecting your call. You’re off for the next three days. Report for duty at zero seven hundred Thursday.”

“Yes, sir,” Wilson said, coming to his feet. He knew they’d just been dismissed. He also already knew he was off for three days. He’d met privately with Shepherd and Cooper after the debrief. It had also been disclosed that the Smith’s had been located and arrested.

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