Page 20 of The Captive Missing

“Make them think you like them. Say you’ve been forced into hiding and you’ve only returned to help an innocent man escape injustice. Can you do that? For Jason?”

“Yes,” Val whispered. Ducking her head, she looked down at her hands. They had resumed their trembling.

* * *

When the sedan pulled to a stop in front of the hotel, Val narrowed her eyes at the group of people already waiting there. Had this collection of cameramen jockeying for position also been at the airport? If so, how had they returned to the hotel so quickly?

Then it dawned on her. These were secondary crews. One team was dispatched here and the other back there in anticipation of her every move. She was like a tiny bird trapped at the corner of a metal cage. The cats were meowing their pleasure all around.

“Are you okay?” Senior laid a hand on her shoulder. “It’s only for a few minutes.”

Sucking in a breath, Val squeezed her eyes shut before purposefully opening them wide. Agency training flooded her brain.

She would choose an older man in the crowd, there had to be at least one. She would speak to him as she had been taught so long ago. Winning him over, throwing him off balance, leaving him feeling unsure. The camera behind him would hopefully get the same impression.

Clearing her throat, Val swept back her hair and pursed her lips together in one final check for a glossy shine.

“I’m ready,” she said.

CT and Senior exited first, leaving the driver to sit quietly in the front seat of the car. The man was not familiar to her but he made no remarks. She expected his time of service with the Riggs family was a long one.

Straightening her sunglasses, Val flashed a brilliant smile as her door opened. Deliberately, she placed her small hand in CT’s large one. As soon as her high heel touched the gray cement of sidewalk, cameras clicked and voices rose in conflict. All of them wanted to be heard, so hearing any of them was impossible.

Scanning the press of faces, Val found the one that she wanted and walked confidently towards him. As his eyes zeroed in on her, she tugged at her dress in a way that had his attention shifting to her exposed length of leg. CT helped to clear her path. Senior stepped back to watch.

Stopping just a hair too close for comfort, Val opened her mouth to speak and all other voices fell away.

“I feel so fortunate to be here with you.” Val directed her gaze into the surprised eyes of the seasoned reporter, his suit jacket and tie looked uncomfortably hot in the midst of summer. “With all of you.”

For a moment, the man’s mouth hung slack. The crews had prepared for many things, but none of them included Val submitting so willingly to an interview. She had never done so in the past, so the man was at a loss for words now.

In the brief lull that followed, Val let a knowing smile play across her lips which further drained the color from the reporter’s face. Those who were positioned behind her, jogged around to get a better angle.

“Yes.” The reporter finally found his voice, his finger hooking subconsciously in his collar. “What brings you back to New York, Val? Do you still go by Val?”

“As you all know, even though I have been given my freedom, my safety in this country is very much in question. That is why I have never been able to spend time with you, though I have wanted to many times in the past.”

“Where have you been hiding?”

“Do you still have a relationship with Jason Riggs?”

“Do you ever see Veronica Durand?”

“Are you having an affair with-”

The questions began in earnest, each one coming from a different mouth. Before long, they overwhelmed the air, making the space feel tight, claustrophobic. Despite a sheen of sweat that broke out on her lower back, Val kept her face easy and accepting.

Finally cutting through the volley without effort, Val spoke once more.

“I am here because a dear friend and champion of the weak has been incarcerated on a false charge. I know all of you admire Jason Riggs for what he has done to root out injustice. Like you, I simply cannot stand idle while an innocent man is forced to endure a similar fate.”

“And that’s all the time we have for today.” Senior swooped in, setting firm hands on Val’s shoulders. “I trust you will attend the court hearing in two days. We will see you then.”

The reporters’ voices rose in earnest, but the two men guided Val quickly away towards the hotel. Its great glittering awning was made of black iron and shining glass. Once they passed under it and through a revolving door, Val exhaled in relief. The lobby was safe and serene. Free of cameras and questions.

White marble flooring stretched out beneath her high-heels until it met with black marble inlay. A geometric design formed at the center of the space. Above her head, heavy chandeliers gave off romantic light, complimenting the subtlety of classical music that played.

Senior didn’t bother to stop at the check-in desk. Its attendants stood calmly behind a long stretch of marble counter. Instead, he directed their small group towards a bank of hidden elevators. Depressing a round button, they waited in un-accosted silence.

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