Chapter 23

The agent looked at Theresa and said, "We didn't expect to find this complication."

"Complication?" Theresa said back, wondering what he meant.

"It took us two calls to find out where John was staying. Theresa, if we could find him that easily..."

"Anyone could," my father finished.

"Why weren't we told this before?" my mother asked.

"Frankly, we didn't know it was a problem until we stumbled on the girl. If we would have known, John could have been moved without an easy trace."

I looked over to Theresa. She had her hand over her mouth.

My mother asked, "So John has to move now?"

Before an answer was said, I asked, "Are Theresa and Jessica in danger now as well?"

"I'm afraid they might be," agent Barnes said. "That is why I was sent."

"Shit," I said.

"John!" my mother tried to scold.

I ignored her and looking at Theresa, said, "I'm sorry to get you into this." Then turning to the agents, I asked, "What do we do to protect them?"

Agent Barnes cracked a smile and said, "The one we're here to protect is you, but I understand." Turning to talk to Theresa she asked, "Is there someplace you can stay? From what we know of this group, they should follow the same sort of pattern. There isn't any danger to you anyplace but home. So going to work, or Jessica going to school will be just fine. It is home that they will target. That is why you are in danger, as John was living there. So you need to move out for a while. Anyplace come to mind?"

"My sister's," Theresa said.

Theresa didn't look well. Between the call from her ex and now this, it was too much for her.

"That would probably be a good place for you and Jessica," I said and then explained to the others. "Her sister and husband run a storage and salvage yard. It's fenced and there are dogs that are in the yard at night."

"That," Special Agent Downs said, "sounds like a perfect place."

"Maybe you should call your daughter," my father said, and then added, "do you think she's home by now?"

I looked at the two of them and then asked Dad, "Did you know where Jessica went today?"

My father smiled at me, in a fatherly sort of way.

"John, I know many things."

"What a load of..." I returned to him.

Theresa cut in, "I should think so. I'm going to call."

She left the room and so I asked again, "Where did Jessica go?"

"Did she tell you?" my father replied. "If not, maybe she didn't want you to know yet."

I closed my eyes for a moment, while clenching my teeth. One thing my father had taught me was to spend just a moment before blowing up.

"It is easy to give flippant advice when you know the answers and are not looking for them. If that is the best you can do, Dad, go find someone else to ... You are not helpful, you are not being nice, and I don't appreciate either."

I could tell my response surprised my father and shocked my mother. The two FBI agents were, I'm sure, wishing they weren't in the room at that point.

There was a pause in the conversation that was not comfortable to anyone in the room.

Theresa opened the door and looked in.

"She didn't answer," she said with a worried sound in her voice. "She might not be back."

It was obvious she didn't believe herself.

"We'll go and wait for her," my father said.

It was uncomfortable. I was sure my father and mother wanted to leave. I had made him feel unwelcome. There was this other part that wanted him to go. I couldn't. I was worried about her as well.

"That would be good," I said. "Theresa and I are stuck here. Thanks, Dad."

He turned and smiled at me.

"You're growing up," he said. "It's hard to deal with. I'm sure you remember how I was with your sister."

That made me smile. I did remember.

"Go and take care of her," I said.

Theresa waited outside and when my parents walked out, she asked, "What was all that about?"

"My son is growing up and I'm having a bit of trouble understanding my role in all of it. With his sister, I didn't know what I was doing. She was bull headed," he smiled, "I guess a bit like me. We had knock down drag out fights. John has never been like that. So when he says ... When he gets ticked at my meddling, it is unnerving. He has a way of throwing things back at me that makes me realize what I am doing. In a way, it is a harder to take."

Theresa nodded, thinking how much John sounded like Jessica.

"We'll go," my mother told her, "and I'll bet Jessica will be there when we arrive. We'll have her call. Does she know how to get to her Aunt's house? We could take her there."

"Yes, she does. You are so kind," Theresa said.

"Not a problem. We're happy to do this," my father told Theresa.

Theresa was busy catching up on all her work that had piled up while she'd spent time in my room. So I didn't see her when Jackie came in and told me the doctor checked me out of the hospital. The last blood test had cleared me. She told me Theresa was swamped and needed to get a pile of paperwork done before she went home. She also grinned, saying I'd see her later, anyway.