Chapter 59: Arrangements

After the night's activities I'd decided that a new cell phone was a good idea regardless. He may not have, but there was at least the chance that Boris had passed my number along after he got it from Britney's phone. Not all that stuff you see in the movies is made up. Any normal cell phone can be found if someone wants it found bad enough. Working with the FBI is nothing if not instructional. While the relocation people were taking care of Allison and my parents, Rebecca and I were in the coffee shop of a large hotel two cities away going over my plans and options. While we were talking I was online spending money for the first leg of the trip I was about to start. When I asked her about my laptop she said it was incredibly unlikely that anyone would have managed to get the necessary information to try and trace me through a random internet connection, so it should be safe to use, but that if I was worried, and I should be, that it might be a good idea to pick up something else. She suggested just storing this one somewhere for a while. Once this all blew over and I got my life back I could use it again. Since that wasn't likely to happen anytime soon I decided to have her take it to Allison so she could use it. As long as she didn't connect to an unsecured server, and that wasn't even possible where she was, she would be fine. She agreed to take it by later. We discussed my options for getting something a little harder to pin down; Sandra Atkins name came up but we both decided we weren't ready to trust her that far yet. Instead, she gave me the phone number for a friend of hers named Dillon and suggested I give him a call. Then we moved on to cell phones.

"There is a lot about the cell system that people don't know," Rebecca had informed me. "If you know the electronic ID code of the phone you can actually activate it and have it send out a signal without ringing. That signal can be used to triangulate the location of the phone. Our phones are different; they are designed specifically not to do certain things that other phones do. Also the cell system itself is designed to respond to certain coded information that they send out when they connect. Think of it as having a back door into a computer system. The right password opens the door, you do what you need to do and the door closes again when you leave, then the computer politely forgets you were there."

"Then, if they could get those access codes, couldn't the bad guys do the same thing?" I asked.

"Of course, and many of them do. But the equipment is very expensive, that phone we gave you, even though it may look like every other cheap phone out there, actually cost about four times as much as the identical phone one of your friends at school may have. And of course everything has its limits. There is only so much you can do and if you do the wrong thing, none of that will matter. The reason I currently have a second cell phone is that someone, we don't know who or how, got to my phone and switched the SIM card. The new card carried all the right information to mimic my original and fool the system into thinking it was mine, but it carried a lot of additional instructions as well."

"You think it was the Sandman and that's how he got some of his information?"

"He's the only one we could think of and we still don't know how he did it. He would have had to break into my apartment, or Bob's house, sometime when I was there in order to get the phone while I was asleep. That is one hell of a risk to take."

"Rebecca, he's not known for taking unnecessary risks. That and all the other shit suddenly coming down tells me we've got a new player in the game that we don't know about."

"A new player in the game?" she said. "No. Jimmy, what we have is a whole new game that we didn't even know we were playing. Hopefully now, thanks to you, we have enough players in custody to finally get some answers."

"How long can you hold them?" I asked.

"They kidnapped two minors, not a single one of them had ID, so we still don't even know who they are; put that all together and we've got strong arguments for not releasing them on bail. They're not going anywhere. Not anytime soon anyway."

"Good. Listen, the one called Dean, he was the driver in the car that picked me up. He got off with minimal damage, a scratch really, where all the others all got roughed up pretty good, you may be able to use that against him. You point that out to the others they're going to wonder why. Whoever is in charge may very well decide that he double-crossed them..."

"Which would leave him in a very bad position," she agreed. "He may be willing to cut a deal. Considering what happened to the last guy we caught it wouldn't be hard to convince him that we're the only chance he has of getting out of this alive. Good idea, I'll talk to Rod about it. Anything else?"

"I didn't get a really good look at anybody but the head guy, the one I called Boris. If you spend some time with the others I should be able to bridge them." I gave her stern look. "I don't have to play by the same rules you do when it comes to asking questions."

"And we'll just keep that little bit of information to ourselves. I'll get close to them and we'll talk tomorrow..." she looked at her watch, " ... make that tonight. Want to tell me where you're going?"

"Well to start with I'm going to get Amber enrolled in school and set her up with a place to stay and stuff until winter term starts."

"That school has an on campus requirement for first year students, and she's not even a student yet and it's way too late to get her enrolled for this term, how are you going to..."

"The old fashioned way," I said with a smile. "Just get her on the plane and I'll have everything set up by the time she gets there."

"Kind of short notice, are you sure you'll have time?"

"The basics will be done by the end of the day; by the time she arrives everything will be in place."

"And then what?"

"I'm going to Vegas for a look around."

She whistled, "Whew! That's a bold move. You know you can't count on any assistance from us."

"I'm not planning on doing anything; I just thought maybe I'd check out a new church I heard about."

She dropped me off in San Bernardino so I could borrow the Buick to get to the airport; then she was taking my truck to a storage location to gather dust until we found a way to resolve all of this. I was really going to miss my truck but my time with Omstead and Reston had taught me to look at it as nothing more than a tool. For now, this particular tool had done its job and was going back in the shed until I needed it again.

Somewhere between the escalator and the gate, as I was riding one of those cool sliding walkways they have, the reality caught up with me. My life was over; I had no home and James Edward Matthews no longer existed. From now on, at least for the foreseeable future, my life would be a mosaic of shifting identities and transient stops. I don't even remember getting on the plane. My next conscious thought was of the pressure pushing me into the seat as the plane took off. Settling myself back as comfortably as the seat would allow, I closed my eyes and tried for sleep, but the background noise on the plane was too distracting. Suddenly everything was silent and I was lying in the sun on a very familiar beach.

"Rest, you got us this far, I can handle it until we land,"

"Thanks, sis. I love you."

"I know. Now be quiet and relax. Try not to think too much, I got this."

And she did, she got us landed, rented a car, even got directions to the school. She probably could have handled the drive without me but decided it might be a good idea if I knew my way around in case something went wrong. Showing up without an appointment was always a tricky thing so I made a phone call on the way. No specifics were discussed but I was assured that the Dean would make time for me.

Dean Wallace Wentworth Worthy made my skin crawl. From the moment I set foot on campus and asked for directions to the Dean's office I had been getting strange looks. Apparently no one saw Dean Worthy if they could avoid it. The sidelong glances from the two co-eds working in the outer office didn't do much to relax me. After about thirty minutes of waiting I was ushered into his office and it went quickly downhill from there.

"Eww," Jamie said after shaking hands with him.

"That bad?" I asked.

"Yeah, don't ask me why but I feel an urgent need to take a very long shower under really hot water."

"Great, just what I need. If you get a chance, poke around. This is the guy they set up Angela's cover with; I need to know I can trust him."

"Well, that's easy," she said. "You can't."

"Jamie."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, something a little more solid to go on, but you know I'm right."

"I suspect you're right. I need to know or I wouldn't be asking."

"Mr. Malcolm, I have to tell you this is all highly irregular and completely unexpected. I was told that no one was to know the truth of Miss Olsen's situation besides myself, her handler with Witness Protection, and Miss Forrester, who works for me and will be handling the details of her time with us. And yet, here you are; frankly it worries me. Are you attached to Witness Protection then?"

"No. They have no idea who I am or that I'm here, and I'd like to keep it that way. As for my involvement with Amber, she doesn't know I'm here either."

"But how is that possible? Surely they know that you are funding her education?"

"No. They have been told that arrangements had been made to cover the cost of her education; beyond that they don't know, and they don't care. She doesn't either for that matter. As for how and why, I know who she is and why she's coming here and I am simply here to smooth out the last of the details, nothing more."

It took almost two hours to iron out the details; according to the esteemed Dean Worthy, some rules had to be bent a little bit. As Amber was not actually a student until the winter session she was not technically allowed to live on campus. Her new job in security took care of that. The twenty-five thousand dollar endowment took care of the rest -- especially since it was over and above her regular tuition and housing. Nothing greases the wheels like cold hard cash.

"So where do we stand?" I asked Jamie as we were waiting for the woman from admissions to collect us. The next several hours were going to be all about paperwork.

I could feel a cold anger building inside of me. "This explains the funny looks when we came looking for him.

After spending time with Dean Worthy, Colleen Forester was a breath of fresh air, welcoming me to the school and explaining some of its history as we made our way to her office.

"So, Mr. Malcolm, I take it you will be joining us for the Winter Session?"

"No, actually I'm not. I thought Dean Worthy had explained it to you. I'm here on behalf of a friend. I believe you have an application on file for Amber Olsen? I'm here on her behalf."

An eyebrow rose as she turned to her computer and started typing, "Well, I'm surprised Mr. Worthy even saw you."

"Really, why is that?"

"Well to be frank, Mr. Malcolm..."

"Please, call me David, my father is Mr. Malcolm, and if you call him that, he'll refer you to my grandpa."

"My point exactly," she said. "David, you look like a kid, not even a student, but a kid. Dean Worthy doesn't see students under the best of circumstances, and with the exception of his grandchildren, he never sees kids."

"Really? How old do you think I am?"

"Hmm. Let's see. You're a little shorter than average but obviously in good shape, your appearance is neat and clean, your hair is well kept ... in the right light and with the right ID you could buy your own beer. But if you intend to be taken seriously by someone like the esteemed and honorable Dean Worthy, you really need to dress the part. The polo shirt is okay, but slacks would have been better than jeans, and real shoes, even casual shoes, Birkenstocks even ... but tennis shoes? No one in Dean Worthy's position would take you seriously dressed like that. If you don't mind my asking, how did you get in?"

"I said the magic word," I said with a smile.

"Please?"

"Endowment."

That got me a laugh, "Oh yes, that would certainly be the right word. So, special circumstances aside, I see your friend Amber is scheduled to join us this winter, major undeclared, no sports listed, she seems to be past most of her prerequisites, but I've seen this before, it's amazing how much you lose in that extra six months off."

"It couldn't be helped. She's lucky to be alive and rehab takes time, but she will be ready. One of the reasons I wanted her settled now was so that she could do a little brushing up."

She was looking at me oddly.

"You're wondering how I know about Amber, it's a long story and it would be better for all involved if you just pretend I don't know anything and this conversation never took place. Dean Worthy wasn't too happy about it but he said he would arrange a job in security for her to account for her living on campus before school starts."

She gave me disapproving look. "Yes, I would expect him to come up with something like that. It's a sure way of making sure she has no friends."

I stared hard into her eyes and cut straight to the point. "Are you suggesting that isolated and alone would make her an easier target?"

She didn't answer but she refused to drop her eyes. The combination was all the answer I needed.

"I don't suppose you have any suggestions?"

"Several come to mind. Janitor, grounds keeper, cafeteria, the bookstore..."

"I got the impression those were only available..."

"To students?" she said, completing the thought for me. "Yes, they are, and she is a student, despite what you may have been led to believe. If grad students can hang around for years playing with advanced degrees then certainly she can start a little early. She is after all enrolled, and it's a deferred enrollment, not a late registration. Technically she's been enrolled since July. Finding her the right room mate is generally the tricky part. Many of the students, especially the girls, move around a lot the first few months until they find someone they can tolerate for extended periods of time. Most of us share rooms with brothers and sisters but it's a whole new world learning the quirks and idiosyncrasies of a new roommate, let me tell you. We're all different people and nothing quite brings that out like being trapped in a twelve by fourteen room with someone for a year. Coincidentally, I just had a girl switch rooms today so I have an opening. Very sweet girl, a little wild, but if nothing else she'll make sure your friend meets people."

"Ooh, how convenient..." Jamie said.

"Quiet you."

We chatted amiably as she helped me with Amber's paperwork. With the time difference I'd gotten a later start so it was late in the day before we finished.

"Thank you for your time Mrs. Forrester. I'm sure Amber will be fine in your care."

Something in her eyes... "I'll do my best Mr. Malcolm."

"Oh yeah, she's worried."

"You think she knows something?" I asked.

"Oh I think we're safely past the point of speculation by now. The question is what, and why hasn't she done something about it."

"Going to be a busy night; we've still got a lot to do in LA. Somehow I don't see Boris rolling over for interrogation."

"Hah!" she laughed. "That is sooo not what you're thinking about! Nervous?"

No point in trying to deny it, I knew exactly what she was talking about. "A little yeah, you?"

"Liar! Nervous doesn't even begin to cover it. Can we go now?"

I shook hands with Mrs. Forester and headed for the hotel to check in and grab a shower before heading out for a bite to eat.

The doorman/bouncer looked at me skeptically as he checked my ID but he still let me in. I think his real concern was whether or not my ID would pass inspection if anyone challenged it later. Not that I was worried about it, I wasn't planning on drinking anyway.

The room was packed as I entered, pausing inside the door to let my eyes adjust and hopefully find a place to sit. It was your typical college crowd, loud and rowdy; you could almost smell the hormones on the air, if you could get past the overwhelming ambiance of stale beer.

Suddenly a young woman was crossing the room toward me, a look of wonder on her face. The sight of her set my heart racing and suddenly I felt like I needed another shower.

A voice called out behind her, "Hey, Easy, where you going?"

She ignored it and continued toward me, her eyes seeming to sweep over me from floor to face and back again. By the time she reached me I could see tears forming in her eyes. Or maybe it was the ones in my eyes.

"Hello, Elizabeth."

"Oh my God," she whispered, her hands coming up to her face. "You came. I can't believe you're really here."

"Me either, disappointed?"

"Asshole."

"I love you too."

"I know," she said, smiling and throwing her arms around my neck. She seemed to flow up against me and it felt like a piece of myself that I didn't know was missing had suddenly returned. I hugged her tightly, burying my head in her hair and languishing in the smell of her.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked when I finally pulled back enough to see her face again.

She gave me a look, "Oh please. It was like the sun walked in. Are you going to kiss me soon?"

I blushed and grinned, "I don't know, after last night, do we dare risk it."

"I'll take the chance, maybe if we just keep it short and friendly."

"I don't know if I can do that," I said honestly.

The kiss was indescribable. Fortunately the catcalls and applause brought us back to reality before things got seriously out of hand.

I noticed the girl who had called after her as she came toward me was standing next to her. She was about the same height as Lizzy, with short brown hair, wearing white Capris, a pink short sleeved top, and sandals. Either it was colder in here than I thought or she was really happy to see someone.

"Is this where the line starts?" she asked innocently.

"Carol!" Lizzy said.

"Oh come on Lizzy, I thought kisses that hot only happened in movies. Please, just one? I promise I'll give him back."

"No!" Lizzy answered, exasperated. "Get your own!" She poked Carol in the shoulder with her finger for emphasis.

"What's the matter, Lizzy," Carol said, rubbing the spot where Lizzy had poked her. "Afraid of a little competition?" She reached out her hand to me, "Hi, I'm Carol, and you are?"

"David Malcolm," I answered, shaking her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Carol."

I was afraid Lizzy might react to the name but she took it in stride.

"Yes, it would be," Carol said, flicking an eyebrow at me, "If someone wasn't being such a bitch about it."

"You know, Carol," Lizzy said, the grin suddenly spreading across her face scared me, I'd seen one just like it on Allison's face many times and it was never a good sign. "You're right! It's not fair of me to keep David all to myself. Go ahead and kiss him, but just remember, I warned you. David..." by now that grin was in full wicked bloom, "don't hold back, give her the real thing."

"Lizzy?" I hoped the desperation wasn't as evident in my voice as it sounded to me.

"Don't worry, David," Carol said. "I won't hurt you, but you may never look at blondes the same again."

"This is going to be fun!" Jamie said.

"This is so not how I saw this night going." I turned back to Carol and asked, "Are you sure? I mean, we just met, I don't even know you..."

"Oh please!" Carol said, rolling her eyes. "It's a kiss, it's not like I'm going to throw you down and fuck you right here in the middle of the room. Bring it on."

I shot Lizzy a semi-angry glance and it was plain that she was looking forward to this. Resigning myself to my fate I moved in, slipped my arms around Carol's waist and bent toward her. She thought I was aiming for her mouth but I turned and started at the base of her neck instead, showering little butterflies up her throat until I reached her chin, which I bit lightly. She gave a little purr as my teeth slid across her skin, and then I moved in for the kill. Our lips met and hers quickly parted to make room for the real party. That was when Jamie moved up to join me. Suddenly Carol gave a gasp and within a few seconds she was attacking my mouth, her body pressing hard against me, her tongue dancing around mine like a stripper on a pole. Her breathing quickly became labored and I could feel her muscles tensing everywhere we touched.