Witness Protection: Hide and Seek (10 page)

She leaned forward. "Keep going," she said with
eagerness.

"Well, let's just say that the feds paid a lot of money
to keep top mob bosses and a slew of other high profile snitches and rats safe
and sound in their own little compound.

And by compound, I'm talking about a place next to a prison
that can function as its own separate entity.

These guys are able to lay back and relax all day, gamble,
and place bets. You name it and they are allowed to do it. And that's what
bothers me, day after day we're out there serving warrants, dealing with bounty
hunters, the DEA, Homeland Security, trying to keep people safe. Meanwhile,
these guys, these lowlifes, and I'm talking about everyone from drug-cartel
turncoats to Aryan brotherhood dropouts, are living the high life.

These snitches are more heavily guarded and protected than
the President of any country.

 
It's almost
mind-blowing."

Madison sat stunned. "I had no idea of the great
lengths that the government would go through to protect murderers."

"Well that's just it, they want everyone to think that
they're looking at the bigger picture, but it's all a lie."

"How do you know all of this?"
 

 
"I deal with a
lot of different people and most of the guards at these places have loose
lips."

"Anyway, in there, guys talk about murder like it was
nothing. I couldn’t believe it and wouldn’t have if I didn’t hear it for
myself.

The feds even allow men who have gotten busted for having
over 5000 kilos of cocaine, to keep all of their assets. That's why Castillo
was able to get to Hernandez."

"Yes, but Castillo isn’t a protected witness."

"No he's not, not that we know of anyway, but it's
obvious that he is still a member of the cartel. The guy runs things right from
his jail cell. And his assets, which are not frozen by the way, add up to
millions.

Some of the wives of these creeps get flown in on private
jets. Sometimes, they even take the guy out to a hotel so that he can have a
rendezvous with his wife. Just all types of situations the public would not
believe and at the end of the day, all of these criminals are being released
into the witness protection program. If the government really needs and wants
you, they'll let you get away with anything. And after all is said and done,
they all rat each other out. And the feds willingly pay for all of their living
expenses.

Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, who witness a crime and try to
do the right thing, get treated like trash."

He stopped talking when he saw an older gentleman, dressed
in a suit enter the diner.

"Everything okay?" Madison asked.

"Everything is fine," he said. "And thank
you."

"For what?"

"For listening to me rattle on and on." He
grinned.

"You weren't rattling. And in case you didn’t notice, I
was completely engrossed in what you had to say. So engrossed, that I didn’t
pay attention to the time." She grinned and pointed at the clock.
"Not to mention that I think we strayed off the original topic. I still
think we need to talk about what happened last night."

He took her hand in his. "I'm in no rush." He
smiled at her.

"And I've said all there is to say on the subject of my
ex-wife. But listen, I know this must be hard for you. I want you to know that
you're doing the right thing. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm not that
good at expressing myself, but I hope you know how glad I am that you’re here
with me."

Madison got a warm feeling, low in her belly. There was so
much feeling and emotion in his tone and gaze. After Tristan died, she'd built
up a wall of reserve around her heart, but the more time she spent with Cole,
the more the wall began to crumble.

"You're right. It is hard because I feel like I have no
direction. You know, after Tristan died, I waited weeks for and finally
received the footage."

Cole shot her a reproachful look. "Oh Madison, tell me
that you didn’t want to see that. And why was there footage?"

She nodded her head. "I did. I couldn’t help myself.
There was a news crew nearby and they just happened on the scene. Anyway… when
I received the footage, I would watch it, but only when I was alone. I would
sit for hours, just hoping, praying for a glimpse of him. But I never saw him.
The shootout was so violent, that you hear more than you can actually see. It
took me a couple of months, but eventually, I stopped looking at it and threw
it away."

"You were grieving, I know. But I'm glad that you
stopped watching that. You've taken a big step forward. Bring what you can of
the past with you, yes, but I want you to remember to keep moving forward and
in case you forget, I'm going to be with you every step of the way."

Madison nodded and smiled. "Good, because I'm going to
need all the help that I can get and from now on, I am going to go with it and
see where it leads me. And thank you for convincing me to come with you. I'll
do whatever it takes to keep my friends and family safe from harm. The little
friends and family that I have left." She frowned.

On his way out, the older gentleman walked by their table.
Cole nodded politely before excusing himself to the restroom.

After paying the bill, the two headed out to the car.

"You sure you don’t want me to drive?" Madison
asked.

Feeling rejuvenated, Cole got behind the wheel. "No
thanks, I feel good. I feel better than I have in months." He smirked and
pressed a slow kiss to her forehead.

"She on the move boss?" Manny had walked into the
room and handed Castillo his drink.

"Yes she is and aside from a few stops here and there,
she hasn’t stopped moving. She's just entered West Virginia."

"Where do you think she's headed boss?"

"I don’t know, but as soon as this tracker stops, we're
hunting her down. Are my bags packed?"

"Yes boss, but you don’t have to go. You just tell me
where she is and me and the boys will go take care of her."

 
"No!" He
shouted as a growl of frustration rumbled from his chest.

"I want to watch her suffer just like I did Hernandez.
Is that understood?"

"Yes boss. But she isn’t alone. I did some checking
like you asked and her rental was returned early this morning."

Castillo slammed his fist down hard onto the smooth glass
tabletop, causing his drink to slosh and spill over.

"I don’t care who she's with! All that matters is that
she is looking at me while she is dying. I want her to know that I'll be the
last man to enter her life as she is exiting it. Now get me another
drink!"

"Yes boss." Manny nodded and left the room.

****

Just as the last streaks of daylight gave way to fiery
oranges and yellows, they arrived in Summerbridge. The town looked sleepy, in a
quaint sort of way and as they drove down Main Street, Cole pointed out where
he'd be starting his new job.

"Would you like to stop and let them know that you're
in town?" Madison covered her mouth in a yawn. The trip had taken them
almost ten hours, and she was exhausted and needed to stretch her legs.

"No. I thought we'd do that tomorrow. I don’t take on
the job for another few days. Plus, I want you to see my new place before it
gets too dark."

After driving a couple of miles away from town, they reached
their destination. The first thing that Madison noticed was the mailbox that
was located at the end of a very long, dirt and gravel driveway. It was a mini
version of a log cabin.

"Your idea?" She grinned and pointed to it.

"That wasn’t the mailbox that was there when I first
looked at the place; I guess the realtor must have done it."

"Well, it's very charming."

Cole smiled. "I'm glad that you think so. Wait until
you see the place."

Situated snug among a vast abundance of trees sat the cabin.
She could see that the place gave the appearance of being more secluded than it
actually was and she liked that.

It had an authentic, weather-beaten look about it from years
of exposure to the elements, but was still well maintained with a cozy front
porch, shuttered windows, and a solid stone chimney.

Madison smiled when they walked through the door and she
took a quick glance around. The front door opened up to a small rustic foyer
and to the immediate right was a wall that sectioned off a large master
bedroom.

When she noticed that there was only one bedroom, she turned
and looked at him.

"Yeah, there's just one bedroom. Go ahead and take it,
I'll crash out here on the couch." He grinned sheepishly.

Madison knew there was no use in refusing to sleep in the
bedroom, Cole would insist on giving her the room.

But being in a new place suddenly made her feel vulnerable.
She went to the door and made sure that it was locked.

Cole went to her and put his hands on her shoulders. Her
eyes were now filled with grief and uncertainty. "You’re safe here. No one
knows about this place. So just think of this place as your temporary haven, or
maybe permanent?" He half questioned. His eyes holding out hope.

Even as she tried to shrug him away, she relented when his
large hands began to massage her shoulders, and then run up and down her arms.

She felt him trail his lips down her neck while encircling
her waist with his hands pulling her closer to him.

A slight moan escaped her lips at the feel of his hands
caressing her. He then lowered his mouth to kiss her ear, his hot breath
tickling the sensitive skin.

“Mmm, your skin is so soft...” Cole mumbled before capturing
her mouth with his.

Expertly his lips teased hers and before she realized what
was happening, Madison opened her mouth, and his tongue slipped inside gently
stroking hers.

Skillfully, his lips teased and caressed, stirring a fire
within her. Reluctantly, she found herself responding, gripping his biceps as
he moved his hands up and down her back, drawing her closer until their bodies
were almost one.

Her heart was thumping to its own unnatural rhythm, but
still, she focused her attention on Cole.

She felt the proof of his desire, rampant against her. The
breath caught in her chest.

This was Cole. This was the man she'd secretly desired since
the very first moment she laid eyes on him and now he was right there, holding
her in his arms, stimulating each and every nerve ending. Causing her entire
body to scream with awareness.

Something vibrated, and then vibrated again. It took a
moment before he realized that it was his cell phone.

His mouth left hers and he drew back, releasing her. Both
had been breathing hard. He ran a hand over his face and shook his head to
clear it of the passionate haze he'd just been pulled from. He cursed under his
breath and stepped outside.

Madison turned and smirked before she casually walked away.

Saved by the vibration
,
she thought to herself.
Crisis averted
.
But there was no relief that accompanied the thought. She made her way into the
bedroom and closed her eyes. What she was feeling, was far from relief.

"What!" He growled into the phone.

"Whoa. Whoa there buddy. I wouldn’t be interrupting
anything, now would I?" Deputy Faith grinned into the phone.

"Not anymore," Cole grumbled.

"So, what's the news?"

"Well, it looks like our boy Castillo isn’t as popular on
the inside as he is on the outside. Someone got to him in his cell last night.
The guy can barely talk, his jaw is wired shut."

"Pretty convenient don’t you think?"

"I was thinking the same thing, but I spent several
hours with the guy. Believe me, his injuries are legit, and he claims he's got
no ties to anyone on the outside. He claims that Hernandez getting murdered is
just a coincidence."

"And you believe him?" Cole questioned him.

"There's no way in hell that I believe anything that
comes out of that man's mouth. Whoever he's got working for him on the outside,
is as loyal as they come and Castillo isn’t going to give whoever it is,
up."

Cole ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Has he had any visitors recently?"

"I checked the visitor's log. No one has come to see
the guy in a very long time. Last time was several months ago, his
parents."

"No one else?"

"No one else," Deputy Faith answered.

"It looks like he's been trying to give the appearance
of leading a very mellow life over there at Riverbend."

"Which in other words," Cole said, trying to sum
it up. "He's up to something and trying his best to cover it up."

"That about sums it up. So where does that leave
Madison?" Faith asked, looking down and shaking his head.

"She stays with me until we figure this out. Castillo
hunted Hernandez down and I've got no doubt that he's trying to find out where
Madison is."

"You think there's a leak in the department?"
Faith asked the question that Cole had been thinking.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don’t think so, but who
the hell knows."

"She withdrew from the program while she was living in
Maine and as far as anyone knows, she's still there." Faith replied.

"Yeah but her appearance at Hank and Donna's place the
night of my going away party was a surprise to everyone. Including the twenty
or so employees who happen to work for the department. Anyone of them could
have spilled the beans about her being back in town."

"You really think that it's someone in our
department?" Faith asked.

"At this point, I wouldn’t put anything past
anyone."

"I hope that I'm not included in that assumption
partner." Faith chuckled.

"Don’t be ridiculous," Cole said. "I trust
you with my life. But you and I both know that if the price is right, people
will do almost anything."

"You got that right." Faith agreed. "I'm
going to round up a couple of guys and pay a visit to his parents. See if they
know anything."

"Good idea. Make sure it's guys that you can trust
huh?"

"Of course. Harding Listen, you take care and good luck
with the new job. I'll keep you updated."

After he hung up the phone, Cole made his way into the house
where he found Madison unpacking some of her bags.

"Castillo was attacked in his cell last night."

"Good." Madison replied and continued to unpack.

"He claims he doesn’t know anything about Hernandez or
the threat over at Hank and Donna's."

"Yeah, right. And I'm supposed to believe that?"
She snickered.

"Absolutely not," he said.

Cole leaned against the doorway to the bedroom and watched
her as she unpacked. His attraction to her seemed to consume him. His hands
tingled with the desire to touch her again.

His attraction to her was far more than sexual. Madison was
a fighter, a strong woman who he admired. She'd been through a lot these past few
years and it took a very strong person to withdraw from the program. Not to
mention the loss of her husband. The thought of her in pain unsettled him. But,
he found hope and comfort in the fact that even though she'd made a life for
herself back in Maine. She'd agreed to travel with him all the way to West
Virginia. For how long she intended to stay, he had no idea.

Madison turned around and saw that he was watching her.
Although he was all business now, she saw in his eyes that familiar look of
desire.

"I had the realtor stock the fridge, so while you
finish getting settled, how about I go and make us something to eat?"

"Sounds good." Madison smiled and went back to
unpacking. She wasn’t sure how to bring up the subject of their kiss. But one
thing was for sure, she couldn’t stay with him forever. The time would come
when she'd have no choice but to return to her life in Maine.

What life? Who am I
kidding? I have no life. But you have Zoe along with Tristan's parents
. Her
conscience reminded her.

She'd spoken to George and Helen, but was hesitant to tell
them about Hernandez being murdered and about the threat made while she was
staying at Hank and Donna's, but felt better after she did.
 
There was a much stronger reluctance at the
thought of telling them about her decision to stay at Cole's place for a while.
But when they agreed that it was a good decision, she felt the large weight of
worry and guilt lift from her shoulders.

Helen had heard the apprehension in her stepdaughter's voice
when she told them about Cole, but she quickly put her mind at ease when she
told her that it was the best thing for her.

"You need to reconnect with some of your friends,"
Helen had said.

"You have to try and move on with your life Madison.
Tristan would want that and so do we. We want you to be happy and safe and if
that means spending time with Deputy Harding, then so be it. Life moves on
Madison and so should you."

It was the second time she'd heard those words and it dawned
on her that perhaps maybe that was the sign she'd been waiting for. True, it
didn’t come from Tristan. She'd imagined that he'd come to her in a dream and
tell her that moving on was the right thing to do.
 
But instead, the sign had come from Donna,
Helen, and George, three people she loved just as much as she loved Tristan.

Both Helen and George agreed that it would be best if she
stayed with Cole down in West Virginia. They'd made arrangements with local
authorities to keep an eye on their places in Maine. And although they were out
of the country, Madison thought it best if she made contact with them just once
or twice a week.

"I don’t want that animal or any of his thugs getting
to you," Madison told them.

Helen and George agreed and for now, they'd decided not to
tell Zoe.

She made it a point to call again and let them know that
things were still up in the air and that no one had been caught yet.