combination
and then pressed her thumb on the scanner. The safe clicked and she opened the
lid. Inside was a laptop bag, a portable drive and a small envelope with
“Insurance” written in Russian on it.
“What's with the Russian?” he asked.
“How did you know that was Russian?” she looked at him.
“I speak Russian,” he answered.
“You speak Russian and Mandarin?”
“And German, Spanish and Arabic. Quit changing the
subject.”
“Alex sent it to me a couple months ago. Told me to hang
onto it for him.”
“Why does it say 'Insurance?' What's in it?”
“Just a flash drive.”
“What's on it?”
“I don't know. I never looked at it.”
“Why didn't you tell me about this?” he asked, annoyed.
“I didn't think of it. What's it got to do with anything?”
Michael didn't have time to connect the dots for her, they
needed to get out of there. “Take the stuff and let's go.”
They shut the trap door and laid the rug back down.
“I just need one more thing,” she said as she started
walking to her room.
“What is it?” he asked as she walked towards the little
bookshelf in her room. Oh crap , he thought as she picked up the box
that looked like a book. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion.
He wanted to stop it but couldn't. As she opened the box he was trying to
prepare himself for what would follow.
She had a look of complete horror as she gazed in the empty
box that once held her journal. “They have my journal.”
“They don't have your journal.”
“It's supposed to be in here,” she said in a panic. “It's
not here. They must have it!”
“They don't have your journal, Jessica.” Michael took the
box from her hand and returned it to the bookshelf. “I have it,” he finally
admitted.
“You have it?” She turned to him with a puzzled look on her
face.
“Yes. Now, let's go.” He grabbed her arm and they made
their way to the front door of her apartment.
Jessica was quiet as they walked down the hall towards the
back door of the complex. Michael looked out and saw the man in the car was
awake now.
“We're gonna have to go out a window.”
They walked back into Jessica's apartment. Michael opened a
window that was out of view from the men watching her apartment. He helped
Jessica out and handed her the bag with the laptop. Then he crawled out and
slid the window and screen back down. They waited until the guy guarding the
back door seemed to dose off again then made a dash for the truck, being
careful to stay in the shadows.
“You read my journal?” Jessica asked as soon as they were
back in the truck. There was a hint of anger in her voice.
Michael was afraid this would happen. He knew as soon as
she headed for the bookshelf that it would turn into a fight. “I didn't read
your journal.”
“You have it though?”
“Yes, it's in the pocket behind my seat.”
She reached back and grabbed it. As she held it, he could
see tears welling up in her eyes, but she looked angry.
“I didn't read it,” he said again.
She pressed her lips together and held back the tears. She
didn't say anything; she just looked down at the journal in her hands. Michael
didn't know what to say so he kept his mouth shut. They continued the ride
back in silence.
When they arrived, Michael grabbed the laptop and got out.
Jessica headed straight for the futon and lay down, pulling the blankets over
her.
Michael sighed. “Jessica. Don't do this.”
She didn't answer him.
“Come on, don't be like this.”
She still wouldn't respond, and he didn't know what else to
do. He stepped into the bedroom and pulled off his shirt. He changed into
some more comfortable pants and turned out the light as he got into bed alone.
Faint sounds of crying made sleep impossible for him. It was driving him
nuts. He huffed and climbed out of bed.
He turned on the light and stood over her on the
and then pressed her thumb on the scanner. The safe clicked and she opened the
lid. Inside was a laptop bag, a portable drive and a small envelope with
“Insurance” written in Russian on it.
“What's with the Russian?” he asked.
“How did you know that was Russian?” she looked at him.
“I speak Russian,” he answered.
“You speak Russian and Mandarin?”
“And German, Spanish and Arabic. Quit changing the
subject.”
“Alex sent it to me a couple months ago. Told me to hang
onto it for him.”
“Why does it say 'Insurance?' What's in it?”
“Just a flash drive.”
“What's on it?”
“I don't know. I never looked at it.”
“Why didn't you tell me about this?” he asked, annoyed.
“I didn't think of it. What's it got to do with anything?”
Michael didn't have time to connect the dots for her, they
needed to get out of there. “Take the stuff and let's go.”
They shut the trap door and laid the rug back down.
“I just need one more thing,” she said as she started
walking to her room.
“What is it?” he asked as she walked towards the little
bookshelf in her room. Oh crap , he thought as she picked up the box
that looked like a book. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion.
He wanted to stop it but couldn't. As she opened the box he was trying to
prepare himself for what would follow.
She had a look of complete horror as she gazed in the empty
box that once held her journal. “They have my journal.”
“They don't have your journal.”
“It's supposed to be in here,” she said in a panic. “It's
not here. They must have it!”
“They don't have your journal, Jessica.” Michael took the
box from her hand and returned it to the bookshelf. “I have it,” he finally
admitted.
“You have it?” She turned to him with a puzzled look on her
face.
“Yes. Now, let's go.” He grabbed her arm and they made
their way to the front door of her apartment.
Jessica was quiet as they walked down the hall towards the
back door of the complex. Michael looked out and saw the man in the car was
awake now.
“We're gonna have to go out a window.”
They walked back into Jessica's apartment. Michael opened a
window that was out of view from the men watching her apartment. He helped
Jessica out and handed her the bag with the laptop. Then he crawled out and
slid the window and screen back down. They waited until the guy guarding the
back door seemed to dose off again then made a dash for the truck, being
careful to stay in the shadows.
“You read my journal?” Jessica asked as soon as they were
back in the truck. There was a hint of anger in her voice.
Michael was afraid this would happen. He knew as soon as
she headed for the bookshelf that it would turn into a fight. “I didn't read
your journal.”
“You have it though?”
“Yes, it's in the pocket behind my seat.”
She reached back and grabbed it. As she held it, he could
see tears welling up in her eyes, but she looked angry.
“I didn't read it,” he said again.
She pressed her lips together and held back the tears. She
didn't say anything; she just looked down at the journal in her hands. Michael
didn't know what to say so he kept his mouth shut. They continued the ride
back in silence.
When they arrived, Michael grabbed the laptop and got out.
Jessica headed straight for the futon and lay down, pulling the blankets over
her.
Michael sighed. “Jessica. Don't do this.”
She didn't answer him.
“Come on, don't be like this.”
She still wouldn't respond, and he didn't know what else to
do. He stepped into the bedroom and pulled off his shirt. He changed into
some more comfortable pants and turned out the light as he got into bed alone.
Faint sounds of crying made sleep impossible for him. It was driving him
nuts. He huffed and climbed out of bed.
He turned on the light and stood over her on the
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