Ace had been staring at her watch for the last few minutes, likely reading texts coming through.
“Police!” a voice yelled down the alley.
We listened as two police officers scanned the area, checked the nearby garage and gas station.Oncewe realized the area was clear and the men from earlier were gone, we moved out from behind the dumpsters.
Back here,”Aceyelled out to one of the nearby officers so that we didn’t startle them.
“Hands up!” he yelled and we complied, at least until she began to inform him who she was.
“Officer, my name isAnna, and it was my auntSarawho reported this to the cops,”Acesaid next to me.
I noted her use of “aunt” to describeSaraso we obviously were choosing to keep them in the dark about a few details.
We spent the next ten minutes explaining to the cops what had happened.Itdidn’t escape me that she informed the cops that she had used a device to alert her aunt that a security friend of hers had given her, nothing about her working for theFBI.Norhad she told them anything about how the guys after us had clearly known who we were and were searching for us specifically.
She sent looks my way a few times letting me knowIwas to play along.Iunderstood that to a certain extent, since local cops and the alphabet soup agencies—like theFBI—didn’t always get along when it came to jurisdiction.Butit also left me with even more questions than answers.
Thirty minutes later, we were finally cleared to go, leaving all our contact info with the police in case they had more questions.
Not taking any chances,Itold the cops to have my vehicle towed to a body shop we worked with.Iwanted it checked for bugs and anything else those guys may have done to it.Vincewas down the street, waiting to take us home.
AsIopened the rear driver’s side door to let us both in,Ilooked toVinceand thanked him before turning toAce. “Putyour seat belt on and start talking.”
“I will, but not until we get back to your place.Sarais on her way and will meet us there.Iknow it’s late, but it would be smart to haveVincethere as well.Thishas escalated, and we may need some more thinking heads.”
“You want me to callJackandWade?”Vinceasked from the driver’s seat.
I ran my hand over my face.Ididn’t know what the right answer was here.Shementioned we needed more thinking heads, but it was also well past midnight.
“Nah.Wecan fill them in tomorrow morning.”
The drive back to my house was quiet but thick with tension.
We pulled up to seeSara’scar waiting in my driveway.Vincepulled the car into the garage, and when we exited,Saracame out from her car in her typical tracksuit.IfIhadn’t just heard fromAcethat she was something else entirely,Iwould never have suspected she was anything but the trainer.
“Let’s get inside,”Itold everyone.
Percy barked and ran circles aroundAcewhen we walked in the door.Shecooed back to him and picked him up before carrying him to the living room.
“I don’t believe we’ve met,”Sarasaid, holding out her hand toVince. “I’mSaraGarrett, and you are?”
“I’mVince.Thisone’s cousin,” he said, pointing at me. “Wealso work together atRangerShield.”
She nodded, and we all made our way to sit down on various pieces of furniture beforeSaraspoke toAceand me. “Whathappened.”Shesaid it less like a question and more like a directive.
I appreciated her desire to get right to it, butIneeded to get a few things out of the way first.
“With all due respect,Iwas just informed you are apparently something other than a personal trainer,”Ibroke in as politely asIcould, looking directly at her. “Ineed a little bit more information about you being a handler.”
“A handler is anFBIagent responsible for managing confidential informants, such as myself,”Acechimed in. “Theyalso?—”
“I knowwhata handler is,”Iinterrupted. “I’mjust having a hard time understanding why you would need one.”
She sighed, looked toSara, and then spoke again. “BecauseI’ma nonofficial cover operative—also known as aNOC.Basically,I’manoperative without official ties to the government.”
“I know what aNOCis, but…”Istarted in, butVincecut me off.
“I actually don’t, soI’lltake the explanation if someone is willing to give it.”
