“He has and they will find him almost recovered in a physical rehab center in the Springs. I’ve directed them to the hospital emergency department where he was supposed to have been taken the night of the raid as planned,” Sparrow explained. “The FBI has arranged for an ER doctor to claim to have treated him and stayed in touch with his progress to lead them to the rehab facility. That is as much as I know.”
“That is more than Dan knew the last time I spoke to him,” Rafferty said. “It was still up in the air whether he would go backunder or not. All he knew was that there was chatter that he was being hunted and it looked like a good opportunity for him to get back in with Warshafsky and his crew.”
“Hopefully they’ll buy his rehab story as to why no one knew where he was all this time,” Sparrow added. “The guy I spoke to today was floored when he heard Dan had been shot. I don’t think they ever thought it was a possibility.”
“That’s good. I think it means they’ll buy into the rehab story then.”
“I’m thinking they will too,” Sparrow said. “I have my fingers crossed anyway. How’s things going on your end?”
“Good. Better than before.”
“Then you can’t complain,” Sparrow said. “I won’t keep you. Have a good evening.”
“You too,” Rafferty said.
He smiled when the call ended. He liked where things were headed with Dan going undercover. It was a solid plan that sounded believable and Warshafsky and his crew should buy into it without questioning it. There was truth mixed with fiction in the story. And as far as Rafferty was concerned it was a far better tale than Dan running scared like a rabbit after the raid. That had to be what they were thinking he’d done, especially since they all thought the man was a screw up.
He really wished he could go share this with Justus, but he couldn’t. She didn’t need to know what Dan was up to or that he was going back into the lion’s den. That would only worry her. It would also bring up lots of unanswered questions about secrets he’d been keeping from her for her own good where Dan was concerned.
No. It was best he keeps his mouth shut on this as well. And hope when the truth about Dan came out, she wouldn’t hate him for his secrecy.
A light tap came at his door, and he sat up on his bed. “Yeah?”
“For All needs to go down to the dog park one last time tonight. I know you don’t want me to go alone,” Justus said.
“No problem. Be right there.”
When he opened the door, she already had For All on his leash, and she was holding a long-nosed candle lighter in her hand. “Planning on starting a fire?”
“I thought we might enjoy the fire pit for a while tonight if no one is down there,” she said. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
He arched a brow. “Sure.”
They went to the dog park and let For All run around for a few minutes before walking over to the fire pit. Rafferty lit it and they settled on a cushion two-seater bench.
“So, what is pressing on your mind?” he asked her.
She smiled, playing with For All’s leash. “I don’t know how you will feel about this, and it isn’t like I haven’t been meaning to talk to you about it since you became my protector.”
“You’re making it sound like it’s something bad,” he said.
“Oh, it isn’t. At least I hope you won’t feel it is,” she assured. “I’ve talked to Liberty and Dr. Saunders about it, so they know. I just need to see what you think about it since it will mean you’d have to be part of it.”
He frowned, not sure what she was thinking, but wished she’d just spit it out. He’d never seen her so indecisive in her speech before.
“I want to return to the university to take classes and that would mean you’d need to go with me,” she finally said.
“Oh,” he said. “Do you think that’s wise with the trial about to start?”
“That is the concern that both Liberty and Dr. Saunders have had. I’ve looked at second session classes that would start after the trial has ended.”
“Four-week classes are tough. Double the work in a shorter amount of time,” he said. I had a few of those in the military.”
“I understand, but I don’t want to fall behind.”
“Have you considered there might be delays with the trial and it won’t be over by the time second session begins? And your plans will be ruined?” he asked.
“I hadn’t,” she said. “I’ve even looked into online asynchronous courses, but there weren’t any in my subjects that I need to take this semester. Which is what Chaney and I were hoping for.”
