“Not until you tell us what we need to know,” I add.
“We’ll stay right here.”
“Camp out at your door,” I add, feeling bad, but we can’t help her unless she talks to us.
“Please don’t do that,” she says in a small voice. “You’ll get us killed.”
“Listen to me,” I say. “I’m Commander of Security Central. I’m going to organize protection for you and your child. I’ll call backup right now. I can’t help you unless you let us in, unless you talk to us.”
She looks at me. She wants to believe it. I can see it on her face.
“How do I know you’re not with them?”
“You saw the credentials,” Flint says. “You can call the Security Central main line and verify our names. We’ll wait.”
“I don’t have time for that. I?—”
Flint leans in. His voice goes quiet, but he is not gentle about it. “Ma’am, we have you on camera at Vasanti’s Hardware lastWednesday. We have you dropping a cellphone at the feet of a male who is now sitting in a cell. If you don’t let us in, our next stop is the guardhouse, and we’ll tell them exactly what we have. You won’t get protection then. You’ll get a transport to a holding cell. So you need to decide and right now. Talk to us or go to jail, which will it be?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.” It comes out as a sob.
“Rachael,” I say. Her head jerks up at the sound of her name. “We know who you are. The head of our department has been arrested for treason because of a cellphone you planted with his prints on it.”
“I didn’t plant the phone.” Her eyes go wide.
“Maybe not, but you did get his prints on the device. Now he’s going to do serious time. A good male. An innocent male, and all because of what you did.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” she insists.
“We need information. We need to know who put you up to this.” Flint shows her a close-up of her face with the cellphone.
She goes pale.
“Please. We’re trying to help you. You’re in over your head. Let us help you,” I urge.
She makes a small sound at the back of her throat. Her face crumples. The tears come falling down her cheeks. She covers her mouth with her hand, and her shoulders start to shake.
“Rachael.” I lean my hand against the doorframe, and I make my voice as steady as I can. “I promise we’ll help you. I promise we’ll keep you safe. Both of you. But you have to let us in. If you don’t, we can’t do anything. You’ll be a sitting duck, and so will your child. Please let us help you.”
She nods. The chain rattles as she releases it and pulls the door open.
“Quickly,” she whispers. “Please.”
We step inside, and she shuts the door behind us, turns the lock, and slides the chain back into place. The bolt goes after that.
I pull my phone out and call the office, telling them to send a team to this address.
“I also need a safe house prepped,” I tell them. “We’re moving a witness and her child today.”
Once everything is arranged, I hang up.
Rachael is watching me with her hand clutched to her chest. “Thank you,” she whispers.
“You need to tell us everything,” I tell her.
She nods.
“Once the team arrives, we’ll move you to a secure location,” I add.
