This is week two in the Sunday Scribblings prompt hosted by Peckapalooza: The Confusing Middle.
I figured it would be great if this whole exercise were to serve a dual purpose. With that in mind I turned this second story prompt into Chapter Two, to continue the story from last weeks prompt. Chapter One can be found here
Chapter 2
Signal
This crisis was not on their radar for today. John’s team pays close attention to the usual online chatter. That’s what US Marshalls do. There have been no whispers of threat. Nothing catching their attention in this high-profile case.
The surprise panicked phone call coming in from Carly this morning has John rushing to mobilize his support team. A new safe location is needed, asap. Heavy security measures for the journey will be needed as well. Grabbing his partner, and four others, he leads them to the situation room. They need to devise a foolproof rescue plan to extract her from the downtown office tower.
The complication in this situation is lack of knowledge. Without the who or why, they are going in blind. Judging by the photos received this morning someone is watching the house and the office. Any movement will be noticed. Unless they can come up with a way to sneak her out.
Maybe tech support can find a discrete exit from the building. Easy access to a waiting vehicle is critical. If it is possible for the SUV to enter the building for loading, even better.
Their team is too small to do this alone. The backup of local law enforcement will be necessary to pull this off. It could be a trap. They would be outnumbered and outgunned if they were to rush in unprotected. The SWAT team, if they are available, would be ideal to neutralize possible threats. John’s call to the Police Chief has his office on board. The chief knows the area and thinks his guys can strategically place themselves out of sight, ready to swoop in as needed. SWAT and plainclothes will find ways to blend in too. It will be a comfort knowing they are on the lookout for rooftop snipers.
The next hurdle will be extraction without alerting the whole office. He dreads the way added attention could jeopardize everything.
Carly say’s she will wait safely in her office and slip out to meet them. If they can signal when it’s time.
The wait is necessary. She knows it takes time to arrange for her safety. She’s can’t help but be worried though. What if the reason for her position in this office interferes? The company she’s working for has its own crisis to deal with. What if they figure out a strategy for their problem and have a task for her? Before she can make her escape. This could get messy. Besides that, how will her sudden disappearance be explained. Won’t that raise its own set of alarms?
It’s a good thing she didn’t personalized her office in the months she’s been here. No need for regret over things left behind. Her apartment is a different story. The lease will need termination. They will send a team to collect her things. At least that’s what she imagines will happen.
This morning’s delivery of pictures will need to come along. For possible evidence if nothing else. The sender will have been careful to avoid fingerprints or any other identification markers but the pictures themselves may offer some clues.
The mystery is how did they find her. John and his team were beyond careful in the creation of her new identity. There is no way discovery could have happened by chance. Just the very thought of that brings chills up and down her spine.
There is more than one possible person behind this, that’s the bad news. Each one is as dangerous as the next. If John and his team manage to get her out of here alive, it will surely be a chore to keep her that way.
What makes her significant enough for this to be happening? That’s the question. All morning she’s been wracking her brain looking for answers. They obviously think she is a threat to them somehow. She must know or have seen something. Or they assume she has.
The pictures are tucked safely in her pocket. She’s ready. Now she just needs to pray John gives the signal before her team lead comes in with an office task.
For the Love of Books 