Agent Jacoby McAlister wasn’t ready to be done. I’d learned too much and was too close.
As I got closer to Fairbanks, I continued my fervent prayers that she was there. Being certain of her safety became paramount. With that in mind, if she was there Jacob Adams decided he wanted Sara to say no. That wasn’t completely true. As her husband I wanted to make the choice for her. Ever since I’d taken her as my wife, I’d been worried about how to protect her when the raids finally went down—not if, but when: they were inevitable. I’d been terrified that someone would execute a possible contingency plan while I was away. That was why I’d taken her plea to travel with me to the Commission. She’d always been intelligent and inquisitive, and with her request, I’d hoped she’d provided a way for me to save her.
No matter what decision was made or whether she was found, her life as Stella Montgomery was over. If she found a way back to Detroit on her own, I knew what would happen. The Light would eliminate her as a threat. Under no circumstances could she return to her hometown. It was too dangerous.
Assuming she was found and she chose not to help, the federal agencies were ready to take her into the witness protection program and the raids would happen—tomorrow. If Sara and I didn’t return to the Northern Light, the FBI feared it would raise suspicions and put more lives at stake.
On the off chance that Father Gabriel would see Sara’s and my desertion as the beginning link in a chain that would bring him down, the sting operation had to be over, and the FBI had to move. The bureau wasn’t willing to jeopardize the intelligence I’d discovered. Though there were still unknowns, such as the location of the money, I’d unraveled enough to stop The Light and put Father Gabriel behind bars for a very long time.
Without question, with each mile while I prayed she was in Fairbanks, I was conflicted over whether to take her back to the Northern Light and continue my mission, or to hand her over to witness protection and assure her safety.
When Hill called my burner to tell me they had Sara and what Thomas had done, I was still in the air and unable to receive calls. It wasn’t until I landed that I heard the voice mail. Learning that she was safe almost took me to my knees with relief; however, as his message continued and I heard that Thomas had struck Sara, blackening her eye, my death grip on the burner phone almost crushed it.
I reminded myself that the most important thing was that we’d found Sara.
I’d devised a story to help with the cover-up of her escape. I contacted Brother Daniel and told him that Whitefish hadn’t been ready for me. I hadn’t been able to get the supplies I needed, so I’d flown to Fairbanks.
For that story to be believable, I had to purchase supplies. Since I wasn’t leaving Sara alone once I had her, I needed to leave her at the marshals’ office where I knew she was safe. Per Special Agent Adler, she’d come into contact only with two marshals, and Deputy Hill was the only one who’d spoken with her.
It hadn’t taken Adler long to learn Thomas’s flight plans and discover that he had been headed to Fairbanks. Unfortunately, there wasn’t an FBI field office in Fairbanks. The only one in Alaska was in Anchorage. That gave the FBI the choice of the US Marshals or local police. Adler chose to contact Deputy Hill and involved the US Marshals in our operation. Without divulging too much, he explained the urgency of finding, securing, and isolating Sara, as well as taking care of Thomas.
After the message about Thomas’s hitting Sara, I would’ve liked to have been the one who took care of him; however, undoubtedly my method wouldn’t be approved and there wasn’t enough time.
With a motel room set, a call in to Brother Daniel about my change in plans, and supplies purchased, I finally arrived at the marshals’ office and sat behind a window watching the woman who’d been my wife for nearly a year. Though I’d wanted to go straight to her, Hill insisted that I see her first, see her injury. Even though I saw it only through the glass, my teeth and fists clenched.
“Tell me Thomas is no longer a threat,” I said, though my jaw wouldn’t move.
“Agent, he’ll be lost in the system for more years than you’ll need to complete your assignment,” Deputy Hill said, shrugging confidently, as only a man with years of experience could do. “With his cocky attitude and affinity for hurting women, he might find more than he bargained for behind bars. Who knows? He may not make it long enough in general population for his messed-up papers to ever be straightened out.”
I nodded, the muscles in my neck and shoulders screaming from the tension and strain. “What did she say in her statement?”
“I haven’t taken a statement.”
I turned toward the older man’s blank expression. “What do you mean? You’ve had her here for hours.”