Chapter 659
Early morning. The far outskirts of Los Angeles.
This place was located on the north side of Los Angeles, surrounded by dense woods and beautiful natural scenery, however, because of the distance from Los Angeles, not many people came here to visit.
A highway winds along the east side, and at the end of the path there is a two-story vacation house, the house is wooden and looks a little old, with signs of recent repairs.
A white girl sat on the steps of the vacation home, staring at the phone in her hand.
“Maggie, it’s time for breakfast.” A man’s voice came from the house.
Maggie stood up and looked away before turning and entering the vacation house.
There were three people in the house, Maggie’s father was wearing an apron and was cooking in the kitchen.
Maggie’s aunt was setting the table in the dining room, and a man with a bandaged left hand was sitting at the table.
Maggie sits somewhat soulfully in a chair, still fiddling with her cell phone.
Maggie’s father came over and offered his daughter an omelette, soothingly saying, “Don’t worry too much dear, everything will be fine.”
“Dad, I’m not worried ……,” Maggie waved her cell phone, “I got a text from Luke, he knows we’re in danger and said he’s willing to help and asked me to contact him.”
Walker Baruch froze, “When did he text?”
“Yesterday afternoon.”
Walker Baruch turned his head to look at the other two and asked, “Agent Sabina Dodd, Agent Sidney Bourne, what do you two think?”
The female agent, Maggie’s “aunt” said, “The cop we met at the stadium?”
Maggie nodded, “Yes.”
Agent Sabrina Dodd said, “I remember the last time he called, you told him you were fine, just out sick. Why would he think you were in danger?”
The male agent took a sip of his coffee, “Yes, that does seem a little strange to ponder.”
Maggie said, “Luke is a very good detective and has solved a lot of big cases, maybe he sensed something.”
Sabina Dodd frowned, “If he’s sincere about helping us, that’s great, but what if he’s not?”
Maggie shrugged, “What do you mean?”
Sabrina Dodd said, “Last time, not long after he called, we were attacked and Sidney was injured as a result, isn’t that a bit of a coincidence.”
Maggie asked rhetorically, “You suspect Luke had something to do with the group that attacked us?”
Sabina Dodd said in a solemn tone, “Maggie, don’t get excited, I’m just saying it’s a possibility that we need to take into account.”
Maggie shook her head, “Luke is my boyfriend’s brother, he wouldn’t hurt us. Also, Luke and I are friends, we get together a lot, he’s not the kind of person you’re talking about.”
Sabina Dodd grabbed Maggie’s hand with her right hand, “Maggie, I’m not against Luke, I’m suspicious of everyone.”
We’ve even cut back on contact with the Marshals Service, no one knows the four of us are here now, but if we contact anyone else out of the blue, we run the risk of possible exposure. Understand?”
Maggie nodded, her tone easing, “I understand. But I’m still willing to trust Luke one more time. He’s an LAPD officer and the FBI’s Deputy Director of Counterterrorism, so if we have his help, we’ll be in much less danger. And we wouldn’t be as passive as we are now.”
Sabina Dodd stared at Maggie for a long moment and said, “Okay, you can contact Luke, but it has to be on my terms.”
Luke turned the suspect over to the FBI agent in Las Vegas, and then he returned to Los Angeles.
He had just gotten home and taken a shower when he received a call from Maggie, who admitted that she was in danger and asked Luke not to turn her An hour later, Luke arrived at the agreed upon location in his pickup truck.
This piece of scenery is good, but the location is also remote, did not see a few cars along the way, is indeed a good place to hide.
Luke thought that he could take the RV here for a break when he was free.
The pickup truck meandered east along the highway and pulled up next to a wooden vacation home that was similar to the one Maggie had described on the phone.
Luke stepped out of the vehicle and scanned his eyes around, not seeing a single soul, the surroundings were silent and an occasional bird could be heard.
“Cluck ……” the door of the vacation home opened, a white woman stepped out of the vacation home.
Luke recognized the other party, is Maggie’s “aunt”, of course, Luke also guessed that this identity is probably false.
Maggie’s aunt said, “For the record, my name is Sabina Dodd, I’m an agent with the Marshals Service Witness Protection Unit.”
Luke said, “Luke Lee, Deputy Director of Counterterrorism, FBI Los Angeles Division.”
“Are you the only one here?”
“Yes. Where’s Maggie?”
“My job is to keep Maggie and her father safe, so I’d like to ask you a few questions before I take you to her.”
“OK, go ahead and ask.” Luke looked around and didn’t see any suspicious figures.
“How did you know Maggie would be in danger?”
“Someone followed my brother and deliberately led me to Las Vegas, where I caught two suspects who said that Maggie and her father had joined the Witness Protection Program, and that they were here with the intent of capturing or killing Maggie’s father and daughter.”
Sabina Dodd nodded, “You’re right, Maggie and the father did join the Witness Protection Program and we are here to protect them.
Maggie trusts you, but I have to be careful because shortly after you last spoke, we were attacked and my companion was injured.”
“I understand. I would have done the same thing.”
Sabina Dodd put two fingers in her mouth and let out a chirp that sounded like a bird’s song.
After a while, three people came out of the woods in the distance.
It was Maggie’s father and daughter and an injured man.
Maggie waved in greeting, “Luke.”
Maggie’s father, Walker Baruch, also said gratefully, “Officer Lee, thank you for coming to help us.”
Luke smiled, “You’re welcome, I’m a good friend of Maggie’s. Besides, Jack has been worried ever since you guys left the house, he would be happy to know that you guys are safe and sound.”
Walker Baruch sighed, “I’m sorry about Jack, he’s a good boy, he’s good to Maggie and he respects me. But for his safety, I had to break Maggie up with him.”
Maggie’s eyes reddened a little, “Is Jack okay now?”
“He was followed earlier, but don’t worry, I’ve sent someone to protect him.”
Walker Baruch said, “I’m sorry, because of the confidentiality clause, I couldn’t tell him the truth and still got him involved. The truth is, we didn’t expect things to turn out this way.”
Luke looked at Sabina Dodd and Sidney Bourne, “I’m a cop, I can understand.”
“Thanks.”
“Mr. Baruch, I’d like to know why you joined the witness protection program?”
Walker Baruch nodded and made an inviting gesture, “Let’s go to the house.”
Luke and Maggie’s father and daughter went into the vacation home while the two agents stayed outside.
Maggie came over with five cups of coffee and handed them to Luke and his father first, then went outside with a tray.
Walker Baruch said, “Three years ago, I worked for a cryptocurrency trading platform where our users could trade bitcoin, and I originally thought it was a safe, innovative, efficient, and professional company.
But then I realized that the owner of the company had been stealing clients’ investment money, and the amount was very huge …… This is obviously illegal, and I had two choices in front of me, one was to pretend that I didn’t know anything and continue to work with a high salary.
The second option was to call the police.
And I chose the latter.
Then I was intimidated, and fearing for Maggie’s safety, I joined the witness protection program.
Three months ago, a company co-founder was extradited to the U.S., and the federal government filed fraud charges against him, and I was due to appear in court to identify him.
The trial was to be held in New York City, and I wasn’t going to take Maggie with me, considering her safety. The Marshals Service sent two agents to protect us, and I wanted Maggie to get acquainted with them ahead of time.
Just a few days before, two suspicious men had attacked my home, and the two agents had fought them off.
I suspected that it was likely the co-founder who had sent the assassins to prevent me from going to court.
After that, we moved to an apartment near Maggie’s school, a safe house that I had prepared in advance.
Four days ago, we spotted suspicious people around the apartment, and guessing that it might be that group of killers again, we prepared to escape at night.
But they spotted us, and once again there was a firefight, and Agent Sidney Bourne was injured trying to protect me.
Luckily, I had prepared ahead of time and was more familiar with the surrounding roads and escaped here.”
“Four days ago, the same day I called Maggie.”
“Yes.”
Luke took a sip of his coffee, no wonder Maggie hadn’t asked for help, they’d been tracked down just after he’d made the call, and even if Maggie wouldn’t have suspected him, the two agents would have suspected something was wrong.
Luke asked, “Have you contacted anyone else besides me during this time?”
Walker Baruch shook his head, “No.”
Maggie walked in and bristled, “Before, there was contact with the Marshals Service, too.”
Luke asked, “The Marshals Service knows the address of your apartment?”
“Yes. The Marshals Service knows the address here.”
“No, Sabina Dodd just told the Marshals Service that we escaped and were safe for the time being, not that the hideout Luke looked over at Walker Baruch, “When is the trial?”
“December 5th.”
Luke said, “Although there is no way to be sure that the indicted co-founder is the one behind this, it’s a strong possibility, and as long as the trial hasn’t started yet, he’ll have enough reason to continue to hunt you guys down.
So, the way to settle this matter once and for all is to take care of this wave of killers in Los Angeles, and then, send you to New York to go to court to identify the other side.”
Walker Baruch said, “That’s right, that’s what I was thinking, but we don’t even know the exact identity of the killers, let alone where they are.”
Luke thought for a moment and said, “Then let them come to us.”
Walker Baruch spread his hands, “I’m not quite sure what you mean.”
Luke offered, “Assuming, and I mean assuming, that the gang of assassins can get inside information from the Marshal’s Service, we can offer to tell them the location of the hideout.”
Walker Baruch asked rhetorically, “Would that group of killers get suspicious?”
Luke said, “Agent Sidney Bourne is injured, we can use this as an excuse to ask for reinforcements from the LAPD, at this time, the LAPD will definitely take the initiative to ask if that gang of robbers really has inside information, they definitely won’t let go of such a good opportunity. We can then ambush them here.”
Walker Baruch looked at his daughter and worried, “Will that be dangerous?”
Luke solemnly said, “I dare not say about other places, but in Los Angeles, I can guarantee your safety.”