They found Me

Movie night with some friends from my Law class. We are off to watch the new Conjuring movies. I have always loved scary movies Noah never did so I could only watch them when he was gone. My security detail is sitting a couple of rows behind us and looks like they are on a date. “I have seen all of

the Conjuring movies. The creepiest character for me is the nun. What is yours,” I asked my friends Melanie and Allie. “Oh my god definitely the nun,” Melanie whispers as the movie is about to start. Allie leans over and whispers “Definitely the nun hands down,” We went from screaming to laughing as one of us jumps at a suspenseful part. After the movie ended, we decided to go next door to Ollie's bar for a drink and do our own review of the movie about what parts we liked, which parts were stupid, and which parts scared us the most then post them on our mutual Twitter page. My two friends do know about me being in witness protection after the FBI did a vigorous background search on them and their families. Of course, they passed. Melanie and Allie agreed to help keep an eye on me and for strange people they didn’t recognize around the university. So anytime we took pictures together, it was with our backs turned or have some or all of my face hidden.

While we are sitting and talking about the movie the bartender hands us our drinks when Allie notices a tattoo on the wrist of the bartender. “Hey guys she whispers, did you see his tattoo on his wrist,” I look over at Melanie she shakes her head “No,” I look back at Allie “No, we didn't know what did it look like,” She gets her phone out and looks it up. “Yeah, here it is the skull with a dagger through the head with wings,” She says as she shows us the picture. “Omg I’m going to be sick,” I try to say as I start dry heaving. “We gotta go,” I hurriedly typed a message to the police detail that is sitting at the corner table.

“The Reza family found me bartender has their unique tattoo,” We headed out of the bar and back to my place. Thank god I have great friends. They stayed with me all night while I hid in my bedroom shaking in terror. They locked the door, the windows and set up my laptop in front of us so we could see who was coming from all around the house.

I don’t know what time we ended up falling asleep, but we woke up cuddled up against each other with my computer still sitting in front of us. I get up so I can get dressed for work at the coffee bar. “I’ve never understood how you can be so perky this early in the morning,” Melanie mumbles while yawning as she walks into the kitchen and sees me already putting breakfast for them on the table. “I don’t know, I've always been an early morning person. I do get a lot of things done too,” I said cheerfully. I start checking things off my list that I’ve already done this morning “did my virtual yoga, had a shower, plus got all my work done for my classes, even check in with Detective Lancaster to see if there was any progress in locating Lacy plus the bartender that Allie noticed last night,” I smile at her as she comes into the kitchen. She is always so very aware of everything around her. I wish I could be like her. I try, but last night reminded me that I need to be so much more aware of the people that I am in contact with. “So what did he say,” Allie said, suddenly looking wide awake. I shake my head, feeling a bit aggravated about all of it. “ He told me that the FBI removed them from the case and that I had a new

handler that I am supposed to meet with during my lunch hour. So pretty much any question I asked he couldn’t tell me or he didn’t know,” I moan as I flop into one of the kitchen chairs and lay my forehead on my arms. “I’m so tired of all of this I just want to be a normal person again,” I end up crying all over again. Melanie sits on one of my legs, then puts her arms around me on one side while Allie sits on my other leg and puts her arms around me on the other side giving me such a big hug my chair falls backward with us laughing. “I’m super blessed to have you two,” I laugh. “We love you too Aria,” They reply in unison as they give me a kiss on either cheek.

I head off to work while my friends clean up the kitchen for me. The Mean Bean is just a short walk from my off-campus house, really my house is just across the street from the University, so I don’t have to go too far. I spend all morning checking out my customers' wrists as I hand them their order in anticipation of seeing that Reza tattoo again. When I saw one male customer come in with that tattoo I held my breath as I noticed it until I looked closer it didn’t have Reza written on the ribbon. Then and only then did I let out a sigh of relief. I lightly shook my head at my new security detail to let them know that it was a false alarm.

True to their word when I took my lunch break, my new handler was there waiting for me. He is wearing normal street clothes as in white t-shirt, dark blue jean pants, and wearing white KSwiss shoes. And oh my he is tanned up as if he spends a lot of time out in

the sun. His eyes were so light green they were almost gray-looking, his hair is a light brown and a little scraggly a little bit boyish. This man could literally be a model he is that drop-dead gorgeous. I shook my head a little bit to get my head back in the game before I sat down in front of my handler whose name I had just learned was Liam Gregory. “I take it you're not happy about having a new handler,” Liam smiles, I nod in response to his ever so obvious question. “Wow, did you figure that out all by yourself,” I say as sarcastically as I can? I don’t care how cute this guy is, he isn’t going to come in here and take over then kick Detective Lancaster out of the way. That man looked after me. He even made me feel safe when nobody else could. So no, I'm going to be keeping the one person other than my friends that I can trust. Liam is just sitting across from me blabbing about how long he has been working for the FBI. Ten years yay good for him he can keep a job. How he grew up here in Phoenix and that his parents passed on a year ago, but still has a half-sister here named Allie that she goes to the same University as I do. That part I actually started listening to. “ Hang on Allie? Shortish light brown hair, blue eyes, short, very athletic,” I questioned him already knowing she is the one and the same. My Allie Cat. “Um, yeah, you know her,” He replied incredulously, not taking his eyes off of me. Just as I was about to answer him Allie walks through the door heading this way. “Hey Allie what brings you by,” I smiled at her. “This is my new…”

“My brother Liam whom I am having lunch with. He asked me to meet him here, but he never mentioned that you were his new case,” She looked at him with a questioning look. “I didn’t know she was the one you talked about being a new friend and being in the same classes as you,”

“Seriously, it’s not like I could come out and tell you all about her, that goes against the girl code, friend code, and as you very well know FBI code,”

“Okay, okay, forgive me please for being a dummy, so as an apology how about I take both of you ladies out to lunch,”

“I’m sorry, but I gotta get back to work, but how about a rain check,” I say with a little pout.

“Okay, deal, I will talk to you tomorrow then,” Liam said as he stood up for the first time holy cow this man is tall. “You ready sis,”

“Um hang on,” I say before they walk off. “How tall are you,” I asked as I crane my neck all the way back just to see his face. “I’m six feet four inches, Why do you ask,” He smiles at me already knowing the answer. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow Shortie,” He laughs as they walk out of the coffee shop.

Later that evening I’m all cuddled up in bed watching my favorite tv channel Paranormal/mystery. You can’t beat that as a nighttime put your butt to bed channel. As I am drifting off into a deep, restful sleep, my phone starts ringing. I roll over in bed, ignoring it thinking it’s a wrong number or something stupid like that. A few moments later I hear a banging on my front door. I quickly look at

my surveillance cameras on my computer and low and behold is Liam standing there banging on my door looking pissed off. I jumped out of bed a little bit perturbed, threw on my bathrobe, and then flung open the door. “What the fuck is your issue,” I growled hotly. Obviously, nobody told this moron that I hate being woken up without good reason. “ You need to learn how to answer your damn phone. Now get what little bit you need we have got to move you to a different location now they have found out where you are,” Liam ordered. I stand there a bit stupified. I guess he did have a good reason to call me in the middle of the night. “Dammit Aria go get your shit together and let's go now,” He yelled. “Move it,” I run around grabbing what I need: my makeup, computer, my clothes, etc. I shove it all into two duffles and a backpack. Liam grabs a bag and I grab one and I get shoved into a black car with blacked-out windows. “Really, guys black car with blacked-out windows doesn’t scream FBI to you,” I asked incredulously. “So where are you hauling me off to now,” I continue because for once someone is going to answer me. “You will be told what you need to know when we get to where we are going,” Liam advises me through a muffled yawn. Obviously, he woke up, which was also good for him. If I had to be rudely woken up, so did he. “Come on Liam I don’t want to leave Phoenix. I like it here, the people, the culture, everything. Please don’t make me move,” I begged. He just sits in the front seat without a word. I make a growling noise as I have always done as a

little kid when I don’t get my way then lay down in the back seat and fall asleep.

I hear someone shaking me and yelling “Aria wake up, we're here,” over and over. “Please quit shaking me,” I grumble awake. As I open my eyes, I fumble in my purse for my sunglasses. “And could you please dim the light a little bit so it is very bright,” Liam laughs as he hands me a cup of coffee “Well, I can stop shaking you unfortunately my dear I can’t help you with the Arizona sun,”

“Wait, what, we're still in Arizona,” I’m so excited that I almost choke on my coffee.

“Yes, we are still in Phoenix, Arizona, now come inside, this is where you’ll be staying for a couple of weeks, maybe less we will see,” Liam offered his hand to help me out of the car except I was so extremely happy that I jumped out and hugged him. Then the realization hit me. I wouldn’t be able to talk to Allie and Melanie, my job oh my god I would lose my job not just that my classes at the university I would have to start all over or wait until next fall and start where I left off ugh that’s if they will let me back. “Don’t worry, you will still have your job and you can do your classes online. I’ve taken care of all of it,” He reassured me as if he knew what I was thinking. “Plus, I have a little surprise for you inside,” I look up at him giving him my best “Yeah right,” look. He motions for me to open the front door. I close my eyes as I slowly turn the doorknob and push the door open expecting the worst. I only open them when I hear two familiar voices yelling

“Surprise,” at the top of their lungs. “Oh my god,” I scream as I turn around to Liam and scream “Oh my god,” as I hug him again, then I run to my friends as we start pouncing in a big hug. After we all calm down I look over to my new handler who I was so totally rude to days ago and mouth “Thank you,” He, in turn, gives me a “Your welcome,” nod.