PART TWO OF THREE
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ONE WAY TICKET
I. THE PLAN
At 8:30 that morning, Sara called her handlers.
“He’s in the shower…Yes, it’s going well. We made love…I blamed Alex for everything. He still has feelings for me…Yes, it’s all set. He’s agreed to go away with me and work things out. He’s working with some real estate lady, looking for a new home, and now he wants me to help him look…I’m going home and pack some things and meeting him for the real estate appointment…No, I’m certain. I think he wants me to stay with him…No, he was already looking for a new place…I’ve got to go. I heard the water stop…Yes, I’ll check in tomorrow night…Okay,” she finished and terminated the call.
At noon, Addison went to pick up Sara at my home. We even made phone calls to that effect in case we were monitored.
“You did good on the phone, this morning. You sounded scared,” Addison assured Sara.
“I was, I am. I’m scared to death! How do you know what I said?”
“I set up a tap on your phone. It’s linked to mine. And it’s good that you sounded scared. If you sounded otherwise, they’d be suspicious. Right now, they think they control you. They need to think that till Wednesday.”
“But, won’t they be following us?” Sara asked, confused.
“I’m counting on it,” Addison replied.
“I don’t understand.”
“Neither will they, sweetheart, neither will they.”
Sara was still confused, but something else was bothering her. Addison sensed it.
“Out with it. What’s eating you?”
“Well, for one thing, you keep calling me sweetheart and sweetie, but I get the feeling you don’t like me, approve of me.”
Addison laughed, “That? Well, originally, I just referred to you as ‘the bitch’, but seeing as how we’re all a big, happy family now, I figured that was inappropriate. And, let’s face it, when I came into this, there was not a lot of your history that recommended you. But I understand now how things went down. And I can see there is a lot more to you than what has happened. Okay?”
Sara nodded, “Addison, there’s something else — the way you and Ethan look at each other; the way you two act around each other, casual, comfortable…is there something between you I should know about?”
“Alright, we’re going to be together for a while, so we need to avoid having any issues between us. This is going to be hard enough without that. After Ethan hired me, before he met with you, we found we were attracted to each other, and we scratched an itch.”
“You slept with Ethan?”
“Who slept? Sorry. Listen, it was just sex. And you two hadn’t ‘rediscovered’ each other, yet. Please don’t make this a problem. I mean, considering the past…”
“No, you’re right. I have no room to say anything, and I really don’t know where we stand. I’m just afraid Ethan will regret…change his mind about me…,” Sara admitted, starting to tear up.
Addison replied, “Hey, when we found out what you were up to, he could have left you to twist in the wind. Don’t forget that. If he had doubts about you, he would have already acted on them.”
She continued, “Sara, I don’t know what’s in the cards for you and Ethan, if anything. But we are all in this together now, like it or not. So, we have to go with that. As for Ethan and me? What can I say? I like him; he’s a real decent guy; and an awesome fuck!” she laughed.
Sara, choked off a sob and laughed with her, “He is an awesome fuck.”
Addison continued, “So I can’t say I can stop feeling something for Ethan, but I’m not talking the ‘L’ word here. Let’s just see how things go, okay?”
She nodded, “Um, Addison, what are we going to do? How do we get out of this, get away from these people?”
“Okay, after we meet Ethan, I’ll go over what I have worked out. Right now, he is making arrangements to be away from his business for a few days. Later, he’ll make permanent arrangements…”
“Permanent?”
“Sara, you guys cannot come back here. This is a one-way ticket, honey; you have to disappear; I have to disappear.”
“Why do you have to?”
“They will find out that I helped you, that I know everything. They would come after me to get to you, and to silence me.”
Sara dropped into a dining chair, broke down and began sobbing, “What have I done?”
Addison scooted a chair close to her and sat, “Sara, what you’ve done is not as important as what you do about it now. And you’ve shown you want to do the right thing; and the right thing now is to keep it together, help us get out of here, get away from these people. It’s not too late for a fresh start. You’re both young, and you have means — 48 million in means, according to Ethan, and you have me.”
“What about you? What are you going to do? You’re giving up your business, your life here…”
“Honey, life here ain’t all that grand. And I’m used to a certain lifestyle. Picking up and moving is not a problem for me. Besides, I’m going to soak Ethan for this!” she joked.
Laughing between sobs, Sara said, “Yes, I guess he can afford it. Addison, do you know where all that money comes from. Ethan hasn’t done anything illegal or…”
“No. It’s an inheritance, sweetie. His parents were loaded…”
“No,” Sara interrupted, “I know Ethan’s parents. They’re not rich.”
“His birth parents, Sara. You didn’t know he was adopted?”
“No. He never said ‘anything’ about being adopted. And he looks like them, his adoptive parents. Why wouldn’t he tell me?”
“Easy, Sara. I don’t think he was hiding it. I don’t think he ‘felt’ adopted. He was only four and probably has little memory of his birth parents, and he didn’t find out about the money or the whole story on his parents until he was 21. And he explained about the money. He wasn’t hiding it from you, per se. He was going to surprise you with early retirement, travel the world, all that. Of course, then you dumped his ass…Kinda spoiled that romantic dream.”
She nodded and started crying again.
“Oh, shit. Okay, okay. Listen, sweetie, you need to get a handle on the waterworks. We have to go meet Ethan.”
Sara calmed and the crying subsided, “Okay, I’ll pull it together and freshen up.”
Addison continued, “Did you get everything this morning, clothes, essentials, girl stuff? Oh, and your passport?”
“Yes, I’m all packed.”
“Good girl. Now go get ready, and remember, when we go out the door, we’re being watched, so be cool.”
When Sara came out of the bathroom, she walked up to Addison, “Do I look okay?”
“You look great, sweetie. If I was a guy, I’d give my left nut to have a shot at you. Now buck up kiddo. Everything’s going to be fine. Hey, keep this in mind: You’re going on a long vacation with a young, good-looking, rich guy, and a hot little chick!”
Addison, as Evelyn, and Sara arrived at my office, making a show of taking me to look at ‘a real gem’, today. She had stressed that it was important for my people to think I was doing exactly what we were telling the syndicate thugs we were doing.
When we arrived at the ranch-style home in the Ventana Ranch development, there was a paint company’s van in the driveway.
“They’re with me. They’re going to take pictures and generate i.d.’s and passports for you, including Mexican entry permits and a vehicle permit,” Addison explained.
We went inside and met a man and woman in their 50’s. They were all business and hardly spoke to us. They already had everything set up for photographing us and documents for us to sign. As soon as they were done, Addison took us into a study and closed the door.
“Ethan, were you able to get the transfers made to the accounts I gave you?”
“Yes, my lawyer assured me everything would be complete in 24 hours. He was dubious at first, but I gave him the explanation you prepared. He understood and accepted that, but did require e-sigs for everything. I told him he would receive further information and instructions within a month.”
“Good, he reacted appropriately, and 24 hours will work. I have sufficient funds in those accounts to cover everything until then.”
“Addison, what about your documents? And shouldn’t we be in disguise or something?” Sara asked.
“I already have everything. And no, that would be too complicated down the road, unless you want to permanently change your looks; and it won’t be necessary for this to work,” she explained.
“Okay,” she continued, “I’m going to tell you how this is going to happen. Tomorrow evening, Ethan, you’re going to park your truck, Sara’s truck, whatever, in the drive beside the house, not out front. I’ve hired a couple to pose as you and drive the truck to the cabin…”
“Shouldn’t we just park it in the garage?” I questioned.
“No. I want them to see you, well, the decoys, your doubles, get in the truck. Wednesday, around ten, the decoys will head out and drive straight to the cabin. Upon entering, they’ll immediately go out the back and down a trail that leads to another cabin that is currently vacant. They will have a ride waiting there. They’ve already scoped it out. If all goes well, our friends won’t discover they’re gone till later in the day. I think they’ll let you settle in before they come to the cabin. But even if they come calling right away, it will still work. They’ll find an empty cabin and know they’ve been had, but should think you guys just made a run for it and will start looking for you from there. But we’re leaving tomorrow night around midnight, long before the decoys even head to the cabin. That will give us at least a 16-hour head start on them. By that time, we should be safe, and it will take them a couple days to figure things out, if they even do.
By that time, all they will have is that I helped you, they were duped, and we’re gone. Over time, they may be able to track us, but we’re taking steps to discourage that. We’re going to pay them to desist; more on that later.
Okay, I’m picking up a vehicle tomorrow, and will have it parked in front of your backyard neighbor’s house. That’s how we’re getting out of town. Then we head for Chihuahua, Mexico, where we will hole up for a few days while other arrangements come together. Then we head to San Jose, Costa Rica. There we change identities again. Those passports and all the necessary documents will take some time — they have to stand up to more rigorous scrutiny, and are more involved, with more items to support your permanent identities. We’ll be in San Jose as long as it takes to make arrangements for our final destination.”