Chapter 9 - PACKING UP THE TRUTH
The sun finally dipped below the horizon, casting long, dark shadows across the suburban neighborhood as the backyard streetlights flickered on.
Guests began quietly making their excuses, packing up their lawn chairs, and heading toward their cars. The loud music that had been playing earlier was turned off, leaving only the sound of crickets chirping in the garden.
Marcus sat alone at the edge of the patio, staring at the grass where he had been thrown. The grill had gone cold, the remaining hickory coals smoldering into gray ash.
Jessica walked back over to the wooden table where she had left her iced tea. The ice had melted, but she picked up the glass, taking a quiet sip as she looked out over the quiet neighborhood.
Her phone vibrated in her cargo pocket.
She pulled out a sleek, encrypted mobile device with no brand markings. The screen illuminated with a simple, secure text message from an unlisted D.C. number:
“Transport confirmed for 0600 tomorrow. Deployment team standing by.”
Jessica glanced at the screen for two seconds before typing a brief, two-letter reply:
May you like
“Received.”
She slid the phone back into her pocket, completely unbothered by the impending departure.
