Legacies Rising

Chapter Three

Kate sat in the leather seat facing Agent Sorenson. Her heart beating hard against her rib cage, the air around her felt hot and stuffy. Despite her best efforts, she could feel her anger subsiding as she looked into the man's steady gaze. Once again, He began to speak to her.

"Whether or not your parents were involved with the Satanic Kings, they still held critical information. However, we strongly believe that the gang didn't get what they were looking for."

"What did they want" questioned, Kate.

Sorensen sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Again, we can't say for certain, but I think that they may have wanted you."

"Me!" Her voice squeaked in surprise.

He glanced across the room before looking back at her. "We don't think they got what they wanted."

"How can you be sure?" Kate asked. She felt the beginning of a migraine coming on but tried her best to focus on what the agent was saying.

He looked at her sympathetically. "The evidence suggests that they searched the house after your parents' murder."

Kate scrunched her eyes up tightly and put her head in her hands. It was all too much, it wasn't making sense; all she wanted was to curl up in a ball and have everything disappear.

Lifting her head from her hands, she spoke, "I'm so confused; why would they come after me, I don't know anything!" Her eyes burned with unshed tears, she wanted to cry, but she wouldn't allow herself, not here, not in front of strangers.

When Detective Stevens spoke, Kate had almost forgotten she was in the room. "We can't say for sure, Katelyn, but what we do know is that keeping you safe is our top priority." Taking a deep breath and nervously glancing at the man across her desk, she finished saying, "that is why Agent Sorenson is here. He has been assigned to take you into protective custody."

"It's the only way to ensure your safety," the man concluded.

"I-I, B-but for how long?" Kate stuttered.

Agent Sorenson avoided her gaze before speaking; Kate began to get a strange sensation in her stomach, similar to what she had experienced earlier that day in her chemistry class. Something about the situation didn't feel right.

"I will be taking you to a temporary location until a more permanent spot becomes available."

Kate hesitantly asked, "what do you mean by permanent?"

Detective Stevens was the one to answer while pulling her red hair off her shoulder and leaning towards Kate. "You are going to be permanently relocated and given a new identity. You will no longer have contact with anyone you currently know. Katelyn Monroe will cease to exist."

Silence filled the room. Kate stared at the woman as if she had grown a second head. Kate had no idea how to respond. Exhausted and still in shock, she just sat there and stared until the woman began shifting uncomfortably and glancing at the FBI Agent until he spoke.

"I know this is a lot to take in, but we need to get going. The longer we wait, the greater chance someone will follow us when we leave. I'm sorry, Katelyn, but you don't have a choice in the matter. Let's get you somewhere safe so that you can rest; I imagine you're exhausted. I have already retrieved some of your things from your house so we won't be stopping for you to pack a bag."

Without giving her a chance to respond, he picked up her backpack, placed it over his shoulder, and gently took her arm, lifting her from her seat and guiding her to the door. With a nod towards the detective at her desk, he led them from the room.

It took Kate a minute to recover from what was happening; when she did, she ripped her arm free from his hold and came to an abrupt stop.

"I-I can't just leave! This town is the only home I know! I-I have my graduation and exams coming up! My parents' funerals to plan!" She was hyperventilating at this point. Her tough exterior cracking and the events of the day caught up with her. She could feel her body start to shake and tears start spilling from her eyes.

"I understand that this is impossibly difficult for you, but we need to get going. Please, you have to trust me." He stared at her, and against her better judgment, she nodded her head.

He sighed a breath of relief before guiding her by her arm once again. After going down two flights of stairs and through a metal side door, they entered an underground parkade. He brought her around to a large Toyota 4Runner; the windows were so dark they matched the black exterior of the vehicle. Opening the passenger door for her, he ushered her inside before jogging lightly around the front of the SUV. Pulling himself into the driver's seat, he started the car before glancing around the parkade and driving off.