Page 9 of Two Favors Repaid

“It’s going to be okay,” she said eventually, breaking the silence.

Now she’s trying to make me feel better.

“I know it is, Emma. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“Will you be there with me?” Her voice was a thin thread.

“Ford wanted to meet with you alone, but the room will have a double-sided mirror. Lorraine and I will be watching the whole time, and there’ll be guards by the door.” He stopped. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince her. “He’s never going to touch you again.”

“It’s okay, Rob. I trust you.”

The prison came into view. This was where his friend Hunter, Natalie’s husband, had spent twelve years of his life, convicted for a crime he didn’t commit. This wasn’t the first time he came here, but it was still an imposing sight. He sneaked a look at Emma, whose mouth was wide open. Rob understood. Most people knew prisons had high fences, some were even used to seeing close-ups of those fences in TV shows, but it was something else to come against the fifteen-foot fences in person.

Rob didn’t tell Emma that the fence had lethal/non-lethal electrification. The project had been controversial several years earlier but had gone through in the end. Upon first contact, the fence delivered a non-lethal electrical shock. Anybody touching it for the second time in a short period of time, however, would receive a lethal high-voltage discharge.

Rob ignored the large signs directing him to the visitor parking lot and made his way to the smaller employee lot. There were only ten other cars there. He chose a spot far away from other cars.

Lorraine and her partner, a tall, dark-haired man in his early thirties, were waiting by the entrance. Both wore similar dark suits—a skirt in her case and trousers in his. The man’s hair was short and slicked back.

Rob took a step forward and shook both their hands.

“Emma, meet Special Agent Lorraine Vasquez and Special Agent James Ramsay. They’ve been working on this case for over a year now.”

“Ms. Farley, thank you for coming,” Lorraine said. Her deep, intelligent eyes shone with sympathy. “I know this can’t be easy for you.”

“Please call me Emma. I … I want to help, but … I’ve never been in a situation like this before,” Emma said. Her soft hazel eyes were wide with hope and fear. In his mind, Rob saw himself picking Emma up and placing her over his shoulder then carrying her all the way back to his car. Instead, he stuck his hands in his jeans pockets and followed everybody into the prison.

#

Emma

It seemed to Emma that the corridor would never end. The longer they walked, the shallower the air grew, until she was inhaling every other second just to try and get some air into her lungs.

Rob reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Slow, deep breaths, Emma,” he whispered.

She nodded and tried to do as he said, finding that breathing did become a bit easier. Just the reminder that Rob was behind her served to steady her.

Emma clenched her hands into fists and kept going, concentrating on the steady clicking of the FBI agent’s heels on the worn linoleum. She wished she’d worn heels as well, or just about any shoes other than the canvas trainers she was wearing, which made her feel about six years old.

Finally, Special Agents Vasquez and Ramsay stopped at a locked steel door. A heavy-set guard stood outside the door, looking at them.

Emma swallowed the lump in her throat. “Is he … is Ford in there?”

She hadn’t meant to whisper, but her voice wasn’t working properly.

Lorraine nodded, her expression gentle. “His ankles and wrists are chained to the table. He won’t be able to walk away from the table, and he won’t be able to touch you as long as you stay on your side of the table. We’ll be watching and listening to everything from there,” she said, pointing to the next door down. “If he says anything that makes you uncomfortable, raise your right hand to your eyes and we will come in.”

“Define uncomfortable,” Emma said. She saw Rob run a hand through his hair and realized she wasn’t making this easy for anyone. “Never mind. I understand. But what do I say to him? Shouldn’t you give me a wire or something?”

James Ramsay scowled at her. Emma felt herself blush.

I’ve clearly watched too many movies.

At least Lorraine’s voice, when she answered, was kind.

“He specifically said he wanted to talk to you alone. No wires. We want to respect all terms of our agreement with him … and hope he’ll respect the terms as well. Don’t antagonize him and keep an eye on the prize, Emma. All you need from that bastard is a location, and then you’ll never have to see him again.”