Moving Target (24 page)

Heart pounding in her throat, she turned back to the court.

He's trying to rattle me
.

And he's succeeding
.

Singleton pinched the bridge of his nose at the prosecution table and looked down for a moment.

He wasn't objecting?

Plutov approached Ani with an open file folder. "Here is the hospital release form for your sister." He handed her a page and it wavered in her hands as she held it. "She was released from the first hospital she was admitted to, nearly a month after you were taken into protective custody." He said his next statement with emphasis. "She did not die the night of the fire."

Ani stared at the date, not quite registering what it said. September 12. Three weeks after the fire.

He took the paper from her hands as she looked up at him, her mind whirling.

"This can't be accurate," Ani said as she let the paper slip through her hands when Plutov took it from her. "I was told Jenn died on the operating room table two days after the fire." Yet the paper he'd shown her said she'd been checked out almost a month later. There had to be some kind of mistake. It must have been someone else's release paper.

"As a matter of fact," Plutov said as he faced the jury before looking at Ani again. "There isn't a death certificate for your sister, Jennifer Francis King."

Ani felt as if the courtroom were spinning around her. She clenched onto the railing of the witness stand as if it would help stop the dizziness.

Plutov strutted back to the defense table and tossed the file folder onto it before approaching the witness stand again. "It's been two years, Ms. King. How could you not know your sister is still alive?"

Ani looked frantically at Daniel again, but his face showed no emotion. When her gaze returned to Plutov's, her voice shook as she said, "I was told my sister was dead."

The defense attorney's expression was smug. "We have discovered that she, in fact, was released from the hospital in New York City, taken to a burn center in Rochester, and now resides in that city."

Ani's heart pounded and her mind swam. Her stomach convulsed. She was going to throw up. Oh, God, Jenn was alive?

All this time she'd been alive? Her emotions were so ramped up she couldn't sort anything out.

Anger at those who hadn't told her the truth.

Confusion—was this real? Was Jenn really alive?

Joy at the thought that her sister hadn't died.

She isn't dead!

Yet disbelief, too. It was too much to hope for.

"Ms. King," came Plutov's voice, jerking her to the present. "If you didn't know your sister is alive, how do you know if your parents are dead?"

"I—I—" Tears rolled down Ani's cheeks. "I saw the bullet hole in my father's forehead. I saw my mother's body encased in fire. Only Jenn and I made it out of the house."

"But you haven't seen the bodies of your parents, have you?"

"Objection, Your Honor." Singleton approached the bench. "We have autopsies that show both Mr. and Mrs. King are, in fact, deceased."

Singleton sighed and looked at Ani before returning his gaze to the judge. "The witness was in the U.S. Marshals Service Witness Security Program and had signed documents that severed her ties completely to her former life. At the time she signed the papers, her sister
had
died on the operating room table. The fact that she had been revived was not revealed to Ms. Anistana King because she had given up the right to any knowledge of her former life by signing the WITSEC

contracts."

With every word Singleton said, Ani's hair prickled at the nape of her neck and chill bumps broke out on her skin. Her head swam.

The judge glanced at Ani with an almost sympathetic expression in her eyes. She turned back to the courtroom.

"It's four P.M.," the judge said. "Court is adjourned until nine A.M. Monday morning when the defense will continue its cross-examination of the witness."

Judge Steele stood and chairs scraped the hardwood floor as everyone in the courtroom stood with her. Like a robot, Ani stood but stared blankly ahead, not seeing anything but her sister's face in her mind.

Jenn. Jenn. Jenn
.

Oh, God. Her sister was alive.

But it had been kept from her for over two years. Two years of thinking her sister was dead. Two years of believing she'd lost her entire family that night.

Two years of deception.

Daniel and McNeal approached the witness stand. Both had blank expressions on their faces. Had they known?

Had Daniel known?

If he knew, he would have told her, right?

Movements stiff and rigid, she turned and started to take the step down when her knees gave out. Daniel caught her on one side, McNeal on the other.

Her mind still buzzing and churning, she let them escort her out of the room and into the private hallway where the rest of the Deputies were waiting.

Everything was a blur as the convoy brought her to another hotel rather than the safe house. As the five black vehicles made their way through the city from Federal Plaza, the Borenkos were sure to see where she was being taken, and they couldn't allow the location of the safe house to be revealed. The Deputies talked about how they would be doubling her guard and moving her to another safe house once they had the opportunity to, without the Borenkos finding out their new location.

The Deputies managed to get her into the hotel without getting shot at or blown up, and then upstairs to a hotel suite.

Daniel, as usual, was the only Deputy Marshal to enter her suite.

When they were in the center of the sitting room, Ani stared up at Daniel. "You knew, didn't you?" she stated as she looked at him, feeling both numb and incredulous. "All this time you've lied to me."

Daniel braced one hand on the television set and scrubbed his free hand through his hair. "I never told you your sister was dead."

Her gaze didn't move from the man she'd thought she loved. "But you let me think she was."

"I'm sorry." Daniel ran his palm down his face. "We had no choice after you signed the papers, honey."

"Don't you ever call me that again." Ani balled her fists at her sides. "You sonofabitch."

He reached for her. "Ani—"

With everything she had, she slammed her fist into Daniel's nose.

Yegor smiled as he relaxed in the Red Room of his mansion. He leaned back in his leather recliner, his feet propped up on a footstool. He took another puff on his rare Leon Jimenes Don Fernando and blew out a ring of smoke. He savored the wood and nut flavors of the cigar as he sucked another draw.

He didn't bother to offer Dmitry or Piterskij a cigar as he listened to their report. The smokes were far too fine for such shits as these two.

"Now that Jennifer King has been discovered—that she is alive," Dmitry said with a gloating expression, "I am certain Anistana King will do whatever it takes to see her. And we will make sure she doesn't survive the visit. We will eliminate Jennifer King as well."

"Without a cross-examination of Anistana King by Plutov," Piterskij said, "our defense will argue to have her initial testimony tossed out of court."

Yegor blew a smoke ring at his son. "How did you find this Jennifer King?"

"The woman saw news reports about the trial on the television while she was in public—at a physical therapy center,"

Piterskij said. "She was overheard speaking to someone during one of her physical therapy sessions, saying that she was concerned about her sister testifying against Dmitry. A receptionist at the PT center was aware of our reward for the death of Anistana King and informed one of our men."

Yegor blew out another smoke ring. "You have the weekend to rid us of the
pizda
."

"Two days is more than we need." Dmitry grinned. "Our men are preparing as we speak. We know the hotel she is staying at and have all entrances and exits covered."

"Very good." Yegor waved him away. "You have much business to take care of."

Piterskij bowed, turned, and strode from Yegor's Red Room.

Dmitry stood with his hands behind his back, his chin raised.

"You"—Yegor pointed to his son with his cigar—"are a worthless
govno
. You have failed and failed, and failed again. I expect nothing from you but success this weekend. Not even the weekend. Today she dies. Today!"

"Yes, Father." Dmitry's jaw tensed. "I will see to it myself."

"I expect you to do no less." Yegor blew another smoke ring into his son's face.

Dmitry did not show the same courtesy as Piterskij by bowing. He simply turned and walked out the door.

The fact they were so close to eliminating the King woman made Yegor's dick harden. He rubbed it through his fine Armani slacks. He knew exactly how to relieve the ache in his groin.

With his cigar still in his mouth, he used the intercom and ordered his maid, Fayina, to the Red Room. By the time she reached him, she had fear in her expression, which only made his excitement more intense.

Ani was still shaking with fury as blood started dripping from Daniel's nose. Her hand hurt from slugging him so hard. But she barely felt the pain as she stared at the man who'd allowed her to think her sister was dead for
over two years
.

He grabbed a couple of tissues from a box on the hotel room's dresser. He wiped the blood from his nose and studied her for a long moment. "I deserved that," he finally said.

Ani ground her teeth. "I want you out of here. I don't care who it is, but I want a different Deputy to remain in the room with me."

"Ani, please listen—"

"You can't say anything to change this, Daniel." Heat made her feel like her head was going to go up in flames. She pointed toward the door. "Go."

He wiped more blood from his nose. "I'll be up for my things later," he said, but his eyes told her he didn't want to leave.

She clenched her hands so hard her knuckles ached. She didn't give a damn what he wanted. "You can send someone else to get your crap for you."

Daniel looked at her one more time before tossing the tissues into a wastebasket beside the dresser. It looked like his nose had stopped bleeding.

He walked to the door. Just as he grabbed the door handle, he glanced over his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Ani. I had no choice."

She responded by turning her back on him and facing the curtained window. His heavy sigh carried back to her, and it wasn't until she heard the loud thump of the door closing that she let the tears fall.

Ani sat on the edge of the bed in her part of the suite and tears flooded her cheeks. After all that had happened she felt so worn out, betrayed, angry, and hurt. Maybe hurt most of all.

She kicked off her heels and padded across the carpet to the box of tissues. After mopping the tears from her eyes and cheeks, she looked at herself in the mirror over the dresser. Her eyes were puffy and red, her complexion pale, and the bruise and cuts dark against her face.

Through all the pain and confusion, a single thought pounded at her and pounded at her, pushing aside everything else.

Jenn's alive! She's alive!

Her tears dried and she stopped sniffling. Excitement and joy washed through her. Jenn hadn't died. She was alive!

A knock at the door startled her and she jerked her attention toward it. Was it that jerk, Daniel?

When Ani reached the door, she peeked through the peephole and saw that it was Deputy Janet Hernandez, who had a duffel bag slung over one of her shoulders. She saw two other Deputies directly across the way, so she knew it was safe.

She took a deep breath, opened the door, and let Janet in.

"I want to see my sister now," Ani said the moment Janet walked in.

Janet tossed her duffel on the floor beside one of the beds. She was a petite woman with wide chocolate-brown eyes and an olive complexion.

"We'll arrange it," Janet said, "but not until after the trial when you're safe."

Ani planted her hands on her hips. "You'll arrange it
now
."

Janet had a hard look in her eyes. "You signed the paperwork severing ties with your past life. Daniel was not
allowed
to tell you. That's the fact of the matter."

"Maybe it's too late today." Ani wiped the back of one hand across her wet cheek. "But tomorrow you
will
take me to her. I won't testify any more until I see my sister."

Janet studied Ani. "I'll see what I can do. But I can't promise anything." Janet's short, bobbed hair swung as she shook her head. "You know you have to testify regardless or you'll be held in contempt of court."

Ani glared at her. "Someone better make it happen."

Janet didn't answer and walked to the phone where she picked up the room service menu. "What do you want to eat?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "Nothing."

"I watched you at the courthouse." Janet set the menu down. "You didn't eat lunch and you need something to keep up your strength."

The reason Ani had lost so much weight since the tragedy was her lack of appetite, and this was one of those times. The thought of food made her want to puke.

"I'm fine." She looked at the phone before meeting Janet's eyes again. "I want to call Jenn and hear her voice.
I want to
talk to my sister
."

"Listen." Janet approached Ani. "Your sister is in danger, too. Jennifer didn't see who shot her, and she doesn't remember anything from that night, so she's not a witness. Because she wasn't a witness she couldn't be put into WITSEC. But she's been under as much protection as we could give her."

Ani felt like she was going to hyperventilate. "Where has she been?"

"As the defense attorney revealed, she's been in Rochester." Janet gave her a pointed look. "Jennifer
did
die on the operating room table but was revived." Janet's overshirt fell to the side and Ani saw her gun, reminding her that this was a U.S. Deputy Marshal she was speaking to.

"After leaving the hospital," Janet continued, "your sister was admitted to the burn center with a new identity. The doctors didn't know if she'd make it for a while, and they never knew her real name or background. Until now, everyone not involved in her care and safety thought she was dead. Even Borenko's people."