Sanctuary Lost WITSEC Town Series Book 1 (3 page)

Grant’s head shook. The movement was so small
John wondered if he’d even seen it. “The United States Attorney
seemed to feel the conviction gained by the testimony of each of
these witnesses was valuable enough to warrant the expense of
enrolling them in WITSEC in the first place. If you feel
differently, perhaps he should be here instead of me.” He paused.
“Be that as it may, we do not pander to our witnesses. Each of them
has provided a valuable service to the justice department and in
return has been given the chance to start a new life.”

“A clean slate, just like that?”

Grant sighed. “We are not here to discuss the
merits of the witness protection program. We’re here to ensure the
safety of all the citizens of this country, whoever they may be.
Sanctuary was never designed to exist in the long term. The town’s
infrastructure is woefully outdated and in order to remain open,
Sanctuary requires an influx of federal funding simply to be
brought up to code.”

Congressman Thane’s mouth opened and shut,
causing his jowls to wobble. “Well, I never...”

“If your intention is simply to save the
government money, I assure you closing the town will be far more
cost effective in the long term. Sanctuary will continue to grow.
If the justice department continues to enroll protectees into the
witness protection program, I will have no other choice than to
send some of them to Sanctuary.”

John waited, his mind spinning around the
idea of a town established entirely for the sake of housing
high-profile witnesses. If it was true, it was such a secret he’d
never even heard a rumor of it. In the community of law enforcement
that was next to unreal. And what on earth did it have to do with
his—maybe—next assignment?

The woman leaned toward her microphone, not
that it was needed when it was just the six of them in the room.
“We will need some time to further deliberate.”

John glanced between Grant and the panel. He
wanted them to spend more money and keep the town open? There was
no way they were going to go for that.

“We most certainly will not deliberate
further.” Congressman Thane shoved the woman’s mic away from her
and spoke into his own. “Despite what you have said, the town of
Sanctuary will remain open. A reasonable budget will be provided
for necessary renovations. That is the final decision of this
panel.”

The woman’s lips pressed together. John
stared at Thane. Why did he want the town to stay open if it was
going to cost more money? In claiming the town had to be closed,
Grant had strategically maneuvered more money for the town to
remain open. Had that been his plan all along?

“Very well.” Grant nodded. “Thank you all for
your time.”

John got up and followed him out, trailing
behind his brother like always. The minute the door shut, John
said, “A WITSEC town?”

Grant stopped. “This goes no further than
that room.”

“What’s the assignment?”

“The sheriff of Sanctuary has cancer.
Terminal. He’s being transferred out this afternoon so there’s an
opening.”

John stared at his brother. “You want me to
take my son to a town full of federal witnesses?”

“The job isn’t much more than light duty as
the sheriff and security drills. It’s mostly keeping your finger on
the pulse of those people and then letting them live their lives.”
Grant ran a hand through his hair, his “Director” persona
evaporating. “I need someone I can trust there, someone I know who
needs a fresh start himself. A change of pace for his family.”

“Except my family is here.”

“I mean Pat.”

“I know what you mean.”

Grant’s eyebrows lifted.

“So you want me to do what Ellen did? Go
spend quality time with my son in this secret town and never see
the rest of you ever again.”

“We’ll have to work out the details.” Grant
grinned. “Maybe Sanctuary can host the Mason family Christmas this
year.”

“Despite the security risk?”

“Potential risk.”

“You realize this is nepotism, right?”

“Not if everything about it has been
redacted.”

John started walking. “You need someone to
take this job and I’m the only one you can force into it. Because
I’m your brother and you know I won’t say no. Not to mention I just
sat through the meeting wherein I found out this secret. So either
I sign away my free speech or I take the job.” He sighed. “I’m
guessing, wherever this town is, there are mountains on either side
called a rock and a hard place.”

“Quit being so dramatic. This will be good
for you, somewhere you and Pat can spend time together. A slower
pace of life, away from all the risk inherent in your usual
assignments.”

“If it’s that great, why don’t you take the
job?”

Grant ignored the question. “Family oriented,
small town. Nestled in the mountains, surrounded by trees and blue
skies.”

“Read the brochure much?”

“I wrote it, actually.”

“I believe you.” John folded his arms, even
though it hurt. “But this all seems just a little too convenient.
My assignment ended hours ago, the result of a breach that captured
Alphonz and, look at that, just in time to get out of town and hide
away.”

The muscle in Grant’s jaw flexed.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Grant blew out a breath. “Fine. Alphonz is
blowing whistles left and right, making sure everyone he’s ever met
goes down with him. The U.S. attorney is talking deal.” He
hesitated. “When Alphonz’s business associates discover a marshal
was undercover, when Alphonz has been taken care of, who do you
think they’re going to come after next?”

“So will I be the sheriff of Sanctuary, or
are you actually putting me in witness protection?”

Grant’s head jerked in a shake, like he
didn’t believe John had figured it out. “Honestly? A little of
both.”

“Were you planning on telling me this?” John
paced away two steps and turned back. “You know, you didn’t have to
twist everything for your sake. You could just explain for
once.”

“I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing it for
Pat.”

“So you’re the grand puppet-master,
manipulating everything to be what you think is best for everyone
else.” John folded his arms. Had his brother always been like this,
or was he just now noticing it?

“I’m helping you keep my nephew safe.”

“Because you don’t think I can do it on my
own, but you think I can sheriff a town? That makes no sense.”

“It’s a good assignment.” Grant nodded. “A
promotion. You should be proud I think you can do it.”

“But you don’t think I can be a father. Is
that why you gave me all those undercover assignments?”

“If I did, then it didn’t work now, did it?
Ellen quit. So I guess you’re going to have to step up. Your son
needs you.”

John studied his oldest brother. “What
happened to you while I was away?”

“Genevieve left me.”

“What? When?”

“Two months ago. Now I get the girls one
weekend a month. I have eighteen months until Bev and Helen leave
for college and then I’ll as good as lose them forever.”

“So you’re taking your issues out on me, is
that it?” John glanced at the ceiling. “You can’t fix your family
problems by forcing me to figure out my life. Ellen and I are
divorced, we’re not going back there and I’m going to take this
time to give Pat what he needs.”

“Yeah, since yesterday.”

John shifted. “Don’t lash out at me just
because your family is in the toilet.”

Grant lifted both hands. He let them fall,
like they weighed too much to hold up. “I just want things to go
back to normal.”

“Uh…newsflash, dude. Women do not want that.
They want stuff to be changing all the time, growing and improving.
Tell me Genevieve never said anything to you about counseling.”

“I’m not interested in a bandage.”

John slung his arm around his brother’s neck.
“Do you want her to divorce you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then listen up.”

**

John’s mom was in the kitchen, pulling a dish
from the oven. “Hey.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, honey.”
Her white-blond hair swayed with the movement as she danced to the
tune of a song only she could hear. “Did you know a billion and a
half pens are made every year but only a hundred million
pencils?”

“Uh…no.”

Her heels clacked on the tile floor as she
moved to the counter and the makings of a salad. “Pat and I had a
lot of fun today. After the movie we went to the library and he
found one of those weird fact books.”

John smiled. “I’m glad.”

He’d spent the whole ride back from D.C.
reading the file on Sanctuary. It was insane how someone’s idea of
witnesses forming their own community had spiraled into this actual
thing, in existence now only slightly longer than John had been
alive.

After Grant dropped him off at his condo,
he’d packed a bag and called a shipping company to get the rest of
the things he wanted to keep. The bulk of it was going in storage
until his mom could organize a garage sale. Or, that was the plan
at least.

“Where’s Pat now?”

“He’s in his room, reading.” The corners of
her lips turned down. “I think he tried to call his mom. I heard
him leave a message but he didn’t want to talk about it.”

John got a water from the fridge. On the door
was a whiteboard calendar with every available space filled in.
“Busy.”

She grinned. “I was nominated the community’s
social coordinator.”

“Of course you were.” His mom lived in a
community of retirees who golfed and hung out at the complex’s
centers and clubs. After half a lifetime on a Kansas farm, his mom
had morphed into a social butterfly. He was also pretty sure she
currently had a boyfriend.

She’d toned up, lost weight and dressed
stylishly now. But not like she was trying to look fifty instead of
seventy. “You look good, Mom.”

She danced to the opposite counter and opened
a high cupboard. “Thanks, darlin’. But I’m thinking that’s not why
you don’t look happy.”

“I’m happy.”

She stopped her near-constant movement and
focused on him. “I’m not buying it. What did Grant say? Did he tell
you about Genevieve?”

John nodded. “He wants me to take a job out
of town. A sheriff’s job.”

“And Pat?”

“He’ll be going with me.”

She was quiet for a minute. “You walk the
path the good Lord puts in front of you. There’s nothing else. Not
if you want to be really, truly happy.”

“You’re not mad you won’t get to see Pat too
much?”

“That’s what Skype is for, darlin’.” She
picked up the knife and grabbed the lettuce again. “Besides, your
momma’s a busy woman.”

John drained the bottle of water.

“Did you think I’d be mad?”

“That seems to be going around lately.”

“Tell me about it. Your brother, last night.”
She shook her head. “That boy needs help.”

“He’s forty-eight, Mom. That’s not the
definition of a boy.”

His mom nodded once, fast. “Ellen showed up
at Grant’s place last night with Pat, before she brought him here.
Genevieve answered the door. One of the girls called him and he
rushed over. Wouldn’t accept all the boxes the delivery men were
trying to leave, yelling about how kids should be with their
fathers.” She sniffed. “I don’t think it was about Pat. Not
totally.”

“No kidding.” John sighed. “Did anything else
go to crap while I was gone? I heard Nate made the Dolphins’
team.”

The ghost of a smile flashed on her face.
“He’s happy. I think.”

“And Ben?”

Her nose wrinkled. “Who knows with that boy?
He’s too much like your father, keeps everything to himself.”

Like high blood pressure.

She didn’t have to say it; John heard it in
the silence. She was worried Ben would die the same way their
father had. John wrapped his palm around the back of his mom’s neck
and kissed her forehead. “You’re not going to lose us. I
promise.”

She waved him away. “Tell your son dinner is
ready.”

That was two promises in two days. Unless you
counted the promise to Grant that he’d give him an answer soon.

John trailed through the modern house to find
Pat. If this was his mom’s taste, how had she ever survived being a
plumber’s wife? She’d either done what was necessary to fit herself
into his dad’s life, or she’d since discovered something she hadn’t
known before.

The light was on in the guest room where all
the grandkids slept when they visited. “Hey, Pat.” John sat on the
side of the bed and squeezed his son’s white socked foot. “You
doin’ okay?”

Pat lowered the book. “What’s this word?”

John looked where he was pointing. “Liege.
What are you reading?”

“It’s about knights.” Pat chewed his lip.
“Are we really moving?”

“If that’s okay with you. It’s a mountain
town, kind of remote.”

Seriously remote. As in, no roads, no cell
reception, very limited internet and more stipulations than tax
law.

“I’m going to be the sheriff. The school has
five kids so they only do class in the morning and then you’ll get
to spend the rest of the day hanging out in town or with me at the
sheriff’s office.”

“Can we go hiking?”

“Sure.”

“Fishing?”

“Maybe.”

“Camping?”

John laughed. “Whatever you want.”

“Okay.” Pat smiled but he wasn’t fully happy.
“I tried to call mom. I think she was out.”

John did the same thing he’d done with his
mom, he held the back of his son’s neck and kissed his
forehead.

“Gross, Dad.” Pat broke away and wiped his
sleeve over his face. “You slobbered on me.”

“Get used to it, kid.” John pulled his son to
his feet and put his arm around Pat’s shoulders as they headed back
to the kitchen.