An Assumption of Risk

Ella became acutely aware of the rising heat in her body as the shock subsided and panic settled in; The life she had come to love had vanished overnight.

The message she received was vague, but she knew the meaning of the encryption immediately. She knew it meant that her family was in danger, and there would be no return to the life they had known. When Jack accepted this new assignment, he had warned her that this was always a possibility, but he had been so sure this day would never come.

The sun had barely pierced the morning mist as she began packing some of Lucas and Sophia’s favorite things. She allowed the tears to roll down her cheeks as she moved on her toes trying to let her little ones live in their old world for every possible second. “Why did we ever agree to this? Great opportunity or not we never should have…” She trailed off, cursing to herself she decided that there was no time for this now. They had to move quickly.

She stood staring numbly at the home she and Jack had built, knowing this was the last time she would ever see it. The home she thought she would share with her family for the rest of her life. She released an exhausted sigh and shut the car door, drained from the shock of the morning’s events; her strength of will was the only thing keeping her going. She pulled out the map that she’d received and started towards their destination. Remembering her training from back when Jack first accepted the position, she had expected that she would have no idea where they were going. The encrypted message gave her a time and location where they would be met by “The Advocates,” beyond that she had no idea what lie ahead for her and her family.

Ella lost track of time driving further and further into the Pennsylvania wilderness. She ascertained that they were close to the destination as she began to see the landmarks coded on the map. The sun slid back to hide behind the clouds as she made the final turn onto a narrow dirt road. In the distance was an abandoned old bridge that mother nature seemed determined to reclaim: This was it. This was the place where Ella and her children would abandon everything they knew, hop in the car with total strangers, and begin a completely new life.

A wash of panic ran over her as she looked around and saw no signs of anyone else around. Had she taken them to the wrong place? “Mommy, is it time to go now?” asked Lucas from the backseat. Ella felt more tears threatening to shatter her composure. “I think so sweetie, we’re just waiting on our friends.” She felt a stab of regret referring to “The Advocates” as friends. She was supposed to trust them, but at this point her instincts told her to be suspicious of everything around them. Then suddenly, as though somehow perfectly camouflaged by their surroundings, a black SUV barrelled down from the tree line ahead. It was time. She looked back at Lucas and Sophia, who was sleeping peacefully in her booster seat. Overwhelmed by her own fear, Ella shook her awake with more force than she had intended. Her heart shattered as she saw the panicked looks on each child’s face. There would be time to explain all this later, but now they had to move.

Two looming figures stood before them. “The Advocates” as they were called, were dressed in identical black suits with identical shaded glasses covering their eyes. She could see that the driver, still sitting in the extra-large SUV, was also wearing the same suit and shades. “Hello Ella, Sophia, and Lucas. I’m Silas and this is my partner Nix.” Said the squat older man as he slid in to place their bags in the trunk. The taller of the two, Nix, had a slender and angular build, but her muscular scarred hands were evidence enough that she was capable of immense power. While Silas could still be considered large, he stood a good 4 inches shorter than his partner. His nose had clearly been broken many times and his ears were pink and puffy with cauliflower ear. Although the two seemed a juxtaposing pair, they seemed to operate as one, mirroring the other in their mannerisms. It was obvious that there would be no time for questions at this point. Ella tried to push aside her worry as all five of them packed into the backseat.

The car ride was long and overwhelming as the Advocates spent most of the time briefing them on what was to come. Her family was to take on completely new identities and start a new life in a new place. Silas handed her 3 file folders with information on their new identities; She would become Charlotte, Lucas would become Aiden, and Sophia would become Claire. “What about my husband? Does he already have his new identity assignment?” Ella asked, trying to keep the panic from her voice. She watched closely as Nix and Silas shifted uncomfortably and promptly changed the subject; this wasn’t the first time they had ignored a question about Jack. Ella was becoming increasingly unnerved by The Advocates deliberately denying her any information about her husband. At this point she hadn’t heard from him in days and didn’t even know if he was alive. Once again, she forced herself to put her thoughts aside and carry on with what needed to be done.

As the sky began to change color and evening set in, Ella recognized the approaching highway signs. This was where Jack was stationed. They were somewhere in Virginia, near the island of Chincoteague. Her thoughts began to overwhelm her as she questioned every decision her and Jack had made to get to this point and if she would truly be able to keep her family safe in this place. As far as she knew Jack was doing very important work at the NASA base on Wallops Island, so she had always assumed they would take care of Jack and their family. It was only recently that she had grown suspicious of Jack’s employer. No longer ignoring her intuition, she was certain that all was not as it seemed.

Just as Ella was on the verge of spiraling into a black hole of panic at the realization, as though Nix could read her mind, she placed a surprisingly gentle hand on her knee. She met her eyes, removing her shades for the first time. Her gaze was focused and intense, emphasized by her hooded lids and heavy brow. “This is not going to be easy for you. But your family would not have been chosen if you could not handle it.” Her voice was rich and seemed to vibrate throughout the car. Despite her unsettling intensity, Nix had a soothing quality to her. Ella found herself almost entranced at the words. Snapping back, she realized what Nix just said. “Wait what does she mean our family was chosen?”

The last few moments of the car ride were silent, she had never seen her children so quiet. Despite only being 5 and 8 years old the two were very observant and clearly knew something was very wrong. Every time she looked at them, she risked losing her composure. They were somewhere in Pocomoke Virginia, not far from where Jack was supposed to be living. As they pulled into a Walmart parking lot, Silas pointed out a small SUV that had a moving trailer hooked up to the back. “That will be your new vehicle. The trailer attached has some additional items to help make your new place feel like home.” Silas was obviously trying to sound cheerful. “When you are at the house there will be security nearby at all times. You will likely never see them but know that they’re there. When you leave the house our security teams will be tracking your phone at all times. Should you get yourself into trouble there is a button on the side that will alert them, and they will come to your aid. But I would try to avoid that if I were you.” Ella couldn’t help but notice that Silas seemed uncomfortable at his last comment, as though someone was listening; it was clear to her that he’d meant it as a warning.

All their belongings packed in their new car; Nix handed her the keys. “Learn to be your own support system. It will be a very long time until you talk to anyone familiar to you. We wish you the best.” The chilling words came from Nix as she stood beside her partner. As though from the same mind, the two Advocates gave a curt nod, spun on their heels, and strolled back to the black SUV in perfect unison.

Palms sweating, Ella turned off the car and stared at the house in front of her for a long minute before making another move. She turned to her little ones and tried to appear positive “Ok my sweetlings, this is our new house!” It was her best effort, but her kids knew her better than that. Her heart was pounding as she turned the key to the front door. Upon entering she noticed that there was one light on in the house. But even with the light pouring from the back of the house, everything seemed covered in a blanket of darkness. The house was fully furnished with items that looked to be well used. “Ok kids, why don’t you go upstairs and pick out your rooms. I’ll call you down when dinner is ready.” She said, deciding that she needed a few moments alone.

The source of the light was coming from the back of the house. As she approached her new bedroom, she saw it; basking in the light of an old lamp lay a small black book. Before she even got close, she could see that the book was stuffed with other paper stuck in between each page. As she approached it, the light began to dance on the little green papers tucked inside. Without picking it up, she opened the book to the first page. This was Jacks handwriting! Slightly relieved but very confused she continued. Among the many words on the page, she couldn’t help but be drawn to the part that mentioned the $20,000 cash that was stuck between the pages. Followed by the words “Hide it. You will need it.” Shocked, she turned the page to find the first $100 bill. Glancing through she noticed that almost every page was full. Jack had left her detailed notes on how to function in this new life. Who to trust, where to go, and what to do in certain situations. “How long did he know this was happening in order to make all these notes? Did he put himself in danger by leaving this here for me?”

Underneath the little black book was an array of pamphlets showcasing Chincoteague Island and the many great things it has to offer, the cheerful brochures provided a stark contrast to their current situation. Utterly exhausted she collapsed on the bed and began to quietly sob. How could anyone expect her and her children to go on as if nothing had happened? They had worked so hard for the life they had built, and within less than 24 hours everything she knew was gone. When would she hear from Jack again? Would she ever be able to talk to her mother again? Her friends? It was all too much. Her senses still on high alert, she was torn from her despair as two car doors slam shut outside.