Chapter 1: Shattered
The blood on my hands wouldn't wash off.
I stood at the bathroom sink in the FBI field office, scrubbing until my skin was raw, but Michael Grant's blood seemed permanently stained into my palms. Three hours ago, he'd been alive, cracking jokes about the terrible coffee I made. Now he was dead, and Internal Affairs was treating me like I pulled the trigger myself.
"Agent Mitchell?" A knock on the bathroom door made me jump. "Deputy Director Collins wants to see you."
I dried my hands on a paper towel, avoiding my reflection in the mirror. The woman staring back looked like she'd aged ten years in one night—hollow eyes, pale skin, defeat written in every line of her face. Six months ago, I'd been one of the Bureau's rising stars. Then came the divorce, the demotion to witness protection, and now this.
The walk to Collins' office felt like a death march. Agents I'd worked with for five years wouldn't meet my eyes. The whispers followed me down the hallway—how could she let this happen? How does a witness die in a safe house? What was she really doing while Grant was being murdered?
Deputy Director Mark Collins had been my mentor since I joined the Bureau eight years ago. He'd believed in me when others saw just another female agent trying to prove herself. When my marriage fell apart and I requested a transfer to something less demanding, he'd personally assigned me to witness protection.
Now he looked at me like I was a stranger.
"Sit down, Sarah." His voice was cold, professional. Gone was the warmth of the man who'd attended my wedding, who'd congratulated me on every promotion.
"Sir, I know how this looks, but—"
"How it looks?" Collins interrupted. "It looks like you were the only person who knew the safe house location. It looks like the killers had detailed knowledge of our security protocols. It looks like Michael Grant trusted you, and you got him killed."
Each word hit like a physical blow. "I would never betray a witness. You know me better than that."
"Do I?" Collins leaned back in his chair. "Because right now, I'm wondering if I know you at all. Your performance reviews have been declining since your divorce. You've been drinking more, missing meetings, showing signs of stress and instability."
"That's not—" I started to protest, then stopped. He was right about the drinking. Right about the stress. The divorce from Tom had been brutal, leaving me financially drained and emotionally shattered. But I'd never compromise a case, never put an innocent person at risk.
"Internal Affairs is taking over the investigation," Collins continued. "You're suspended pending their review. Turn in your badge and weapon."
My hands shook as I placed my FBI credentials on his desk. The weight of my service weapon felt heavier than usual as I unholstered it and set it beside the badge.
"Mark, please. You've known me for eight years. I didn't do this."
For just a moment, his expression softened. "Sarah, I hope you're right. I really do. But the evidence suggests otherwise, and I have to follow the evidence."
"What evidence?"
Collins hesitated, then pulled out a file. "Security footage shows you leaving the safe house for forty-five minutes yesterday evening. You told your supervisor you were doing a perimeter check, but the footage shows you driving away from the property entirely."
My stomach dropped. "I went to get dinner. The safe house kitchen was empty, and Grant said he was craving Chinese food. I drove to that place on Fifth Street—"
"The restaurant has no record of your order. No security footage of you in the store. And your cell phone was turned off during those forty-five minutes."
I stared at him in disbelief. "You're saying I met with the killers? That I gave them intelligence about the safe house?"
"I'm saying we can't account for your whereabouts during a crucial window. And twelve hours later, Michael Grant was dead."
The room felt like it was spinning. Everything I'd worked for, everything I'd built, was crumbling around me. "Who's going to protect me during the investigation? If someone's setting me up, I could be next."
Collins picked up his phone. "I've already arranged for private security. Someone with experience in these situations."
Before I could ask what he meant, the office door opened. The man who entered looked like he'd stepped out of a military recruitment poster—tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and eyes that missed nothing. Everything about him screamed professional protection specialist.
"Sarah Mitchell, meet Jake Thompson. He'll be your bodyguard until this situation is resolved."
Jake's handshake was firm, impersonal. "Agent Mitchell."
I hated him immediately. Not because of anything he'd done, but because his presence meant Collins really believed I might be guilty. You don't assign bodyguards to innocent agents—you assign them to suspects who might run.
"Is this necessary?" I asked. "I'm not going anywhere."
Jake's blue eyes studied my face with uncomfortable intensity. "Two federal witnesses are dead in the past month. Both were under FBI protection. If you're innocent, someone's targeting agents involved in witness security. If you're guilty, you might try to eliminate other potential witnesses."
His bluntness was like a slap. "You think I'm guilty."
"I think the evidence will tell us what we need to know. My job is to keep you alive long enough for the truth to come out."
Deputy Director Collins stood up. "Jake has experience with federal cases. He's worked witness protection, internal security, high-risk assignments. You'll be safe with him."
Safe. The word felt foreign. I hadn't felt safe since my marriage imploded, since I'd discovered Tom's affairs, since I'd realized that even the person closest to me could lie to my face for years.
"Where will I be staying?" I asked.
"Jake has a secure location arranged," Collins replied. "You'll remain there until Internal Affairs completes their investigation."
"How long will that take?"
Collins and Jake exchanged a look that made my skin crawl. "As long as necessary," Collins said finally.
An hour later, I was sitting in Jake's black SUV, watching my life disappear in the rearview mirror. Everything I owned fit in two suitcases—the divorce had taken care of most possessions, and the suspension meant I couldn't access my FBI apartment.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Safe house in the mountains. Remote, defensible, good sight lines." Jake's voice was matter-of-fact. "We'll have everything we need."
"Including what? Handcuffs in case I try to run?"
Jake glanced at me, his expression unreadable. "Do you plan to run?"
"Where would I go? My career is over, my bank account is empty, and half the FBI thinks I'm a murderer. Running would just make me look guilty."
"Would it?"
The question hung in the air like an accusation. I studied Jake's profile as he drove—strong jaw, focused expression, hands steady on the wheel. He was good at his job, probably had never failed to protect a client. But he was also convinced I was guilty of treason and murder.
"You really think I killed Michael Grant," I said.
"I think the evidence is compelling."
"That's not what I asked."
Jake was quiet for several miles. "I think you're scared, angry, and desperate. I think your life fell apart and you made some bad choices. Whether that includes murder remains to be seen."
His assessment stung because it wasn't entirely wrong. I was scared—terrified that I'd never clear my name, that my career was over, that I'd spend the rest of my life under suspicion. I was angry—at Tom for destroying our marriage, at the system for failing me, at whoever was framing me for crimes I didn't commit.
But desperate enough to betray a federal witness? Never.
"For what it's worth," I said quietly, "I didn't do this. Michael Grant died because someone wanted him dead, not because I betrayed him."
Jake nodded but didn't respond. We drove in silence for another hour, climbing into the mountains as the sun began to set. The safe house turned out to be a cabin tucked into a grove of pine trees, invisible from the road and surrounded by enough open space to spot approaching threats.
"Home sweet home," Jake said, parking near the front door.
The cabin was spartan but comfortable—two bedrooms, a kitchen stocked with non-perishables, a living room with reinforced windows and clear sight lines in every direction. Jake gave me a tour like a realtor showing a prison.
"Your room is upstairs. Mine is downstairs by the main entrance. Don't go outside without me, don't use any electronic devices, don't contact anyone without my permission."
"What am I supposed to do all day?"
"Think about who might want to frame you for murder. Because either you're guilty, or someone very smart wants everyone to believe you are."
As Jake settled in for the night, checking locks and setting up surveillance equipment, I stood at the upstairs window looking out at the forest. Twenty-four hours ago, I'd been FBI Agent Sarah Mitchell, protector of witnesses and upholder of justice.
Now I was a suspect under guard, trapped in the mountains with a man who thought I was a killer. The irony wasn't lost on me—I'd gone from protecting others to needing protection myself.
But Jake was wrong about one thing. I wasn't desperate enough to commit treason.
I was desperate enough to find out who was really responsible for Michael Grant's death, even if it killed me.