Page 4 of Isla by Any Other Name

“Mom and Dad, this could take weeks before this is all over and I can’t see or even talk to you. I’ll be able to write, and you can write me. I love you both so much. Please stay safe and we’ll be together soon. I promise.”

Isla was ushered into a black SUV with tinted windows. She slept on and off as they traveled for seven hours up into the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She awoke as they turned up a gravel road in the middle of nowhere. It was dusk when they pulled in front of a huge log home. Another black SUV was parked in front of the garage.

“Looks like Mitch got here ahead of us,” said Agent Wentworth. “Hopefully he’s had time to cook dinner. I’m starved.”

Before they even had a chance to emerge from the SUV, the front door opened. A tall, muscular man descended the stairs. Opening the back-passenger door, he said, “It’s about time you all got here.”

He reached across Agent Kendrick, offering his outstretched hand. Isla stared at this agent, who was broad-shouldered with short brown hair and electric blue eyes. He had a silver scar over his left eyebrow. He was perhaps the most attractive man Isla had ever seen.

“Ms. Pierce, it’s nice to meet you,” he said. “I’m Agent Mitch Larkin. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

As they walked into the huge country house, Isla said, “Quite the place you’ve got here, Agent Larkin.”

He looked over to Isla and said, “Please call me Mitch.”

“And you can call me Isla,” she said with a small smile.

His own smile disappeared. “I wish I could, ma’am. But the name is always the first thing to go.”

Isla didn’t know what he meant. She started to open her mouth to ask, when Mitch said, “The house belongs to a friend of mine. Navy SEAL, out of the country for a year. House sits on two hundred acres.” Mitch described the place as they walked in. “It’s got top-of-the-line security—the twenty acres surrounding the house are all wired. The gate is ram proof, and the entire house and garage are wired as well. There’s a safe room as well as a private arsenal in the basement and a command center that has all the newest updates. Lara, I can guarantee you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven after you see the setup he’s got down there. He’s retiring after this deployment and is setting up his own security company. I grew up with him, he’s good people. He’s also left us a list of some of his friends, all retired SEALs, or Special Forces kind of guys. They all live in the area, so if we need backup they’re prepared to help. These guys are top-notch at what they do. Curt’s vouched for every one of them. When he’s done with his deployment, these guys are his team. We just need to make the call if we need help.”

Mitch must have read the worry on Isla’s face. He said, “Isla, I hope all this talk isn’t scaring you. We’re here to keep you safe and I promise you we will. How does spaghetti sound? I can have it on the table in twenty.”

Isla softened a bit. “Sounds good.” Then she remembered. “Oh my God—work! I was scheduled to work today. I never call off. They’re going to wonder where I am.”

Mitch said, “Not to worry. Colt called your supervisor and told her that you had a family emergency. We’ve made arrangements with Human Resources for you to take family leave, so you’re all set.”

Isla shook her head. “It’s that easy to put one’s life on hold?”

Mitch put his hand on her arm, then removed it quickly. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

Dinner was a veritable feast, but Mitch said it was just canned sauce and boxed pasta. Isla found herself famished, and dug in. Everyone seemed in a better mood the more they ate.

Lara smiled and said, “I, for one, can’t wait to see this command center you’re talking about.”

“I want to check out the arsenal this guy has,” Max said, excitement in his voice. Isla pegged him for the outdoors, adventuring type. His dirty-blond hair was held back in a ponytail and he had a scar over his lip.

“We’ll check things out in the morning,” Mitch promised. “Meeting at seven a.m. Max and Colt, you’re on lookout duty tonight. I want the perimeter checked every hour, one inside and one out. If you see anything suspicious, I want to know about it. I don’t care how small you think it might be. If a twig snaps or an owl hoots, I want to be made aware.”

“Yes, sir, we’ll keep you informed of any suspicious activity,” Colt said as he assessed his team.

Mitch grew serious. “We’re in this for the long haul. This could take months—we can’t be lax in any area of this operation. Hernandez has resources. Plus, we don’t know if anyone’s dirty on the inside.”

He turned to Isla. “Now Isla…we’re changing your name. It’s only temporary. Your name is unusual, and we don’t want it to be spoken while we’re here. This is common witness protection procedure. You’re now Molly Stewart. And we’d also like to dye your hair.”

Isla touched a piece of her long strawberry-blond hair. “What color do you want it to be? I’ve never dyed my hair before.”

“Something dark,” Mitch said. “Also, we’ve got contact lenses for you to wear. If it’s okay with you, we’d like Lara to cut your hair into a different style than what it is now. It’s just another precaution. Not like there’s anything…wrong with your appearance. At all,” he stammered.

Isla cracked a grin. “I’ll do anything you want me to do. If it means you can keep my family safe, Agent Larkin.”

“Mitch,” he said. “Remember, we’re on a first name basis here. We’re just a bunch of friends that have gotten together on a vacation. The closest town is twenty miles away and the closest neighbor is three miles. Curt’s buddies live in a five-mile radius of the compound. They’re our link to the outside world. So, anything you need that isn’t already here they’ll provide for us. We won’t be doing the grocery shopping. Small-town living, everybody knows everyone’s business. We can’t take the chance.”

“I’ve never felt safer. I’ll never be able to thank you enough. But I’m asleep on my feet. Right now, all I want is a hot shower and a nice cozy bed.”

Mitch stood up. “Follow me. You’re at the end of the hall.”

The room was filled with masculine, solid-wood furniture. Gray-and-burgundy patterned curtains hung over the windows. The comforter on the bed matched the curtains.