“I traded it in for the Honda, remember? Couldn’t climb it in anymore. It doesn’t matter, Lynn. I’m not going anywhere.”

As they hustled down the stairs, Lynn pointed down the hall. “Go out through the back door. Right now!”

“Good luck with that—”

They heard the kitchen screen door open and a deep voice call out. “Mrs. Roseworth?”

Lynn waved Roxy down the hall, but instead, Roxy practically tripped on Lynn’s heels.

“Mrs. Roseworth—”

“You are not able to enter this house without a warrant!”

“You aren’t under arrest, ma’am. May we enter?”

“You may not,” Lynn said, stopping at the end of the hall to stand at the door of the kitchen.

The screen door swung open. Three men entered, all taking off their dark sunglasses. Outside the door, more men stood waiting.

She rose her arm before Roxy, who was holding out her phone like a weapon.

“Don’t take one more step, sucker. I’ll stream all this on Facebook and you can kiss your pension goodbye,” Roxy said.

“I’m not worried about Facebook at the moment, ma’am. I’m sorry for the intrusion, but this is a matter of national security.”

“Dammit,” Roxy swore, repeatedly thumping her phone. Lynn watched as the Facebook app failed to open. Roxy tried to swipe the screen to the phone icon to dial 9-1-1, to no avail.

“You need to leave my house immediately,” Lynn said.

“We intend to leave, ma’am, as soon as you are packed and ready to go.”

“I won’t be going anywhere. This is my house. You have no right to come in here—”

“Ma’am, this is an order from the director of the FBI.” The man held out a sealed envelope. “Please read it in its entirety. We have a plane ready to take you to Washington.”

“So is that who you claim to be with these days? The FBI?” Roxy asked. “I still have the aches and pains from my last tango with you assholes.”

Lynn strode across the kitchen, with Roxy pumping her arms to keep up. Lynn seized the letter, breaking the government seal.

“What is this crap?” Roxy said, peering over her shoulder. “For the greater good of the nation, it is imperative that you come under the protection of the federal government. She’s eighty years old, you jerk offs. What do you think she’s going to do? Let loose the bombs she’s got stashed in the pantry?”

Lynn could barely hear Roxy’s continued berating of the agents, as all of the words began to blur together. Beneath the name of the director of the FBI was penmanship so familiar that she ached to read it.

The order was co-signed by U.S. Senator Kate Roseworth.

SEVEN

William didn’t have to strain to see the smoke. Even though they were halfway across the city at this point, it gushed across the sky.