The Focus Effect

Thirty-four

Kingshire is wearing a black suit. He looks strange without his white lab coat on. It's a quiet day. Few cars are passing by. A happy couple is crossing the street. I find it odd that I note these details as I see this man.

"I'm impressed, Miss McKenzie," he says, lifting his jacket with one hand to reveal a holstered weapon.

I feel faint. Everything starts to slow down...and all I can think is....how strange he looks without his white coat. I feel my stomach twist when I remember Doctor Sue's letter still in my bag. How could I have been so stupid? All he has to do is search my things and he'll have what I've been trying so hard to keep from him. "I burned it—the letter," I blurt out. My world is spinning.

Kingshire arches an eyebrow. "Letter?"

"You'll never get his name if you kill me." It's an idle threat, I know. But I have to try, right? But he acts like he doesn't know about the letter. What does that mean? It means something but I'm struggling to connect the dots.

"Really?" he nods as if it's of no consequence. "What name? There are a lot of names out there, Hannah. Take for instance, Susan Carter. Now there's a name. A past name. And then there's Asher Brooks. Is that this all important name?"

Did he torture her to get the information? I can't speak and I can't breathe. I did everything I was supposed to do. I followed Doctor Sue's directions. I did what she said. I relied on the kindness of strangers. Here I am but all is lost.

"I'm going to kill you right here in streets of Georgetown, Hannah. You know that don't you?"

I do know that. I accept that. I wonder if I'll see my family when it happens. I take comfort in knowing that wherever they are, I'll soon be with them. I'm tired of running. I'm tired of making mistakes. I feel my clenched body relax as I accept this finality.

Kingshire reaches into his jacket, withdraws his gun and trains it on me. When I hear the shot, I recoil and turn my head to the side. With one eye open, I see Kingshire stumble backwards and drop his weapon. He dives headfirst into the limousine as another shot shatters the window of the open car door. As the car speeds off, I swing around to find JD lowering a handgun.

Now my world goes full tilt. I don't know what to think.

"C'mon!" he orders, rushing towards me as he tucks the gun into the back of his pants. He grabs me by the arm and pulls me towards the embassy. "We have to get off the street."

Just before we turn the corner of the wall surrounding the embassy, JD tosses the gun into the bushes and releases my arm. We see two marines standing by the doors and several local guards walking out to the street to investigate the gunshots.

"Someone out there is shooting," JD calls out—as if they might not have heard the shots. The local guards hasten their pace.

"We're Americans." JD hands one of the marines his passport. "She lost hers and we need to get the paperwork—"

"JD, stop."

"Hannah, we don't have time—"

"Just stop. Sir," I address the marine. He looks up from JD's passport at me. "I need to see Asher Brooks."

Seeing how Kingshire already knows this piece of information, I don't really care if JD hears it now. Does JD know that Kingshire knows? It doesn't matter. I don't care who hears it anymore—not one damn bit. This Asher Brooks needs to come out into the light and get shot at some, because I'm sick of it.

The marine gives JD his passport back. "Why don't you guys step inside," he says. "Corporal, keep an eye on them till I get back."

"No problem, sergeant," the corporal replies.