The Tenth Night
Veronica Whitby
To Veronica, it seemed as if everything they had worked for was beginning to fall apart from within. First Eriko disappeared, then the police were tipped off about Ian being a target - and coincidentally, Eriko had been the one to receive his name - and then finally the other twin decided to show up at their meeting spot drunk. It took all restraint she had to stop from blowing up at the girl and had instead let Rae tend to her while she left with Edwin in tow. To say she was fuming would have been an understatement.
However, when she was awoken early the following morning by knocking on their front door, she knew her mood today would not be an improvement. She refused to move from the bed and let Ian drag himself downstairs while she turned on her side and tried to enjoy the rare morning she had without the three boys running around. If they somehow got lost while at camp, she wouldn't miss them one bit.
"Veronica, honey, come down. It's important," Ian called up, making her sigh irritably. Him being in a life or death situation wouldn't be important to her so she couldn't even begin to contemplate what on earth was making him disturb her.
She pulled on her robe and left the room, descending the stairs and stopping short when she saw two policemen in the sitting room with Ian. What the hell did they want now? Surely they couldn't have received any more information about this apparent hit on his life. "What is this?" she said, looking between the three men.
"Mrs. Whitby, we're sorry to have disturbed you this morning but we believe the threat against your husband's life has now become a severe safety threat against him, and by default, you. Although we do not know when this threat is intended to be carried out, we believe that it will be imminent," one of the officers explained, making her curl her fingers into her palm.
"What does that mean?"
"That is why we are here. There are several options we could continue with but we'd like to consult them with both you and your husband before putting any into motion."
Reluctantly, Veronica moved into the sitting room and sat in her chair, being able to face the men on the sofa while Ian sat in the chair at the other end of the sofa. This was not supposed to have happened, not now and not ever. They had always been careful, and coming together as a group had not been a willy-nilly decision back in the day. There had to be some level of trust amongst them for it to work, even if it only existed to protect themselves. So why this year - their tenth year, at that - was crumbling before them was mystifying.
"Our ideal option would be to keep an officer posted outside your home around the clock. It would allow the both of you to continue with your lives while being protected in your home against any attack that may happen. But then there's the possibility that an attack could happen outside of the family home which would effectively render our protection meaningless. If this option is chosen, we would then have to discuss ways to keep you both safe while away from the house," one of the officers explained, looking between Veronica and Ian.
She pulled her feet up onto the chair and drummed her fingers on the arm of the sofa. "How imminent is this threat supposed to be?" she asked, drawing all three men's attention. "Tomorrow? Next week? Next month?"
The other officer cleared his throat. "We have a hunch that it will be within the next week or so."
"And what gives you that idea? Is there something you aren't telling us?"
Ian interrupted. "Honey--"
"No, if they have more information then we deserve to know. It's your life being threatened, is it not?"
The two officers looked at one another before the one that she assumed was in charge spoke. "I suppose you're aware of the so-called 'Fight Night Killers'. Well, as we all know, the anniversary of their previous attacks is coming up, and with how close receiving the tip-off was to the anniversary, we took a guess that it might be connected. After our first talk, where both you and your husband couldn't think of anyone who might hold a grudge against either of you, it is looking to be our best lead."
It took all she had to keep from digging her fingers into the arm of the chair. Becoming aware of a hit against Ian's life was irritating but she could live with it, but having Holly Grove's inept police force connect it to them was just too much.
Someone was going to pay, and if she couldn't get to the person who had betrayed them, she'd go for the next best thing.
However, when she was awoken early the following morning by knocking on their front door, she knew her mood today would not be an improvement. She refused to move from the bed and let Ian drag himself downstairs while she turned on her side and tried to enjoy the rare morning she had without the three boys running around. If they somehow got lost while at camp, she wouldn't miss them one bit.
"Veronica, honey, come down. It's important," Ian called up, making her sigh irritably. Him being in a life or death situation wouldn't be important to her so she couldn't even begin to contemplate what on earth was making him disturb her.
She pulled on her robe and left the room, descending the stairs and stopping short when she saw two policemen in the sitting room with Ian. What the hell did they want now? Surely they couldn't have received any more information about this apparent hit on his life. "What is this?" she said, looking between the three men.
"Mrs. Whitby, we're sorry to have disturbed you this morning but we believe the threat against your husband's life has now become a severe safety threat against him, and by default, you. Although we do not know when this threat is intended to be carried out, we believe that it will be imminent," one of the officers explained, making her curl her fingers into her palm.
"What does that mean?"
"That is why we are here. There are several options we could continue with but we'd like to consult them with both you and your husband before putting any into motion."
Reluctantly, Veronica moved into the sitting room and sat in her chair, being able to face the men on the sofa while Ian sat in the chair at the other end of the sofa. This was not supposed to have happened, not now and not ever. They had always been careful, and coming together as a group had not been a willy-nilly decision back in the day. There had to be some level of trust amongst them for it to work, even if it only existed to protect themselves. So why this year - their tenth year, at that - was crumbling before them was mystifying.
"Our ideal option would be to keep an officer posted outside your home around the clock. It would allow the both of you to continue with your lives while being protected in your home against any attack that may happen. But then there's the possibility that an attack could happen outside of the family home which would effectively render our protection meaningless. If this option is chosen, we would then have to discuss ways to keep you both safe while away from the house," one of the officers explained, looking between Veronica and Ian.
She pulled her feet up onto the chair and drummed her fingers on the arm of the sofa. "How imminent is this threat supposed to be?" she asked, drawing all three men's attention. "Tomorrow? Next week? Next month?"
The other officer cleared his throat. "We have a hunch that it will be within the next week or so."
"And what gives you that idea? Is there something you aren't telling us?"
Ian interrupted. "Honey--"
"No, if they have more information then we deserve to know. It's your life being threatened, is it not?"
The two officers looked at one another before the one that she assumed was in charge spoke. "I suppose you're aware of the so-called 'Fight Night Killers'. Well, as we all know, the anniversary of their previous attacks is coming up, and with how close receiving the tip-off was to the anniversary, we took a guess that it might be connected. After our first talk, where both you and your husband couldn't think of anyone who might hold a grudge against either of you, it is looking to be our best lead."
It took all she had to keep from digging her fingers into the arm of the chair. Becoming aware of a hit against Ian's life was irritating but she could live with it, but having Holly Grove's inept police force connect it to them was just too much.
Someone was going to pay, and if she couldn't get to the person who had betrayed them, she'd go for the next best thing.