don’t have much of a choice. Besides , I forgive you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”
We all took a seat in the living room. Jeff and I sat on the couch, Dr. Greene sat in a recliner, and Allison sat on the love seat. Jeff started off the conversation. “Well, I guess it’s time for everyone to come clean. Perhaps the best place to start is with Lisa.”
I looked at him. “Why, with me? I’m not the one that apparently can keep people alive just by touching them.”
Jeff smiled. “No, but your situation is driving everything else. Now, I have already told Dr. Greene and Allison about the mob looking for you.”
I gave him my patented ‘excuse me’ look. “Why did you do that?”
Allison piped in. “Because it was obvious to all three of us that you were being followed. We learned a long time ago how to recognize surveillance. We knew someone was watching you, we needed to know who and why.”
I was finally getting it. “None of you are here to go to school or to teach, in Dr. Greene’s case. So what is it that you are really here to do? Or do I really want to know?”
Dr. Greene spoke up. “Jeff said you were quite intelligent.”
Jeff made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “No one in this room is who they appear to be. So give Allison and Dr. Greene a general idea of who you are.”
I swallowed hard. “Okay, Lisa Wilson isn’t my real name, obviously. I am in witness protection and I am the key witness in an upcoming mob trial.”
Dr. Greene raised his eyebrows. “When you say key witness, does that mean that without your testimony there is no case?”
I nodded. “That’s it in a nutshell. The mob wants me taken out before I can testify.”
Allison let out a short whistle. “Well, I am officially impressed that you have that going on plus going to school. Then you go out of your way to help Brenda.”
I gave her an appreciative smile. “Okay, so enough about me. I want to know about the three of you. Jeff, who are you? And I want the truth this time. By the way, I do expect your answer to include something about that thing you can do with your hands.”
He cut his eyes toward me. “Will you believe what I tell you? The truth sounds more than a little crazy.”
I scooted closer to him. “Just tell me the truth. I am tired of the lies.”
He took a deep breath. “Fine, here is the truth. We spotted your marshals so easily because we have been doing this for about two thousand years.”
I looked around the room, expecting Dr. Greene and Allison to have a hard time keeping a straight face. They actually looked like they believed this nonsense. “What did I just say about the lies? I was honest with you guys. Why shouldn’t I just walk out the door?”
Dr. Greene took a stab at it. “My dear, it’s true.”
I hoped they could all tell that I was really tired of this game. “Two thousand years? Really? That is the best story you guys could come up with?”
Allison stood up and grabbed my arm. “Screw this, you’re coming with me.” She dragged me to the kitchen. “I want to show you something.”
I yanked free of her grip and crossed my arms in defiance. “What do you want to show me?”
She grabbed a butcher knife from its holder on the counter. “I wanted to show you this.” She handed me the knife, handle first. “See how this feels in your hand?”
I looked down at the knife that I was holding between myself and Allison. “What does this knife have to do with anything?”
She gave me a knowing smile. “Just this.” She lunged at me. I felt the knife impale her all the way up to the handle. Blood went everywhere.
I screamed as Allison threw herself violently backwards so hard that the knife almost came out of my hand. The knife came free, leaving a massive hole in her midsection. Allison crumpled to the floor, writhing in pain. I heard footsteps behind me. Somehow, I had stabbed Allison.
Jeff gently took the knife from my hand. “I wouldn’t want