think it suspicious considering they already think that it’s my sole purpose in being here. Therefore, in order to figure this all out and stay under the radar we need to get out of here. No surprises. By staying here we could be the ones surprised and you know I hate that.”
“Okay, where do you suggest we go?”
“I’ve rented a room several blocks from here.”
Parkman looked at her. “When did you do that?”
“This morning. So I could do this,” she said as she used both hands to wave past her braided hair.
Parkman turned back to his suitcase and started moving things around to pack the rest of his belongings.
“Okay. You’re right. We leave in five minutes. We should go out the back door and catch a cab behind the building or on another street. No doubt someone is already watching the front.”
Sarah turned away and used the adjoining door to access her room.
“There’s something else that disturbs me about this morning,” she shouted through the open door.
“What’s that?” Parkman replied.
“If those American government men found me so easily that they could position themselves where they did in such an advantageous place, where were the Hungarian authorities? You and I were there because of Vivian’s note. Armond and his men were there as Vivian said they would be. But no cops were present. Only the Sophia Project people. Why no cops?”
Parkman stepped into the doorframe. “Sophia Project?”
“We’ll talk more about it on the way. But answer me that. Why no cops? You’re a cop. Is there an American government agency that could have the kind of power to supersede another country’s police force? Or are these government men just that good? Because if they are, and if they followed me to that street behind the Market, then they are really good. And I mean really good. That kind of good unsettles me.”
Parkman stepped closer. “They scared me too and I’ve been a cop a long time. But don’t worry. We’ll look into this and find out what their mandate is. America’s a free country. It isn’t State run. We never bought into the Communist Manifesto. Karl Marx left his stamp in other parts of the world. Not in America. So you’re a free girl right now. You really have nothing to worry about.”
Sarah grabbed her bags, set them on the floor by the door and looked up at Parkman.
“I understand what you’re saying but I think you’re wrong here. These men are powerful. The last thing the guy said to me was that I was now property of the United States Government. That was why they were there this morning. They can’t afford to have me killed. They need me for something. I think they want to do tests on me. They’re watching. They won’t let this go.”
Parkman stared at her a moment. “Okay. I trust your instincts. You’re rarely wrong on this sort of thing. But tell me, how are you with leaving Armond behind?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Leaving him for the authorities to pick up. Walking away. Going home, back to the States. Are you okay with that?”
Sarah nodded. “Sure. I almost shot him in broad daylight today right beside a shopping area. People were coming and going. If it wasn’t for Vivian I would’ve shot him and he would’ve killed another girl. Me.” She looked away, reached down and grabbed her bags and spoke again. “Yeah, I’m ready to leave it behind. He’ll be caught soon enough. My goal is helping people. Not being goaded into murder. If there was provocation I would’ve killed him, but there wasn’t. I’m not like him. I don’t want to be. I think…”
“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”
Sarah opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
Two large men in suits grabbed her and shoved her back into her room with such force she lifted off the ground and landed by the foot of the bed seven feet away.
She heard Parkman yell
“Okay, where do you suggest we go?”
“I’ve rented a room several blocks from here.”
Parkman looked at her. “When did you do that?”
“This morning. So I could do this,” she said as she used both hands to wave past her braided hair.
Parkman turned back to his suitcase and started moving things around to pack the rest of his belongings.
“Okay. You’re right. We leave in five minutes. We should go out the back door and catch a cab behind the building or on another street. No doubt someone is already watching the front.”
Sarah turned away and used the adjoining door to access her room.
“There’s something else that disturbs me about this morning,” she shouted through the open door.
“What’s that?” Parkman replied.
“If those American government men found me so easily that they could position themselves where they did in such an advantageous place, where were the Hungarian authorities? You and I were there because of Vivian’s note. Armond and his men were there as Vivian said they would be. But no cops were present. Only the Sophia Project people. Why no cops?”
Parkman stepped into the doorframe. “Sophia Project?”
“We’ll talk more about it on the way. But answer me that. Why no cops? You’re a cop. Is there an American government agency that could have the kind of power to supersede another country’s police force? Or are these government men just that good? Because if they are, and if they followed me to that street behind the Market, then they are really good. And I mean really good. That kind of good unsettles me.”
Parkman stepped closer. “They scared me too and I’ve been a cop a long time. But don’t worry. We’ll look into this and find out what their mandate is. America’s a free country. It isn’t State run. We never bought into the Communist Manifesto. Karl Marx left his stamp in other parts of the world. Not in America. So you’re a free girl right now. You really have nothing to worry about.”
Sarah grabbed her bags, set them on the floor by the door and looked up at Parkman.
“I understand what you’re saying but I think you’re wrong here. These men are powerful. The last thing the guy said to me was that I was now property of the United States Government. That was why they were there this morning. They can’t afford to have me killed. They need me for something. I think they want to do tests on me. They’re watching. They won’t let this go.”
Parkman stared at her a moment. “Okay. I trust your instincts. You’re rarely wrong on this sort of thing. But tell me, how are you with leaving Armond behind?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Leaving him for the authorities to pick up. Walking away. Going home, back to the States. Are you okay with that?”
Sarah nodded. “Sure. I almost shot him in broad daylight today right beside a shopping area. People were coming and going. If it wasn’t for Vivian I would’ve shot him and he would’ve killed another girl. Me.” She looked away, reached down and grabbed her bags and spoke again. “Yeah, I’m ready to leave it behind. He’ll be caught soon enough. My goal is helping people. Not being goaded into murder. If there was provocation I would’ve killed him, but there wasn’t. I’m not like him. I don’t want to be. I think…”
“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”
Sarah opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
Two large men in suits grabbed her and shoved her back into her room with such force she lifted off the ground and landed by the foot of the bed seven feet away.
She heard Parkman yell
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