road, nothing to get worked up about."
"I thought someone had rammed the car." Tony yawned and then said, "You and Jeff good friends?"
"We were once best friends. Why do you ask?"
"Just wanted to know if I could trust him to keep his mouth shut is all."
"He won't say anything. I've known him since childhood. We grew up next door to each other."
"You said you lost touch for a long time. People change. How do you know he won't go to the authorities?"
"Look ,Tony, I don't have a problem with Jeffâ¦it's you I'm not sure about."
He glanced at Tony and then back to the dark highway. "Itâs time to have a come to Jesus talk, Tony. Who the hell is trying to kill you?"
He could feel the old man's stare. He glanced at Tony. The old man lowered his head and tightened his lips as if struggling to come up with a response
"I already told you I'm not at liberty to discuss it," Tony quickly changed the subject. "I don't know anything about you. Even your friend didn't know about your profession. You claim you work for the CIA, yet you have never shown me any credentials. You might have saved my life back in Little Rock but how do I know it wasn't a setup? How do I know you're not one of them. You could be kidnapping me for all I know. You could have lied to your friends. This whole thing could be a ruse."
Kaplan was tired and fed up with Tonyâs incessant complaining. He sat in silence, not sure if he wanted to respond. Finally he said, "You're absolutely right, it could be a ruse. Of course, if I were one of the bad guys, you'd already be dead. I've had plenty of opportunities to kill you. Even thought about it a couple of times because you're such a pain in the ass, got a U.S. Marshal killed, and endangered the lives of my friends. Yet here you sit, alive and still running your mouth. It's because I gave my word to a dying U.S. Marshal and you know something else, Tony, I don't want to be here. I would rather be headed in the opposite direction. But I made a promise to Inspector Cox to deliver you to a WitSec safe site, and I only know the location of one. So unless you have a death wish, I suggest you start telling me who or what I'm up against."
Tony fidgeted. His defensive body language told Kaplan he wasn't going to give anything up.
"I'll make you a deal," Tony finally said after a few moments of silence. "Prove you are who you say you are and I'll tell you what you want to know."
Kaplan glanced at the old man and then returned his attention to the road. He reached down with his left hand, lifted his pant leg, and pulled something out of his left boot, switched on the overhead light, and handed it to the old man.
After a few seconds Kaplan asked, "Satisfied?"
The old man studied it, handed it back, and said, "Can I trust you?"
"You already have. With your life."
âBy the way, I did not endanger your friends. You did. As soon as you took us to their house." Tony had a smug look on his face. "Now, what is it you want to know?"
Kaplan didn't get the chance to ask. The headlights he'd seen earlier in his rear view mirror had closed the gap and were now less than two car lengths behind him. He couldn't tell much about the car on the dark, deserted road. Just two bright lights shining in the rear window.
Kaplan checked his speed; he'd set the cruise control on the speed limit, so if it was a cop, he wasn't going to get pulled for speeding. His internal clock and familiarity with police procedures ruled out any chance law enforcement could be on to them this soon. The car stayed in the same spot behind him for several minutes, then pulled to the left, and accelerated.
Kaplan's initial thought was relief as he figured the car just wanted to pass him. Hopefully the 55 MPH speed limit was too slow for the driver.
The car pulled to the side of the Jeep and matched his speed. Instinctively, Kaplan's tactical training kicked in and he disengaged the cruise control. There was a flash and the left back window
"I thought someone had rammed the car." Tony yawned and then said, "You and Jeff good friends?"
"We were once best friends. Why do you ask?"
"Just wanted to know if I could trust him to keep his mouth shut is all."
"He won't say anything. I've known him since childhood. We grew up next door to each other."
"You said you lost touch for a long time. People change. How do you know he won't go to the authorities?"
"Look ,Tony, I don't have a problem with Jeffâ¦it's you I'm not sure about."
He glanced at Tony and then back to the dark highway. "Itâs time to have a come to Jesus talk, Tony. Who the hell is trying to kill you?"
He could feel the old man's stare. He glanced at Tony. The old man lowered his head and tightened his lips as if struggling to come up with a response
"I already told you I'm not at liberty to discuss it," Tony quickly changed the subject. "I don't know anything about you. Even your friend didn't know about your profession. You claim you work for the CIA, yet you have never shown me any credentials. You might have saved my life back in Little Rock but how do I know it wasn't a setup? How do I know you're not one of them. You could be kidnapping me for all I know. You could have lied to your friends. This whole thing could be a ruse."
Kaplan was tired and fed up with Tonyâs incessant complaining. He sat in silence, not sure if he wanted to respond. Finally he said, "You're absolutely right, it could be a ruse. Of course, if I were one of the bad guys, you'd already be dead. I've had plenty of opportunities to kill you. Even thought about it a couple of times because you're such a pain in the ass, got a U.S. Marshal killed, and endangered the lives of my friends. Yet here you sit, alive and still running your mouth. It's because I gave my word to a dying U.S. Marshal and you know something else, Tony, I don't want to be here. I would rather be headed in the opposite direction. But I made a promise to Inspector Cox to deliver you to a WitSec safe site, and I only know the location of one. So unless you have a death wish, I suggest you start telling me who or what I'm up against."
Tony fidgeted. His defensive body language told Kaplan he wasn't going to give anything up.
"I'll make you a deal," Tony finally said after a few moments of silence. "Prove you are who you say you are and I'll tell you what you want to know."
Kaplan glanced at the old man and then returned his attention to the road. He reached down with his left hand, lifted his pant leg, and pulled something out of his left boot, switched on the overhead light, and handed it to the old man.
After a few seconds Kaplan asked, "Satisfied?"
The old man studied it, handed it back, and said, "Can I trust you?"
"You already have. With your life."
âBy the way, I did not endanger your friends. You did. As soon as you took us to their house." Tony had a smug look on his face. "Now, what is it you want to know?"
Kaplan didn't get the chance to ask. The headlights he'd seen earlier in his rear view mirror had closed the gap and were now less than two car lengths behind him. He couldn't tell much about the car on the dark, deserted road. Just two bright lights shining in the rear window.
Kaplan checked his speed; he'd set the cruise control on the speed limit, so if it was a cop, he wasn't going to get pulled for speeding. His internal clock and familiarity with police procedures ruled out any chance law enforcement could be on to them this soon. The car stayed in the same spot behind him for several minutes, then pulled to the left, and accelerated.
Kaplan's initial thought was relief as he figured the car just wanted to pass him. Hopefully the 55 MPH speed limit was too slow for the driver.
The car pulled to the side of the Jeep and matched his speed. Instinctively, Kaplan's tactical training kicked in and he disengaged the cruise control. There was a flash and the left back window
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