My Spy 6: Private Eye

Vacancy

Once the police had jotted down their report and the glass was swept up, Ryan finally sat me down at the dining room table. Austin stayed in the front room, patching up the hole in the window with plastic he found in the garage. 

"Are you okay?" He cautiously asks me and I nod, "Yeah, I am. I'm just a bit unnerved that they managed to get this close to the house." 

Ryan nods, "We're going to order cameras to go along with the security system. Install them around the house and the property line."

"I never thought anyone in Hollis would need an alarm system and cameras to feel safe. Isn't that the whole point of small-town living? Knowing everyone who lives in town." I ask with a light laugh. I watch as Ryan tilts his head and sucks in a breath before saying, "That's exactly why I think we need to leave our house vacant a little longer. The entire town knows we just bought that place, which means the Cunninghams know it will be just us two up on the hill."

"But aren't we putting Margot and Austin at risk with us being here?" I ask, wondering how Margot is going to react to replacing her massive front window because of me. 

"I'd bet on two agents with combat training being safer than one and a pregnant southern belle," Ryan replies with a frown. I perk up and raise a finger in the air, "Hey I got myself out of that schoolhouse!"

"You got yourself out of that classroom, yes, but you wouldn't have gotten out of the schoolhouse without us. And you managed to drug yourself in a carriage house and get lost in the woods. And you nearly broke your neck tumbling down the stairs after confronting a murderer. I'm not taking any chances leaving you alone up at the house. I can't be with you every minute no matter how much I want to be," Ryan says plainly and I guess I don't have the best track record of staying safe. I am also surprised at how calm he is, I was expecting a Ryan freak out. 

"Alright, I get why you would like us to stay here a bit longer. I do have a better chance of being surrounded by either you or Austin. But...they knew I was alone today. They are keeping tabs on us," I tell him and we both look back to the window. Austin is looking through the plastic and hopefully it keeps the bugs out and the A/C in. "This was the first time I was alone in weeks and the brick comes soaring in...not a coincidence." Ryan nods. He runs his hands down his face and slumps back into his chair. I hear the front door open and Austin comes striding in. He stops next to us but doesn't sit. He has his hands on his hips when he looks to us and says, "I'm telling Margot a bird hit the window and shattered it. I don't want to scare her."

"You don't think she should be aware?" I ask him and he shakes his head, "No I do not. I try to keep her out of our job and harms way and I think the best thing for her is ignorance."

"But Molly is testifying too. Don't you think Molly is also a target and Margot should know?" I ask them and they both look to me before looking to each other. 

"We should tell the police to add Molly to their surveillance route. Go make sure she's alright," Austin says and Ryan nods. 

"At least Molly is at the Hamilton's and they have a gated house with alarms and cameras," I say as I shake my head again. I then add, "What is happening to Hollis?"

"This is why we placed you in the witness protection program, Sawyer. Everyone knows where to find you because this is a small town. Everyone knows who your parents are, where you live, where you work, and who you spend time with. It's great until it's unnerving," Ryan says and Austin nods. 

"Maybe we shouldn't have left New York," I mutter and I never thought I'd see the day where I was longing to go back to the hot stinkiness of that city. My ringing phone startles me from my thoughts and I see it's my mother. I know she'll continue to ring me until I answer so I glance at Ryan before answering, "Mother, long time no talk."