The Uber deposited me on the sidewalk. The driver popped the trunk and I walked to the rear of the car for my bag. My phone buzzed at the same time I dug in my purse for my keys.

I read the text from my father.

Did you make it back?

Just got here

Glad, kiddo. See you in a few weeks.

He was referring to Thanksgiving. It wasn’t much. But it was something. A crumb. A morsel that showed he cared. He was thinking about me now and making plans for the holidays. It was more than I’d had from him before.

I tugged on my suitcase as I reached the top floor of the brownstone. I exhaled. Home.

A place I had made a sanctuary. It wasn’t only an escape from the memories of New Bern, it was a haven for my future. For everything that was ahead of me.

I slipped the key in the lock and realized it was already open. I pushed the door, kicking it out of the way for my bags. I was starving. I thought I might have a box of pasta in the cabinet. At least some rice I could cook.

“Greer?”

She rose from the sofa slowly. Her face stained with tears.

I looked on either side of her. She was surrounded by men in suits. Tall men. Serious men.

“Emily,” she whispered, choking back a sob.

“What’s going on?”

I tried to piece things together, but they quickly spun out of control. I couldn’t grasp it. I couldn’t assemble the fragments fast enough. I could sense her pain and fear. I tried to reach for her. I couldn’t find her. They shuffled me to the right and left. The black suits flanked me.

“Just stop. Stop,” I pleaded.

One of the men grasped my elbow, pulling my arm to my back before taking the other one. I heard the clicking sound of metal. Did he have handcuffs?

“Emily Charles, you are under arrest for conspiring to commit theft against U.S. property. We will present you with a full list of charges at the Bureau.”

“Charges? Theft?” I squealed. “Greer, what’s happening?” My head spun to my friend.

She cried. “I-I can’t help you. You helped him.”

“What?”

The men urged me to the door. “What is going on?” I tried to dig my heels into the floor, but they were strong.

One of the men read me the complete Miranda Rights, but I wasn’t paying attention to him. Everything echoed around me. Greer cried in the background, while they led me down three flights of stairs and stuffed me in the back of an expensive Town Car parked by the curb.

I was in a daze. My heart pounded so loudly, nothing else sounded clear.

The men mumbled to each other. What bureau were they talking about? From low in the backseat, I didn’t know where we were going. The white buildings raced past until we pulled inside a parking garage.

I was jerked from the backseat and led through a set of double doors.

Fluorescent lights flickered overhead as we walked through a hallway lined with tan doors. There was nothing discerning about the inside. I still had no idea where I was. There were no signs. No markings. Not even a lit exit box.

Finally, we stopped and a door opened.

“Wait here.”

I stumbled inside. There was a table and two chairs. Along one wall, a mirror that was at least six feet long. I knew someone was on the other side. I looked up and noticed the small cameras in all four corners of the gray walls. Red lights blinked under the lenses. They were on.

I twisted my hands, only to be pinched by the cuffs.

I didn’t know how much time passed before the door opened. I spun on my heels.

A tall man walked toward me. He extended the key for the handcuffs.

“Would you like me to take care of those?”

I nodded.

He flicked the lever and freed my hands. I massaged the skin where the metal had scraped.

“Please, Miss Charles. Take a seat.”

He pointed to the chair that faced the mirror. He took the other one.

I was reluctant to sit. Reluctant to talk.

“I’m Agent Kenneth.” He placed two folders on the table. “I thought we could have a conversation. Would you be ok with that?”

I stared at the white diamonds woven into his red tie.

“Miss Charles?”

I nodded. “I suppose. You realize I am attorney.”

He smiled. His lips were almost paper thin. It was an unsettling feeling sitting across from him. “Yes. We know exactly what you do.”

I wrung my hands together in my lap. “Should I ask for counsel before we begin?”

He flipped open the first folder. “You have that right, as you know, but I hope that we can talk a little first. If you cooperate, we are willing to work a deal on your charges. I can do that for you.”

“I was told I would receive a list of charges,” I stated. “What are they exactly?” I hadn’t wrapped my head around any part of this experience. I needed to retreat to the part of me that worked seamlessly no matter the circumstances. The place where I could become emotionless. Logical. The law.

“Conspiracy to commit theft of government information.”

My eyes locked on Agent Kenneth while he spoke. He had a northern accent. I was spending too much time trying to place it, instead of listening to my alleged crimes. Crimes. I hadn’t committed crimes. I shouldn’t be here. I realized there was still the possibility they had arrested the wrong suspect. I debated whether I should threaten the agent with a false accusation suit.

“These are federal charges with penalties that include fines up to a million dollars and over twenty years in prison.” He seemed certain he had the person he wanted in custody.

The roll of nausea lurched in my stomach.

“Oh God.” I jumped from the table and ran to the corner of the room. There was a small waste basket.

“Miss Charles?” The agent waited at the table.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I stood, trying to catch my balance. My hands shook.

“This can’t be happening,” I whispered.

The door opened and a hand reached in to remove the trash can. It was immediately replaced with a new one. I felt the embarrassment wash through me.

I sat across from him, encased in humiliation and fear.

When I looked down at the table there was a picture in front of me. A black and white photo of a man.

My fingers touched the corners and I held it toward my face.

It was a man with a distinctive angular jaw. He had dark hair. Dark eyes. And long eyelashes that took my breath away. It was Vaughn.

I looked up at Agent Kenneth. “Why did you hand this to me?”

“Do you know him?”

I stared at Vaughn’s face. I wanted to trace over his full lips. I didn’t know if this meant he was in danger. If something horrible had happened to him. A new sickness whirled through me. What if that was what this was about? Vaughn needed me. He needed my help.

“Y-yes, I do. Is he all right?” I asked quietly.

The agent laughed. “I’d say he’s about five million dollars all right.”

“Excuse me?”

He shook his head. “I apologize. I realize this isn’t a humorous situation.”

“No it’s not.” I pinched my lips together.

He closed one folder and opened another. “Can you please identify the man in the picture?”

I sniffed. “Yes. His name is Vaughn Hunter.”

He scribbled the name down. “So he’s going by that now.”

I placed the picture on the table. “What is going on? What has happened to him?”

“How long have you known him?”

“A few months,” I answered.

The knot in my stomach tightened.

“Can you be more specific?”

I thought back to my first day at American. To the night Greer and I went out for drinks to celebrate. “Yes, it was my first day in the residency law program at the university.” My voice started to come back to me. “The very end of August.”

“And how did you meet Mr. Hunter?”

“I bumped into him with my chair,” I explained. “What does this have to do with why I’m here. I don’t understand any of this.”

The agent laughed. “He’s done that one before.”

“Done what before?”

“I’m sorry. Let’s continue. How many times has Mr. Hunter been in your apartment?”

I stared blankly. “I haven’t taken count.”

My mind raced. Did I need to protect Vaughn? Was he in trouble? Was I saying too much or did he need me to tell them every detail to keep him safe? I didn’t know. I didn’t know whether to talk or clam up.

“But you are sleeping together?”

My eyes widened. “I don’t think you can ask me that.”

“I can. It’s part of the investigation.”

“What investigation? You said we would talk through this. So far you’ve only asked me questions. I think I should know why I’m here. Why I’m being recorded. Why there is someone on the other side of the glass watching. Why I’m in a building I can’t identify.” I folded my arms. “I think I want to evoke my right to counsel.”

He shook his head. “Wait. Wait. Let’s talk. You’re right.”

It was the one bit of leverage I had over the agent. He wouldn’t want to bring anyone else into the room. As soon as he did, I wouldn’t be any use to him. Another attorney would demand official charges. Require evidence. Insist on a subpoena.

I felt a slice of victory. But it was the briefest of moments. Before my entire world crashed and shattered around me. Before Agent Kenneth pulled my heart from my chest and butchered it on the interrogation table. Yes, it was a tiny, momentary victory.

“This man, Miss Charles. The one who has claimed to be Vaughn Hunter, is in fact a contract operative by the name of Jeremy West. We believe you have colluded with him to steal highly classified documents regarding the sale of weapons to the U.S. government.”

“No. No.” I shook my head, creating a dizzying sensation that spread through my limbs. I couldn’t feel my body.

“You and Mr. West used your proximity to Greer Britt to obtain documents that are worth billions.”

My palms flattened on the table. “No. That’s not possible.”

“We have already questioned Miss Britt extensively. We are aware you and West had access to work files. She contends that you wouldn’t steal.” He sat back in his chair. “That’s not up to her, but to me to decide. I need to know how far your involvement goes.”

“Greer? Vaughn?” I looked at him as the room spun in circles.

There was no way to hold on to the attorney in me. The woman with the calm rational legal expertise. I couldn’t keep her locked in and absorb the words at the same time. I couldn’t process what he said as part of the law and not as a woman who had learned the unthinkable.

“When? When did this happen?” I mustered a few words.

“The Senate Defense Committee alerted us to the breach immediately. The way this works is you give me information and then I share information.” He tilted his head. “There is no question that West was behind the information attack. The question is what role you played.”

“I think I’m going to be sick again,” I whispered before what was left in my stomach spewed across the table.