With the loud sound of someone clapping, Danny opened his eyes.

"Ugh" he moaned, barely able to keep his peepers open. "What's going on?"

"You need to wake up, sleepyhead. It's time for the next step."

Even amidst his grogginess, Danny was able to recall the words he'd heard yesterday surrounding the meeting he'd gone to at Castle Island. The next step. It brought to mind being cornered on a dock with no solution except for a leap of faith.

"Do I know you?" Danny mumbled. His eyes were still having a hard time staying open, as though he'd been shaken from his sleep at a ridiculously early hour.

His eyes might not have been adjusted to the light yet, but his brain still worked as vigorously as could be expected. And Danny realized that this man was under no obligation to answer the question honestly aside from a moral one.

"No," the man replied. "I'm not Clint Cargile."

As Danny glanced up at the man who'd just woken him from his slumber, he saw that unless Clint had taken some sort of potion that allowed him to mimic another person's appearance, this man was telling the truth. (Of course, given the insanity of the last few days, this could hardly be ruled out entirely.)

But this man wore a black police uniform, as well as incredibly dark sunglasses. They resembled solar eclipse glasses, the sort through which nothing could be seen except the sun itself.

"Come on, get up" the man muttered. "I'll explain everything in the living room."

Danny gingerly got out of bed. His socks were still damp, but there were no slippers to be found, so he simply squelched his way into the living room.

Amber sat in the living room glancing at the dormant TV. For all Danny knew, she might not have moved an inch all night. It was still dark out, and although he'd gone to bed early, Danny knew he hadn't slept a full night. His circadian rhythm was probably broken for good. At any rate…

The police officer sat down on the couch next to Amber. He motioned for Danny to sit next to him, and the younger man obliged, as though the cop were the head of the household and not Amber. (Of course, whenever a police officer visited your home, it usually wasn't good news for you, and you had to do what they said.)

Danny rubbed some sleep out of his eyes. Meanwhile, Amber did not look away from the TV. Since nothing was displayed on the black screen, this made it look almost as though she'd gone catatonic.

The cop sighed. "Danny Sham, you're probably wondering why I'm here at two in the morning."

That's putting it mildly.

"Well," the police officer continued, "I'm going to cut to the chase, unlike our friend Clint Cargile." Based on the tone the cop used, Danny surmised that he did not consider Clint a friend, an attitude Danny himself shared.

Suddenly, a simple question of six words forced itself out of Danny's mouth. Perhaps it was a childish one, perhaps it gave too much away. But what was there even to give away? Clint had surely told the world about Danny's fake ID by now.

"Am I about to be arrested?"

Despite the darkness of his sunglasses, Danny could tell the police officer was narrowing his eyes. After a few seconds, the cop sighed again.

"No," he told Danny. "I wasn't going to say that right away at first, but I figured it's best to get that out of the way up front. Otherwise you won't trust me when I tell you what you need to know."

Danny only allowed himself five seconds to breathe a sigh of relief. It was still, after all, highly unnerving to have Amber beside him on the couch not saying a word.

"Okay" Danny muttered. "You're welcome to be here - I'm not going to tell you otherwise. But if I'm not about to be arrested, who called you here?"

There was a long, painful silence. It was only broken when Amber raised a hand as though she wished to be called on in her Chemistry class.

"I did," she said softly.

Danny gasped, then glared at Amber. "You called the police on me? Why?"

Amber glared at Danny with what can best be described as "frozen fury." She then responded like so:

"I didn't call the police on you, Danny. I called the police for you."

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

The cop turned to face Danny. "Roughly an hour ago, we received a call from Amber Hawkeye here concerning a text she received some hours prior. It seemed she'd been mulling over what she should do for a while."

Is that why she seemed so withdrawn and distant this past evening? I guess I'll have to forgive her for that, depending on what the text said.

Danny glanced at Amber. "What did the text say?"

Amber hid her face in her hands; she looked as though she couldn't decide whether to sob or to scream like a banshee. Maybe she'd end up doing both.

But then it became clear her emotion was something else: Shame of the highest order. Like she couldn't forgive herself for a mistake she'd made.

"The text was from an unknown number" she mouthed, sounding about two thousand years old. "Now I know it was clearly a burner phone."

"Don't dodge the question, Amber," the police officer stated. "Just tell us: What did the text say?"

"There were only two words," Amber replied tearfully. "It said kill him."

Danny's breath caught in his throat, and his stomach lurched. Even after the chaos that had become his life, it was hard to believe that Amber had been told to kill him. The only thing that had separated him from being flat-out dead, the only reason he was here to talk to the police, was because Amber had thought to call the police rather than following the text's instructions.

"We've been able to trace the number back to a source" the cop continued eventually, once the content of that text had been allowed to sink in. "It took us the better part of an hour to do so, since the culprit used a burner phone. That's why it took so long for us to get here, Amber, but the call did not seem urgent."

Amber nodded, sniffling. "I forgive you."

"So the text was from Clint?" Danny mouthed breathlessly.

The officer nodded. "Yes. Given that he's been sent to prison several times and worked for the government, he's always been kept under higher scrutiny. But even the smartest criminals get sloppy sometimes, and that's a lesson Mr. Cargile learned the hard way."

"So he's been arrested again, I hope?" Danny asked. After he'd been told that Amber had been instructed to kill him, Danny wanted any reassurance possible that he was safe.

"Yes. Clint Cargile is being held in jail under heavy security. And by heavy, I mean heavier than usual, given that he's been able to escape multiple times. But he isn't going to escape again."

"What about bail?" Danny inquired. He was, for the most part, pretty clueless about the legal system, but he had a vague idea of ways you could get out of having to stay in jail until your trial.

"No bail," the officer responded. "Mr. Cargile is considered a flight risk - if you give him an inch, he will take a mile. He's not going to be free until his trial, and if he is convicted, he'll never be a free man again."

"Serves him right," Amber muttered quietly, her face turning red. "He played both of us against each other, when he was the true villain all along."

"CIA agents are experts at faking identities. Many of them do it as part of their profession. But again, Mr. Cargile got a little too carried away, and now he's been carried away to the slammer."

The officer didn't say anything else, leaving the room silent for a few seconds.

"But we're safe now, right?" Danny asked. He wanted to be told yes, that there was nothing to fear from the Lobster Mobsters anymore. That Amber had put to rest any further threat to his life.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Which is why the officer's slow shake of his head sent Danny's mind into a downward spiral.

"I'm afraid you aren't, Danny. In fact, the most dangerous part of this saga for you is about to begin."

What do you mean?

"Since you'll probably be seeing a lot of me soon, allow me to introduce myself" the officer said. "My name is Officer Thomas Glorious, but you can just call me Officer Glorious. And yes, that is my real name."

"Hello, Officer Glorious," Danny replied in a somewhat singsong tone.

"Thank you. Okay, now here comes the hard part. You see, Mr. Cargile's trial is set to begin in early July. And…".

"Do I have to be a witness?" Danny wondered aloud, the rest of the puzzle seeming to fall into place.

Officer Glorious shook his head. "No. In fact, since it would draw attention to the fact that you fabricated your identity, it'd probably do more harm than good. It might give Mr. Cargile's lawyers an opening to discredit your testimony. Again, if you give them an inch…".

"...then they'll take a mile," Danny said, finishing that sentence.

"Exactly. In fact, I think it's better if you are many miles away by the time the trial rolls around. The witness protection service has a success rate of virtually one hundred percent in this country, assuming the client follows all the rules."

Danny gulped as he sensed what Officer Glorious was saying. "So I'd go into witness protection?"

"Yes."

"And I'd have to move somewhere random within the country?"

"Yes."

"And I'd have to take on a fake name, a new identity?"

Officer Glorious frowned. "Danny, you've done that once before. How bad can it be?"

"You've got a point there."

Throughout this process, Amber somehow remained quite stoic. She barely seemed to bat an eye at everything Officer Glorious was saying. Probably because she's prepared for this. Still, it was more than a little jarring to have all this Earth-shattering information set up before you and to have your only companion say…nothing.

"So, Danny Sham," Officer Glorious continued. "I assume you are aware of the risks you face?"

"Of course," Danny replied simply. How could he say anything else after all he'd been through yesterday?

"I'll give you a few minutes to make an informed decision. But if you choose to go into witness protection, then we will have to leave immediately after I tell you the rules."

"It's that urgent, huh?"

Officer Glorious nodded grimly. "Yes. It's that urgent. Giving people fake names is not something done lightly unless you're one of the Jeanies."

What a burn.

"Sometimes it's necessary, though. If you're a victim of stalking, you don't want the only time you're ever sent flowers to be six feet over your body."

Danny shivered at the thought of being six feet under a pile of flowers. He didn't want that to happen. Not when he had so much life left to live.

"So what is your decision?" Officer Glorious asked. "Will you enter the witness protection program?"

When Clint had offered him this option a few days ago (under false pretenses, to be sure, but still), Danny had dismissed the idea out of hand. He'd insisted that he wasn't going to take Clint's offer, which, knowing what he knew now, had most likely been a trap.

But now that someone who could presumably be trusted was making the offer, Danny had a much harder time saying no. And yet, saying yes wasn't the easiest thing in the world either. In the end, Danny decided to answer this question with a question of his own.

"If I say no, are they going to find me?"

"It's impossible to answer that question with absolute certainty" Officer Glorious stated. "To do so would require infinite time, which we just don't have."

"In your opinion, though?" Danny clarified. "If you had to guess, will they find me if I don't go into witness protection?"

"In my opinion? Yes."

Again, Clint had told Danny how much danger he was in, presented a saccharine deal, and Danny had refused it. Maybe that traitor had been lying about the danger to begin with, or maybe a broken clock was right twice a day.

"And if they find me?" Danny asked. "Is there any way I could escape?"

"In my opinion? No. They would kill you just to watch you die, or maybe they'd keep you alive and torture you just for the hell of it."

A chill ran down Danny's spine. There would be no escape.

Officer Glorious frowned. "Now, I can't speak for you - the decision has to be yours alone. But if I were you, I would take this 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card. I'd be out of Boston faster than you can say fuzzy pickles. Because when they find you, you'll be in a world of hurt."

"I'm doing it" Danny stated.

Those words came automatically to him, and he didn't hesitate in speaking his mind. It was just like any number of other situations in life; if you waited too long to make your move, you would talk yourself out of it before long.

"You're going into witness protection?" Officer Glorious responded. "That is your final decision?"

"It is."

I could either choose to be brave now, or I'll have to be far braver later when the Lobster Mobsters catch me. In theory, it's an easy decision, and I know I'm right.

Amber, who had seemed virtually emotionless throughout most of their conversation, suddenly teared up.

"Don't cry, Amber," Danny said. "We can get through this together."

What the hell possessed me to say that? I'm not in love with her!

"Actually, you can't," Officer Glorious said firmly. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but when you leave, Danny, you will never be able to see Amber again. Or at least, not until the trial is over. You'll be forbidden from contacting her, and vice versa."

"Oh" Danny replied, feeling his face heat up at having made such a blatant blunder.

"In fact," Officer Glorious continued, "talking to anyone from your previous life is a non-starter. I heard you once dreamed of being a pilot?"

"I suppose I did," Danny said somberly. "I assume that's out of the question now?"

"Yep, forget about it. Your medical records will be transferred to a new name. You'll be granted that new identity once you reach your new home, and then you'll see a new primary care physician for any medical needs you may have."

"Right."

Officer Glorious sighed. "I wish it didn't have to be this way. But until the trial has concluded and Clint Cargile is hopefully behind bars for good this time, it just isn't safe for you to be out in the open. There are so many people who might harm you, so you have to hide in plain sight. The problem is: Those who would have a vendetta against you for exposing Clint's treachery? They're hiding in plain sight too."

"What do you mean by that?" Danny asked.

The officer shrugged. "This country's full of lunatics, Danny. Lunatics who can be made to believe anything their cult leader says. And if they're armed, as so many people in this country are, they're dangerous."

Great. I have to deal with cult members who are armed and dangerous. So much winning, I'm gonna be sick of winning before long.

"After I tell Amber the rules for her," Officer Glorious said, "I'll take you out to my car and drive you to your new home. You'll be given a stipend to live on, but just like what the Jeanies probably provided you with, it's a safety net, not a hammock."

"Right" Danny sighed.

"But it'll be enough. You'll be taken to a place with a low cost of living - that's all I can tell Amber. Are you listening, Amber?"

"Yeah" the blonde woman responded, looking up from the turned-off TV set.

"Like I said, you're not going to be allowed to contact Danny, nor him to contact you. You won't be told where he has gone, because that'll give the Lobster Mobsters a chance to get that information out of you if they decide to attack you too."

"How likely is that?" Amber asked.

"Low, but not zero," Officer Glorious told her. "Danny's the one they're really after. Even so, you should monitor the news closely for updates about the Commonwealth's proceedings against Clint Cargile. A situation can deteriorate into violence before you know it."

Amber might be in danger because of me. I don't know if I can live with that. How ironic, too, since this time yesterday she was trying to bring me to "justice", and now I'm worried about her safety.

"You won't be testifying in the trial" the officer informed Amber. "But if you'd like to watch it on TV, you're encouraged to. Like I said, it's best to stay informed about as many developments in the case as possible."

"Fair enough" Amber responded wistfully.

"You two should say your goodbyes now" Officer Glorious stated. "If you want to, that is. But it's not like you're long-lost lovers - you met one another fourteen hours ago from what Amber told me."

"Nope," Danny said. "We're not."

Still, something broke inside him when he realized that he would never see Amber again. Twenty-four hours ago, he didn't even know she existed, but now she'd saved his life and they'd broken bread together. Parting ways would be difficult, yes, but would it be any easier when they knew each other better and Danny owed her more?

No. This is as "easy" as it's going to get.

Danny and Amber stood up and faced one another.

"Goodbye" Danny mouthed weakly. "I'm sorry it had to be this way."

In response, Amber wrapped her arms around Danny's chest, and the pair stood nose-to-nose. (Or, more accurately, chin-to-scalp, since Danny was so much taller than Amber). Danny, taken aback, nonetheless embraced Amber as well, and they held one another in that position for almost a full minute.

"Stay safe, Danny," Amber mouthed. "I didn't save your life only for you to fall into their clutches again."

"I will," Danny replied. "I promise."

"Good," Amber said softly. "Do everything Officer Glorious tells you to do, because I don't want to be the last person who hugs you."

Tears filled Danny's eyes, and his stomach fluttered as though a horde of Butterfree were flapping their wings within it, desperately trying to escape the process of digestion. He held Amber even more tightly, not wanting to let go.

"Guys, I hate to interrupt the affection," Officer Glorious replied. "But I would advise you not to show too much attachment to one another. This is not a divorce - you've known one another for all of fourteen hours."

"Right," Amber sighed, finally letting go of Danny's body. "I'm sorry, Officer."

"Apologize to yourself, not to me," Officer Glorious said flatly. "If you two don't sever your emotional bonds with one another, you'll have a hell of a time resisting the temptation to contact him later. This isn't a breakup, but nobody ever said it was easy."

Right, Danny thought bitterly. But nobody said it would be this hard, either.

"Goodbye, Danny," Amber said. "Please stay safe - if there's only one thing I could do for you, I want it to be keeping you alive."

"I'll pay it forward," Danny told her. "I promise."

"Jesus Christ. Or, should I say, Arceus! Both of you should stop being so sappy. You've said your last goodbyes. Danny, come with me."

Danny reluctantly followed the officer out of the apartment complex and into the night air of the North End. For a city of its size, Boston's air was relatively clean; at least, it would stay that way until the forest fires started up north. He sucked in the fresh air like a breath of life, not knowing when (or if) he'd breathe it again.

"All right," Officer Glorious stated. "I'll black out the windows, and I'll drive you to your new home. You will not know where our destination is until we arrive there. Do you understand?"

Danny nodded. What was there to understand?

"Then get in."

He did as he was told, climbing into the backseat. It occurred to Danny that he'd never seen the inside of a police car before, and it was certainly odd that his first time in one wasn't the result of an arrest. It was not punishment; it was for his own good.

The officer pressed a button that blacked out the windows. As soon as the vehicle started making its way through the city and toward the highway that would take them somewhere else in America, Danny would have expected to feel even more anguish and regret. He might never see Amber again, after all, and he didn't know how to feel about that.

But in reality, the only sensation Danny felt was his eyelids getting heavy again. In the absence of any natural or artificial light, he fell asleep quickly. Only later would he fully process the implications of his new life.