Near Quantico, Sunday…

Asako looked at Jay and the marines, worried about how well they had come through their ordeal.

"Things are happening pretty fast. To be on the safe side, Pierce Hamilton has given orders that you should all be taken to a safe house."

"Where's that?" asked Diego Chavez. "And why do we have to go?"

"For the first question, it wouldn't be a safe house if I knew where it was. For the second, your commanding officer ordered you to do just that," said Asako, handing him some hardcopy. "But you're involved in this too. You're witnesses."

"I'll say," said another of the marines. "Just let me get on the stand and testify against the VP. They should string her up the old-fashioned way."

"Draco is from Texas," explained Diego. "He's got some weird ideas about applying home-brewed justice."

"Well, I'm inclined to agree with him, if Stephanie had anything to do with John Milton's death," Jay said. "And I bet she did."

"Anyway, come along," said Asako. "The van's out front."

It was over an hour's ride into the Virginia countryside. With all the twists and turns, Jay didn't know exactly where it was, but she had a pretty good idea. Diego kept smiling at her during the trip.

"Quit looking like the cat that ate the canary," she told him. "What are you smiling about?"