Terror's Identity

By Sarah Maury Swan

Sixteen-year-old Aidan Knox's life turns upside down when he, his sister, and his mother enter a witness protection program and begin a dangerous new life because of his father's work investigating a terrorist organization operating in the U.S. How will he remember the details of his new life with a new name and a made-up past? And will he be able to settle in to a new school and all that entails? Whom can he trust and can he keep his mother and sister safe?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sarah Maury Swan
• Release date: Feb 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224533770

Book preview

Terror’s Identity

Sarah Maury Swan

Copyright 2015 © Sarah Maury Swan

All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for review purposes.

Cover and interior design by Sable Books

Sable Books

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Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Acknowledgements

Terror’s Identity

Chapter 1

At sixteen, guys are supposed to be tough, right? But when Mom pounds up the stairs to our bedrooms shouting, Aidan! Maya! This is it! We’re leaving...now, tough is not what I feel. 

My head starts buzzing with bees, well that’s what it sounds like, and my muscles at the base of my skull squeeze into knots. I start toward the stairs to our first floor, but grab the balcony railing to jerk myself toward my room. No! Not now. Cindy and I are going to the movies on Friday, I shout and leap into my room, punching Cindy’s number into my phone. Oh crap, no phone calls!

Mom snatches the phone from my hand and throws it on the bed.

Honestly Aidan, after all the times we’ve rehearsed this, why can’t you get it through your head we are in danger? She holds up her hand to stop me from answering. You know the drill. The only thing you take is Kramer. She grabs my arm, and ushers me out the door before she races along the balcony and pounds on my sister’s bedroom door.

Maya pokes her head out, dancing to the beat coming through her ear buds, her blonde ponytail tapping her shoulder blades. Yeah? she says, pulling the buds away from her ears. But one look at Mom’s face convinces my sister to drop her music player on the rug and reach for her shoes.

Mom shakes her head, Leave your shoes. Your friends know you go barefoot in the house. Go get the dog.

Geeze. Dad’s Secret Service job really has gotten us in trouble. I hug the hallway wall and head down the stairs. Kramer’s not in his usual spot on the living room sofa. Of course. He’s one smart cat. I go into stalker mode. If I scare him, he might get into the basement rafters. But it’s hard to stalk in a hurry. 

In the dining room, I bend down to see if Kramer is curled up on one of the chairs. Nope.

I look at the staircase to make sure Maya doesn’t trip in her rush to the main floor, yelling Zeus! Where are you, buddy? When the dog skids to a stop in front of her, she drops to her knees and hugs him close. You’ve got to be good, my friend. We’re in humongous trouble.

My quarry’s not in the kitchen where Mom lowers and raises the window blind over the kitchen sink. Sure hope the FBI agents see our signal from their boat. They better have night goggles, it’s pitch black outside.

The stupid cat is nowhere in the house. Could he be outside? I look under all the furniture again and go back down to the basement. What if I can’t find him? Do we leave him? The blood pounding in my ears deafens me. Finally! He’s curled around hot water pipe coming out of the top of the heater. I pry him off and cuddle him under my shirt, supporting him with my arms—his head under my left elbow. 

I come back into the kitchen and see Mom’s jaw muscles swell from clenched teeth and she’s three shades paler than normal. This is not a practice run.

Tiny miners drill holes in my gut and my brain keeps screaming danger; we’re gonna die! I’ve got to be calm and protect Mom and Maya, but how?

Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island was scared, but also had fun. An adventure was how he viewed his troubles. Maybe I can do the same. Still my hands tremble and my knees turn into weak worms. When we catch the terrorists, I’m for sending them to a hell filled with giant Venus Flytraps dissolving their sorry asses.

This sucks. It’s not fair to have to make new friends all the time. Because of Dad’s job we’ve gone to school after school. So much for staying here through high school, like you and Dad promised,

Mom’s scowl makes me shut up with a click of my teeth. Once I’m done with school and college, I’m never moving again. 

Maya opens the kitchen door, and steps into the backyard. Zeus races circles around her. She snaps her fingers and hisses, Zeus, heel! The next second he shadows Maya by her left hip.

Don’t know why my dog listens to Maya better than he does me, but at least he obeys somebody. And how come my ditzy sister is so calm now? Maybe I’m just so spooked I don’t see her nerves.

When I close the door behind me, shutting out the light, it’s almost as if we’re in the middle of an eclipse. All I can see are darker shapes hopefully of Mom, Maya and Zeus. I step up beside them and lay my right hand on Zeus’ back. How am I supposed to protect them, if I can’t see?

Kramer burrows further under my flannel shirt. The wind hurls snowflakes off the lake like it wants to freeze my bones. Wish I had a jacket. Even with my fingers tucked around my cat, the cold bites.

Zeus tenses and growls, but Maya shushes him before he can bark.

I feel his rigid muscles, and look around to see what’s got him spooked. Maybe it’s the good guys come to rescue us. Or maybe it’s just a raccoon down by the dock.

Five figures dressed in black come toward us. I crouch into a defensive stance. One of them reaches up with some kind of big cloth, and I grab his right bicep to flip him.

He says, Relax Aidan, I’ve got a coat for you.

Thought you were a bad guy. Talk about being embarrassed. People on Lake Michigan’s eastern shore probably see my now stoplight-red face.

The agent pats my shoulder and whispers, Good job trying to protect your family.

Is Dad here?

Nope, but he’s fine. You’ll see him soon.

Maybe the terrorists are close, because our neighbors need to think we’ve all disappeared together—Dad, included.

I wonder where we’ll go. Mom told me it wouldn’t be Grandma Thompson’s, or Grandpa Mac’s. More likely we’ll go to another city.

Finally we get to our dock, where a dark-colored pontoon boat bobs up and down. Guess we’re going for quiet; this boat’s electric motor whispers; our car’s powerful engine growls.

Mom and Maya huddle on the cockpit seat, barely discernable in the cockpit’s shaded light. Zeus skitters around in circles on the deck, his nails clicking a sloppy beat.

Maya’s chin trembles. We’ll be okay, right Mom? That’s more like my sister.

We’ll get through this, honey, but you must be quiet. Mom strokes Maya’s hair and smiles at me; her lips quivering.

Maya hugs Zeus’ body and whispers, We’ll be strong together, right buddy? Her whole body is shivering, and she seems to have shrunk inside herself.

How could the terrorists find us? What would they do to us? In the movies I’ve seen torture methods like water boarding. The idea of someone putting a burlap bag over my head and then dripping water down my face stops my breath. Would these jerks really do that?

One of the agents holds a cat-sized kennel up to my chest, with the door open. Put Kramer in here. He’ll be safer.

Won’t he get cold? The wind off the lake whips snow into my face and fringes my eyelashes with ice. My skin burns and the tip of my nose is numb. Good thing my heart’s beating so fast—only thing keeping my blood from freezing. Won’t he get cold?

Maya adds, Won’t Kramer be scared all by himself?

The agent reaches to pat Maya on the head, but she twists away from him. He’ll be fine. We lined the bottom with one of your old tee shirts, honey, he says.

Boy, that pissed her off. Never treat Maya like she’s a little kid.

Good thing the guy jumps back to our dock before my sister can yell at him.

Mooring lines thump on board, the motor hums into life and the boat backs away from the water’s edge. How the helmsman can see even a foot in front of him I don’t know, since he still hasn’t turned the lights on. No one says a word—not a sound but waves slapping against the hull.

The only guy with us now is steering the boat north, following the shore line. I can’t see our house, just light from windows in neighboring houses.

Mom? My voice shakes.

Keep your voice down, Aidan! she says.

Where is Dad? I ask. I cough up bile and my muscles tense to run. Too bad I can’t walk on water.

He’s safe, says Mom; her voice husky. We’ll see him soon, I’m sure.

Hope he gets these guys like tomorrow, I mutter.

Dad’s smart. He’ll be fine, says Maya plastering herself to Mom’s side and looking at me.

What a miserable time for this to happen. Wonder if Cindy’ll ever speak to me again?

Mom! Our house is on fire! Maya’s screech ends with Mom’s hand over her mouth.

Hush, Maya. No one knows we’re out here, Mom kisses Maya’s cheek. Remember Dad said they’d set a fire?

I creep even closer to my family, holding Kramer’s carrier on my lap. He’s actually purring! How can the cat purr when we no longer have a home? But Zeus knows something’s wrong. He’s leaning against my legs, shivering. I stroke his back with my free hand.

Mom pulls us until her mouth’s an inch from our faces. We have to make our enemies think we’re dead.

Dead? Now who will we be? This can’t be happening. Our grandparents are gonna go ballistic.

The FBI will give us new identities. Mom wipes her face and blows her nose.

Maya slaps the bench cushion. New identities? Will that really save us? Stupid damn terrorists.

I know we promised we’d stay here. Mom squeezes our hands. But this group has gotten bolder. Especially since your father arrested a leader.

BOOM! KABOOM! The gas stove and furnace musta blown. A shock wave of heat and noise flattens my nose against my face and slams the pontoon boat sideways. Ahgg! My voice joins Maya’s and Mom’s.

Holy Shit!

Chapter 2

Our house is now a huge ball of roaring red flame. Everything’s gone! I round my back and put my head between my legs to keep from passing out. I’ve got to get a grip. I’ve got protect the women in my family.

Before panic seeps into my brain again I mumble, We will get through this. Please God let that be true.

Except for the