Scene 40

Inside the Van

I spoke into my radio headset. “Raven, this is Dove. We have recovered the lost chick.” I paused a moment before I continured. “We have one casualty,” I said.

No reply came from the radio.

“Raven, this is Dove. Do you copy?”

A voice that was not Ms. Raven came over the radio, but it was a woman’s voice that I recognized only too well. “I am so sorry to hear about your loss, but your friend cannot respond right now.”

“Where is she?” I demanded.

“Oh, don’t worry, she’s perfectly safe. Am I right in assuming that this is Mr. Dove?”

“Yes, this is Mr. Dove.”

“Excellent, you can’t begin to imagine how pleased I am to speak with you. After capturing your little friend outside the prison, I was so thrilled to discover she was one of the people that local sheriff had captured and then lost. I really am intrigued as to how she could be in a prison in New York, yet here at the same time. And your story is even more interesting. I really would like to know how you are still alive.”

“What do you want?” I demanded.

“Why, I just want to talk with you. Your situation is most unusual.”

“And if I don’t want to talk?”

“Then I’m afraid your little friend here may not survive very long. After all, she’s a duplicate. No one will miss her as long as she’s still alive in prison.”

“Where do we meet?” I asked.

“Somewhere private, I think. We don’t want too many people seeing us. I mean, how would it look for the FBI to be seen speaking with a terrorist?”

She told me where we should go and I broke the connection. I relayed the location to Michael so he could drive us there.

“They have Ms. Raven.” I told everyone.

“Who, the FBI?” asked Mike.

I nodded and buried my face in my hands.

“What’s wrong?” asked Diane.

“I know who the woman who has her,” I answered. I looked at Ms. Hawk. “It’s Anna.”

The voice on the radio was this world’s Ms. Starling.