Bethany Sutton Chapter 2

The diner that Hershel, Beth, and Maggie stopped at served greasy, overcooked food, but it put something hot in their empty bellies. They sat quietly, tensely, at a booth near the back of the diner, away from the windows, hoping not to be seen or draw any attention.

“Careful with this coffee,” Maggie said, frowning. “It’s liable to put hair on your chest.”

“Is that them?” Beth asked, ignoring her sister in favor of looking at the two men who entered the diner. She’d asked that same question of everyone who’d walked in.

“Daddy said it was a red-haired woman and a man with black hair and a beard,” Maggie snapped. “He’s told you that ten times already!”

“Well excuse me!” Beth shot back in a caustic whisper.

“Don’t you two start bickering,” Hershel managed calmly, looking between his two daughters. “We need to stay calm and patient.”

“Hershel Greene.”

All three of the Greene’s froze before slowly looking up at the man who’d come into the diner and walked right up to their table without them noticing his arrival. He produced a badge with the words FBI in big print.

“Special Agent Shane Walsh. May I have a seat?”

Without word, Maggie scooted over so he could sit across from her father.

“I’m currently investigating police corruption in Senoia. I reviewed security footage that led me to your vehicle. I have to hand it to you, Mr. Greene. You would have been hard to catch had I not seen the photos of your family and just happened to see you leave the motel a few blocks from where you parked.”

“I meant to call the FBI today,” Hershel said. “Do the corrupt cops know we’re here?”

“Yes,” Shane said, nodding. “They located your truck. I located you. The police chief, Bruce Negan, knows Beth is the witness to the Cooper shooting. He won’t give up looking for Beth, or for you and your daughter, until you’re dead.”

“What happens now?” asked Beth.

“I need to take you all to the Atlanta office. You can’t go home, not until we can get evidence against Negan. You’ll need to testify to what you saw, Beth--”

“No,” Hershel said at once. “That’s much too dangerous. They could kill her on the way to the stand.”

Shane nodded in understanding. He’d dealt with unwilling witnesses before. He understood their reluctance. He still needed to impress upon them the vital importance of Beth’s testimony if they ever wanted to live a normal life again.

“You need to understand, Mr. Greene. Beth is the only eyewitness to survive long enough for me to speak directly to. I need to get all three of you into custody until we can bring Negan and Martinez to trial. If you don’t cooperate I can’t guarantee your safety.”

“But you’re the FBI,” said Beth.

“I work with the Department of Justice to get witnesses into the WitSec program. They’ll protect you, get you new identities, new homes and jobs, until you can testify. You can even stay in the program after the trial if you feel your life is still in danger but we can’t do any of that unless you agree to testify.”

He let that sink in. Beth looked up at her father, who finally deflated on a sigh and nodded.

“Okay,” he said. “She’ll testify.”

*~*~*

Beth spent the morning giving her statement. She went over every detail, it seemed, ten times, before they finally ended it. They’d grilled her like she was the killer instead of the victim, and it pissed her off. That anger was the only thing that actually kept her awake.

After questioning was wrapped up Beth was taken to a room where her photograph was taken. After that she was led to an office where she, Maggie, and Hershel were kept waiting for over two hours. Beth was willing to wait there, even if it did seem as though they’d been forgotten. Beth didn’t care. She felt safe for the first time since she’d witnessed the shooting.

Adrenaline had been the only thing that kept all three of the Greene’s running for over fifteen hours. Hershel was especially exhausted, since he hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep the night before. Beth and Maggie had slept in fits, with nightmares, and they were also tired. Their heads were hanging when a short man with slight build entered the room.

“Hello. I’m Agent Carstairs. I’m here to escort you to transport. If you’ll follow me.”

“Where is Agent Walsh?”

“He’s back in the field,” Carstairs said. “Don’t worry, you’re in safe hands. Agents are ready to transport you to the safe house.”

Beth passed a clock with a digital readout. She was surprised it was only two o’clock in the afternoon. It felt like she hadn’t slept or rested in days.

The garage they were led into was quiet, though it did echo with the sounds of traffic passing on the street below. A warm breeze blew, stirring the hot, stagnant air and carrying the smell of gasoline and exhaust fumes with it. Two black SUVs were parked just outside of the elevator and several men and women in plain clothes stood looking around, vigilant of a possible assault.

“This is Agent Kelley,” Carstairs said, introducing Beth to a tall black woman with a beautiful face and bouncy braids. She nodded at Beth.

Carstairs motioned for Maggie and Hershel to move to the second vehicle, where an Asian man and a middle-aged woman stood waiting.

“This is Agent Rhee and Agent Peletier. Hershel, you and Maggie will go with them to--”

“What about Beth?” Hershel demanded.

“She’s going to a different location,” said Carstairs. He held up a hand to calm Hershel and Maggie’s objections. “If you’ll please just take a moment to allow the agents to explain, you’ll understand why you have to be split up.”

“You explain now,” Maggie said. “I’m not leaving without my sister unless you have a damn good reason.”

“We have reason to believe that Negan’s reach goes deeper than just the Senoia PD,” said Agent Kelley.

“We know that he’ll be looking for you with search criteria that isn’t limited to your names, since he knows that you’re probably in Federal custody,” said Agent Peletier.

“He’ll look for groups of people that match your physical descriptions. An older white male with two young white females who fit your ages,” said Agent Rhee. “We need to split you up, make it as difficult as possible for him to locate you. You’re going deep.”

“What do you mean, deep?” asked Beth.

“I can explain that later. For now it's best you , come with me.”

“Daddy…” Maggie said worriedly.

“This is necessary?” Hershel asked Carstairs.

“Yes sir. It really is,” Carstairs confirmed.

Hershel hugged Beth. “I don’t want to leave you, Darling. You know that, but you and Maggie’s safety is all that matters to me. I’ll call you as soon as we get to wherever we’ll be staying.”

“I’m sorry, sir, but you won’t be able to contact one another until the trial is over and Miss Greene has testified,” said Agent Peletier. “I know how difficult this is. I’ve been in this business a long time. In the end, when Negan and his people are put away for good, you’ll know that this was worth it.”

Maggie and Beth hugged one another goodbye. Beth hugged her father again and then climbed into the back seat. Agent Kelley jumped in the front passenger side. That’s when she noticed the man behind the wheel for the first time.

“Agent Grimes,” Agent Kelley said. The man in the front seat nodded to Beth. He had striking blue eyes, from what she could see of them in the rearview mirror.

Beth turned in her seat and looked to the back. Even though the windows were almost blacked out she could make out the form of the other SUV that carried her father and sister. They were all she had left in the world and now she was completely alone. They turned in the opposite direction that Agent Grimes drove and soon they were completely out of sight.

“You’re going to be okay, Miss Sutton,” Agent Grimes said.

“My name is Greene,” Beth said.

“Not anymore,” he replied.

*~*~*

They traveled for hours, stopping only once to use the bathroom and to fuel up. Beth realized she hadn’t eaten since that morning but her appetite was gone. Agent Kelley insisted she at least try to eat something so she sat in the back of the truck nibbling on a soft taco and sipping on a soda. She did have to admit it made her feel better.

Finally they pulled to a stop at an apartment building in a small town. It was a rather small, three story structure that had parking in the back. Agent Kelley went in first and was gone for over five minutes before coming to the door and nodding.

“You go ahead and go in. I’ll park the truck,” Agent Grimes said.

Beth climbed out of the cool confines of the truck and stepped into an oven. They were further south than Senoia and it was hotter and more humid. The hallway of the building was stuffy and smelled of food that someone was cooking in one of the units.

“This is your unit,” Agent Kelley said, handing her the keys to Apartment 2B. “Agent Grimes and I will be in Apartment 2D, right next door, at all times. I’ll be back in an hour. Don’t leave your unit, don’t open the door for anyone but me or Agent Grimes. Ask who is knocking if you can’t see them through the peep, okay?”

Beth nodded, using the keys to unlock the doors while Agent Kelly started down the hall. Beth entered what would be her home for the foreseeable future and took stock of the place.

It was devoid of any kind of personal touch. There wasn’t a single decoration but it was furnished with all the necessities. Because it was a studio apartment the bed had been shoved into a nook with a curtain hung up for privacy. The kitchen had a coffee maker, a blender, and a stand mixer, a stove, and a refrigerator. Beth went over to the ancient looking window AC unit and turned it on. The musty smell that came out nearly made her gag.

Since a thick layer of dust covered every surface, Beth rummaged through a walk-in cupboard for cleaning supplies. She found a bottle of wood oil, as well as some bathroom cleaning supplies, and a dust mop.

It was easier to pass the hour she had to wait on Agents Kelley and Grimes to return by throwing herself into something useful, so she began wiping down the wooden surfaces with oil, and she used the dust mop to clean the wood floors. She was still polishing the floor when someone knocked on the door.

Without thinking, Beth opened the door, expecting one of her guardians, but instead found herself facing a handsome, middle-aged man wearing a gray tee-shirt over a pair of form-fitting jeans that were just tight enough to tease the eye. He had short, sandy blond hair and striking blue eyes, and the broadest, strongest shoulders she’d ever seen on a man.

“You management?” he asked, in lieu of a polite greeting.

“Uh…no. I’m moving in,” she said.

He crossed his arms, the muscles in his arms bulged slightly. “Is it too late to warn you away from the building?” he asked on a very slight smile.

“Warn me away?”

“Yeah, they never fix anything here,” he said.

“Too late. Rent and deposit is paid,” she lied.

His smile broadened, just a little, and he nodded. “Welcome to the building. I’m Daryl Dixon. I’m in 2A.”

“Sutton,” she said, unsure what her first name was supposed to be. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Sutton.”

He turned away and walked back into the unit across from her. From what she could see he had nice taste. She saw an expensive piece of art hanging on the wall, as well as an antique table in the dining area. He shut the door and Beth found that Agent Grimes was approaching with his partner.

“What did Agent Kelley tell you about opening the door to strangers?” he snapped, speaking to her as though she was ten years old.

“You know what? Fuck you!” Beth shouted, and slammed the door in his face.

Agent Kelley looked up at him with a half-smile and said. “She’s reached the anger stage.”

Rick nodded and sighed. “Oh joy.”

*~*~*

“Bethany,” Agent Kelley said, entering the apartment behind Beth, who was furiously running the dust mop over the floor, trying to let off some steam. She carried a notebook computer and a thin file.

“My name is Beth!”

“Your name is Bethany Sutton. Here,” Michonne said, passing the file to Beth. She set the dust mop aside and took the manila folder to the couch, where she sat down and worked up a puff of dust.

“This is bullshit. I haven’t done anything wrong. Why does my whole life have to change because of what they did? Why do I have to give up my family?”

“Because life is sometimes unfair and sucks balls,” said Agent Grimes.

He was slightly less obnoxious after that comment.

“You’ve gotta remember that your life is in danger,” Agent Kelly said. “You can’t let your guard down. You have to be vigilant and observant.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Look at the file, Miss Sutton,” said Agent Grimes.

“What are your names? I can’t go around calling you guys Agent without attracting attention.

“I’m Michonne, this is Rick. Try to stay awake until ten tonight, at least, so you’re not awake all night,” she said. “This is your computer. I’ve got the Wi-Fi password programmed in already. Here’s your phone. This ring,” she said, holding up a small silver band with a diamond set into it, “has a GPS tracking device. It’ll help us keep tabs on your location should something happen. Never take it off. If you get hungry tonight, call in. We’ll go shopping tomorrow.”

Rick handed Beth a Visa card and said, “It has a five-hundred dollar line of credit.”

“Cheapskates,” she said, trying to be lighthearted but feeling anything but.

He grinned and said, “Check-in times are six a.m., two p.m., and ten p.m.. If you don’t check in we assume the worst and come looking.”

“The check-ins are very important, Bethany,” Michonne said, using her new name. It was similar enough to remember, but it still wasn’t hers and she didn’t want to use it.”

When they were gone, Beth cracked open the file and began to read. She found a social security card and a new driver’s license that used the picture they’d taken of her at the FBI office in Atlanta earlier that day. The name on the documents was Bethany Eleanor Sutton. 

She looked god awful but she suspected that someone had Photoshopped the dark circles from around her eyes. She thought she looked old, which was good, because no one would question that she was supposedly twenty-one years old. They had definitely altered her hair in a photo imaging program to make it strawberry blond in color. The birth date was something random. August 7^th. She’d have to remember that new detail.

According to the file her parents were Marjorie LeAnn and Clive Michael Sutton. She was an only child. She’d grown up poor and had dropped out of school but earned a GED, which was also included in the file. Beth put the file down and began to chuckle. 

That chuckle turned into uncontrollable laughter that was bitter and angry. It then morphed into low, keening sounds of grief as she gave herself over to tears, sadness, and self-pity. She needed her family. She needed to be held.

“Who thinks this shit up?” Beth questioned.

Exhaustion got the better of Beth and she fell into a sleep that was mercifully deep and free of dreams.

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