Homecoming

A teenager returns to his hometown from the Witness Protection Program to be the star witness in the case against the man who tried to kill him. This is based partially on the SVU episode "Ghost" where ADA Alex Cabot returns to be a witness in the case against the man who tried to kill her. Enjoy!

The car seemed to appear out of nowhere. It slowly inched its way down the street it had arrived on before slowing down and parking in the driveway of one of houses. Two men exited the car; Captain John Cox of the Special Victims Unit in New York City was the passenger and Special Agent David Renfro was the driver. They approached the house where they noticed the owner was had the curtain of one of his windows open, suggesting he was looking out at them. As the two men approached the house, the curtain closed. They reached the door and before either of them could knock, the door opened. Standing there was Michael Thomas, a high school student from New York who had been presumed shot dead; he had, in actuality, been placed into the Witness Protection Program after the assassination attempt on his life.

“What happened?” Michael demanded.

“Mike,” David said. “We need to talk to you, privately.”

Mike nodded and allowed the two men into his house. He showed them to the living room and sat on a couch across from them when they had taken their seats. John pulled out a photograph of a man who looked as though there was no way a smile could even be etched onto his face, even with Photoshop.

“Who is this?” Mike asked.

“His name is Jack Calvert,” John said. “We believe him to be responsible for what happened to you.”

“So this is what he looks like,” Mike replied. “Every time somebody glanced at me I thought, ‘Is that him? Is he going to kill me now?’ And now I know, this is the man who tried to kill me. Is there any particular reason as to why he targeted me?”

“It was because of what you wrote in your columns in your high school newspaper,” John replied. “Calvert is part of a Pro-Life and Anti-Homosexual group that was known for attacking, but never killing, their enemies. The group has mostly disbanded since your attempted murder, and we connected his murder to you because the bullet used in another murder and attempted murder matched the one to you and to Calvert’s gun. Forensics proved the bullets came from his gun.”

“And what do you have that can help put Calvert away?” Mike asked.

“We have a ten-year-old victim who has i.d.’d Calvert as the one who tried to kill him,” John said.  “It’s not much, but it should be enough.”

“And what makes you so sure that a ten-year-old victim is going to be able to testify in open court?”

“I don’t know,” John answered.

Mike sighed before he spoke again.

“For years, I always encouraged people to stand up for themselves and fight for what they believe in,” he said. “Now it’s my turn to step up.”

“Are you suggesting you return to New York and testify against Calvert?” David asked.

“It may be my only choice.”

“Mike, you realize that if you return, you put your life at risk for another attack?” said John.

“I have lost my home…my school…my friends…my mother died and I couldn’t go to the funeral. Jack Calvert is not going to take my conscience too.”

Two days later, Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Novak dropped the charge of Michael’s murder against Jack Calvert.  When this happened, Calvert’s attorney, Henry Powers, jumped to a conclusion.

“Obviously, this is because the People have failed to come up with any evidence to indict my client!”

“Save it, Counselor,” Judge Gerald Miller said. “Is there anything else, Ms. Novak?”

“Yes, Your Honor. In light of newly discovered evidence, the People move to add another charge to the defendant: Attempted Murder in the First Degree.”

“Your Honor,” Powers interjected. “This is merely an attack by the People to charge my client with something useful.”

“Mr. Powers, another outburst like that, and I will hold you in contempt!” Miller said. “Who is the complaining witness?”

“Michael Thomas,” Alexandra replied. With that, the door behind the witness stand opened and Mike strode through it. He glanced at Calvert sitting at the Defendant’s table, who gave Mike a menacing look. Mike sat down next John and David before the Judge ruled.

“Based on what I have seen,” Miller said. “I’m going to continue to remand the Defendant until trial. This court is adjourned.”

Mike smiled, nodded and exited the courtroom with John and David. They took him to Alexandra’s office where she was meeting with Chris Stone; Mike’s best friend who had been the only person besides John who knew Mike had been put into Witness Protection. When they entered, Chris looked over at Mike and ran up to his best friend. The two hugged before Chris spoke. 

“Mike, you didn’t have to come back!” he exclaimed.

“I know,” Mike replied smiling. “But who else is gonna help them get out of trouble?

For the next few hours, Mike and Alexandra prepared Mike’s testimony for the following day. Once they were finished, Chris brought Mike to his parents’ home, where Mike was going to spend the night and a police officer would be on duty watching the house. After eating with Chris’s parents, the two friends sat together in the living room catching up.

“So how is everything?” Chris asked.

“They’re okay,” Mike replied sadly.

“Have you made any friends?”

“A few. I write for my high school newspaper there and I’m known as one of the best writers, and I don’t write any opinion pieces anymore. They all call me my new name, Austin.” At that, Mike was nearly to tears. Chris put his hand on Mike’s shoulder as he spoke.

“It’s hard to be someone you’re not.”

“I can’t stop thinking about this case like I’m a Prosecutor or something,” Mike cried. “I knew that if I were ever to go to court for something, I would have a plan to attack my enemy in order to make sure justice was served.”

“Well, you didn’t see this, yet,” Chris said, pulling out a folder and handing it to Mike. Mike took it and opened it. It was Jack Calvert’s personal file. Chris had obtained it from his father, one of the Detectives working Mike’s case. Mike read over it and began to plan out how he was going to use it to assist in his testimony.

The next morning, Mike was being questioned by Alexandra. He was the first witness to be put on the stand for the day, and answered several of Alexandra’s questions. Mike had quickly answered all of her questions before she asked her final one.

“What happened after you were shot?” she asked.

“I woke up in the hospital, and the Marshals were there. They told me that I was dead, officially, and that the only way for me to stay alive would be to be placed into the Witness Protection Program.”

“Thank you,” Alexandra said. “Your Witness,” he said to Powers.

“That sounds like quite an ordeal,” Powers said, standing up and proceeding to the witness stand. “I think we’re all very moved by your experience.”

“Do you have a question?” Mike asked.

“Only one,” Powers replied. “Did you see my client shoot you?”

“I saw his gun aimed at my heart.”

“Please, Mr. Thomas, just answer the question. On the night that you were shot, did you see Jack Calvert anywhere in the vicinity?”

“No, but he’s a coward. He likes to run away. Did you leave a family behind, Mr. Calvert?”

“Your Honor…” Powers said.

“Mr. Thomas, please,” Miller said.

“You have absolutely no idea who shot you, do you?” asked Powers.

“Oh, I have an idea. It’s the kind of man who likes to rape a woman to make her talk,” John replied.

“Let me rephrase the question: Did you see Jack Calvert shoot you?”

“No, but I know it was him.”

“Objection, Your Honor-” Powers started, but Mike kept talking directly at Calvert.

“It takes a lot of balls to shoot an unarmed teenager like myself and a sleeping child, too bad your aim was a little better.”

At that, Calvert stood up and began shouting at Mike.

“You think you’re safe? They know where you are. You should have stayed dead!”

While all of the shouting was happening, Miller was banging his gavel. When Calvert finished speaking, Miller finally yelled, “That’s enough! We’re in recess until Mr. Powers can learn to control his client!”

Shortly after, the ten-year-old victim, Ashley Jones, testified against Calvert as well in court. When she was finished, neither attorney had any other witnesses and all evidence had been presented. The Jury deliberated for about half an hour before returning with their verdict.

“On the first count of the Indictment, Attempted First Degree Murder of Michael Thomas, how do you find?”

“Guilty.”

“On the count two, the Attempted Murder in the Second Degree of Ashley Jones, what is your verdict?”

“Guilty.”

“Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, you are excused. Thank you for your services. The Defendant is to be remanded until sentencing,” Miller said before banging his gavel.

Later that evening, John, Alexandra, Chris, Chris’s parents and David all met in Alexandra’s office to surprise Mike with a little celebration for the guilty verdict.

“Guilty on all counts,” Alexandra said.

“I never doubted it’d be anything else,” Chris’s father, Casey, replied.

“Let’s get this party started,” Chris said, placing a cake on Alexandra’s desk.

“Mike knew just how to push Jack Calvert’s buttons,” John said.

“Well, he’s a great witness. Make a great prosecutor one day,” Casey said.

“And you gave him the ammunition,” John replied. Casey gave him a slightly guilty look before opening the cake. Meanwhile, David was offering Alexandra a drink.

“Oooh, don’t let me drink too much,” Alexandra said. “Penalty phase starts first thing in the morning.”

“Slam dunk,” David said. “Live a little tonight.”

Suddenly, somebody knocked twice on the door.

“Is that him? Is that him?” David asked.

The door opened and there stood Mike.

“Surprise!” everyone shouted.

Mike laughed before hugging everyone and thanking them. He also announced that he would be moving back to New York within six months after withdrawing from the Witness Protection Program. Chris and his parents had offered up their home for him to stay while he finished high school and went off to college. They began eating cake and celebrating their victory in getting justice served. All was well.