The answer came two paragraphs later.

On the morning Julian disappeared, federal investigators informed him that his identity had been compromised.

An emergency protective relocation had already been arranged.

He had hours.

Not days.

He asked them to take all of us.

They warned him that suddenly relocating eleven additional people would make it far easier for anyone watching the family to understand that he was cooperating.

At that stage, investigators believed the safest immediate option was to make his disappearance look personal.