Chapter 20 #2
Ryan gave his hand a quick, firm shake, more a challenge than a greeting. “Not nearly long enough.”
Pierce smiled and made one of those noncommittal sounds that was supposed to be humorous or indulgent but mostly came out like a pissed-off grunt.
“Agent Pierce,” Worth spoke up as he gestured for them to take their seats, “was in Montgomery speaking to a group of potential academy candidates and dropped by to see how we were coming along on the Devoted Fan case.”
Like hell.
Before Ryan could say as much, Grace did.
“Your checking up on me is inappropriate, Agent Pierce.”
Well, well, at least now Ryan knew. There was something between these two. He liked it when Grace got spunky. She only did that when she was damned pissed off or pushed into a corner.
“Agent Grace,” Pierce said in that patient, wiser-than-thou way he had of talking down to others, “I’m not here to check up on you. I’m here to offer assistance on the Devoted Fan investigation.”
As if she’d just realized what she said and that she’d done it out loud, her lips pressed into a firm line and her smooth, porcelain skin flushed.
“I hate to think you’ve wasted your time,” Ryan said, deciding to take the heat off Grace, “but we’ve got things under control here, Pierce. There’s not a lot you can offer.”
“I was sorry to hear you’d been terminated, McBride.” Pierce shifted his interest from Grace to him. “At one time you were the best.”
Ryan laughed softly, the real thing, not one of those fake sounds. “I was sorry to hear you’d turned to teaching. But then, I guess when you can’t cut it in the field, it’s best to do what you can.”
“Gentlemen,” Worth interrupted, “we were going to review what we have on this case. Why don’t you get us started, Agent Grace?”
5:02 p.m.
Vivian was ready to get the hell out of there. She had never been so furious in her life.
Every particle of self-discipline she possessed had been required to remain seated during the past forty-nine minutes while Worth and Pierce and McBride went back and forth over this case. She had purposely kept her mouth shut after her opening remarks.
Pierce’s visit had nothing to do with this case and she knew it.
He was here about her.
He was worried about her. Worth had told her that much already.
Dammit.
The one real surprise was that McBride and Pierce appeared to know each other.
She should have realized that was a possibility since they were both at Quantico at the same time.
Pierce wasn’t anything like McBride. He was as tall as McBride but thicker.
His hair was black, cut short and neat. His eyes were almost as dark as his hair and were ever watchful.
There was no fooling Pierce, he never missed a thing.
McBride abruptly stood. “If we hear anything from Devoted Fan, let me know.”
What the hell had happened while she’d been seething?
Vivian pushed to her feet, scrambling to catch up as McBride walked out. “Was there anything else, sir?” She faced Worth, careful to keep her attention fixed fully on him and off the other man who had suddenly stood.
“Stay a moment, Grace,” Pierce said.
When she glared at him, he was busy sending Worth a not-so-subtle give-us-some-privacy look.
“Excuse . . . me,” Worth stuttered. “I have to check on . . .”
The way he was mumbling, Vivian didn’t catch the last of his excuse as he made his hasty exit and closed the door firmly behind him.
This was beyond ridiculous. She shook her head at the man watching her. “I considered you a friend. I trusted you.” She hadn’t spoken a word to him since the announcement that her assignment had been changed. She had avoided him at all costs, ignored his phone calls and his emails.
“Grace.” He reached out, touched her arm. “I know you don’t understand—”
“You’re damned right I don’t,” she snapped.
“Let’s leave it at that.” She had wanted that assignment in Baltimore so badly.
Her whole reason for joining the Bureau had been to make a difference.
An assignment like Baltimore would have given her that opportunity.
What the hell was she supposed to do here?
Even when a big case came up, Worth didn’t put her on it.
He wouldn’t have this time if McBride hadn’t insisted.
How could she get the experience she needed for moving to the next level if she wasn’t given the chance?
Pierce drew in a big breath, let it go. “We both know why you decided to make law enforcement your career.”
What of it? Who wouldn’t want to fight the bad guys after going through that kind of thing? She had needed to turn her fear and hatred and bitterness into something constructive.
“In case you haven’t noticed,” she said, her voice harsh and stilted, “I’m doing a good job.
I don’t need you looking over my shoulder.
” If she hadn’t had that one episode at the academy, none of this would be happening!
But she had. She’d frozen up, just like she had with McBride at the cemetery, only worse.
Her failure in that one training exercise had caused the deaths of two civilians and one agent, hypothetically of course.
She had been so upset that she had come apart in Pierce’s office and admitted that she still had problems with what happened when she was seventeen.
Big mistake. Hiding that entire history would have been impossible; the background investigation would have exposed it.
But she had fooled the psych evaluations, had convinced everyone that she was past the whole Nameless incident.
And then she’d had to go and let her core instructor see her crack.
Now she was paying the price. He had suggested an assignment to a smaller field office until after her probation to ensure less stress. So here she was, back in her hometown trying to prove she could take the pressure.
“Grace, you survived your worst nightmare,” he said, ignoring her assurance that she didn’t need him minding her business. “You killed the man responsible. You were strong, and it showed in your ability to survive.”
Here came the but . . .
“But then you changed your name and ran away, pretended it never happened.”
Fury bolted through her. “Do you really think I wanted to hang around and let the media hound me? To have people looking at me the way you are right now?”
Why couldn’t the past just be over? She didn’t want to look back. She wanted to move forward.
“If that were the only reason,” he said, without the exasperation he surely felt at this point, “we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
You’ve been hiding for nine years. You have to face those demons and defeat them the same way you did the real thing.
Otherwise you’ll be dealing with them forever. ”
“Do we have anything else to talk about, Agent Pierce?” She stood at attention as if she were still one of his students. “If not, I’d like to go home. I’ve had a long day, and I had a long night before that.”
For several seconds he looked at her with that concerned, caring face that her father wore at moments like this . . . that Worth wore whenever he passed her up for a prime case . . . the same damned one McBride had worn this morning when he had ordered her out of that church.
Damn them all!
“I guess that’s all I have to say.”
Before she could escape, he added, “I’ll be here for a few days. We could have dinner.”
“Sure.” She wrenched open the door and fled to the corridor.
She wanted out of here. Away from the weakness Pierce wanted to shove down her throat.
She wasn’t weak. She was strong. The past didn’t matter anymore.
It was over. Why didn’t he just let it go?
How was she supposed to leave it alone if everyone else kept bringing it up?
“Grace.” Worth was striding toward her.
“Yes, sir?”
“You’re needed in the conference room. McBride is already there. We have a new communication from Devoted Fan.”
Her shoulders slumped with fatigue. Not another one. Hopefully there wouldn’t be another victim already.
She followed her SAC and, as if he’d smelled the trouble, Pierce wasn’t far behind her. Pratt, Davis, and Aldridge were there already, as was McBride. They gathered around the computer screen and read the latest email from the unsub who was now officially a serial offender.
McBride,
You truly are the best. You and your fine partner, Agent Grace, did a spectacular job of solving my puzzling clues.
I am astounded at your greatness. As you know by now from the latest news reports, Dr. Trenton and his team have nearly reached the midway point in this complex surgery and all is going well.
The patient’s certain survival, as well as the good doctor’s, is solely your doing. I daresay, Trenton will have a new attitude from this day forth, as well he should.
The time has come for me to inform you that, at last, the final challenge is at hand. I do, of course, realize that you have had little rest, and I shall save the grand finale for tomorrow.
Rest well, my hero, for there is still one more lesson to be taught—this one is a lesson I am sure you will appreciate as much as I.
Humbled,
Devoted Fan
“McBride, Grace, and Pratt, I want each of you to take a copy of this email home with you and study it while you get some rest. Be back here at four a.m. At that time Davis and Arnold will take a few hours at home. Meanwhile”—he directed his full attention to those two agents—“I want every number on that list called, every potential suspect visited before four a.m. If folks are asleep, wake them up.”
Simultaneous yes-sirs echoed as the two agents moved back to their stations.
“I’ll be here until midnight,” Worth said to everyone gathered.
“I sent Talley home for some shut-eye. He’ll be back before I go.
If I have anything new, you’ll hear from me.
” He started to go but then added, “McBride, Birmingham PD will have a guard at your door for the duration of your stay here . . . just in case.”