Hazel

PROLOGUE

“Are you serious?” I stared at Gretta, my commander at the NYPD for nearly eight years, unable to believe the absurdity of what she was telling me. “We’re really going to let him get away for another year?”

“Connor, I don’t like bureaucracy any more than you do, but it exists and we make do.” Gretta pushed a folder toward me. “Besides, we have this bank robbery case...”

“Fuck the robbery, Gretta,” I exploded. “I’m not letting anyone but me catch Ammit.”

“We can’t simply ignore jurisdictions, Detective.

And Cairo is definitely not in our domain,” she said slowly, making clear I was pushing the limits of our friendship.

“I understand it’s hard to ignore this new evidence, but Ammit’s been quiet for years and our bosses aren’t the least bit interested in causing an international incident with you chasing him around the world. ”

“So they expect me to just sit here and watch them throw away the only chance to finally arrest him?” I stared at my chief, searching for my friend—the one I usually only see when we’re off duty. “Gretta, you know how important this case is to me.”

“I know the story, Connor. I was the one pressing down on your stomach trying to stop the bleeding while the ambulance was on its way four years ago,” she said, her tone softening. “Catching Ammit is my mission as much as yours. But I can only do it the right way.”

“You’re fooling yourself, Commander... There’s only one way to catch him, and you know there’s nothing right about it,” I warned.

Gretta collected the folder she’d been trying to hand me and stood up, adjusting the suit that hid the real Gretta—the dedicated cop—as she navigated New York’s dirty politics.

“Maybe you need some time off, Detective,” she began. “How many years has it been since you took a vacation?”

“I’m not tired,” I grumbled. “I may be old, but not tired. Definitely not.”

Gretta sighed.

“I feel exhausted,” she said, walking to the window. “I’d love to be at a resort sipping some ridiculously fancy drink while watching young guys in speedos.”

“Still hung up on younger guys?” I teased. “I thought that FBI rookie already gave you enough excitement.”

“I flirt with excitement, C,” she replied, as always. I’d already memorized her response. “Anyway, if I were you, I’d consider taking a few vacation days. There’s so much in this world to see. You must have racked up some miles with all those training gadgets you buy online.”

“I need to stay in shape.”

“Of course... anyway, I hear you can use those miles for tickets to all kinds of places... I’d prefer the Caribbean myself, but they say Egypt has some stunning scenery too...”

“Are you suggesting that I—”

For a second, I caught a familiar flame in her blue eyes. The same fire that had burned in them on countless missions years ago.

“I’m not suggesting anything, Detective. I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of planning a good vacation,” she said, turning back to the window. “If you need help with your luggage on the way back, give me a call. I’ll pick you up at the airport.”

“Right, Commander.”

“Have a good vacation, Detective O’Brien,” she said before I turned and left.

Gretta was right about one thing: I would return with extra baggage.