Page 28 of Shadow of Doubt
“Come on.” Nick shoved out a hand. “Give me a look.”
“Go ahead and take your look.” Colin handed the scope back to Nick. “But you’re not going to believe what you see.”
7
Brooklyn wanted so badly to get out of the SUV and pace away her nerves. Thirty minutes had passed, and they hadn’t gotten a single update from Nick or Colin. Not even one. The guys could at least check in to say they were okay, couldn’t they? She didn’t know how recon missions like this one worked, but maybe they couldn’t talk because Kane was home and could hear them.
She leaned forward to look between the seats at Eryn. “Is this normal?”
Eryn swiveled in her seat. “Is what normal?”
“Taking so long to do the recon and no word.”
“Actually it’s only been thirty minutes, which isn’t long in a situation like this,” Eryn said. “And not hearing anything is normal.”
Brooklyn was trying to imagine Eryn as an agent on a stakeout and couldn’t visualize it. “Did you do things like this all the time when you were an agent?”
“Not all the time, no. If you’re thinking of TV shows or movies or even books, they often don’t portray the real life of an agent. Far more paperwork than an operation like this one. And I’m not big on paperwork.” She wrinkled her nose.
“Is that why you left?”
Eryn shook her head. “Had to leave due to an injury.”
“Mind if I ask what happened?” Brooklyn asked because she was interested, sure, but also because she hoped it would help pass the time until the guys reported in.
“No problem,” Eryn said, but her eyes darkened as if the memories were painful. “I was serving an arrest warrant. The guy answered the door, but as soon as I identified myself, he started to slam the door. Instincts kicked in, and I reached out to stop him. Dumb move. Really dumb.”
She shook her head and took a deep breath. “I grabbed the edge of the door when I should have palmed it on the front. He slammed it on my hand, and it suffered some pretty extensive damage.”
She stared at her left hand. “I don’t have the ability to clench my fist or grasp an object very well.”
“I’m sorry that happened,” Brooklyn said, trying to uplift Eryn when there was so much angst in her tone. “But that was enough to sideline you?”
“Yeah, the FBI wouldn’t risk the potential liability something like that raised.” She opened and closed her fist, staring at it as if it didn’t belong to her. “I could fail to be able to use my weapon or back up a fellow agent in a fight. So they benched me as an agent. I could’ve taken an analyst job, but I wanted at least the hope of some adventure. So I left to work for Gage. In many ways, I’m glad I did, and it’s been a very positive experience.”
“Really, how?” she asked, as Brooklyn couldn’t see losing her calling as ever being positive. If she was forced to permanently leave IT, she couldn’t think of anything positive about that.
“At the Bureau, it often took a long time to see that I was making a difference. With Blackwell, I see on a daily basis how I’m helping others.” She paused, and a soft smile claimed hermouth. “The job also gives me a lot of flexibility with my work schedule, and that’s great for being a mom.”
Brooklyn could only dream of what being a mom might be like. Full-time or otherwise. “I imagine it was hard to balance being an agent and a mother at the same time.”
“It was, and I was a single mom, so it was even harder. But I had my mom’s help. She’s the best.” Eryn studied Brooklyn. “But you. You really can’t go on with life until this guy is caught. I can’t believe he’s been after you for years.”
“Me either, to be honest, but when it comes to IT, the guy has out-of-this-world skills, and he seems to be unstoppable.”
“Don’t give up.” Eryn patted Brooklyn’s knee. “One thing I learned at the Bureau is that someone might be a criminal mastermind, but everyone can be stopped. Just depends on the resources thrown at stopping them, and right now, you have a wonder team on your side. We will catch him.”
The assistance from these fine people brought tears to Brooklyn’s eyes. She looked up to hold them at bay. “I’ve been fighting this with just me and Nick for so long that you don’t know what that means to me.”
She squeezed Brooklyn’s hand. “Well, now you have the resources, and if everyone we have working tonight isn’t enough, I’ll call in the rest of my team. Plus, I suspect Nick would call in his team too.”
“He would, and he’s offered, but I never felt good about taking him up on it.”
Eryn blinked at her. “Why not?”
“I can’t afford them, and they only have a limited number of pro bono dollars, so I don’t want to take that away from someone really in need.”
“Girl, you are really in need.” Eryn’s nostrils flared. “Trust me. This is no way to live, and I for one, am honored to help you get out of the situation.”
