Page 120 of Bound By Fire
She nods once. “Then I still want you on this assignment.”
“Councilor, I?—”
“You stay.” She holds up a hand. “Hear me out before you object. Right now, you have something no replacement of mine will have. You have proximity. You have her trust, or some version of it. You have access to her in a way I cannot manufacture in another male in the time we have left. I want you to get closer to her. Spend time with her. You need to?—”
“You want me to use her.”
“I want you to do your job. Lean into the proximity. Let her relax around you. Listen. Watch. If she is what the leak says she is, she’ll trip. They always do.”
I stare at her. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am.” She crosses her arms. “It will need to be discreet. You will not put it in any report. If it is ever exposed, I will deny knowledge of this conversation. You’ll be on your own. Do you understand?”
“I understand…but?—”
“I need you to stick with it. Do it for Magma. Maybe you’ll find something to clear him.”
“Or maybe I’ll implicate him further.”
“You can’t think like that.
“I have to. He’s my friend. I need to help him. I need?—”
“Magma is not your concern. He has his own investigators. We’re working the angles. Trying hard to find evidence of a setup. Stay in your lane, Ridge. You stay on Keller. I wantfeedback within twenty-four hours. You do not interfere with the Magma case. I hope I am making myself clear.”
“Understood.”
“Good.” She moves toward the door. “I’m sorry. About all of it.”
“Don’t apologize, Councilor. Just do what you said you’d do. Find the real culprit.”
“I will.” She rests her hand briefly on the door handle. “Twenty-four hours.”
She opens the door and walks out.
I follow, seeing Robyn on the other side of Jess’s desk.
Holy shit!
I frown, because she’s the last person I expected to see.
Behind her, chaos ensues. There are people clustered around Jess’s desk. There is a junior I don’t recognize crying into a tissue at one of the back stations. Flint is standing at the front, both hands up, trying to get the room calm.
“Listen up.” His voice carries. “Everyone. Listen…please.”
“What are you doing here?” I ask her.
The guard I posted at the hospital, Smoke, is behind her. Brutus is at the exit just inside the corridor. He spots me and gives a small nod.
“Hi,” she says. “Sorry to…I’m…I... Smoke told me where to find you. I needed to speak with you.” She looks bewildered.
“Come inside for a second.” I pull her into Magma’s office and shut the door.
“What was that? Why was that male arrested? Who is he?”
“His name is Magma, and he’s my boss and my friend. He was arrested for treason.” She’ll know soon enough, anyway. The whole island will.
Her eyes widen, and her mouth falls open. “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry. This must be hitting you hard.”
