Page 120 of Aftermath
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” I asked.
“No, I’m all right,” she said. Each word sounded unsure.Her friend kidnapped her and held her at knife point. That wasn’t something you got over in a day.
I heard the sirens in the background, and Grey gave me a curt nod to head outside to meet them.
“Let me get you out of here,” I said as I wrapped an arm around her, afraid her legs may give out any moment.
I walked outside, and immediately, an EMT met us with a blanket, wrapping it around Len as I slowly let go near the back of an ambulance. I let her go, knowing it was for the best.
Agent Grey was the first to exit the building behind me, meeting my gaze.
Deputies passed by me, heading inside with their guns raised; unbeknownst to them, they didn’t need them anymore. I limped over to the rest of my team, near another ambulance. Some of the agents clapped me on the back while others gave me sad nods.
“You didn’t wait for back up,” Grey noted.
I pulled out my wallet and handed over my badge.
“What is this?” he asked.
“My badge. I didn’t follow orders again. I know my time in the field is done,” I admitted.
Grey stared at the badge, his hands turning it over. “You see that woman over there?” Grey motioned to Len.“If you had waited for us, I doubt she’d be alive. The moment the lab got those results back, you pieced it together, faster than anyone else could have. You built a profile all within moments and knew Len wasn’t safe. You did what anyone else with the same profile would’ve done,” he said.
“Len was a fixation for Mallory. With that attention taken away, she felt betrayed. When Len didn’t appreciate the gifts she offered, she escalated to taking her. If she would’ve denied her what she wanted, Len would’ve been dead.”
“I didn’t wait for back up, the same as I didn’t with Blythe,” I answered.
“This is not the same,” Grey said. “You made a decision based on a profile, a good one. You saved her life. This is not the same as last time.” Grey placed a hand on my shoulder before he handed my badge back. “Once you complete your psych evaluation, you’ll be cleared for the field. I’ve already submitted the recommendation.”
“You can’t be serious?” I asked.
“As long as you follow orders next time, you’re still welcome on my team. Besides, where else will I find a brain like yours?” He chuckled.
“I’d be honored to come back,” I admitted.
30
LENNY
My wrists achedas I rubbed at them, the blanket still wrapped around my shoulders. It was hard not to dissociate, not when every piece of me wanted to give in to the shock, to let myself slowly slip away into oblivion.
But that wasn’t an option.
Pick yourself back up.
I kept repeating it, over and over. That was exactly what I planned to do: pick myself back up from the low I found myself in and push on, a newly forged person. This summer taught me one thing: I was stronger than I ever imagined.
I watched from the back of the ambulance as Stone talked to his supervisory agent at the other one. Everything felt numb. I’d watched my best friend die in front of me. The man I was beginning to love saved me. I knew she deserved it, but it still hurt.
“Your blood pressure is slightly high, but I think it’s the adrenaline rush,” the woman checking me over said. “You’ll have to take care of those marks on your wrists from the restraints. Keep them clean and bandaged to stave off infection. If anything starts to hurt more or look worse, go to the hospital.”
“Thanks,” I murmured.
It was the first thing I could bring myself to really say.
Everything inside ached for Stone to come back. It was like piece of me was missing. My body felt on edge, and I tried to catch his eye.
After a few minutes of him speaking to the other agents, he turned and met my gaze.
