Page 23 of Jep

“That’s not true.”

“I remember the day you started with the task force,” Jep said.

“Oh, yeah?”

“You came in full of confidence and swagger. But it didn’t take you long to settle into your place.”

“I can’t tell if you’re saying that to be rude or if you mean it as a compliment.”

“Compliment. I don’t like it when guys are full of themselves. We didn’t know each other well, but I thought you were a good addition to the team.”

“I wanted to be there, so I did what I had to do to get along with everyone. I was proud to be a part of the team. I thought you were too.”

“I was. We did a lot of good work.”

“But you weren’t willing to adjust?”

Jep huffed a laugh and looked out the window. “A word of advice—don’t believe everything everyone said about me after I left.”

“I came to ask for you back, didn’t I?”

“That doesn’t mean you haven’t already made up your mind about me. I know she has.”

Pearce looked at him in the rearview mirror, then looked at Emery. “Give her a good reason to think otherwise, and you’ll find her a great asset to the team.”

“At least I’ll always know where she’s at. I can appreciate that already.”

He hadn’t fully considered the prejudices he’d have to face back at the office. His current behavior wasn’t helping opinions inside the car, but it was the protective mechanism he sometimes fell back on. If people were going to have the wrongopinion of him, it was easier to give it to them. He knew God expected better from him, so he decided to keep his mouth shut for the rest of the drive.

They rode in silence for a while until Jep noticed Emery’s body go rigid. He leaned sideways so he could see out her window and follow her line of sight through to the park they were passing.

“Stop the car,” he said, unbuckling his seatbelt.

“What?” Pearce said.

“Stop the car.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.” He slid to the passenger side and gripped the door handle.

“Jep, we have an awful lot of work to do.”

“I don’t care. Stop it or I’ll jump.” He pulled the lever far enough the door released, but he still held it closed.

Pearce took his foot off the accelerator but only slowed when they approached a red light.

“There’s no time,” Jep said and opened the door while the car was still moving.

“What are you doing?” Pearce said, slamming on the brake.

Jep jumped to the curb and ran into the park where a fight had already broken out. A kid in his early teens was being thrown to the ground by a couple of guys in their twenties. One of them was about to stomp on the kid, but Jep pounced, knocking him to the ground, then rolled when the second man attacked. He grabbed the guy’s foot and twisted, yanking him around so he fell to the ground.

The first guy scramble across the grass and took a loose swing but missed. Jep saw the kid making a run for it, so he struck hard, knocking the first guy out before facing the second, who was on his feet with his arms in a boxing pose until he sawPearce and Emery running toward them; then he took off at a run.

“Pearce,” Jep shouted. “You get him. I’ll get the boy.”

He sprinted toward the kid, who’d slowed until he turned and saw Jep was after him.

---