Page 118 of Jep

“You should. We could use more like you on the team.”

“You sure you could handle more than one of me?”

He laughed. “It’s good to have some who think differently from the rest.”

“If you really mean that, I would be happy to add a summary of my thoughts to the reports.”

“Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of you becoming a trained field agent.”

“Have you already forgotten the messes I’ve been getting into since going into the field?”

“None of which were on account of you and all of which you handled remarkably well.”

“I owe a lot to Jep. I’m not sure if I’m cut out for fieldwork without him by my side.”

“You’ve already been through more action than most people see their entire lives. And I’ll admit, I thought Jep was up to something when he chose you for a partner. Little did I know he saw what the rest of us missed. At least think about being retrained. Don’t say no yet.”

“I can think about it.”

“Good.”

Lawson’s walkie talkie squawked, alerting him that the team was in position and ready to breach.

“We’d better get inside,” Lawson said.

She followed him into the tactical van.

“Kay. Sylvestro.” She nodded a hello to the two technicians she’d only met today. It was tight with all the equipment. Eventucked against the side wall, her knees kept bumping Agent Kay’s chair.

“Sorry,” she said, adjusting herself after bruising her knee.

“It’s all part of experience,” Kay said with a chuckle. “This your first time?”

“Believe it or not,” Lawson said. “She’s usually on the other end of these things.”

“I heard.” Sylvestro said. “You’re quite the legend, Miss Chapman.”

“That must be for my thorough analytical skills,” Em said.

“On the field, yeah. I hear you have a real eye for detail. I prefer to do my observation on this side of the monitors.” He tapped a screen.

“And I would never let you out there,” Lawson said to Sylvestro as he handed Em a pair of headphones. “You can hear what’s happening, but you won’t be able to communicate. If you need to step outside for a breath, you can. Things could get intense, and I know how hard it is sitting on the sidelines.”

She blew a breath of air up her forehead. “I hope I don’t have to take you up on that.”

Kay adjusted a few knobs while Sylvestro was busy on a laptop. Em slipped on the headphones to the sound of crackling, but no one was speaking.

Then a voice came through. “We’re in position, sir.”

“You are clear to breach,” Lawson said.

Em scanned the monitors, unsure which one was Jep’s. She didn’t want to ask, afraid to interrupt anyone’s concentration.

Lawson looked back to her. “Screen three is Agent Booth,” he said as though reading her mind.

She tilted her body sideways so she could lean closer and squinted at the screen, looking at what Jep was looking at. She narrowed her eyes to increase her focus, like she could spot athreat and save him from it. Her thumb kneaded into her palm as he moved with the group deeper into the building.

Her lips moved as she prayed for them, asking for God’s wisdom and discernment and any other words she could think of.

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