Page 60 of Jep

“Not you. You’re the only one of us that won’t stand out.”

“What do you mean? You’ve never looked like an agent.” She shook her head and laughed.

“What?”

“When I first met you, I was so unimpressed with the way you dressed. I had no idea how much sense it all made.”

“It comes with experience. You scared?”

“Not scared, but it’s difficult to think clearly through the haze of tension.”

“You say the word, and you can go back to the car.”

“No. I want to do this. But how do you compartmentalize?”

“The nerves?”

“Any of it. How do you keep your emotions in check?”

He looked at her. He had emotions connected to her being on this job that he hadn’t yet pushed behind a wall. He took a breath, making it happen now.

“Training,” he said. “That’s why Lawson didn’t want you out in the field. You don’t have the training to prepare you for what could happen. That’s why I’m keeping you on the sidelines.”

“Then why am I the first to go in?”

“That’s when there’s the least risk. You go in first and have a look around, then the rest of us come in when you’re at a safe distance. Hopefully it won’t matter. It could be that their plan isn’t to attack yet. They had one big one recently. They may be doing this to gather more intel on our responses like they have in the past. Another good reason to go unnoticed. We don’t want them getting what they’re after.”

“Either way, they won’t be unprepared for us.”

“And that’s why you’re going to stay at the edge of the park. Don’t go near anyone, no matter how harmless they appear.”

“It won’t be easy watching you guys put yourselves in harm’s way while I sit safe and secure.”

“If anything dangerous happens, I don’t expect you to watch. I expect you to run. Got it?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. I saw a bench on the west side as we drove past. No one was near it. If anyone does approach you, you get up and get out of there.”

“And if they don’t?”

“Sit and scan. If you see anything suspicious, you tell me. I’ll check it out.”

“What if it’s a mom with a baby?”

“That’s suspicious?”

“No, I mean, what if a mom with a baby comes over to sit on the bench?”

“Then you politely excuse yourself as quickly as you can without drawing attention. I don’t care who it is. I’m not taking any more chances with you.”

“I should be grateful.”

“Aren’t you?”

“I guess I wish I could do more.”

“You’re already doing a lot, trust me. I forgot to ask you how that gun feels.”

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