Page 5 of So Wicked

Faith’s lips thinned. “I don’t agree with the word dynamic, ASAC Gardner, but it’s true that Franklin West and the new killer appear to be fixated on me.”

“Right.” Tabitha unfolded and folded her hands. “In any case, since this killer has escalated to murdering federal agents and since this killer is fixated on you, the Bureau believes that you would be safer in a Bureau safehouse outside of Pennsylvania.”

Faith stared at Tabitha for a moment. A safe house? Outside of Pennsylvania? She expected to be suspended, but moved? It was one thing to be assigned a case out of state, but now they wanted her to move out of state.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but… a safe house?"

“Yes, Special Agent. We’ve chosen a location in Midland, Texas. This will be a temporary move until the killer responsible for SAC Monroe’s death is brought to justice, but in the meantime, we feel it’s best if you’re out of harm’s way.”

“No.” Faith shook her head. “No, this is a bad idea.”

Tabitha bristled slightly. “It’s not an idea, Special Agent. Those are my instructions.”

“Well, un-instruct them,” Faith snapped. “ASAC Gardner, this killer is trying to draw me out. The messages he’s left at each crime scene make that clear.”

Tabitha frowned. “I wasn’t aware of a message at SAC Monroe’s crime scene. What was that?”

Faith shivered slightly. She hated that Smythe caught that shiver and hated the way he lifted his eyebrow.

“The message was YOU NEED TO LOOK AT ME, BOLD. Written in the Boss—in SAC Monroe’s blood and…” She swallowed. “And brain matter.”

Tabitha’s frown deepened. “I see. I’ll have to speak with Special Agent Desrouleaux. I wasn’t made aware of that. Still, it only supports my decision. You’ll be safer somewhere far away.”

“And a whole lot of other people will beunsafe! He could come for my partner next. Or my boyfriend. Or my partner’s wife.” Michael shifted uncomfortably at that. “Look, ASAC Gardner, the killer’s escalating. He’s trying to get my attention, and each time I don’t give it to him, he kills someone closer to me. He’ll keep doing that until I pay attention to him. Until Ilookat him.”

“I understand your concern,” Tabitha replied. “However, my decision remains final. You will be placed on administrative leave and housed in a Bureau safehouse in Midland until further notice.”

“Damn it, Gardner, forget about the book for a second!” Faith snapped.

Tabitha frowned and looked nervously at Smythe. “Special Agent, that is not an appropriate way to speak—”

“If I may, ASAC,” Smythe interrupted.

Tabitha’s face flamed. She lowered her eyes and nodded.

Smythe turned to Faith. “Faith, giving a serial killer what they want is very rarely a good idea.”

Oh, becauseyou’vecaught so many killers, you damned bureaucrat?“Pretending to give a killer what he wants to flush him out isoftena good idea, sir. No disrespect to Desrouleaux and Chavez, but they have nothing right now. If we let it be known that I’m working this case, the killer might try to contact me personally. That could be our chance to stop him. We can set up surveillance and have a team on call—”

“If we let it be known that you’re working this case, then the general public will start asking why yet another murderer is fixated on our most famous agent. The Bureau is not prepared to answer those questions, especially because—being frank, Special Agent—we’re not surewewant to know the answer ourselves.”

So that was it. They were worried about more press. Faith swallowed and fought to keep emotion from her voice. “Sir, I understand that the FBI is concerned about the exposure we suffered in the aftermath of West’s capture and trial—”

“The ongoing exposure, Special Agent.”

“Yes. I understand that it wasn’t ideal for the Agency, but—”

“Not for the agency, for you, your partner, or for Grant.”

Faith bristled, but she kept her mouth shut. There was no point in arguing further. The decision had been made. They weren’t interested in what she had to say. The one person who might have been interested had been beaten to death eight days ago.

She couldn’t stay in Philadelphia, but maybe she could at least buy herself a little freedom to keep an eye on the case. “May I stay with a friend instead, sir?”

Smythe blinked. “A friend?”

“Yes, sir. A former colleague of mine in the Marine Corps. He lives in Indiana, so he would still far away from Philadelphia, but it would require fewer Bureau resources, and frankly… I would rather be with a friend than be alone.”

Michael frowned at her. She would apologize for the slight later.

---