Page 29 of An Impossible Love
“Know what?”
“Your boss,” Martin almost spat, “has decided to act as judge, jury, and executioner. He’s not pardoning Brookes Ellis.”
Emmy wasn’t shocked. “Martin, surely you saw this coming?”
“No, I didn’t fucking see it coming! Brookes Ellis is an innocent man, Agent, and I—” He stopped, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to calm himself. “I’m sorry, I know it’s not your fault. I have to go.”
And he left her standing, mind whirling at what had just happened. Emmy sat down, sipped her still warm coffee and checked her phone. The news had indeed leaked that Orin wasn’t going to pardon Brookes Ellis. “There is overwhelming evidence,” he was quoted as saying, “that Brookes Ellis was one of the instigators and operators of a known sex trafficking ring. He funded the import of young men and women for purposes of supplying sexual gratification. Federal charges will be brought against him and his co-conspirators, and I fully expect that former President Ellis will be found guilty on all charges.”
Emmy raised her eyebrows. Orin wasn’t holding back, but she was surprised Lucas hadn’t told her the announcement was coming today, especially when he knew she was meeting Karlsson.
She drove home, wondering if she ought to call Lucas and ask if she should come into work. The apartment building was quiet as she climbed the stairs to her floor. She knocked at Marge’s door but there was no answer. Odd. Marge rarely went out—but then again, she might have been picked up by her daughter, Eva, who had come into town. Emmy shrugged and went into her own flat.
In a second, everything changed. Her hackles went up just moments before she was grabbed from behind and thrown across the room. Emmy scrambled to her feet as her attacker came for her, his fist smashing hard into her jaw. Emmy staggered back, her head hitting the door jamb hard, knocking her dizzy, and she slumped to the floor. Her attacker kicked her hard in the stomach and she groaned. She fumbled for her sidearm as the attack continued, and she rolled tightly into a ball to protect herself. She heard the click of a safety and her adrenaline spiked. She rolled over, whipping out her gun and shooting at her attacker as he fired back. Emmy felt the sting of a bullet in her side, but knew it was just a flesh wound. She managed to get off another shot, hitting her assailant in the wrist of his gun-carrying hand, and he cursed loudly, kicking out and catching her forehead with the heel of his boot.
Emmy’s head snapped back, and she felt pain screech through her body. Her attacker kicked the gun from her hand and dropped to his knees, his one good hand fixing around her throat, and squeezing. Emmy choked and the vision in her eyes began to blur.
“Get off her, motherfucker!”
Almost unconscious now, Emmy heard Tim’s voice, full of shock and rage, just as the darkness came for her and she gave into it.
