Page 43 of For Rage

Anger flashed through Morgan. Mueller had no idea what she'd gone through. "I won't apologize for my sources, sir," she said, "not if they get me closer to the truth."

"You are not above the law, Cross," Mueller said.

"I know that, sir," Morgan replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "But I also know that sometimes, to catch a criminal, you have to get your hands dirty. I'm not doing anything illegal; I'm just trying to find the truth."

Mueller looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable."I won't have it. If you want to find out what happened that night, do it by the books. But honestly, Cross, if I were you? I'd let it go. You've already spent ten years locked up. Don't let yourself be punished for it now that you're out."

Morgan felt a knot form in her stomach. She couldn't let it go. Not when there were still unanswered questions about that night. Not when she knew there was more to the story than what she'd been told. She had to find out the truth, no matter what it took.

"I can't let it go," Morgan said, her voice low and firm. "Not until I know the truth. Not until I know what really happened that night."

Mueller leaned forward, his hands clasped together on his desk. "Then consider this a warning, Cross. You're on thin ice. One wrong move and I'll have to report it to the higher-ups."

Morgan stood up, feeling tense and frustrated. She couldn’t resist a biting comment: “The higher-ups? They’ve already taken my side once, Mueller.”

His eyes flashed, and she almost regretted making it personal. But Mueller said, “It’s true that Deputy Director Irvin overrode my conditions for your return, but I can respect the chain of command. He had his reasons for wanting you back, but he won’t be there to hold your hand through everything, Cross, and if I send this to him, he might not like it, either.”

Morgan bit her tongue. She didn’t like the idea of Irvin thinking less of her when he’d given her a chance.

"I understand, sir,” she said. “And I'll be careful."

She left Mueller's office, her mind racing. What was she going to do now? She couldn't give up on her investigation, but she also couldn't risk her job or her freedom. She needed a plan.

She also needed to know who the hell took those photos.

Was it another agent? Someone Mueller sent after her? Had someone been following her this whole time?

Or could it have even been Derik?

She hated to admit it, but it wasn’t completely out of reach. The thought made Morgan's blood burn. Derik had been treating her with kid gloves lately, patronizing her at times. Maybe he didn’t believe in her as much as he’d let on, and now, the mask was coming off.

If he was responsible for this, she needed to know.

Morgan decided to confront Derik about the pictures. She found him in the break room, sipping on a cup of coffee. When he saw her, he put his cup down and stood up, a look of concern on his face.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

Morgan narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you take those pictures of me and Clancy Smith?"

Derik's expression shifted from concerned to defensive. "What are you talking about? What pictures?"

"The ones that were on Mueller's computer," Morgan said. "The ones of me with Clancy Smith."

Derik shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen any pictures."

She clenched her teeth, unsure if she believed him. After all, Derik had given up on her at some point, under his own admission.

Maybe he’d lost faith in her, too, but he had just left that part out.

Or maybe Mueller had something on him and was having him tail her. Derik knew her best in the FBI; he could know how to follow her without getting caught.

Derik's eyes narrowed. "What are you accusing me of, Morgan? You think I'm involved in some kind of conspiracy against you?"

"All I know is that someone's been following me, taking pictures of me,” she said.

"And you think it was me?" Derik's face fell, like he was genuinely hurt, and it was enough to make Morgan second-guess herself. She had no proof it was Derik. She was just angry and lashing out at the world, and she didn’t like the way Derik had been treating her lately. The “conditions” of their partnership. The way he’d been acting like she was a loose cannon, always in need of supervision.

"So, you're saying it wasn't?" Morgan asked.

---