Page 42 of For Wrath

Derik nodded, hiseyes gleaming with determination. "I won't let you down, Morgan. Ipromise."

Morgan forced asmall smile, trying to push away her doubts as she grabbed her bag and headed forthe door. She knew that the stakes were high and that John was a dangerousadversary with nothing to lose. But she also knew that she couldn't give up,not after everything she had been through. She had to make things right.

As they preparedto leave for the stakeout, Morgan couldn't shake the lingering warmth ofDerik's kiss or the certainty that everything was irrevocably changed betweenthem. But as long as John remained at large, nothing else mattered. Withsingle-minded focus, she steeled herself for the confrontation to come, readyto face whatever challenges lay ahead.

***

The stakeout hadbegun. Morgan and Derik sat in the unmarked car, its engine purring softly asthey watched the old clinic across the street. The building seemed to loommenacingly in the fading twilight, its secrets locked behind boarded-up windowsand a crumbling façade.

"Hey,"Morgan murmured, breaking the silence that had settled between them."About last night... when you showed up at my place drunk..."

Derik tensedvisibly, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. He stared straightahead, avoiding her gaze. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"Derik,"she insisted, her voice soft yet firm. "You said you'd been sober foryears. What happened?"

He sighed,finally turning to face her. His eyes were haunted, shadows of unspoken painlurking beneath the surface. "I was just... really distressed that night.I needed to see you. I missed you, Morgan."

The words hungheavy in the air, and Morgan found herself unable to look away from him. Shefelt a strange mix of emotions: concern for her partner, anger at his lapse,but also a warmth in her chest at his admission. She didn't know how torespond, so she focused on what she knew best – the case at hand.

"Alright,"she said quietly, her eyes returning to the abandoned clinic. "Let's focuson the task at hand. We need to catch this guy."

"Agreed,"Derik replied, his jaw set with determination. "We'll get him, Morgan. Ipromise."

Morgan couldn'thelp but replay the previous night's events in her mind. Derik's unexpectedvulnerability, his longing for connection – these were feelings she understoodall too well. In many ways, they were reflections of her own inner turmoil. Andyet, despite the undeniable bond that had formed between them, she couldn'tshake the nagging feeling that something was off.

Morgan's gazeremained fixed on the old clinic, its crumbling façade bathed in the afternoonlight.

Even though sheknew she had to stay focused, Morgan couldn't help but steal glances at Deriksitting next to her. His face was illuminated by the dim dashboard lights,highlighting the lines etched on his forehead – an atlas of worry and regret.Morgan bit her lip, realizing how much she had missed him during their timeapart.

"Seeanything?" Derik asked, catching her off guard.

"Nothingyet," she replied, forcing her attention back to the clinic. "But wehave to be patient."

"Right,"Derik agreed, his voice tight. "We'll get him."

Morgan wanted todelve into the deeper emotions they shared, but it wasn't the time or place.They needed to catch this monster, and she couldn't afford any distractions.She took a deep breath to center herself and tried to ignore the warmth in herchest whenever she looked at Derik.

Just then, herphone vibrated in the cupholder, the screen lighting up with an incoming call.Mueller's name flashed across the screen, immediately setting off alarm bells inMorgan's mind. She snatched up the phone and answered it, her voice tense."Mueller, what's going on?"

"AgentCross, we've got a problem," the chief said grimly. "Mark Holland'swife, Harriet, is still missing. We think the killer got to her first."

"Damnit!" Morgan cursed, slamming her fist onto the steering wheel. "Howdid this happen? Weren't there officers assigned to protect her?"

"Apparently,the killer managed to slip past our surveillance. We're still trying to figureout how he did it. But right now, our priority is finding Harriet before it'stoo late."

"Understood,"Morgan said, her voice icy with determination. "We'll head back to theprecinct and regroup. Any leads on the killer's location?"

"Noneyet," Mueller admitted. "But we're working on it. Get back here assoon as you can." The line went dead, leaving Morgan and Derik in tensesilence.

"Harriet'sbeen taken?" Derik asked his expression a mixture of shock and fury.

Morgan nodded,her jaw clenched. "Yeah. We need to get back to the precinct now. Thisbastard has gone too far, and he's not going to get away with it."

"Let'sgo," Derik agreed, the anger in his eyes mirroring Morgan's own. As theysped off into the night, their shared mission burned in their minds – to saveHarriet and bring this killer to justice, no matter what it took.

CHAPTERTWENTY SIX

Morgan's grip onthe steering wheel tightened, her knuckles turning white as she pushed theaccelerator to the floor. The car roared through midday Dallas traffic, weavingin and out of lanes as she raced towards the precinct. Derik clung to the doorhandle, but his eyes never left her face.

---