repeated experiences.
“Colonel Downs,” the woman said as she stepped out of the shadows. Her red hair stopped at her chin, and the smile on her face wasn't unlike those Downs used to find on suspects in Interrogation who knew what they had done and simply... didn't care. What bothered Downs the most, though, was that he recognized the woman. Not that he had ever seen her in-person before, but he remembered seeing her photograph in departmental files before.
“Who are you?” was all Downs could muster.
“I understand you had a meeting today,” the woman practically cooed, her methodical steps closing the distance between herself and Downs far quicker than he expected. His eyes followed her as she wandered to his right, before she disappeared out of his line of sight and he felt the barrel of her gun pressed into the small of his back.
“Lotta meetings,” he choked out. “Care to be more specific?”
“That bitch over at the Seventh,” the woman snarled into Downs' ear, pressing her weapon harder against his back. “What did you tell her?”
Downs rolled his eyes. “You expect me to discuss police business with a stranger?”
The woman slammed the butt of her gun against the back of Downs' head, watching as he crumpled face-first to the floor. A small trickle of blood ran down the right side of his head, across his temple and dripping onto the carpet. She smiled as she holstered her weapon, watching as a tall man dressed entirely in black and holding a ski mask in his right hand entered the office.
“Geez, Kayla,” Nolan Carter quipped. “I leave you alone for five minutes...”
“He wouldn't talk,” she said with a shrug.
“Well, I know just the thing for that.” Carter dropped into a crouch near Downs, watching the older man writhe and grunt in pain. “What do ya say, Colonel? Wanna go for a ride?”
CHAPTER 14
The text from Brian couldn't have come at a better time, just minutes after Officer Carter had stormed out of the conference room, undoubtedly to tattle to his precinct commander about just how unfairly another cop had treated him. Captain Richards would undoubtedly receive a call about that the next day, and Jill was sorry he wasn't in his office at the moment so she could give him the appropriate warning. But her older brother had unknowingly come to the rescue in that moment, a simple question about dinner on her screen bringing a smile to her face.
She had expected more of an adjustment period between the two of them after Brian Andersen had learned her secret. They had already been on shaky ground, learning to get along again after years of being at each other's proverbial throats. When he first learned of her secret life as the vigilante known as Bounty, the anger and resentment had returned. Fortunately for Jill, it was short-lived, and by the time the dust settled on her father's execution and the mysterious faction known as the Order was dismantled from within, they began mending bridges once more.
Now, whenever Jill saw her brother wheeling her way, the smile on her face was broad and the hug she flung around his shoulders was automatic. For everything the Andersen family had endured over the last decade and a half, she was glad to have her brother back. A quiet pasta dinner in the kitchen where they spent their childhoods was a nice bonus and a welcome reprieve.
“I don't know how you do it,” Brian admitted as he cracked open two bottles of beer and handed one to his sister. “Working the murder of a child.”
“The fact that our victim's a child isn't the hard part,” Jill said before taking a long first swig.
Brian arched a brow, swirling his first bite of pasta onto his fork. “I'm gonna have to break out the scotch, aren't I?”
Jill shook her head and managed a laugh, glad that they were back to a place where her younger brother's sense of humor could bring a smile out of her regardless of the kind of day she was having. She ducked her head and
“Colonel Downs,” the woman said as she stepped out of the shadows. Her red hair stopped at her chin, and the smile on her face wasn't unlike those Downs used to find on suspects in Interrogation who knew what they had done and simply... didn't care. What bothered Downs the most, though, was that he recognized the woman. Not that he had ever seen her in-person before, but he remembered seeing her photograph in departmental files before.
“Who are you?” was all Downs could muster.
“I understand you had a meeting today,” the woman practically cooed, her methodical steps closing the distance between herself and Downs far quicker than he expected. His eyes followed her as she wandered to his right, before she disappeared out of his line of sight and he felt the barrel of her gun pressed into the small of his back.
“Lotta meetings,” he choked out. “Care to be more specific?”
“That bitch over at the Seventh,” the woman snarled into Downs' ear, pressing her weapon harder against his back. “What did you tell her?”
Downs rolled his eyes. “You expect me to discuss police business with a stranger?”
The woman slammed the butt of her gun against the back of Downs' head, watching as he crumpled face-first to the floor. A small trickle of blood ran down the right side of his head, across his temple and dripping onto the carpet. She smiled as she holstered her weapon, watching as a tall man dressed entirely in black and holding a ski mask in his right hand entered the office.
“Geez, Kayla,” Nolan Carter quipped. “I leave you alone for five minutes...”
“He wouldn't talk,” she said with a shrug.
“Well, I know just the thing for that.” Carter dropped into a crouch near Downs, watching the older man writhe and grunt in pain. “What do ya say, Colonel? Wanna go for a ride?”
CHAPTER 14
The text from Brian couldn't have come at a better time, just minutes after Officer Carter had stormed out of the conference room, undoubtedly to tattle to his precinct commander about just how unfairly another cop had treated him. Captain Richards would undoubtedly receive a call about that the next day, and Jill was sorry he wasn't in his office at the moment so she could give him the appropriate warning. But her older brother had unknowingly come to the rescue in that moment, a simple question about dinner on her screen bringing a smile to her face.
She had expected more of an adjustment period between the two of them after Brian Andersen had learned her secret. They had already been on shaky ground, learning to get along again after years of being at each other's proverbial throats. When he first learned of her secret life as the vigilante known as Bounty, the anger and resentment had returned. Fortunately for Jill, it was short-lived, and by the time the dust settled on her father's execution and the mysterious faction known as the Order was dismantled from within, they began mending bridges once more.
Now, whenever Jill saw her brother wheeling her way, the smile on her face was broad and the hug she flung around his shoulders was automatic. For everything the Andersen family had endured over the last decade and a half, she was glad to have her brother back. A quiet pasta dinner in the kitchen where they spent their childhoods was a nice bonus and a welcome reprieve.
“I don't know how you do it,” Brian admitted as he cracked open two bottles of beer and handed one to his sister. “Working the murder of a child.”
“The fact that our victim's a child isn't the hard part,” Jill said before taking a long first swig.
Brian arched a brow, swirling his first bite of pasta onto his fork. “I'm gonna have to break out the scotch, aren't I?”
Jill shook her head and managed a laugh, glad that they were back to a place where her younger brother's sense of humor could bring a smile out of her regardless of the kind of day she was having. She ducked her head and
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