DAYBREAK: a gripping thriller full of suspense (Titan Trilogy Book 3) by T.J. BREARTON
Authors: T.J. BREARTON
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Rascher. “I told you.”
Jennifer let go of Rascher’s arm and stared at Doherty, who was getting himself upright, still covering his face. “Let me look,” she said.
She thought she heard a muffled Fuck you through his hands.
“Harlan. Let me look.” She reached up and pushed his hands out of the way. His nose was bleeding profusely. “You’re not going to want to ride out of here like that. Go to the infirmary. Let me finish up with him.”
“You already tried,” Doherty said in a nasally growl. His eyes looked past her to Healy.
“Hey,” Jennifer said, trying to get the big man’s attention back. “Hey, listen to me.” She looked around for Rascher, standing behind her. “Both of you. You want answers, but he’s in the dark,” she said, pointing to Brendan. “He’s been in here seven months. The paperwork I got last night says he spent two months in the SMU. That’s solitary confinement; segregation. Before West Facility he was in Mothcan Center. An overpopulated jungle. You just cornered him, Doherty. Now let me talk to him. Let me get you what you need.”
Doherty looked at Rascher. She resented their silent exchanges, she was furious about not being shown all of the cards, but at least she had a few things she could work with.
She expected more bristling from the two men, another No way, forget it, it’s over from Doherty, but it didn’t come.
“Fine,” he said.
She felt a rush of confidence that she tried to keep under wraps.
Only this time , she thought, you don’t get to be here .
CHAPTER FIVE / WEDNESDAY, 2:41 PM
The room was cleared. Jennifer asked Brendan to sit at the end of the table, so she could sit at the corner next to him. After Doherty and Rascher had agreed to her continuing the interview, Grimm, who’d been watching from the viewing room, still required further convincing. The Deputy Warden was simmering, his rheumy eyes filled with resentment at her summary of Brendan’s time in prison. Jennifer felt like there was something more to the relationship between Brendan and the Deputy Warden.
She took Grimm aside in the viewing room and spoke to him quietly. “I would remind you that I’m a special prosecutor with the Department of Justice. The US Attorney General and Bureau of Prisons are in my phone contacts.”
It was tacky, a trump card, but she felt like it was the right way to deal with a bull like Grimm. He skulked out of the room after that. The NYPD detectives agreed not to watch so long as the audio recorder stayed on. They left, presumably for coffee and more cigarettes and to talk over how Jennifer had just basically told the Deputy Warden of Rikers Island to go shit in his hat.
Jennifer entered the room. Alone with Brendan finally. She took her seat. “I’m very sorry about that. I’d make excuses — we’re all under a lot of pressure here — but there’s just no excuse for the way Agent Doherty antagonized you.”
“That’s nice of you.”
Already she could feel him closing down. There was a fresh red mark on his forehead from where he’d head-butted Doherty. She realized Brendan could’ve broken Doherty’s nose if he’d wanted. Her mind rifled through the options. She needed to connect to him somehow. And fast.
Whatever she was scared of, whatever guilt clouded her, she had to face it.
“Brendan,” she said, “I’m sorry.”
He looked at her for a moment, then turned his eyes away.
“I left you in here,” she said. She felt the emotion rising in her, unexpectedly. “But I didn’t leave you, okay? Not in my head. I just didn’t know what to do.” She felt her lip trembling and realized she was on the verge of tears. It was all catching up with her; the trip here, seeing Brendan for the first time, the violence in the room, so much she could not control.
He still wasn’t looking at her. She turned away, too, took a moment to gather herself.
After a little while, she found herself smiling. “I can’t believe you hit
Jennifer let go of Rascher’s arm and stared at Doherty, who was getting himself upright, still covering his face. “Let me look,” she said.
She thought she heard a muffled Fuck you through his hands.
“Harlan. Let me look.” She reached up and pushed his hands out of the way. His nose was bleeding profusely. “You’re not going to want to ride out of here like that. Go to the infirmary. Let me finish up with him.”
“You already tried,” Doherty said in a nasally growl. His eyes looked past her to Healy.
“Hey,” Jennifer said, trying to get the big man’s attention back. “Hey, listen to me.” She looked around for Rascher, standing behind her. “Both of you. You want answers, but he’s in the dark,” she said, pointing to Brendan. “He’s been in here seven months. The paperwork I got last night says he spent two months in the SMU. That’s solitary confinement; segregation. Before West Facility he was in Mothcan Center. An overpopulated jungle. You just cornered him, Doherty. Now let me talk to him. Let me get you what you need.”
Doherty looked at Rascher. She resented their silent exchanges, she was furious about not being shown all of the cards, but at least she had a few things she could work with.
She expected more bristling from the two men, another No way, forget it, it’s over from Doherty, but it didn’t come.
“Fine,” he said.
She felt a rush of confidence that she tried to keep under wraps.
Only this time , she thought, you don’t get to be here .
CHAPTER FIVE / WEDNESDAY, 2:41 PM
The room was cleared. Jennifer asked Brendan to sit at the end of the table, so she could sit at the corner next to him. After Doherty and Rascher had agreed to her continuing the interview, Grimm, who’d been watching from the viewing room, still required further convincing. The Deputy Warden was simmering, his rheumy eyes filled with resentment at her summary of Brendan’s time in prison. Jennifer felt like there was something more to the relationship between Brendan and the Deputy Warden.
She took Grimm aside in the viewing room and spoke to him quietly. “I would remind you that I’m a special prosecutor with the Department of Justice. The US Attorney General and Bureau of Prisons are in my phone contacts.”
It was tacky, a trump card, but she felt like it was the right way to deal with a bull like Grimm. He skulked out of the room after that. The NYPD detectives agreed not to watch so long as the audio recorder stayed on. They left, presumably for coffee and more cigarettes and to talk over how Jennifer had just basically told the Deputy Warden of Rikers Island to go shit in his hat.
Jennifer entered the room. Alone with Brendan finally. She took her seat. “I’m very sorry about that. I’d make excuses — we’re all under a lot of pressure here — but there’s just no excuse for the way Agent Doherty antagonized you.”
“That’s nice of you.”
Already she could feel him closing down. There was a fresh red mark on his forehead from where he’d head-butted Doherty. She realized Brendan could’ve broken Doherty’s nose if he’d wanted. Her mind rifled through the options. She needed to connect to him somehow. And fast.
Whatever she was scared of, whatever guilt clouded her, she had to face it.
“Brendan,” she said, “I’m sorry.”
He looked at her for a moment, then turned his eyes away.
“I left you in here,” she said. She felt the emotion rising in her, unexpectedly. “But I didn’t leave you, okay? Not in my head. I just didn’t know what to do.” She felt her lip trembling and realized she was on the verge of tears. It was all catching up with her; the trip here, seeing Brendan for the first time, the violence in the room, so much she could not control.
He still wasn’t looking at her. She turned away, too, took a moment to gather herself.
After a little while, she found herself smiling. “I can’t believe you hit
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