Allison Brennan - Stalked

“I know. I don’t have to like it.” She took her hair band off her wrist and put her hair up.

“Chief O’Neal and I cleared Tom Harden first thing this morning and I just gave him a quick debrief. If you need to talk and I’m busy, you can go to him. But still, be discreet. You might want to touch bases with him now-he wants to talk to you.”

“I wouldn’t make a good CIA agent.”

Noah cracked a grin. “I don’t think you would. But you’re going to make a great FBI agent.”

If I stay.

But she didn’t say that to Noah.

Lucy found Tom Harden in his small office off the gym. Harden wasn’t a special agent; he was one of the few instructors who was a civilian. He’d been in the Army special forces and when he got out ran his own gym while getting his degree in physical training and nutrition. Five years ago Quantico brought him on to lead their revamped new-agent PT program.

“Noah said you wanted to see me,” Lucy said.

“Sit down.” He motioned to the only other chair in his office.

She did, antsy.

“Hans is a personal friend of mine.”

“Have you been to the hospital? How is he?”

“I went by this morning. I have one of the nurses sending me updates. There’s been no change.”

She let out a long breath.

“I’ll let you know if there’s a change in his status,” Harden said.

“Thank you.” She looked at him, curious. “You’re not a federal agent and Hans was never in the Army. How do you know him?”

“In 1999, a year before I left the Army, I was tasked with protective detail in Kosovo. The FBI agents and scientists were sent over to identify victims of genocide. There were several operations where small groups of agents went out to remote burial sites, we had a few close calls with insurgents, and Hans and I remained friends after it was over. He told me about the opening here five years ago. I never planned on working for the federal government-I liked having my own gym. But I was given a lot of leeway to develop this program, and I owe that to Hans. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished here, and more confident that we’re sending out agents who are both physically and mentally prepared for the tasks they face.”

“No complaints from me.” Harden worked them thoroughly, but Lucy saw the purpose in everything they did and had personally benefited from it.

He smiled. “Not you, but not everyone is as in shape or dedicated to staying that way. Other than your very bad habit of eating granola bars to replace meals.”

That he knew this detail about her bothered her. “How do you know?”

“In light of what’s going on-Noah briefed me-I need to tell you something. Hans asked me to test you. Off-the-books. I agreed because it’s my job, but it was also before I knew you. The pull-ups the other day was a test. I know what you fear, and I needed to make sure you can handle it.”

The truth sunk in. “You knew Hans got me in.”

“No. Not until yesterday afternoon. After you left, he told me, which explained why he wanted to assess you differently. Harder than others. I put the pressure on you for the past four weeks to confirm you can handle it. That part’s over-with the investigation right now, I need you to trust me. That’s why I’m coming clean.”

Lucy felt manipulated and upset but, to her surprise, not as angry as she thought she should be. “Who else?”

“Who else was testing you? No one.”

“Are you certain?”

“Hans doesn’t trust a lot of people, but he would have told me.”

“He told you I quit.”

“You’re still here.”

“My ID was at the desk. I guess he didn’t accept it.”

“For what it’s worth, completely unbiased, I don’t think you should quit. If I was going to pick two agents I’d want on my team, it would be you and Carter Nix.”

“Why Carter over Eddie?”

“Carter thinks for himself and Eddie is a soldier at heart. We need both types in the Bureau, and I love military folks coming in for a second career. But if I were building a team, I’d want loyalty, dedication, intelligence, and physical stamina. And I’d want those who see more than what’s on the surface. Instincts. Working as a team is important. But using your instincts to benefit the team is crucial. Because when you’re in the foxhole with someone, you have to be able to trust them with your life. And sometimes, that means breaking the rules.”

She smiled. Sean would like Harden.

“What Noah is having you do isn’t easy, but it’s necessary,” he continued. “He wouldn’t put you in this position if he didn’t think you could handle it.”

“Thank you.”

“One more thing. Who told you about the hiring panel?”

“Are you ordering me to tell you?”

“No. But I will if that makes you more inclined to share.”

“Why is that important?”

“Because the only people who knew, until you found out yesterday, were the three people on the hiring panel, Hans, and Rick Stockton. That means that one or more of those three agents who interviewed you told someone after they were debriefed and told never to discuss the situation. It’s a security breach. Personnel issues may seem minor on the surface, but revealing confidential information leads to other breaches.”

“It wasn’t someone on the panel.”

“If I guess will you tell me?”

Lucy was intrigued. “I’m not going to play twenty questions.”

“It was Rich Laughlin.”

Lucy was stunned. “How did you know?”

“I noticed him watching you and his body language told me he was angry. I couldn’t imagine what you might have done, so I kept my eyes open. Then Friday I walked out with Kosako and he said your score plummeted from ninety-three to thirty-two. It surprised him, and me, so I asked if there was a weapons problem. He noticed Laughlin standing in your peripheral vision and how your eye kept moving toward him. He thought it was a problem because of tactical training issues-but I put two and two together.”

“He doesn’t like me, but I think it has something to do with Kate. I’ll take care of it myself,” Lucy said. “I appreciate your understanding, but just as I don’t like being singled out in my training, I don’t like being cut any slack. I’m going to have to deal with more agents like Rich Laughlin when I get out of here.”

“You will. Hans asked me to find out for him, because he needs to know who on the panel can’t be trusted.”

She stood, uncertain what Harden expected from her, and simply said, “Thanks.”

“I may not be a federal agent, Kincaid, but I have your back.”

She smiled. “I’m glad.”

To her surprise, talking with Harden helped Lucy put her assignment in perspective. Lies and deception weren’t in her personality, but this was an assignment. She didn’t have to like it, but she had to get it done-and do it right. The obvious reason was because someone here may have killed Tony and put Hans in ICU. That person needed to be exposed.

But the other reason, just as important as justice, was that this was her job. If she couldn’t perform a basic undercover investigation, what kind of agent would she make when it counted?

It was why Laughlin’s presence was the true test. If she couldn’t handle the pressure he put her under, then how could she handle real pressure in the job? If she let his hatred affect her-to the extent that she quit-who won? Certainly not her.

Lucy made her way over to where Carter and Eddie were eating at the table their group usually spread out on. Carter had heaped comfort food on his plate-mashed potatoes, meat loaf, and green beans.

“No loud noises,” he said. “My hangover is almost gone.”

Eddie laughed and Carter hit him in the arm.