Allison Brennan - The Hunt

But even if rain poured from the heavens, Miranda would be in bliss when she received her diploma from Quantico-and her first assignment.

She had beaten the Butcher and it felt amazing.

“I talked to Agent Clark,” Quinn said once they were beyond the courtyard and walking leisurely through the paths that wound around the buildings.

“I told you-no special treatment on assignments. If they give me my first choice, great. If not, I’ll work up to it.” She had asked for serial killers and for admittance into the profiling program. Her master’s in criminology and minor in psychology was a plus, but nothing was certain.

And she wanted to earn her assignment. She didn’t want her relationship with Quinn to impact the decision.

“I know.” He paused a long time and Miranda felt a prickle under her scalp. Something wasn’t right. Quinn wasn’t a talker, but neither was he reticent. He said what he meant and meant what he said-it had made all the difference in their relationship since Miranda had difficulty talking about how she felt, finding the right words.

“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me Rowan or Liv didn’t pass.” Not possible. Both of them were as focused and dedicated as she was. They were her first real friends since Sharon. And after the first week, they’d become more like sisters than roommates.

Quinn shook his head. “We talked about you.”

“Oh, you and Agent Clark talked about me?” She tried to make her voice sound light and carefree, casual, but tension crept up her spine and butterflies fought in her belly. Something was very wrong.

“Doctor Garrett met with Clark yesterday morning. He was-um-a little concerned about your second psych test.”

“Garrett’s an arrogant ass,” Miranda said, tucking her hair behind her ears. Her hand was shaking and she willed it to stop.

“Yeah, well, Clark listened to him. They’re concerned about you. That you need a little more time.”

They both knew what he was referring to. Time . Time had become an enemy. “It’s been over two years, Quinn. What exactly did the fucking profile say?”

She stopped walking and looked at him. When he avoided her eyes she knew, knew she was screwed.

“That you have an obsessive personality, and it might cloud your judgment and jeopardize the lives of your fellow agents.”

“That’s bullshit ! And you know it. They can’t-what?”

The worried look on his face ripped hope from her heart and she knew . Her life was over. Again. “What happened? Dammit, Quinn, what happened!”

His voice was flat. “Clark asked me what I thought. I told him you needed another year.”

She hated the tears that sprung to her eyes. She could do nothing to stop them from spilling down her cheeks. A lead weight pressed on her chest and her breathing faltered. “Wh-what?”

He tried to take her hands but she stepped away. “Randy-”

“Don’t call me that!” Angry at her weakness, she rubbed the tears away with the back of her hand, but more came in their place.

Quinn stepped back. “You have guaranteed admittance to Quantico next year. And you’ll pass with flying colors, you know that-”

“I did pass with flying colors!” She stared at him through her tears. “You-he asked you. Why didn’t you stand up for me?”

“You need more time.” His voice was quiet and he looked at her straight on. “Miranda, you rushed through college, your master’s, you didn’t do anything for yourself. You need to deal with the past so you can have a future. I don’t know if you want to be an FBI agent for the right reasons.”

“Spare me the fucking psychobabble. It’s you-you th-think I’m g-going to fall apart. Th-That I can’t do the job. Fuck you. I th-thought you of all people understood-”

She ran away.

Miranda shook her head and rubbed her left temple, forcing the memory back where it belonged. Buried. She hadn’t realized how close to the surface those feelings were until she felt the moisture behind her eyes, but how could she be surprised? As soon as she saw Quinn yesterday, the years had melted away.

For a year she fought herself about returning to Quantico. She ignored Quinn, certain he’d give her useless platitudes and explain ad nauseam why she needed time off. She didn’t want to listen to his reasons. He hadn’t stood up for her when it really mattered; he’d called into question her motives, then tried to tell her it wasn’t personal.

How could it be anything but personal?

She wanted to return to Quantico, but one thing held her back.

Fear. Deep, bone-numbing fear that the government shrink was right, that she was not only obsessed with the Butcher, but that if she ever found him, she really would have a nervous breakdown.

She never wanted Quinn to see her reduced to nothing.

The hunt for the Butcher kept her focused, sane. But when the hunt ended, where would she be? When the killer was caught and punished, what would she do? She had nothing else.

The emptiness of her life sucker-punched her.

She blinked, barely remembering the drive to the Lodge. Her Jeep was parked, but the engine was still running. She turned it off and drew in a deep breath, shaken.

She’d forgotten how much she once loved Quinn. She’d spent so much time dwelling on his betrayal that she’d forgotten she’d wanted-planned-to spend the rest of her life with him.

Using Nick’s computer, Quinn e-mailed his report to his boss as Nick approached with a paper cup from the coffeehouse up the street.

“Black, with a shot.”

Quinn raised his eyebrow. “Shot?”

Nick cracked a smile. “Espresso. Added caffeine.”

He laughed and accepted the coffee, feeling some of the tension roll off his shoulders.

Nick sat in the visitor seat across from his desk, waving Quinn back into his chair. “I finished logging the evidence,” Nick said, “and Deputy Booker is going to take it to Helena first thing in the morning.”

“Good.” Quinn sipped the coffee. He noticed his index finger drumming the side of the cup and consciously had to stop the fidgeting. This case was difficult, but his frustration had more to do with Miranda than with the investigation.

He asked, “Did Doc Abrams confirm the blood was Rebecca’s?”

“Same blood type; he’s sending a sample to the lab to confirm DNA, but you and I both know it’s hers.” Nick paused. “Dammit, Quinn. The mildew and mold in that place is going to destroy any trace evidence.”

“Perhaps, or maybe we found it quickly enough.” The flat, filthy mattress flung on the cabin floor probably had nothing they could use, but the crime tech had vacuumed everything in the shack and each grain of dirt would be inspected by the lab. Quinn would see to it.

“I’m calling in a friend of mine to help,” Quinn continued.

“Another FBI superagent?” Nick said, trying to be lighthearted, but Quinn detected a hint of something else, a tad bitter. He hoped Nick wasn’t still angry about Eli Banks’s Chronicle article this morning. Banks had slighted Nick because he was mad that Nick hadn’t given him the quote he wanted, end of story. But the allusion that the FBI was coming in to clean up the investigation must have hit a sore spot.

Of course, knowing Eli Banks, this was the first of many negative articles.

“Not exactly. A lab tech, one of the best, and a personal friend. Olivia St. Martin.”

“That name’s familiar. Isn’t she a friend of Miranda’s?”

Quinn nodded. “They were roommates at Quantico.”

“Do you think it’ll help?”

“Olivia would do anything to help Miranda. She’ll come; I just have to ask. It was too late to call last night when I thought of the idea. There are few lab techs as dedicated as Olivia, and she specializes in trace evidence.”