Janie Crouch - Man Of Action

They were obviously here for her. Jaguar’s rarely got customers in business suits. Especially suits that screamed law enforcement.

It was too dark for Andrea to read their expressions and body language as well as she would like, but anger radiated off them. This had to be about the bank. They must have gotten in trouble. And now they were here to let Andrea know. She wondered if she was about to be arrested.

“Harry, I need a break. I’ll be back in fifteen,” she said to her manager.

Harry leered at her the way he always did. “Any more than that and I’ll dock your pay.” He stepped closer, grasping her chin. “Or we can work out our own way of you paying me back.”

He didn’t see that Drackett and Grace had made their way up behind him, overhearing his words. Drackett cleared his throat.

Harry pegged them as cops as soon as he turned around. “And by paying me back, I mean working extra shifts,” he muttered, going to stand farther behind the bar, glaring at the suits.

“Andrea, could we talk to you outside for a few minutes?” Grace said over the thump of the music.

“Am I about to be arrested?”

Drackett’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you say that?”

Andrea shrugged, very aware of how much her clothes revealed. Her skimpy bra was clearly noticeable through the mesh of her top. The short pleated skirt she wore barely covered her bottom, and men often took it as an invitation to run their hand up her thigh.

Andrea had stopped slapping their hands away once Harry threatened to fire her.

She was used to men gawking at her body, but Mr. Drackett’s eyes hadn’t so much as left her face once since he’d arrived.

“You’re angry,” she said. It wasn’t terribly noticeable in his expression, but she could tell.

Grace was surprised. “I don’t think Steve is angry, Andrea.” She turned to him. “Maybe we’re wrong about her.”

Steve shook his head once. “No, she’s spot-on. I’m pissed as hell that she’s working in a place like this.” He stepped closer to Andrea and she couldn’t help but take a step back. He froze. “I’m not angry at you, I promise.”

Andrea believed him. “Okay.”

“But do you mind coming outside with us? This will only take a few minutes.”

Andrea grabbed her lightweight jacket and followed them out the side door. “I can’t stay out here very long. I’ll get fired if I do. I need this job,” she said in the quieter, cooler air of outside. Finally she felt as if she could breathe again.

“You were right about the third man in the bank.” Grace smiled at her. “You probably saved a lot of lives yesterday. He had a briefcase full of explosives and was just waiting to use them. Was waiting for SWAT so he could take them down, too.”

Andrea closed her eyes in relief. At least no one had gotten hurt and these two people hadn’t gotten fired.

“Andrea, I’m going to cut right to the chase.” Mr. Drackett kept his distance so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. “We believe you have a gift at reading people’s emotions and microexpressions, even when they’re only available for a split second.”

Andrea wasn’t exactly sure what microexpressions were, but she knew she was good at reading people.

“Maybe.” She shrugged, clutching her jacket to her chest. “So?”

“I’m Steve Drackett. Grace and I work for Omega Sector: Critical Response Division. We’re law enforcement, sort of like the FBI, but without as much red tape.”

“And smarter and better looking,” Grace chimed in, smiling again. “We’re based out of Colorado Springs.”

That was all fine and good, but what did it have to do with her? “Okay.”

Drackett crossed his arms over his chest. “We’d like you to come work for us.”

“What?” Andrea wasn’t sure she was hearing right. “Doing what?”

“What you did at the bank. What you seem to be a natural at doing, if we’re not mistaken. Reading people.”

Andrea’s gaze darted over to Grace then back to Drackett. “You don’t even know me. Maybe I just got lucky at the bank.”

Steve tilted his head to the side. “Maybe, but I don’t think so. There are some tests that can help us know for sure. We’ll pay for you to fly to Colorado Springs and for all your expenses during testing.”

Andrea grimaced. Tests, books, schooling were not her strengths. The opposite, in fact. She looked down at her feet. “I’m not too good at tests. Didn’t finish high school.”

“It won’t be like math or English tests you took in school,” Grace said gently. “It’s called ‘behavioral and nonverbal communication diagnostic testing.’”

Now Andrea was even more confused. “I don’t know what that means.”

Grace smiled. “Don’t worry about the name. The testing will involve a lot of pictures, or live people, and we’ll see how accurately you can pick up their emotions and expressions.”

Okay, only reading emotions, not words. Maybe she could handle it, but she still wasn’t sure. What if she failed?

“Andrea!” Harry yelled from the door. “Time’s up.”

Steve looked at Harry then back to Andrea. “There are no strings in this offer,” Steve said, his voice still calm and even. “You can check us out before you get on the plane, make sure we’re legit. Read up about Omega, so you feel safe.”

Andrea studied them both. There was no malice in either of them as they looked back at her, just respect, concern and a hopefulness. They legitimately seemed to want her to join them.

“What if I can’t do what you want? If I’m not as good as you think?” she whispered.

“Then you’ll be paid handsomely for the time you’ve spent doing the testing,” Grace said. “And we’ll fly you anywhere you want to go. It doesn’t have to be in Arizona.”

“Andrea.” Harry’s voice was even louder. “Get your ass back in here. Now.”

“And we’ll help get you started in another career. It may not be with Omega, but it doesn’t have to be here. This is not the place for you. Why don’t you leave with us tonight?” The compassion in Steve’s face was her undoing.

She looked back at Harry. He was livid, wanted to hurt her physically, emotionally, any way he could. It seemed as if there had been someone wanting to hurt her all her life.

But Steve and Grace didn’t. They wanted to help. She just hoped she didn’t disappoint them.

Andrea slipped her jacket all the way onto her body. “Okay, I’ll come with you.”

There was nothing worth keeping her here.

Chapter One

Four years later, Andrea stood in front of a bathroom mirror inside Omega Sector headquarters. She smoothed her straight black skirt and made sure—again—that her blouse was tucked in neatly before checking her reflection in the bathroom mirror one last time. Blond hair, cut in a sleek bob—the most professional haircut she’d been able to think of—was perfectly in place. Makeup tastefully applied and nothing that would draw attention to herself.

She was about to be fired from her job as a behavioral analyst at Omega Sector’s Critical Response Division.

Why else would Steve Drackett be calling her into his office at ten thirty on a Monday morning?

Actually, she could think of a half dozen reasons why he would be calling her in: a new case, a new test, some assignment he needed her to work on or a video briefing where her analysis was needed. But her brain wasn’t interested in focusing on any of the logical reasons he wanted to meet with her.

“Steve and Grace both know your background and still want you here,” she told her reflection. The scared look didn’t leave her eyes. She forced herself to vacate the bathroom and head down the hall. If Steve was going to fire her, there was nothing she could do about it.