v

folder to my chest like some kind of p

supposed to

t that only made it worse-like a sto

dn't b

ives?" I blurted before I could stop myself, lowering my

illance images tied t

, the muscle twitching

ng the door close behind him with a slow, hea

cold metal f

he said tightly,

ghter like it could some

erve t

r like broken glass. "You're an intern. Not the damn FBI. You think c

t the way he

oof-were suddenly wild with

son

oice trembling. "I-I was just sorting

w the r

but I

w it wasn't m

d, my legs shak

ed I'd backed myself into a cor

archives?" he asked, his voice softer now but far more da

hing. Coul

rom mine. I could smell his colog

or," he said. "For

d snatched the fo

it!" I cried. "There were

ant this internship to end with secu

landed li

mach c

r a second-just one insane, confusi

he d

shaken, surrounded by cabinets full of

a

was she doing

l the floors, of all the

my drawer again, but it felt contami

seen t

I hadn't

-terminated her badge, revoked

I di

h

rescott wasn't

his step

s littl

pine box. The same man who'd dodged prison with a smile and

t of bourbon a

idea what she

e wors

tting unde

or

go stra

se I didn

ed apartment in a strange city with

my thoughts wer

from the office. The lights buzzed softly.

peppermint tea I didn't touch an

classified documents

d he was retiring. Said he wanted to be a "famil

i

emos, the timestamped images, the words "monitor,"

ne's r

ust been pr

ew more than anyone ever should about

buzzed

O

, how's the fi

he message fo

d: F

ete

'm just tired.

ed th

ly I

Just long hours

cked the phone and

. Not until I figured out exact

ing about the man who was det

That N

sank onto the mattress on the floor. No bed fr

tebook out of habit, trying to scribble dow

I could

ologies. Surv

continue, my ph

wn nu

ul who you trust

art s

ge popped up

en't supposed to

t and locked the d

ell was w

whil

a

ce feed, watching her apartment

turned ou

else was wat

t

access I hadn

yes and tapped

vory Prescott to get to me, they

t decided somet

was i

s keeping

l c