And then she was gone.
And so were her supporters.
The silence that followed was almost holy.
Jack exhaled beside me. “Jesus.”
Harlan didn’t move for a long moment. Just stood in the center, breathing, commanding. The officers who stayed didn’t speak. But their silence held weight. A line drawn. A choice made.
Jack leaned toward me. “You still think he’s working against us? That we are on different sides?”
I didn’t answer.
Because I wasn’t sure of anything anymore, my brain and battered heart were at odds, and this was far from over.
CHAPTER 56
HARLAN - BLAST ZONE
We were on borrowed time.
Erin might’ve walked out of the precinct, but she wasn’t done. I could feel it like pressure in my chest; whatever was coming next, we had days, maybe hours, before it detonated.
It felt like it was pausing, catching its breath.
Waiting for the right moment to strike again.
I sat in the back conference room with Jack and Gray, the door locked and the blinds drawn tight. The hum of fluorescent lights overhead set my teeth on edge.
Remi was being monitored in a closed holding suite, one I trusted. With Reid. For now.
Jack leaned forward over the table, hair mussed, tie loose, sleeves rolled. He looked like he’d been through a war, and maybe we all had.
“We need a move. Now,” he said, voice low but edged like broken glass. “Publicly, she’s still in custody. That’s a fucking PR nightmare waiting to happen.”
“I agree. She’s not staying here,” I said. My voice carried more steel than I felt. “Not with Voss circling the drain. If she’s going out, she’s taking bodies with her. We need a way to pull Remi without another scene.”
Gray nodded, pulling up a secure feed on his tablet. “You want this quiet, Chief? We can reroute the transport protocol. Protective reassignment, medical exemption, take your pick. I’ve got language already drafted.”
Jack lifted an eyebrow. “Medical will raise questions unless we have a statement from a licensed physician.”
I met his gaze and didn’t blink. “Ava will write it.”
Jack didn’t flinch, but I saw the judgment in his eyes anyway. “You sure that’s not crossing the same lines Voss is accusing us of? With outside parties breathing down your neck, do you think that is wise?”
“I’m not asking her to lie,” I said, sharper than intended. “I’m asking her to tell the truth. Remi’s been through hell. She needs care. And she sure as shit isn’t getting it in here.”
Gray’s tablet buzzed.
He checked it, and his expression darkened. “It’s starting.”
My gut went cold.
Gray turned the screen toward us.
Internal Affairs.
A formal complaint.
