The room broke to assignments.
The pecking order had been established.
No one liked it.
Everyone understood it.
And no one mistook who was in charge of bringing her home.
39
The Quad — 10:02 A.M.
The moment they stepped out of the station into the lot. Burke lifted two fingers to his mouth and gave a sharp whistle.
Deputy Luke Hale jogged over. “Yes, sir?”
Burke nodded toward Dr. Vivian Calder. “Hale, take Dr. Calder to the hospital. Relieve Jenkins. You stay on that door. No one enters Deputy Parker’s room except Dr. Calder, her mother, and her sister. Understood?”
“Yes, Sheriff.”
Calder gave a crisp nod. “I’ll need access the moment her doctor clears limited conversation.”
“You’ll have it,” Hale said. “This way, ma’am.”
He moved.
Burke turned to Scout. “Campus.”
They were halfway to the trucks when Burke spoke again.
“What?”
Scout didn’t look over. “Say it.”
“Tucker. The letter. You and Tessa.”
Scout exhaled slowly. “There’s nothing to explain.”
Burke waited.
Scout kept his eyes forward. “I wasn’t about to lay my life—or hers—out in front of a room full of agents. Not happening.”
“Scout.”
“I care about her,” he said quietly. “What happened on that mountain mattered. And I’m not letting this guy twist that into leverage.”
Burke studied him for a beat.
Then he nodded once. “Then let’s work.”
Professor Raines — Office Suite 214, JVU
Raines barely had time to rise before Burke was inside the office.
“Sit,” Tucker said.
Raines sat.
