“But it’s necessary.”
“It is.”
Ray understood.
After ending the call, Jane sat down at her kitchen counter, as she had every evening following work for the last five days, and pored through her notes, trying to find what she had to be missing. Some rationale for this feud between Rook and Kaminski.
Some reason they’d killed both Matthew and Louis.
What did the Scotts have to do with all this?
And why did she feel like they were more valuable to both Rook and Kaminski than all the others in their Collective?
Chapter 46
Early Friday morning,the SAC held a meeting in the main conference room. All of Jane’s squad, SSA Grimshaw, and Matthew’s family sat in the front.
The room was packed. A framed picture of Matthew Scott sat draped with black bunting at the front right next to the podium where the SAC stood.
The honor guard stood behind them while the director made a heartfelt speech about the unerring responsibility and honor that Matthew Scott had dedicated to the Agency.
Jon Haversham got up to speak, and his points turned personal with a few funny anecdotes about Matthew being stubborn but always right when correcting Haversham on the rules, of which he was known to be a stickler.
Though the entire program carried a definite pall, as expected, it also helped elevate the gravity of his passing, that a fine man like Matthew Scott had died in service to his country. No, it didn’t make it any easier. But the honor and respect for his memory made Jane feel better, in a way.
Everyone wore a black armband, a symbol of mourning for a manwho would be deeply missed. The flag outside flew at half-mast in tribute to their fallen agent.
Though his name would be added to the FBI Wall of Honor in Washington D.C., Matthew’s framed bio and photograph would also be displayed in their field office in Seattle, so everyone would remember.
The service made a lasting impression, and everyone filtered out at the end, Jane’s squad a tight group as they returned to their office.
Once inside, SSA Grimshaw showed them to a table where the squad’s picture, including Matthew, dominated the area. “I was told you all took this picture a few months ago.”
Jenn grinned. “Yeah. He insisted we take a picture for posterity.”
Greg added, “And to prove we didn’t actually hate him. He was such a micromanager up until we found our rogue agent.”
Jane huffed. “A total pain in the butt.”
Everyone laughed. Sandy told everyone how Matthew had a habit of bringing her coffee to make up for asking her to come in early to get him up to speed on a few programs he’d needed extra help to figure out.
“He always rewarded you and went the extra mile to let you know he appreciated you. It about killed him to be so tough during that time he thought one of us might be…”
“A criminal?” Jenn added. “I forgave ASAC Scott a while ago. Plus, he had a habit of springing for pizza.”
Jane wore a secret cloak of aloofness, smiling on the outside while inside her thoughts remained in chaos. She knew it was healthy, even productive, not to forget their fallen but to emphasize how treasured he’d been. Always part of the team.
That’s what her uncle pretended not to understand about Jane’s job. He considered Team Ten family. That life or death made the ties between his guys impenetrable.
But Jane considered her squad a kind of family, too.
Her bond with Jenn had naturally deepened because they wereclose in age and had worked together for months. That, combined with their brush with death, had strengthened their closeness.
But Jane also knew more about Josh, Ian, and Greg. About Sandy and Jim. She’d once considered such relationships unproductive. But not now.
Natalie Grimshaw stood back and laughed with Josh. Grimshaw was trying, doing her best to be supportive while still focusing on the mission. Despite the importance of their job, Jane’s boss understood the equal importance of her agents’ mental health.
She’d encouraged everyone to process their reactions to what had happened by talking to a professional, and not to feel uncomfortable about taking the time to do it. Not that Jane would, but she appreciated her boss making sure the squad felt valued.
