AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Brook chalked it up to an entire career dedicated to the military, because Graham had to be containing the burning rage that burned bright regarding his daughter's murder. The man responsible was basically standing in front of him, and yet Brook was asking him to get Daniel to safety so that she could do her job. Having to listen to the depraved request of Mason Cooper to have General Snyder hear over the phone while on deployment in a worn-torn country that his son had been arrested for the murder of a young woman after losing his own daughter was enough to make any sane man snap.
"I don't believe that will be necessary," Graham replied naturally as he motioned for Daniel to proceed him out the double doors. "After all, you seem more than capable of convincing a judge that Leslie Snyder was framed by a psychopath, especially with all of the evidence that Ms. Sloane and her team have collected thus far."
Brook had made sure that she'd fastened her dress coat with the middle button sewn into the fabric. She hadn't been armed when she'd been with Mason at the station, and he had no reason to believe that she'd be armed now. She had noticed the tightening of his leather glove across the knuckles of his right hand as he made a fist upon hearing Graham refer to him as a psychopath.
"We'll be in touch," Brook replied, not wanting the situation to get away from her. She didn't waste time turning around and motioning to Mason that he could open the door. "There was still no word on Nick Dorn's whereabouts when I left the station. I'm surprised to see you here. You made it seem that you wouldn't be representing Les."
According to Brook's profile, Mason being backed into a corner would pose a problem. He would face it head-on, having convinced himself that his actions were honorable in some way. If she could continue to drag this out with him believing that he'd gotten away with everything, there might just be a chance to apprehend him without anyone else getting hurt.
Again, she was astounded by Graham's restraint.
"Let's just say that Daniel made it hard to say no," Mason replied wryly as he pressed the call button on the elevator. He was standing relatively closer than she would have liked, but she didn't display any reaction when the fabric of his dress coat rubbed against hers. "We didn't get a chance to talk at the station with that NCIS agent always under foot. It was nice to see you go to bat for Derek. He's a good guy, but he clearly trusted the wrong person. Howdidyou figure out that all those cases were linked?"
There were two ways that Brook could have responded to his question, but avoiding the truth might have Mason vacating the building before an arrest could be made. She decided to opt for the truth, giving her the ability to monitor his response.
"All of the murder victims were in the military," Brook replied as the doors in front of them opened. She stepped inside and waited for him to do the same before continuing. "As with any profile, I started from the point of conjunction. Everything fell into place after that. The women had fathers who were high-ranking officials either in the Navy or the Marines. The trigger must have had something to do with them or their assignments."
Brook was grateful that she was wearing her dress coat. The heavy material kept Mason from seeing her tense when he reached out to press the correct floor number. He'd done so slowly, as if he were digesting her words. She kept talking in a manner that would hopefully relax his stature.
"I discovered there was a classified project at least four of them were connected to, and I believe the unsub thought he was righting a wrong. I'm not sure of the details surrounding the project, of course. Not even General Elliot could obtain or release any classified information to me. After that, it was a matter of guesswork."
Brook could feel her cell phone vibrating, but she couldn't afford any distractions.
"You said at least a few of them were connected," Mason said cautiously, his gaze trained directly on her while she focused on the doors in front of her. "The others weren't connected to this so-called classified project?"
"No, not that we could tell. Again, we weren't given any of the details of the mission nor its objective."
"Why would he continue if he only wanted the fathers to feel the same helplessness as the victims of this project?"
"Most likely due to the feeling of contributing in a way that he couldn't before," Brook explained, taken aback by Mason's question. Was he asking because he wanted her opinion or was he truly trying to understand his own motives? "Think about it. Those high-ranking officials involved in the classified project had no idea the ramifications on those involved in whatever incident might have taken place. The unsub was giving them a taste of their own medicine, if you will. But why should it stop there? There were and are others out there that have no idea the harm they cause to others. They're simply oblivious to the consequences for their actions. I will have to take a deeper look into the men serving time. Who is to say that they haven't committed some previous crime? Why not continue the cause?"
The elevator finally came to a stop.
"You make it sound like you understand his motives," Mason replied, though Brook didn't linger inside the elevator. She didn't want to be in such close quarters if he realized that she was playing him. As for her realization that the men incarcerated might not be so innocent after all, that was another thread that would have to be tied off at a later date. "His need to seek justice, that is."
"Wouldn't anyone?" Brook asked, tossing a glance over her shoulder as she walked toward the entrance of S&E Investigations. It was doubtful that Graham had been able to get Adrian, Theo, or the police on scene so quickly, but she'd come to know that she shouldn't underestimate him. Were there police officers climbing the stairs as they spoke? "Anyway, let's get you some documentation that can help out Leslie Snyder. It will all be heresy, of course, but maybe it will be enough for the judge to set an immediate probable cause hearing and grant Les bail."
Brook was relieved to see that the main overhead lights were off. She'd hoped that Bit was every bit as paranoid as she'd believed, and that he'd been monitoring the comings and goings of the building. He would have noticed that she wasn't alone, and he would have acted accordingly. No doubt, he and Sylvie were safe inside his workroom while attempting to figure out the best course of action.
Brook just hoped that they didn't attempt to do anything foolish.
She stepped in front of the biometric scan and allowed the device to scan her iris. The doors unlocked, and she was able to grab the handle and pull before Mason had closed the distance between them.
"I'll have to turn on the servers if we want access to any of the case files," Brook replied casually as she walked across the tiled floor. The muted security lighting was more than enough for her to see that there was no one around to do anything foolish. She relaxed a bit more, knowing that Sylvie and Bit were safe. "Let me put my things in my office."
Brook made it seem that she wasn't interested in his location, but she breathed a sigh of relief when he followed her from behind. He held his briefcase with his right hand while keeping his left inside his coat pocket. Unusual considering that he was left-handed.
Was he carrying a pistol?
There wasn't a chance in hell that she was going to remove her dress coat, so she made it seem as if she were eager to assist him. She set her purse and bag next to her desk before making a roundabout face to the door.
"Make yourself comfortable," she instructed as she crossed through the doorway. "I'll be right back."
Brook glanced up at the security camera in the hallway, making a motion that Sylvie and Bit should stay hidden until the situation was resolved. One of the numerous things that she'd catalogued in her to-do list was to secure firearm practice for Bit. Sylvie had her carry license, but Brook hadn't seen her with a weapon. She could have a handgun inside her purse, but this situation had Brook coming to the realization that they should always be prepared for any and all dangerous circumstances.
It wasn't that she hadn't known a situation could develop, but the private sector was vastly different than working for a federal agency. Still, self-preservation should be at the top of their list.
"Where is Mr. Neville?"
