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"Thank you, sir," I say quietly. "I know this must have been difficult for you."
He nods, mouth set in a grim line. "You have behaved in a manner unbecoming to your office, Miller. I think you know that." I look down, biting my lip. "But…you uncovered a viper in our midst."
"We got there in the end, sir. That's what matters."
He gives a brusque nod and makes to leave. But then he pauses, looking back at me. "I'll speak on your behalf, Miller. I want you to know that. I can't guarantee anything, but…" He shakes his head. "It'll be hard to make anything stick with the mess Hays and Wright have made."
It's not exactly a promise, but it's more hope than I've had since those handcuffs wrapped around my wrists. But the first place my mind goes is to Alessa.
Alessa. God, I'd give anything to see her again. To kiss her. To laugh with her about Kris Hays and Vince Ricci thinking they couldeverdiminish her.
They don't understand her at all.
But I do. I understand her completely. And I'll be with her again soon. I feel it. Iknowit.
I'll be with her again and I can tell her, face to face, what I wanted to tell her during that phone call that gave me hope.
CHAPTER27
NATALIE
The heavy steel door swings open with an echoing clang that reverberates through the empty hall. I stand motionless, almost afraid to move, as if this is all a dream that will shatter if I take even a single step. But the guard clears his throat impatiently and I force myself forward, my legs stiff and unsteady after several days confined in this small cell, only taken out for an hour a day to shuffle around.
But as I cross the threshold, the weight begins to lift. The sterile fluorescent lights, cold concrete walls, and stale recycled air fade behind me as I walk down the hall toward freedom.
After the revelations of both Sam Wright and Dr. Kristen Hays' corruption—and the extent of their conspiracy—the charges against me quickly unraveled. Hays' arrogant confession, captured by the bugs in my cell, tore open that festering wound at the center of the agency I'd devoted my life to.
And I've been vindicated and exonerated.
No one will tell me anything about the charges against Alessa. Even Chang, who came in to visit me once under special permission from Bell, couldn't tell me anything—because all discussion about Alessa's case is happening at a higher security level these days.
I don't know if that suggests something good or bad for her. But I know I'll be there for her, whatever happens.
And now, ahead of me stands Captain Stephen Bell in the hallway, his shoulders rigid, face set in stern lines. As I approach, his eyes meet mine, unreadable.
"Miller," he says with a curt nod. His voice is even, controlled, but I can sense the undercurrent of emotions swirling beneath that calm surface. Disappointment. Regret. Relief. Respect.
"Sir." I resist the urge to fidget under his piercing gaze like a reprimanded rookie. I may have made choices he disagrees with, but I uncovered the truth. We both know I'm not some nervous probationary agent anymore.
Bell studies me a moment longer before exhaling heavily. "I think you know how much I disapprove of your actions over the last few weeks. But your instincts were right in the end." He shakes his head, lips twisting in a humorless smile.
I stay silent, sensing he has more to say.
"You'll be facing an internal review board, of course. Probation, probably suspension, for your...extracurricular activities." His tone makes it clear what he thinks of my affair with Alessa. "But I suspect they'll go easy on you as the agent who brought down Hays and Wright. Corruption is our greatest enemy." He pauses, and when he continues, his voice is lower, edged with gravel. "You got results, I'll give you that. But there are rules and chains of command for a reason. You crossed lines that shouldn't have been crossed." His dark eyes bore into me. "We serve the law, Miller. We don't make our own decisions about it."
I meet his gaze unflinchingly. "With all due respect, sir, you didn't want to hear what I had to say. And as far as the law goes…" I take a breath, steadying myself. "I became a federal agent to serve the higher ideals of justice, not just enforce laws. When those two came into conflict, I followed my conscience."
Bell's expression doesn't change, but I see a flicker of anger in his eyes. Followed—perhaps—by a glimmer of respect. After a moment, he simply nods.
"And I think we both know," I go on, "that my time with the FBI is over."
His shoulders visibly relax. "We can agree on that, at least. Come in next week to pick up your things, Miller. There's nothing more for you at the Bureau."
His words, though not unkind, strike me with unexpected force. But he's right. This chapter of my life is over. For better or worse, after I step out of here, I cease to be Special Agent Natalie Miller.
* * *
I'm processed out, and my personal effects are returned to me. I feel so much older, even though it's only been a few days. But so much has changed in such a short period. I spent years shaping myself into the perfect agent, and then I spent time making myself into different people when I worked undercover.
