She’d worried over this meeting, knew it had to happen and that the police escort would make arrangements so they couldn’t be followed. Surrounded by protection from others in her department, they’d driven her to this meeting. At the same time, her boss, Jake Crompton, a man who her grandfather would recognize, had fetched John Madison personally from his lodge, telling him that Charli would meet him at the diner.
When the two men had walked in, Charli had seen her boss’s expression, and it spoke volumes.You can’t tell the old man anything, Carolina.They’d discussed some of the details of the case earlier that morning, and he’d urged her to reconsider putting herself in another stress situation. He’d read the FBI psychologist’s report and knew that she’d suffered through more than they would ever ask of her. But when she explained about Alicia Shoal and her fears, he’d understood why she had even considered the assignment.
Jake asked to speak to her alone for a few minutes and after she’d hugged the old man and got him settled in his place, she walked with her boss to the back of the big room and into a hallway leading to the restrooms.
“Thanks so much for bringing Grandfather here for me. I couldn’t leave him without any explanations and saying a proper good-bye. He’d never forgive me.”
“You’re wrong, Carolina. That old guy adores you, thinks you walk on water. I’m just sorry about his vacation in Fort Lauderdale. He told me about all your plans for when he was to join you. Let’s hope this assignment is over quickly, and you can still have him visit.”
Charli stared at the good-looker, her expression as serious as steel. “My vacation time will be banked for when this is over, that’s what they led me to believe.”
Jake lifted his hand to pat her arm, and she forced herself not to flinch. “We’ll take care of it, Carolina. You’ll get your time off. I stopped by your place for a few minutes just after you’d left and met the kid. I see why you feel there’s no choice. She’s dependent on you; refused to even consider another agent.”
“She’s terrified.”
“Don’t blame her. It couldn’t have been easy watching someone get killed.”
A quick vision of herself standing over the body of the drug runner she’d just shot appeared in her head, and she shoved it back into purgatory where she’d forced it weeks ago. “It isn’t.”
Jake’s sympathized searching of her features and his quick nod let her know he understood. “Madison, I don’t want to lose one of my best Drug Enforcement Agents over this. You be careful, and make use of the protection from the local guys wherever you end up.”
“You don’t know?”
“The SPD refused to leak any information about which city or even state they planned on sending you. Just take every reasonable precaution. And call me as soon as you’re free. In the meantime, the department will be pulling out all the stops to find Dylan Ross. We’ll get him sooner or later, don’t doubt it.”
“Let’s hope its sooner.”
He laughed and took her hand. “Take care.” He glanced up over her shoulder and grinned welcomingly. “Chief Prowler.”
“Good to see you, Jake.”
“I was just leaving. You take good care of this agent; she’s an asset to the Bureau in every way.”
“You have my word.”
Carolina watched Jake stride over to first shake hands with her grandfather, and then to the door where a black SUV and driver waited.
Prowler watched with her and once the Assistant to the Deputy had departed, he got her attention. “I’ve arranged with a friend of my brother’s, Blake Sebastian, a Major with the FLPD to take you on as a special favor to me. He’s a brave cop, has risen through the ranks quickly and will be your partner in keeping Alicia safe.”
Charli had been briefed by Crawley. “I have no problem with that part, but why did you have to build in a romantic relationship?”
“All work and no play.” He saw her expression and laughed.
“Kidding. He needs to get close, fast. This seemed to be a way to cut through the preliminaries of the first meet. You’ll have to let him in, Carolina. He’s taken on this assignment himself as a favor, so play nice.”
Teasing now, she added, “Play – like in playing around? Trust me, that ain’t going to happen.”
Smug, his grin speaking volumes, “You haven’t met the man yet. Good luck, Agent.”
She watched him stride to the entrance, and then she took her seat. It felt wonderful to relax with her beloved companion and enjoy food she only allowed herself to eat when they visited this joint once a month.
It didn’t take long before she found herself on the defense. “Popsicle, you can’t ride me like this.” Charli used her childhood nickname to soften her old grandfather so he would relent on his woe-is-me attitude. “You know I can’t divulge certain aspects of my job. All I can say is this: I’ll be working on a highly sensitive case, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to contact you. It’s just that simple.”
“Oh sure, simple for you. Here I am dying—”
“What?” She rushed to share his side of the booth, her hand reaching for his. “Did the doctors find something wrong?” Charli’s heart dropped to the floor and lay there writhing.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, kid. I meant that literally. I’m ninety-years-old, brat. I can’t live forever. I wanted this trip to Fort Lauderdale as a kind of au revoir, to leave you with memories, to be my swan song, to be a fun time with my little girl, to—”