by Robin Mahle
John could hardly keep from tearing up.
“It’s okay, Dad. I know you’re proud too.”
“You’re darn right, I am.”
Kate continued to talk to her parents until she spotted Nick. “I’ll be right back.” She began walking towards him.
His arms opened and he pulled her close. “Congratulations, Kate.”
“Thank you, Nick. For everything.” Kate turned to Dwight and tossed her arms around him, too.
Kate was soon pulled away by her parents, but a few minutes later, returned to the agents who had made the rounds to some of the other graduates.
“Nick.” It had been the second time Dwight called his name.
He was still talking to Kate and Georgia and again hadn’t heard him.
“Agent Scarborough.” Dwight called again, louder this time.
“What?” Nick was irritated by the disruption, but on turning back, he realized why Dwight had been calling on him.
“SSA Nicholas Scarborough?”
“Yes?”
“I’m afraid you need to come with me.” A man in a dark suit with a deadly stare reached for Nick’s arm.
Nick quickly realized what was happening and he glanced at Dwight.
“What’s going on?” Georgia asked.
“Nothing. It’s fine. I’ll catch up with you guys later,” he said, just as cool as ever.
This wasn’t right. “Where are you taking him? Nick, what’s going on?” Kate asked.
Neither Nick nor the man who had a grip on him would answer. Instead, he looked to Nick again. “Sir? We need to go now.”
“What the hell is going on?” Kate’s nerves spiked on end and her pulse elevated.
“Nothing. Everything’s fine. I just have some business to take care of. I’ll see you all later, okay?” Nick placed his hand on Georgia’s cheek and leaned in, lightly kissing her lips. “I’m sorry.”
“Wait. What’s happening here? Where are you going?” she asked.
Nick only looked at her and smiled. “I’ll be fine.” He turned to Kate a final time. “Congratulations, Kate.” He began to follow the man out of the auditorium, neither appearing to want to cause a scene.
Kate looked at Dwight. “Do you know what the hell is happening here?”
He watched the man lead Nick out, rubbing his hand over his short, spiked hair. He turned to the women, who looked to him for answers. “Some things went down that night during the operation.”
“What things? Dwight, you better tell me where they’re taking him,” Georgia demanded.
“We thought—Nick thought it would blow over. Jesus Christ.”
Dwight was clearly shaken and Kate had never seen him like this before. It made her feel all the more nervous and afraid. She watched him struggle to find the words. “Please. You have to tell us what’s going on, Dwight. What happened out there?”
He looked at them; their inquiring faces now demanding answers. “During the chaos, bullets were flying and—shit, I don’t know—but one of the suspects who went down.” He stopped and took a deep breath. “They think Nick might’ve…he’s in trouble.”
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robin Mahle lives with her husband and two children in Arizona. She found her passion for writing, which later became her second career, after spending 20 years in the construction industry.
Having always been a lover of books, Robin attributes her creativity to the wonderful overseas adventures she has shared with her husband of 16 years. Traveling throughout Europe and having lived in England opened her mind and with that came a steady stream of story ideas inspired by her author-idols in the mystery/suspense genre.
If you enjoyed Ms. Mahle’s work, please share your experience by leaving a review on Amazon
OTHER WORKS
All the Shiny Things – A Kate Reid Novel (Book1)
Law of Five – A Kate Reid Novel (Book 2)
Blackwaters- A Kate Reid Novel (Book 4)
The Kate Reid Series Box Set (Books 1-3)
Inherent Clarity
Landslide
Beyond the Clearing
For more information about Robin Mahle, sign up for her newsletter and stay informed of her upcoming releases, or visit her at: http://Robinmahle.com. You may also want to check out her Amazon author page!
