by Skye, S. D.
Everyone eyed the doctor with awkward expressions.
He scanned each machine wired to J.J. and asked everyone to move aside so he could check her vitals. He pulled a skinny flashlight from his front pocket and shined it in both eyes; they watered from the glare.
J.J. examined his expression, looking for good news or bad, but she couldn’t discern which.
“You took quite a blow to the head, young lady. How are you feeling?”
“Ugh, I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve got a killer headache. My back is killing me. Every muscle in my body aches like someone pulled them out of a blender.”
The doctor looked around the room. “You had a pretty nasty accident. Your seatbelt wasn’t secured, so you’ve sustained some pretty significant trauma to your head and chest.”
“She suffered some memory loss…at least about what happened,” Max McCall said.
The doctor slowly unloaded a barrage of questions, asking J.J. her name, birthdate, address, age, etc. She considered each one and answered those involving her past with accuracy. Still something was missing.
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m an FBI agent,” she said.
“Do you know the gentlemen standing in this room?” he asked.
She nodded, yes. “That’s my father, Max McCall and my brother Malcolm.”
“And?”
“Oh, That’s—,” she started, as a tall, hunk of chocolate entered the room bringing a bright smile to her face. “Six! Baby, I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, her voice full of joy. A far cry from the flat greeting she gave Tony. She reached out her arms to receive him, stoking Tony’s ire. His expression soured. “Did you hear? I’ve been in an accident.”
“I know,” Six replied. He looked at her in complete and utter confusion, shrugging at Tony. But he returned her smile and entered her welcoming arms. “Uhhh, that’s why I’m here.”
Tony jumped to her side. “What’s going on? I mean, I’m sorry about what happened, but—for chrissakes, J.J. You can’t do this.”
She shook her head. “What are you talking about, Tony? I don’t understand,” she said, increasing in agitation. “In my last memory…I was with Six. I’m not…why are you here?”
Moments later, a beautiful Italian-looking woman poked her head in the door. “Tony? Is everything okay?”
J.J.’s eyebrow crinkled in even more confusion. She volleyed her glance between Tony and the woman. “Wow, she’s pretty. Don’t I feel inadequate. This must be your girlfriend, Tony. Introduce us.”
“You...you don't remember her? She's on the task force,” he said. “Uhh…Gia, this is J.J. But Gia’s not my girlfriend. We only work together.”
Gia scrunched her eyebrows. “Pleasure…to, uhh…meet you?”
J.J. started to offer her hand when an itching sensation shot through her fingers. Her eyes began to water. “What task force?”
She turned toward the doctor who appeared to be alarmed but blew off his expression; it was the itching that bothered her most. She didn’t know what brought it on all of a sudden. “Please, come in, Gia. Nice to meet you. I apologize but I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on here.”
“Uhhh, I’m just going to wait outside. Glad to see you’re okay,” Gia said.
A crawling sensation started from J.J.’s fingertips and up through her arms. She dug her fingernails into her skin and began to scratch until whelps rose like swelled track lines across her arm.
“God, my skin is itching me like crazy, doc,” she said. “Do you think I could get some lotion… calamine lotion?”
“Uhhh, J.J. I think we need to—,” Tony began.
“Oh. Forgive my manners. Six, have you met Tony?” J.J. asked. “Tony and I have been working together for a couple of months.”
J.J. glanced down at her finger and scanned the room. "Umm, where’s my purse? I need my engagement ring. I didn’t lose it in the accident, did I?"
A collective “Huh?” emanated from every mouth in the room.
“I didn’t tell you guys?” J.J. said, beaming from ear to ear. “Six proposed to me, and I said yes,” she squealed. “I’m getting married!"
Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of the series…
Joint
Deception
A J.J. McCall Novel
The FBI Spycatcher series (Book 4)
About the Author
S.D. Skye is a former FBI Counterintelligence Analyst in the Russia program and supported cases during her 12-year tenure at the Bureau. She has personally witnessed the blowback the Intelligence Community suffered due to the most significant compromises in U.S. history, including the arrests of former CIA Case Officer Aldrich Ames and two of the Bureau's own—FBI Agents Earl Pitts and Robert Hansen. She has spent 20 years in the U.S. Intelligence Community.
Skye is a member of the Maryland Writer’s Association, Romance Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. She’s addicted to writing and chocolate—not necessarily in that order—and currently lives in the Washington D.C. area with her son. Skye is hard at work on several projects, including the next installment of the series.
For all the up-to-date news on S.D. Skye and the J.J. McCall Series visit:
Blog: www.authorsdskye.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorsdskye
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sdskye1
