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“I would have never allowed you to go alone!”
“Alone was the only way I could get in.” Chase held his shoulders tight and recalled his ammunition. “According to rule twenty-six, an agent is expected—”
“You are expected to have enough sense in your brain to know the risks.”
“I was aware of the risks,” Chase said.
“No, you weren’t. You think you’re invincible. You are young and dumb.”
“It would only be dumb if I didn’t get anything.”
Burnett scowled. “And who would have given us this lead if you hadn’t made it out?”
“I did make it out.”
“You think I haven’t seen this before? The first agent I was asked to train was nineteen. She thought nothing could touch her. She took a stupid risk and went after a killer by herself. By the time I got there, the only thing I could do was hold her hand while she died. They gave me the job of telling her mother that her daughter was dead. I refuse to have to tell another parent their kid is dead.”
I don’t have parents, Chase almost said, but caught himself. “I probably should have spoken with you. You win. I was wrong. But can we start working on my lead, now?”
“Probably?” Burnett groaned, then looked at Chase. “We’re talking about Hell’s Pit, aren’t we?”
Chase nodded, a little surprised Burnett was aware of it.
“I weighed the risk and made the decision to go,” Chase said.
Burnett exhaled. “You know what? I’m wrong. I apologize. I mean, weighing the risk is an important ability, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Chase felt validated.
Burnett nodded. “How about we send Della in to confirm whatever lead you got? I’ll call her right now.” He pulled out his cell and started punching in a number.
Chase’s breath hitched in his chest. Burnett hadn’t dialed Della’s number, he told himself. This was a ploy.
“Della,” Burnett said. “I’m at Chase’s cabin. Can you meet me here in five minutes? We need to discuss something.”
“I’m on my way now.” Della’s voice rang out from the phone. Chase’s blood fizzed with frustration.
Burnett put the phone back in his pocket. “I want her to know the risk before she decides to do it.”
Now it was Chase’s time to grit his teeth. In his heart, he knew this was just Burnett’s way of bringing home his point. The man would never let Della go. Chase just wished the point wasn’t so damn sharp.
Burnett lifted one brow. “What’s wrong?”
Chase swallowed. “Okay. It was too risky. You win.”
Burnett ran a hand over his face then met Chase’s eyes again. “I don’t want to win! This isn’t some friggin’ game. It’s life and death. If right now I thought I could go to the FRU and get your ass tossed out, I’d do it. But no, it’s too soon, and they’d just give you to someone else. Then when you ended up dead, I’d be stuck thinking I could have saved your sorry ass if I hadn’t passed you on.”
Burnett moved in, so close Chase could count the man’s lashes. “But I swear to God, kid. If you do something else this stupid, I’ll find a way to get your ass tossed out of the FRU. And don’t for one minute think I don’t mean it. I’ll make some shit up about you and the council. I’ll plant evidence.”
He put one finger on Chase’s chest. It didn’t feel like a threat so much as a man bringing home his point again. “Because I can live with killing your career a lot easier than I can live with watching you get yourself killed. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Chase nodded. “I understand.” And as scary as it was, Chase believed Burnett meant it.
“Good.” Burnett dropped onto the sofa. “Now, sit your ass down and tell me what you got out of your stupid mistake.”
Chase told Burnett everything. Even what he didn’t want to about his suspicions that someone at the council knew more about Stone than they were saying.
“I never considered that Stone would be looking for me. The last thing I wanted was to bring trouble here. If you think it would be best, I’ll find some other place to stay.”
