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She wasn't surehow to feel about Mueller's sudden change of character toward her. Was he justacknowledging that she was a capable agent, or was it another trick? It was inMorgan's best bet to keep the FBI at a close reach. But she also needed togauge Mueller.
"Sir,there's something I need to ask you," Morgan said, her voice steady despitethe nerves knotting in her stomach. She fixed her gaze on Mueller, searchingfor any signs of deceit in his face.
"Goahead," he replied, his brow furrowing slightly as he leaned back in hischair.
"Derik,"she began, swallowing hard. "Do you know anything about what he's beenhiding from me?"
Mueller'sexpression shifted from curiosity to confusion. "I'm not sure what you'retalking about, Cross."
"Are yousure?" Morgan pressed. "Because Derik admitted he's been hidingthings from me--he just hasn't told me what."
"Cross, Iassure you, I have no idea what you're talking about." Mueller frowned,clearly thrown off by her question. "As far as I'm concerned, Derik is aloyal and reliable agent. And he cares about you, Cross. Are you sure you wantto push him away?"
Morgan studiedhis face, trying to discern whether he was telling the truth or simply playingdumb. After a moment, she decided it didn't matter; either way, she couldn'ttrust him completely.
"Alright,"she said finally, her voice betraying a hint of disappointment. "Thankyou, sir."
"Is thereanything else?" Mueller asked, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"No,"Morgan replied, her jaw set. "That's all."
"Verywell," Mueller said with a curt nod. "Goodnight, Agent Cross."
"Goodnight,sir," she echoed, turning to leave his office.
As the doorclosed behind her, Morgan couldn't shake the feeling that she had just walkedaway from a potential ally - or perhaps an unwitting pawn in a much largergame. It was impossible to tell which side of the line Mueller fell on, but onething was certain: she would have to tread carefully in the days ahead. Trust,after all, was a luxury she could no longer afford.
***
The darkness ofthe parking lot enveloped Morgan as she stepped outside, her heels clickingagainst the pavement. The cool night air was a welcome relief from theoppressive confines of the FBI office. She took a deep breath, trying to clearher mind and shake off the uncertain tension left in Mueller's wake.
"Morgan."
Morgan stopped inher tracks, recognizing Derik's voice coming from somewhere behind her. Hestepped out of the shadows, his expression unreadable beneath the dim glow ofthe streetlights.
"Derik,"she said, her voice colder than she intended. "You've got some nerveshowing up here."
"I owe youan explanation," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "Ishould have told you sooner."
"Damn right,you should have," Morgan snapped, anger surging through her veins."So, what is it? What's going on?"
Derik hesitatedfor a moment, looking down at the ground before meeting her gaze. "It'scomplicated, Morgan. But I promise you, everything I did was to protectyou."
"Protectme?" Morgan scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "By keepingme in the dark? By hiding things from me? That's not protection, Derik. That'sbetrayal."
"Look, Iknow how it seems," Derik pleaded, taking a step closer to her. "Butthere are things you don't understand. Things I couldn't tell you."
"Tryme," she challenged, her eyes narrowing. "I think I deserve to knowthe truth after all this time."
Derik sighed, theweight of his secrets pressing down on him. "Alright," he conceded."But not here. Let's go somewhere we can talk privately."
"Fine,"Morgan agreed, her jaw clenched with determination. "But this better begood, Derik. I'm done with lies and half-truths."
As they walkedside by side towards her car, Morgan's thoughts raced with anticipation andtrepidation. She had given Derik a chance to come clean, but she couldn't helpwondering what his explanation would reveal - and whether it would be enough torepair the trust that had been shattered between them.
Morgan slid intothe driver's seat of her car, and Derik eased himself into the passenger seat.The dashboard cast a dim glow over their faces as they sat in silence for amoment, the air between them heavy with unspoken words.
"Alright,"Derik began, his voice cracking slightly. "You remember Darren La Roux,the guy whose file you found at my place?"
