The Rogue Element (Scott Priest Book 1) Read Free Page A

temporarily pulled off while you make your decision?”
    I couldn’t help but glare at him. “I think I can handle it.”
    Hitchcock and Fitzgerald looked at each other as if they had been expecting that answer.
    “It might be best if you temporarily step back and let Kimball take the lead.”
    “How am I supposed to explain that?”
    The lieutenant shrugged. He clearly hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Tell him I’ve put you on a one-day reassignment, the details of which you aren’t at liberty to discuss.”
    “And that’s not supposed to raise a red flag?”
    “He’s right, Owen. It doesn’t take much to raise suspicions around here these days. It might be best to go about business as usual.”
    Hitchcock deliberated the bureaucrat’s point, which by my estimation was the only sound one he had made so far.
    “Business as usual,” Hitchcock finally relented. “But I still want you to give this decision the appropriate attention.”
    “I will,” I replied as confidently as I could, though the resolve in my voice was no greater now than when the meeting started.
    “Okay then. If you don’t have any other questions, you’re free to get back to it.”
    “I do have one question, sir.”
    “I’m listening.”
    “Suppose my answer is no? Granted you haven’t told me much, but I now know that there’s a major problem somewhere within the department, possibly in every corner of it, and because I know this I feel like I’m in a compromised position either way I go. Say I bow out and someone else steps in. Can you guarantee this meeting won’t come back and bite me in the ass?”
    Fitzgerald answered. “As we’ve assured you, your position within this department will not be compromised, whatever your decision ultimately is.”
    “I have my doubts about that.” 
    “He’s right, Scott,” Hitchcock said.
    I had heard just about enough of how right the bureaucrat was. “I don’t even know who he is. Has he ever served in this department? Has he ever walked patrol with those guys out there? Had a beer with them? Cried at a funeral with them? Is he willing to take a bullet for anyone here?”
    Fitzgerald met the verbal barrage with an unwavering stare.
    “Are you finished?” Hitchcock asked in a voice that was beginning to lose its measure.
    I bit down on my lip. “For now.”
    “Maybe you don’t accept Mr. Fitzgerald’s assurances, but you damn sure need to accept mine. If you choose not to take part in this, the conversation we just had never took place. If you do decide to take part, we’ll do everything in our power to make sure you’re adequately protected. You have my word on that.”
    “The fact that I’m entering into a situation that requires protection is what bothers me.” 
    Fitzgerald sighed. “So does that mean your answer is no?”
    “I was told I had twenty-four hours to make a decision, correct?”
    The bureaucrat nodded.
    “So don’t assume anything before then.”
    “Fair enough,” Hitchcock replied. “Just know that I understand the gravity of what we’re asking you to do. I know why you’d be hesitant to do it. Most people in your situation would be. Hell, I would be. But you also need to understand what’s at stake. The men and women in that squad room, the good ones, the ones you work patrol with, have beers with, cry with, they’re in trouble. I know that sounds heavy-handed, but it’s true. There are people inside the department, people they work with every day, people they consider friends, who are doing things that threaten to destroy everything they stand for, everything this department stands for.”
    Hitchcock stopped long enough to pull up a chair. “We told you there wouldn’t be a full briefing until you agreed to help us, but one thing I can tell you is that what happened to Detectives Graham and Sullivan was merely the tip of the iceberg. The man who shot them, the man we all assumed was one of us, was brought into the department for the sole