Page 22 of Desperate Creed

“So this new unit,” Gwen said using her fork to punctuate the word unit. “It sounds interesting. And it sounds like perhaps Bowman wants you to be a part of it?”

Maggie nodded while she chewed, holding up a finger for Gwen to give her a second or two. She was still processing her conversation with Kunze. It seemed a bit surreal. Finally she swallowed, wiped her mouth with the cloth napkin and said, “He wants me to be the head of it.”

Her friend’s face lit up. “Oh Maggie, that’s fantastic. The director must have been very impressed.”

“A.D. Kunze said I can pick my team, but of course, he already presented me with names he highly recommends I consider. Your name is on his list.”

“Mine?”

Gwen had remained a consultant to the FBI despite having her own successful psychiatrist practice. When she found out she had breast cancer two years ago she scaled back, seeing fewer clients, turning down speaking engagements. Maggie still remembered being stunned and a bit scared that her mentor, her rock, seemed to shrink away from her normal everyday life to adjust to her new reality. Gwen Patterson was one of the strongest women Maggie knew, and she hated seeing her friend so filled with doubts and fears that it had almost crippled her.

“You said you could use a break from listening to the meltdowns of DC’s political class.” Gwen’s clients ranged from congressional staffers to senators’ spouses and even a four-star general.

“That’s quite the choice,” Gwen laughed. “Listening to politico meltdowns or chasing criminals?”

In her role as consultant, Maggie knew Gwen had helped with some of their strangest and most dangerous cases. She was an expert in criminal behavior, having penned numerous articles and several books. Not only had she interviewed killers but several times she had also been caught up in their sick mind games. Maggie would be lucky to have her be a part of this unit and a part of her team.

“You have so many talented FBI agents you could choose from,” Gwen said.

“But none that I trust like I trust you.”

Gwen nodded. “Let me think about it, okay?”

“Sure. No problem,” but Maggie could hear her own disappointment in her voice before she tried to stash it away. And Gwen noticed.

“It’s just that, maybe I should talk to R.J. about it first.”

FBI agent R.J. Tully was Gwen’s significant other and Maggie’s sometimes partner.

“Are you worried you might not be able to work together?”

“You’re asking R.J. to be a part of your team?”

“Of course,” Maggie said. She hadn’t even considered that he might not agree.

“Then I should definitely talk to him about it.”

“You’ve worked together dozens of times before.”

“Not since the cancer. He’s been a bit overprotective of me.”

“I get that. He doesn’t want to lose you.”

“It’s not like I’m in the line of fire like you two.” Gwen finished the last bite of her hamburger. Maggie was glad none of this conversation had taken away her appetite. “You and Ben have worked together, and it hasn’t always gone well.”

“It’s not quite the same thing.” Maggie sipped her beer. “Ben and I aren’t...well, you know. We’re not in a relationship.”

“Does he know that?”

“Of course, he does. It was his choice, remember?”

Dr. Benjamin Platt was the director of USAMRIID (United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases). They had grown close while Maggie was under Ben’s care after being exposed to the Ebola virus. There was a time when she believed they might become more than friends, but Ben had made it clear he wanted to have more children. His only daughter had died of complications of the flu while Ben was deployed to Afghanistan. As an officer and a medical doctor it seemed a cruel irony that he would be saving the lives of soldiers and unable to help save his only child seven thousand miles away.

“So what about Ryder Creed? Do you think the two of you will have any problems working together now that you’ve...you know, been together?”

This wasn’t a subject Maggie wanted to talk about.

“Ryder and I agreed to not talk about it.” She took a gulp of her beer. “Besides he’s younger than me. He just turned thirty.”