What she found odd was that she’d yet to hear from Alex or Corbin. She’d sent Corbin a text the previous night for him to do some research, and he’d never checked in.
Oh, she suspected she knew why, too.
Alex.
Call it a hunch, but when the man was left to his own devices, bad things happened. All she could hope was that he wasn’t eyeball deep in something disastrous.
That tended to be how it went down.
As she was getting dressed, ready to head to the morgue to get her day started, her phone chimed.
Gene was beside it, and tossed it to her.
“It’s Alex,” he said, seeing the notification show up on her screen.
She sighed.
“Here we go,” she said, already knowing.
When she opened her phone, she saw the email and her stomach dropped.
Yep.
This was exactly what she’d expected.
‘Director Blackhawk,
I would first like to thank you for the opportunity you gave me all of those years ago to work beneath you in the FBI. It has been an honor and privilege for the last ten years to be part of your team.
In those years, I’ve learned a lot of things, and I’ve dealt with countless situations that helped prepare me for life, so I thank you for that. It has been nothing but special having the years working with a boss who is as good at solving things as she is at leading.
In ways, I’ve been blessed.
In others, I’ve been cursed.
Thank you for always loving me and respecting me not only as an agent on your team, but as a human being. I know it hasn’t been easy, and I’ve burdened you in countless ways. For that, I’m sorry.
Today marks the day where I’m no longer your responsibility or burden. Today, I’m tendering my resignation. I no longer have the desire or drive to help others when I can’t help myself. Going forward, I need to focus on finding Alex, since I’ve never really known him. I’ve known the boy who was damaged, and the lost soul who wandered, but I’ve never known the man. Today, I have to take this time to figure out who I am.
I’ve made a horrible mistake, and I’ve crossed a line that will make it awkward to be in the same room with my once partner. So, I’m falling on my sword, and I’m leaving. It’s only fair since I made the choice to do something irresponsible.
Please know, Director, that I’ve learned so much from you, and that your compassion and love for the people who work for you has always been what kept me going. Only, I can’t do it anymore. I’m empty and that will affect my ability to be a good agent.
From Alex, your agent, I just want you to know that you’re doing amazing things to help people, and I admire that. From Alex, the man you’ve fought tirelessly to save, I’m grateful. You just can’t save everyone, Elizabeth, and I’m that one.
Thank you for everything,
Alexander Bartlett.
Keep fighting.’
She sighed.
Well, holy shit.
That was a problem in all kinds of ways, and none of them good. She was already running on too small a team, and now, she was losing one of her best agents who had held his own.
At her sigh, Gene knew it wasn’t good.
