SAC DAWSON: Conference room 3 in 10. Secure line with Langley and headquarters.
I close the transcript files and grab my notepad. Whatever this is about, it’s not routine. Dawson doesn’t call meetings after hours unless something’s shifted.
Chris showing up unannounced, taking over Petrov’s handling without authorization—that kind of operational deviation doesn’t go unnoticed. Especially not when it involves a high-value asset and gets picked up on surveillance recordings.
Dawson’s already in the conference room when I arrive, red hair pulled back in a loose French twist, reading something on her tablet. The secure communication equipment is already set up—encrypted video feed, audio scramblers, the works.
“Sit,” she says without looking up. “How’d Palmer sound to you on those recordings?”
“Professional. Competent.” I take the chair across from her. “Better than competent, actually. She got both sessions to open up in ways I didn’t expect.”
“And Longo?”
I pause. “That’s what I was hoping you could explain. Last I checked, Agent Nakamura was handling Petrov.”
Dawson’s mouth tightens slightly. “Last I checked too.” She sets down her tablet. “We’ll be asking about that momentarily.”
The line connects with the familiar electronic tone before I can respond.
“Agent Booth, SAC Dawson.” The first voice is crisp, authoritative. “This is Deputy Director McIntyre, Langley.”
“And Deputy Administrator Walsh, DEA,” adds a second voice. “SAC Dawson has briefed us both on your background with the current LA operation.”
This just got more complicated.
“Yes, sir. Ma’am.”
“We’ve reviewed the preliminary reports from Dr. Palmer’s sessions today,” Walsh continues. “Outstanding work. Both subjects showed remarkable cooperation and psychological openness.”
There’s pride in my chest, warm and immediate.
“Dr. Palmer is exceptionally skilled,” I say.
“Indeed,” Walsh adds. “Which brings us to why we’re calling. The operation is being elevated to priority status. What we hoped could become a sustainable therapeutic pipeline has exceeded our most optimistic projections after just one session.”
Dawson leans forward slightly. “Both Flores and Amador demonstrated willingness to engage authentically. The psychological access Dr. Palmer achieved in less than an hour is unprecedented.”
My stomach drops. “What does priority status mean?”
“Full resource commitment,” Walsh says. “Round-the-clock operational support, expanded surveillance capabilities, dedicated intelligence teams standing by to act on any actionable intel that emerges. We’re converting Dr. Palmer’s position from consultant to embedded specialist.”
Embedded specialist.
The implications make me uncomfortable. Nina went to LA to start over—to put distance between herself and everything that was falling apart. But there’s a difference between running psych evals on a DEA contract and being the centerpiece of a major intelligence operation.
Now they’re putting a target on her back.
“Agent Booth?” Walsh’s voice cuts through my spiral.
I realize I’ve been quiet too long. “Yes, ma’am. Understood.”
Dawson clears her throat. “Before we continue, I have a question about today’s operations. The recordings show Agent Longo overseeing the Petrov session, but our briefing materials indicated Agent Nakamura was assigned as handler. Can you explain that discrepancy?”
The pause that follows is just long enough to be telling.
McIntyre answers first. “Agent Longo has extensive experience with Eastern European criminal networks. When Petrov expressed concerns about working with an unfamiliar handler, we made a tactical adjustment to ensure continued cooperation.”
I catch Dawson’s eye. Her expression doesn’t change, but there’s a tightness around her mouth that says she’s not buying it any more than I am.
