It was nineteen hundred when the team was clear from the scene after turning it over to the FBI. The US Marshals took Zoe Reopelle and Frisco Oliveira into protective custody while the FBI looked into her allegations. It was a good ending to the case. The Forsander siblings and David Greenwalt were questioned and strongly cautioned to keep the information regarding Zoe Reopelle’s father and the salon owners to themselves, or charges would result. They were all released after giving their statements, as nothing illegal was discerned to be going on related to them. Though the Shepherd Security Team were sure they would remain on the radar of one agency or another.
The Agency Lear wouldn’t be able to pick them up until the morning, but as it was only a five-hour drive back to HQ, the team decided to return the vehicle loaned to them by the FBI and drive one of the rental cars back to the Chicago area. It could be turned in there. They could be home before midnight.
Burke settled into his seat and opened his text messages, bringing up the message from Donna. He wished he could call, but the team was already in the car and they were just pulling away from David Greenwalt’s house. He tapped out a reply.
Glad you got settled in.
Donna’s reply was immediate.
Rich, this house is incredible. It’s so big and someone stocked it full of food for us. There’s even a Christmas tree up!
Burke chuckled. He was glad she sounded so excited. He had to be sure no one called it the murder house near Donna. She wouldn’t be so excited if she knew the house’s history, he was sure.
Yeah, Becca and Briana are pretty special. They do all that for their clients. For them, helping those women is a calling.
I met Briana. She’s nice.
She is. Are the kids in bed yet?
Yes, I just tucked them in. They were beat from the travel day. We all are. My mom went to bed already, too.
He really wished he’d checked his messages before the turnover to the FBI was complete. He would have liked to step away and call her, maybe say goodnight to the kids.
I’m sure
When do you think you’ll be back?
Burke thought about that for a moment. They would get back to HQ around midnight. He was sure Donna would wait up for him, and he could see her and be at the house in the morning when the kids woke up. But she’d just said she was beat. They’d already gotten word that their debrief would be at zero seven thirty the next morning. He could crash at the office, shower in the gym, attend the debrief and probably be with them by zero eight thirty.
I should be able to be there by nine tomorrow morning. We’re traveling back tonight.
Excitement spread through Donna as she read his text. He’d be back in the morning.
That’s great. I can’t wait to see you, and I know the kids feel the same.
I’ll let you know when I’m on my way over to you. Sleep well.
After he hit send, he knew he’d left so much unsaid. The body that was found, for one. Also, he didn’t state that he was gladshe was there, nor did he reciprocate her feelings of excitement to see her and the kids. He held those feelings back. He always held his feelings back. He told himself again that it was to ensure that he was not sending mixed messages to her. Honestly, he had no idea how this relationship would play out. He suspected that this visit would be the deciding factor in that. The advice of his teammates weighed heavily on him.
The drive back was uneventful. They stopped for burgers, which they ate in the car, and arrived at HQ at zero fifteen. They quickly unloaded their gear. Tessman and Wilson drove home, no surprise, as they had women waiting for them. Burke and Rogers took the stairs up to head to their offices, both with the same intention of sleeping on their very comfortable couches. Burke paused at the door to the fourth floor, where Rogers’s office was.
“I’m surprised you're not going to the murder house to be with Donna tonight,” Rogers said.
And here Burke thought he’d escaped any further discussion of his relationship with Donna. “You really need to stop calling it that,” Burke moaned. “And if you say it to her face, I’ll kick your ass.”
Rogers chuckled. “Seriously, why aren’t you heading over there?”
“I thought about it, but she said she was tired from the travel day. She would have waited up for me, but she needs a good night’s sleep. I’ll head over right after our debrief.”
The next morning, Burke took that shower in the locker room as intended, running into Rogers there as well. They arrived in Shepherd’s office with the rest of the team promptly at zero seven twenty-five.
“Good job on this one, team,” Shepherd began. “It didn’t turn out as anyone envisioned at the outset, and the senator was quite shocked by the outcome. And while it is always preferable to catch acts of espionage at the point of compromise, investigating it after the fact will have to do. Optimally, the authorities strike a deal with either Zoe Reopelle’s father or one of the salon owners, as there is no way to put Zoe back in play to obtain the proof. The salon owners and the Reopelles have been picked up.”
“Good, I’m glad they realize that girl can’t be used that way,” Rogers said.
“And the prepper group?” Wilson asked. “When we left, no charges were going to be filed against them.”
“That’s correct,” Shepherd confirmed. “Hiding Zoe Reopelle was not illegal. She’s an adult and was free to relocate to wherever she wanted to. There was no coercion. There’s no proof they’ve engaged in any illegal acts, but I’m sure the authorities will continue to watch them. The potential is there with a group such as that, and Edgar Forsander definitely warrants a closer look.”
