This scene was cut from the book early and is still in a rough draft.
“Wilson!”
Aaron stopped and turned around. His lieutenant was walking briskly toward him, a tall black man in trench coat beside him. FBI. Great.
“You’ve been tasked to the bank robbery. This is Agent Dawes. You’ll be working directly for him.”
“There are lots of other cops more experience than I am.”
The lieutenant shrugged. “Right place, right time.” He did an about face and returned to his office.
Dawes smirked. “You’re exactly what I need. Assuming, of course, you have a driver’s license.” Without waiting for an answer he strode for the exit. His trench coat looking far too much like a cape. Maybe that’s why they wore them. Superhero complex.
Aaron fell in step beside the agent. “I do. Thank you for this opportunity. I’ll try hard to bring something to the Task Force.”
Dawes stopped and met his gaze. “Let me be clear. Your job is not to ‘bring something to the Task Force’.” He made air quotes. “Your job isn’t even to think. Your sole purpose is to be nothing more than my dog. Sit. Stay. Fetch. Get me?”
Aaron felt his face burn, suddenly understanding that he had indeed been the first body they’d seen and so had won the assignment. Lucky him. “Yes, Sir.”
Dawes hesitated, searching his gaze as if for confirmation, then apparently seeing something that satisfied him, turned his back. “Good dog. Fetch a car from motor pool.”
Casting one last look behind him at the men in the station, Aaron expected to see envy. All he saw was pity.
Wendy L. Koenig 