In Harm's Way (Heroes of Quantico Series, Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

expression neutral, he studied her.
"Could you define `reaction'?"
    "I felt terror. Danger" Her volume dropped. "And I think I ...
could hear a baby crying"
    Oh, brother.
    In his fifteen years with the Bureau, Nick had seen his share of
kooks, from the guy who insisted he'd been abducted by aliens,
to the woman who claimed God had told her to assist the FBI
by acting as his intermediary on difficult cases, to the guy who
believed he was J. Edgar Hoover reincarnated and wanted to
be FBI director again.
    Now this. At closing time on a Friday, no less.
    What a way to end the week.
    In the silence that followed Rachel Sutton's revelation, he
considered her. She might look normal. No, scratch that. She
was well above normal in the looks department. Lovely, even.
But nutcases came in all sorts of packages. And her story put
her in that category, no question about it. Now it was a matter
of getting rid of her in a diplomatic way.
    "You don't believe me, do you?"
    Her quiet, resigned words-more comment than questiontook him off guard. Lots of people who relayed bizarre tales to
the Bureau became indignant, even angry, if they suspected an
agent doubted their story. But the pink tinge on Rachel Sutton's
cheeks, the slight tremor in her words, spoke more of embarrassment than outrage. Not the typical reaction to skepticism.
    "I'm not questioning what you experienced, Ms. Sutton" He
chose his words with care.
    "But you don't think it's real:"
    Instead of responding, he countered with a request. "Why
don't you tell me exactly what happened when you had this
reaction?"

    "I couldn't breathe. My heart started pounding. I got dizzy. I
could feel my adrenaline pumping. I was terrified:"
    "Has this ever happened to you before?"
    "No"
    "You've never had a panic attack?"
    "No. And I'm not some psychic nut. I don't even believe in
that stuff. That's why this experience was so disturbing"
    "But the doll is sitting a couple of feet away from you, and
you're fine"
    "It only happens when I touch it:"
    Nick debated his next move. He was already running late for
dinner, and prolonging this interview was a waste of time. He
needed to get the woman's address and phone number, thank her
for coming, and get rid of her. That was the best way to handle
this. The way he always handled these cases.
    But Rachel Sutton's earnest eyes sucked him in. She believed
her story, whether he did or not. And for some reason he found
it difficult to dismiss her tale with his usual quick dispatch.
    He toyed with his pen, turning it end to end on the table.
"Why didn't you share this information with the police?"
    "I considered that. But the husband of one of my co-workers
is a cop, and she ran it by him for me. She was very diplomatic
in passing on his message, but it was pretty clear I'd be the
laughingstock of the precinct. No one would take me seriously. I
hoped I'd fare better with the FBI:" She drew an unsteady breath.
"I guess I was wrong"
    Lifting her chin in what Nick suspected was a last-ditch effort
to hold on to her dignity, she unhooked her shoulder purse from
the back of her chair and stood, ignoring the card he'd placed in
front of her. Taken aback, he rose too. This interview definitely
wasn't following the typical pattern. In general, it was hard to
shake the weirdos. Rachel Sutton, on the other hand, seemed
intent on disappearing as fast as she could.

    "Ms. Sutton, I'd like to get some contact information before
you leave:"
    "In case you have any questions about the notes you took?"
She sent a pointed glance toward the blank page of his notebook.
    Heat surged up the back of his neck. "I wasn't sure what to
write. Your story is very ... peculiar:"
    "I know that" All at once her shoulders drooped. "And I don't
blame you for being skeptical, Agent Bradley. If I were in your
shoes, I'd have had the same reaction. I just felt a need to follow
through. I've done that. Now I intend to walk away. Thanks for
your