She was afraid. She had tried to hide it, tried to convince herself that she wasn't, that she needed to be brave, but she wasn't.
What had made her think she could be an FBI agent? Sure, she had background experience as a military prosecutor, and this case shouldn't be any different. It was simple, just some thugs attempting to smuggle guns and cocaine.
Then she found herself in a dark, moldy garage where water dripped from the ceiling and the only source of light was her dim flashlight that barely worked. Darkness, low visibility, and criminals with guns… what could go wrong? She was, after all, wearing a bulletproof vest.
She walked cautiously along the various crates and boxes in the garage, holding out her 9 mm pistol in front of her. Her hands shook slightly with nervousness, and she was worried she wouldn't even be able to reload it. She could barely think, the fear was so overwhelming.
A slight rustling noise behind her caused her to jump around, heart thumping so hard it threatened to leap right out of her chest. She shone her flashlight around wildly, but nobody was in sight. She took a few tentative steps forward, gun cocked and ready to shoot. Nothing. Maybe I just imagined it. She tried to convince herself. But she was still afraid, and it remained evident in the shaking of her hands and the thumping of her heart.
Deciding it was time to get out of there, she turned back around and started to look for an exit. She slowly walked down the hallway, glancing over her shoulder every once in a while to make sure she was not being followed. And then she realized she didn't know where the exit was. She had been so enveloped with fear that she hadn't bothered to remember where she was going.
Panic starting to rise within her, she began to walk faster, searching frantically for the way out. And then suddenly she felt the presence of somebody standing beside her. Looking up, she realized it was Charlie Francis. A man she barely knew, her partner. Here he was, standing beside her in a dark garage with his hand resting reassuringly on her shoulder. He looks down at her with his warm, brown eyes and says in his gruff voice, "You're gonna be fine."
And suddenly, she believes him. Her hands stop shaking, her heart stops thumping, and she regains control. She pushes the fear away, and she feels confident with Charlie at her side. She knows, that with Charlie standing next to her, she is going to be fine.
But then she found herself in a cemetery, a bouquet of flowers in hand. Slowly and dejectedly she makes her way over to a certain gravestone. She kneels beside it and gently lays the flowers amongst the ones already piled up around the grave.
Engraved on the stone reads the words "Charlie Francis – Beloved husband and friend"
"I'm sorry, Charlie. I failed you. You always protected me, but I couldn't protect you." she whispers. Tears burn in her eyes and she quickly wipes them away.
In Olivia's hand lays a half-crumpled paper, with the words "You're gonna be fine." written on it in red ink.