CHAPTER 11.– POINT OF AUTHORITY
-MARY -
When Bash had told me he loved me in the hotel room, I wasn't sure I could say it back and really mean it. But the one thing I could do was storm into the field office and start demanding I be let into the field for this arrest. I arrived with Bash running in after me. He hadn't agreed to this yet. But I was going to make them all see I was fine. Yes, it hurt my soul that Aylee was gone. I had the rest of my life to grieve though. Right now I had to job to do.
Westbrook and Delacroix were surprised to see me when I stormed into the conference room. "Mary," Westbrook said, "what are you doing here?"
"You can't take me out of the field right now," I told him straight-up. "My team and I have a job to do. We can grieve later."
"Mary," Delacroix said, "We can't have you seeking revenge for your fellow agent's death."
That stung because it was a load of dog crap. "What about Bash?!" I asked, holding my arm and hand out in his direction, gesturing towards him. "What about his revenge for Jewels?!"
My Section Chief came around the table. "Mary, Bash is a more experienced agent who knows when it's time to step out of the field. He took himself out for two weeks after her death. He's had time to process this."
"Bullshit!" I shouted. "He's still in the grieving process!"
Penelope, who was on the other side of the room in the corner with Leith and Alec, said, "She's right. He told me he was in four of the five stages. He's in no position either to go out there."
Bash shot a look at Penelope. "Penny, what the hell?!" he asked like she'd just stabbed him in the back.
I pulled out my phone, "I won't stand for this."
"Who are you calling?" Westbrook asked as I turned away and put my phone up to my ear, leaving the room. I stepped outside and made a call to the one person I knew I could trust to get me in on this bust. When I finished, I stepped back into the room. Westbrook's phone was ringing. He looked at the number and then looked back up at me. "You didn't," he said.
"I did," I said firmly.
Westbrook looked annoyed. But he answered his phone and said, "This is Westbrook." It was on speaker…
So we heard when Director Castleroy spoke. "Simon, I just received a call from one of your very disgruntled agents."
"Sir, let me explain—"
"No, you listen to me Agent Westbrook," Castleroy said, cutting him off. "You and Agent Delacroix are going to allow Agent Stuart into the field, but she must pass a psych evaluation first. I'm authorizing every single member of your teams to one right now. I'll be alerting the psych department at the South Beach office, and I want the reports brought directly to me."
I smirked as Westbrook and Delacroix looked up at me, clearly not happy about what just happened. Director Castleroy could go over their heads. He was running the entire Bureau after all.
As soon as they got off the phone with him, we were all taken down to see the psychiatrist at the office. One by one, we went in and were asked the usual questions. I went in with a great confidence that I would pass. And as soon as we were all finished, we were back in the conference room waiting for Director Castleroy to call back with the results. I sat between Penelope and Lola at the round table, while the others either sat or paced the floor.
Finally the phone rang.
Castleroy wasted no time. "Well I have good news and bad news," he said. "The good news is, everyone did fairly well. The bad news is… two of you didn't pass."
"Who?" Delacroix asked.
"Mary and Penelope."
"WHAT?!" Penelope and I screamed in unison, completely shocked.
"You just barely missed the marks in order to pass," he told us. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow you two in the field for this operation. You'll have to remain behind at the office."
I was outraged. "This is bullshit!" I said. "How in the hell did Bash pass?!"
"He passed with flying colors," Castleroy said. "Maybe he's healed more than he thinks."
I looked at Bash, suddenly jealous of him, and completely pissed off. His eyes met mine, and I knew he knew I was angry. He looked away, and I honestly didn't blame him. I wouldn't want to look at my pissed off face either.
When we were dismissed, I got up and stormed out of the room. Bash ran after me, but I slipped into the bathroom before he could get my attention in full. I knew he was there, and I heard his voice as he begged me to stop walking away, but I didn't want to talk to him. There were really no words to describe how I was feeling. Mostly I was just pissed.
In the bathroom and grabbed hold of the sink with both hands and looked down as a million different thoughts swarmed through my head. There was a ringing in my ears and I was so angry I started shaking. Then, out of nowhere, I looked up and punched the mirror in front of me, shattering the glass and cutting my knuckles in the process.
It hurt like hell.
I didn't cry out. But my mouth opened and I tried to cradle my shredded hand, dripping with blood and covered in fragments of glass. Nothing would come out of my mouth, but I didn't want it to. I was so angry, that I'd let my anger get the best of me. My entire body started shaking again, but for different reasons… mostly the sting of the cuts against the dry air. With a shaky hand—the good one—I grabbed the knob and turned the faucet on, putting my hand under cold water. I stung even worse.
Greer came into the bathroom and saw me. She then saw the broken mirror. "Mary!" she exclaimed. "What the hell did you do?!"
Tears were streaming down my face, though I tried to hold them back despite the pain. I didn't say a word. But Greer came over and took off her scarf, wrapping my hand in it and led me out of the bathroom. When we made it out into the bullpen, everyone was looking at me.
I didn't care. I would get my hand taken care of… and then I would be at the bust, no matter what my psych evaluation said.
.
-BASH -
I was absolutely shocked when Greer led Mary out of the bathroom, her hand wrapped in the scarf Greer had been wearing before she went in. Several people rushed into the bathroom to see. What met my eyes stunned me as I did the same, seeing the broken glass of the mirror and drops of blood from Mary's hand. I couldn't believe she was that pissed off over this. I didn't think I would pass the psych eval, but apparently I had. Mary's wounds were fresh. I was concerned about her well-being. Of course I knew she could take care of herself, but was it so bad for me to try and protect her? I didn't want her out there five minutes ago, and now I really didn't want her in the field.
Penelope wouldn't speak to me either. She was pissed off too. So much so that she actually went back to the hotel without telling any of us. The security guard had to tell us she'd walked out. That left myself, Alec, Julien, Leith, Lola, Greer, and Kenna to run this bust. I didn't know how we were going to do it… but we had to try.
Kenna approached me while I sat in the conference room. "Have you figured out what you're going to tell Francis about Mary?" she asked.
I sighed and sat back in my chair. "Westbrook said I should tell him she was feeling under the weather. And right now, I'm too worried about her to even argue with him."
She sat down next to me. "Did you cheat your way to a passing grade on the psych eval?" she asked.
"No," I answered, looking at her to let her know I was serious. "I swear to God I didn't cheat. I passed that test fair and square. I don't know how, but I did." Kenna pressed her lips together. I could tell she had something to say, but she was wary about it. "What?" I asked, point blank.
"I just got off the phone with Greer," she said. "Mary's convinced you cheated. And… she's going to be there. She told Greer, "You can't stop me." She's defying the director's orders, Bash. This could get her in serious trouble."
Kenna didn't actually have to tell me that. I knew Mary would get in a heaping load of trouble if she carried out with her stubborn ways. The pain inside of her caused by Aylee's death was blinding her from reality. It was why doctors weren't allowed to treat family members… their judgment went out the window. The ability to be rational didn't exist.
How in the hell was I going to stop her? Or… maybe not stop her… but prevent her from doing something that got her fired, hurt… or worse… killed?
...
A/N: I apologize for the lengthy wait. But here's the good news... finals week is here and I'll be free after that! Thursday the eighth is my official last day for the semester, so I won't have school as an excuse anymore. :p Please review and let me know your thoughts! I will get Chapter 12 to you as soon as humanly possible! xo
