Ultraviolet ✔️

12.1

Chapter Twelve

I'm drumming my fingers on the table, chewing the inside of my cheek until the skin feels ragged and I taste the metallic flavor of blood. The room feels freezing and the back of my shirt is sticking to my skin from the cold sweat trickling down my spine. I'm watching the second hand on the clock tick, thinking back to the premonition I had about Karen's death, wondering if we'll end up sparing her life.

The wait is the worst part, the hardest part.

Joel and the chief are talking in his office. They're standing and I'm sitting in the corner. I hear the sound of them speaking but it's not translating into words. It's all just noise in my head. All of it sounds like white noise.

"Carrigan?"

Chief is staring at me expectantly.

Obviously perplexed, my eyebrows knit together. "Hmm?"

"I was just trying to get your attention," Chief says. "I was thinking it would be best if you stay behind at the station while Reed makes the arrest."

I try to read Joel's face for a reaction, but he looks indifferent. I'm starting to wonder how he's feeling, but don't really know anything for certain.

"I don't know about that—" I start, but Joel cuts me off.

"He has a point," Joel argues. "It's undisputed that you lack experience in the field, and anything that could get you killed or injured is a no-go. We'd rather not have you around as a liability. We've already arrested him once, and I doubt he's going to come without a fight this time. It's risky for you."

I don't know why, but this frustrates me. It's not like I'm utterly helpless and can't take care of myself, and it's not like I didn't help find the evidence that got us to where we are now in the first place. I want to help with the arrest because I feel like I deserve to be there. The problem is, I'm not trained. I don't have the ground to really fight.

"I'll be back soon," Joel says. "You'll have the report tomorrow, Chief."

"Be careful out there," I remind him, catching his wrist as he reaches for the doorknob. "He's dangerous."

Joel tilts the corner of his mouth up, a small dimple indenting his cheek. "I can handle myself, Vi."

With that, he leaves me in the office with Chief, his boots falling softly on the floor as his footsteps gradually fade out.

Chief has a solemn expression on his face. I know then that whatever news he's about to deliver won't just be bad— it could be completely, utterly catastrophic.

"What's happened?" I ask, my stomach contorting inside my gut. "Why do you look like the world is gonna end?"

"The hackers claimed responsibility for the dead cop and the robbery."

The words hit hard, each one like an individual stab to the chest. My lungs feel like they're full of water and I'm not sure I'll be able to talk or breathe because holy shit this is happening. This is one of those moments, one of those times where I'm not sure I'm hearing this right.

"What do you mean by that? You can't be serious!" I exclaim.

"They sent me an email confirming it," he says grimly. "I can't trace it. The IP address is lost and any data we can get on whoever is doing this is scrambled. The truth of the matter is that they confessed to plotting the murder."

"It was a junkie," I tell him, as much as myself. "It was just a junkie looking for a fix—"

He grimaces. "It wasn't a coincidence, Vi. They're sick people."