Rogue Alliance

THIRTY-TWO



Shawn was sitting in his Mustang in a no-parking zone by her apartment building.

“Shit,” Shyla muttered and put a hand to her throat. It was now on fire and hurt to swallow or speak.

Brennan looked worried.

“What?” he asked, “are you okay?”

“No, I’m not f*cking okay,” Shyla said, shaking her head with a grimace, “you’d better drop me off and get scootin’. That’s one of my partners.”

Brennan clenched his jaw.

“I’m not leaving until I know you’re in your place and you are doing okay. I’m still not convinced we don’t need to get you to the hospital.”

“I don’t need to go to the damn hospital. I need a goddamn drink, is what I need.”

Brennan parked the car under the street light.

“I’ll get the door,” he said, but Shyla was already scooting out of the passenger door.

Shawn was half way across the parking lot, heading straight towards them with a casual look. She imagined that he was going to play it cool since she was with Brennan. As far as he knew, their cover was still in tact. He could just be some random neighbor.

As he drew nearer the black and blue markings on her face and around her throat must have grabbed his attention. His expression shifted from nonchalant to confusion to anger and he rushed forward.

“What the hell happened?”

Shyla put up a hand.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Shawn grabbed Brennan’s jacket collar.

“You a*shole,” he said, “did you do this to her? I’ll kill you.”

“I’m just trying to help her,” Brennan responded, calm.

“Shawn, let go of him,” Shyla shouted, her throat constricted, “Shawn, what are you doing here?”

Shawn slowly released Brennan and gave her a sideways glance.

“I was waiting for you. I just wanted to…I was afraid that you’d gone through with…I wasn’t sure.”

“It’s over, Shawn. It’s over. Does Hal know you’re here?”

“No. I mean, I mentioned that I’d drop by and check on you. But he doesn’t know that you ignored Eli’s orders.”

“Tell him you saw me and I’m fine. Don’t tell him I saw Victor. I’ll tell him myself Monday.”

“This is crazy, Shyla. If he hurt you, I’ll go out there and arrest him myself.”

“Why? So he can pay off another judge. No thanks, Shawn. Look, I don’t have what it takes to stand out here and explain myself. I’m tired. It’s over.”

She turned and walked away, suddenly so tired she feared she would fall over right there in the parking lot. When she heard their footsteps, she kept walking but held up her hand in the air.

“Don’t follow me,” she said, “go home, both of you. I just want to be left alone.”

In the safety of her apartment, alone in the quiet, she sank onto the living room floor. The idea of a drink was no longer appealing. The concept of waking up the next day and reporting in to work as she’d said she would was not a thought that seemed viable. Everything seemed too monumental of a task in her current state. The fatigue was the only thing that seemed real. She just wanted to close her eyes and go to sleep for a very, very long time.

When she closed them, her eyes began to sting. They burned as her tired heart burned. Tears of her failures, her sins, and her ugliness poured forth. For once, she didn’t fight it off or push the emotion aside. She dove into its depths. Sobs, powerful and alive, wracked her body. She opened up to its torrential downpour.