Not her people. Not anymore.
The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. The militia poured into the waiting area. The receptionist gave the patrol a stiff nod and joined them, her rifle pointed toward the ground. A careful finger stroked the trigger guard.
The woman had not been chosen to work in the chief’s office for her filing skills.
Neither had Sergeant Jenkins. He twirled his wheelchair, leading Lila back toward her office. They left the others behind, all crowded in the lobby, their tranqs pointed toward the elevator.
“Awful lot of fuss,” Sergeant Jenkins said as the pair passed through his office and entered hers. He wheeled to the window and closed the blinds and curtains.
Lila locked the door. “It is, isn
’t it?”
“Someone’s come for you.”
She shrugged.
Jenkins parked his chair beside her desk and laid his gun in his lap. Lila knew what filled the chamber. Like her receptionist, Jenkins carried live ammo, precisely for this reason.
The oracle had taken Lila’s guns at the warehouse. She’d been glad for it at the time, but now she regretted handing them over.
How had her switch been flipped so completely?
She drew her tranq for lack of anything better to do. Shoving her inbox aside, she sat on her desk, feet swinging.
“Stand up, chief. At least pretend you’re worried.”
“I’m not worried. I should be out there—”
“Getting shot?”
“Finding the shooter. Defending the family. That’s what I’m here for.”
“I think Commander Sutton can do just fine without her boss looking over her shoulder and drawing fire.”
Lila looked at her bookshelf.
When had her books gotten so out of order?
Lila hopped up. Instead of fixing her books, she opened her top desk drawer and rummaged inside. Pens and notepads rattled together.
“What are you looking for?”
Lila withdrew a box of cookies.
“You can’t be serious.”
Lila popped a cookie into her mouth and pointed the package at Sergeant Jenkins.
Reluctantly, he took a few. “How’d they die, Commander Sutton?” he muttered. “Oh, the assassin just walked in and killed them both while they had a snack.”
“We’re not going to die. No one is going to die.”
“No, they probably won’t. Commander Sutton took away the target. Shooter’s probably long gone now.”
“Did you hear the shots?”
Jenkins nodded. “Shooter was close. Didn’t have to be, you know.”