Read Run Girl: Ingrid Skyberg FBI Thrillers Prequel Novella for Free Online Page A

London?”
    “We’ve been checking her social media accounts. She’s been having a lot of online chats with a particular individual studying at Imperial College in London.”
    “You’ve spoken to him?”
    “We would if we could. It seems he’s disappeared too. Some time last night. None of his college chums has a clue where he might have gone. His mobile phone has been inactive since ten p.m. last night.”
    Sol Franklin leaned his elbows on his desk. “Can I assume from your questions that you will accept this mission?” He stared her in the eye, long and hard.
    Ingrid had to look away. She didn’t want to let the Bureau down. But equally, she wasn’t keen to spend any more time with Nick Angelis.
    “Come on, Agent Skyberg,” Franklin said, “you can save the girl and help bring peace to a war-torn region.”
    Ingrid blinked. The room was suddenly deathly quiet except for the hum and clank of the heating pipes. Even Angelis had wisely decided to hold his tongue. After Franklin had put the mission in such stark terms, how could she refuse?
    “OK,” she said, “but for God’s sake let’s not waste any more time.”

9
    Sol Franklin jumped out of his chair, enclosed Ingrid’s right hand in both of his and pumped her arm. “Great to have you on board, Ingrid.”
    “It certainly is.” Angelis, for once, stayed back. “Shall we?” He pointed toward the door.
    “Wait a second,” Franklin said. He opened a drawer beneath his desk and retrieved Ingrid’s cell phone. “You might need this.”
    Ingrid slipped the phone into her purse and got as far as the door when she stopped. “Should I be armed for this mission?”
    “UK Home Office don’t like us running around with guns,” Franklin told her. “There shouldn’t be any need for a sidearm anyway. She is just a teenager.”
    Ingrid walked with Angelis to the elevator in something approaching amicable silence. Just as she was wondering how long it might last, Angelis opened his mouth.
    “I suppose you’re wondering why we chose you and not your colleague,” he said, and punched the ‘down’ button with a knuckle.
    “I hadn’t given it any thought,” she lied.
    “Of course not. You Feds are known for your lack of competitiveness, I was forgetting.”
    Angelis’ sarcasm was going to grow tiresome pretty quickly. She had to nip it in the bud. “If we’re going to work together today you can drop the lame attempt at humor.”
    He raised his eyebrows.
    “In case you’re wondering, yes I can take a joke, but sarcasm is a little beneath you, isn’t it?”
    “Ouch. You are harsh.”
    “But fair.” Ingrid allowed herself a smile. She decided to change the subject. “So… you’ve worked with the embassy before?”
    “I’ve lost count of the number of times. Sol Franklin is a very good agent. One of the finest it’s been my pleasure to meet.” The elevator doors opened. They stepped inside and Angelis hit the button for the first floor. “What I was saying before… aren’t you even mildly curious?”
    “I’m sorry?”
    “You’re fooling no one with this innocent act. You’re dying to know why we chose you instead of your colleague. Admit it.”
    Ingrid shrugged. Of course she wanted to know what she’d done right. A little positive appraisal was always welcome, no matter how long you’d been on the job. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of letting him know he was right.
    “Sol and I agreed that agent Gardiner didn’t seem to be in the right… mental state to take on an active mission. She seemed rather preoccupied. About her children and so on. Wouldn’t actually shut up about them, in fact, would she?”
    “You were listening to our private conversation?”
    “I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you. You seemed to adapt quickly to the possibility of surveillance. You barely said a word all the time you were in there. You kept your own counsel magnificently well.”
    The elevator doors opened