Read Seek and Destroy for Free Online Page A

pulling his gaze back to her.
        Well. This just kept getting better and better. "How much is left?" He asked.
        She paused. When Weber growled with impatience, she continued. "Let's just say you'll be setting off the metal detectors in the airport from now on."
        So much for going in undetected, David thought wryly. He closed his eyes against what it all meant. Deep down, he knew. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew. His days in Field Ops were numbered, if not over all together.
        "Goddamn it, McKoy!" Weber stated. "Why wasn't I briefed on any of this?"
        She blinked twice at him, seemingly not comprehending the question. "I just told you."
        Weber looked ready to pop. "I meant before now."
        "Would it have made any difference?"
        "Why the hell am I always the last to know? I'm a director, for Christ's sake! That entitles me to something, doesn't it? You are supposed to brief the director before briefing the agent. Classic NASSD. Jesus, it's in the goddamn rulebook!"
        This time McKoy did jump at Weber's barking. Hell, the entire hospital wing had to have heard him. "I'm not NASSD, but I do know that is not in the rulebook."
        "It's common sense, McKoy."
        "Common sense," she argued, impressing the hell out of David she would stand up to Weber in the mood he was in, "would dictate I tell the person the news is affecting. It doesn't make any sense to tell you, then turn around and tell him the same thing. If you are in the same room, which you are, then it makes sense to tell you both at the same time."
        "I don't give a rat's ass whether it makes sense to you or if it's in the goddamn rulebook. Follow my rules or I send you back to daddy and find someone who can." He emphasized his point by driving his finger at her, his teeth clenched.
        She backed up until she ran into David's arm on the side of his bed. As much as it hurt, he retreated his arm before he reached around and pulled her to him.
        She took a few preparatory breaths. Her words seemed hurried, eager to say something to get the director's anger back under check. "W-We expect him to be out of here within the next few days or so, now that we know the threat of death is no longer imminent."
        "Good," David said. "So it'll be back in the field in no time."
        "Not so fast." She turned and looked at him. "You can't simply bounce back from this. You need to take a break from the field."
        Shit. He was afraid of that. "How long of a break?"
        She hesitated and looked down at her wringing hands to avoid his eyes. As she brought her eyes up, she looked to Weber for guidance. "You know what needs to happen, sir."
        Shaking his head, he protested. "No."
        "Do you really want me to do this? Or would you rather I make a call?"
        Weber narrowed his eyes as he looked at McKoy. His expression hardened. His breath grew labored. His nostrils flared. As he clenched his hands into fists, he looked down and shook his head. JT came to his side and rested her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her.
        "You have to," JT told him gently.
        Weber shook his head again, dropped his gaze to the floor.
        "SD Weber," McKoy urged.
        "I'll take it from here," Weber growled, his voice terse, full of something David rarely heard from him. Emotion. Regret. The look in those eyes told him everything he needed to know. "Snyder."
        "No, Weber." He fought to keep his voice steady, refused to accept defeat. He fought the bullet. The poisoning. That had to count for something. "Don't take me out of the field. I can still do this."
        Visibly swallowing, Weber nodded. "I have no doubt, David. But I can't have you back out there, not knowing what we now know."
        Weber never called him by his first name. The resentment toward ICE grew with a vengeance. NASSD joined ICE on the top of his shit list. They were