Excerpt,
Secret Investigation by Elizabeth Heiter
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A new
miniseries from Harlequin Intrigue.
Welcome
to the Tactical Crime Division, a rapid-deployment joint team of FBI
agents specializing in hostage negotiation, missing persons, IT, profiling,
shootings and terrorism, with Director Jill Pembrook at the head.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Leila Petrov—When defective bulletproof vests cause
the deaths of an army unit, Petrov Armor’s CEO is determined to find the person
responsible. But her search makes her a liability to a killer, someone who’s
closer than she ever expected.
Davis Rogers—The former army ranger thinks going
undercover in Petrov Armor is his chance
to prove himself in the FBI’s elite Tactical Crime Division
(TCD). But it’s also deeply personal. One of the soldiers killed was a friend,
and Davis won’t stop until he’s gotten justice.
Melinda Larsen—The deeper this profiler digs
into the Petrov Armor case, the more unexpected threats she uncovers—putting
her directly in the line of fire.
Kane Bradshaw—Ever since his last partner died on the
job, the TCD agent prefers to work alone. But as he’s forced to work with
Melinda, he fears history will repeat itself.
Eric Ross—Petrov Armor’s head of sales was Leila’s
first love. He’s jealous of Leila’s obvious interest in her new “assistant,”
Davis, but is there something more sinister behind his constant appearances?
Joel Petrov—Leila’s uncle has been an integral part
of the company since Leila was a child. But is his involvement too convenient?
***
As in the Bureau, dying in the field was a possibility
you accepted. You did whatever you could to pre-vent it, but if it happened,
you knew you’d be going out doing something you believed in. But not like this.
Not the way Jessica had died, trusting the military, trusting her training,
trusting her equipment.
“I want to take the lead on this case,” Davis blurted.
Gazes darted to him: from profiler Dr. Melinda Larsen, silently assessing,
suspicion in her eyes, as if she somehow knew he had a history with one of the
victims. Always buttoned-up Laura Smith was quiet and unreadable, but her Ivy
League brain was probably processing every nuance of his words. JC, staring at
him with understanding, even though he didn’t realize Davis knew Jessica
personally. No one on the team did. “Is your personal investment in this case
going to be a hindrance or a help?” Pembrook asked, voice and gaze steady.
Davis’s spine stiffened even more. She was talking
about his army background. She had to be. But if she thought he was going to
fidget, she underestimated the hell he’d gone through training to be a ranger
for the army. “A help. I’m familiar with how the army works. And I’m familiar
with the product. I’ve worn Petrov Armor vests.”
Petrov Armor had supplied the body armor Jessica and
her team had been wearing during the ambush. That armor—supposedly the newest
and best technology—had failed spectacularly, resulting in the deaths of all
but three of the soldiers and one of the locals. In his mind it wasn’t the
insurgents who had killed Jessica and her team. It was Petrov Armor.
He didn’t mention the rest. He’d more than just worn
the vests. He’d had a chance to be an early tester of their body armor, back
when he was an elite ranger and Petrov Armor was better known for the pistols
they made than their armor. He’d given the thumbs-up, raving about the vest’s
bullet-stopping power and comfort in his report. He’d given the army an enthusiastic
endorsement to start using Petrov Armor’s products more broadly. And they had.
“I’m not talking about the armor,” Pembrook re-plied,
her gaze still laser-locked on his, even as agent-at-large Kane Bradshaw
slipped into the meeting late and leaned against the doorway. “I’m talking
about Jessica Carpenter.” Her voice softened. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
The gazes on him seemed to intensify, but Davis didn’t
shift his from Pembrook’s. “Thank you. And no, it won’t affect my judgment in
the case.”
Pembrook nodded, but he wasn’t sure if she believed
him as she looked back at the rest of the group and continued her briefing.
“Petrov Armor won a big contract with the military five years ago. The armor
this team was wearing is their latest and greatest. It’s not worn widely yet,
but their earlier version armor is commonly used. The military is doing a full
round of testing across all their branches. They’ve never had a problem with
Petrov Armor before, and they don’t intend to have another.
“Meanwhile, they’ve asked us to investigate at home.
We got lucky with the news coverage. We’re still not sure how it was leaked,
but not all of it got out. Or if it did, the news station only played a small
part. And somehow they don’t have the name of the body armor supplier. Not
yet,” she said emphatically. “Rowan, we don’t have to worry about PD this time.
I’m putting you on the media. Hendrick can lend computer support if you need
it.”
Rowan Cooper nodded, looking a little paler than
usual, but sitting straighter.
***
