Chapter Twenty-Seven

A steady rain had turned the day into a murky twilight. The gray curtain had begun to fall relentlessly about six o'clock. By the time Brook had finished up at the trailer park and gotten back on the road, she had cut her usual speed limit by around fifteen miles per hour. Still, she had made it to the pub with time to spare.

The lack of thunder or lightning lent an eerie stillness to the evening, broken only by the rhythmic patter of water on the pavement. She made her way through the downpour, mindful of puddles as the umbrella kept her top half somewhat dry. It was difficult to navigate when the rain was coming at her at an angle.

Brook had already determined that Bit hadn't arrived at the pub before her. The tech van wasn't in sight. While the black vehicle tended to blend in on a busy street, it was also easy to spot if one knew what to search for. There also wasn't an unmarked federal vehicle anywhere in sight, though that wasn't to say Agent Tirelli hadn't driven his personal vehicle.

She opened the door, lowering her umbrella as she stepped inside. Keeping the door ajar, she collapsed the umbrella and shook what remnants of water remained until she was confident that she wouldn't get herself soaking wet by carrying it through the crowd.

For a Monday, the place was quite busy.

Agent Tirelli was nowhere to be found, so she began to scan the room for a table. The bartender raised his hand in greeting. Some of his brown strands were wet, so he must have just arrived for his shift. She nodded back before giving the main area one more passing glance.

Brook finally spotted a high-top with four chairs.

As she carefully weaved her way to the back corner, she hadn't realized how much the rain had dropped the temperature outside. The warmth of the pub was pleasant, and she hoped that the bartender wouldn't mind brewing her up a hot cup of coffee.

Brook claimed the table by pulling out one of the chairs. She then hooked the strap of her purse over the back before tucking her umbrella in the corner. The past few hours had garnered her nothing but a vague description of Carl Swilling—brown hair, brown eyes, and an average build. The only distinctive mark was that of a three-headed dragon tattoo. A search of Mack Swilling's trailer hadn't produced a single photograph.

Using the railing of the chair, Brook settled into the seat. She reached back and pulled her cell phone from the side pocket of her purse. Glancing at the display, she confirmed that Bit hadn't tried to reach her while she had been making her way from the car to the pub. His silence meant that Theo and Sylvie hadn't been successful today, either.

It shouldn't be this difficult to locate an individual in this day and age.

The local police had reached out to a sketch artist who would sit with one of Mack Swilling's neighbors. Such a meeting was taking place now, and the sheriff gave his word that he would email her the electronic drawing first thing. Brook had also spoken with Bit about an aging software program. He stated that he would feed the one photograph that social services had on file into the application and have it run while he met her and Agent Tirelli for dinner.

A sudden vibration garnered her attention. The display on her phone had brightened and revealed Theo's name. She swiped the screen. Pressing the phone to her ear, she realized immediately that she wouldn't be able to hear him over the loud conversations and clinking of glasses.

"Theo, I'm at the pub. I'll call you back when—"

"No, I have…" Theo's voice broke off. "Did you get…"

"Theo, I can't hear you," Brook repeated as she decided to forego the table. Clearly, whatever update Theo wanted to pass on was significant. She stood from the stool, intent on collecting her umbrella and purse when she caught sight of Bit by the entrance. She raised her arm so that he could spot her in the back corner. "Theo, Bit just walked in. Hold on, and I'll go to a quieter area."

"…finally caved and told us that Carl was caught sneaking into Wallace's…"

Bit caught sight of her and began to make his way toward her. He stood out from the other patrons by wearing jeans, a t-shirt that had seen better days, and his knitted hat. Most of the patrons either wore shorts or the clothes that they had worn into the office today.

"…was the one held in that room underneath the…"

"Theo is on the phone, but I can't hear over the noise," Brook said as Bit finally made it to the table. "Please keep an eye on my purse. I'll be right back."

"Boss?" Brook turned back to find that Bit had already hopped onto his seat. "I located Jason Bracco. He is currently in the hospital with a severe case of food poisoning. Severe enough that he's been there for two days."

Brook nodded her understanding before deciding the small hallway near the restrooms was the most ideal place to speak on the phone. If it wasn't pouring rain, she would have taken the call outside. She hadn't made it past two tables when she almost ran into Mindy.

"Excuse me," Brook said as she attempted to edge past the woman.

Fortunately, Cav Buckley wasn't in attendance. Mindy was enjoying a night out with friends, who seemed to be mostly co-workers from the bar and grill. Brook walked past the table, her thoughts switching from Cav to another male subject. She didn't let on that she might have made a connection through mere initials.

C.S.

Coincidence?

Tension settled in Brook's shoulders as she finished crossing the room. When she came to the small hallway, she lifted the cell phone to her ear. The noise from the patrons had become somewhat muted, allowing her to find out what Theo had discovered from Mitch Swilling in Ann Arbor.

"Theo, I'm in a place where I can talk." Brook leaned a shoulder against the wall as she stared at a particular group. She lowered her gaze to one subject's legs in particular, and her adrenaline spiked when she realized that he was wearing shorts. "Bit and I are at the pub, waiting for Tirelli to show up."

"Mitch Swilling finally spoke to us at his lawyer's urging, Brook. We know the identity of our unsub," Theo revealed right as the man whom Brook had in her sights stood from the table. In doing so, he pushed his chair back and took a step in the opposite direction, patting another man on the shoulder in the process. The movement was enough for Brook to get a perfect visual of a three-headed dragon on the exposed skin of his right calf. "Carl Swilling is posing as Chip Schofield. Chip is Mitch Swilling's brother. You'll need to—"

"Chip Schofield is here at the pub, Theo," Brook divulged as she raised her eyes to the back of the man's head. Mindy had placed her hand on his arm, causing him to turn. In doing so, his gaze sought her out. Considering that he had flown under their radar for weeks, she wouldn't have thought anything of it. Now? He stared directly at her, and she was instinctively aware of the shift in his demeanor. "Get ahold of Tirelli. I'll do my best to apprehend Carl Swilling without anyone else getting hurt."

Brook quickly thought over her options. Chip—Carl—stood still and maintained eye contact with her all the while Mindy continued her side of the conversation. He, too, was apparently going over his options. In her peripheral vision, Brook was able to spot Bit as he abruptly stood from the table. Theo must have texted him, and his timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Mary Jane Reynolds had just entered the bar with her sister, both of them laughing loudly enough to capture everyone's attention. Carl slowly smiled, and he hadn't even turned around to verify who had walked through the door. He hadn't needed to from all the observing he had done over the past few weeks.

The air grew heavy with tension, and the noise around Brook faded as she zeroed in on her target. She wasn't keen on drawing her weapon in the middle of a bar, but she would do what was necessary to prevent him from achieving his goal. In all likelihood, he wouldn't care if she shot him dead…as long as he was able to stop Sheila Wallace's heart from beating ever again.

As Mindy chatted away, oblivious to the impending threat, Carl's smile widened into a chilling grin that spoke of his intent. There was a darkness in his eyes that had nothing to do with their color. Brook subtly adjusted her position before tucking her phone into the pocket of her blazer.

Carl discreetly reached for a steak knife on the table next to the other man's plate. He noticed and started to object, but it was too late. Carl's fingers wrapped around the handle of the knife and pulled the sharp blade from the table.

Unaware that she was about to be attacked, Mary Jane continued deeper into the pub with her sister. The federal agent in charge of her safety was two steps behind her, but he had no idea that his subject was about to be attacked from the front.

Brook wouldn't be able to reach Carl in time to stop him, so she was forced to draw her weapon. The women moved closer just as Carl was ready to strike. Mindy finally noticed that Carl had been staring in Brook's direction, but the woman had also spotted the knife in his hand. She backed up a few steps, bumping into the person behind her. It was then that Carl took advantage of the distraction. He raised his arm and used his momentum to swing around, fully intending to plunge the knife into Mary Jane's chest.

Unfortunately, someone stepped in front of Brook at the last minute, forcing her to remove her finger from the trigger. In a swift and unexpected move, Bit made a run for Carl to stop the vicious attack. The sudden disruption knocked Mary Jane back, affording the federal agent the ability to get her to safety while Carl was sent crashing into a table. Glasses shattered, chairs scraped the floor, and everyone scattered as chaos erupted in the bar. Brook pushed forward directing everyone back while Bit grappled with Carl.

Bit wrestled for control of the knife while Carl became somewhat manic. Brook waited for the right moment to step in, but her help wasn't needed. While both men fiercely wrestled one another on the wooden floor, Bit managed to bend Carl's wrist to the point where the man was forced to release the knife. Brook used her heel to kick the weapon out of reach while Bit successfully flipped Carl over and pinned him down, exerting enough force to keep him restrained in a prone position.

Fortunately, Agent Tirelli had materialized with a pair of handcuffs. He held them out for Bit, all the while reassuring the patrons that they would be able to continue with their evening in a few moments. He then leaned down and assisted Bit with pulling Carl into a standing position.

"I want a lawyer."

"I guess this means we're not getting dinner anytime soon," Tirelli muttered to Brook before launching into the Miranda rights as he escorted Carl out of the bar.

By this time, Brook had holstered her weapon and knelt to pick up Bit's grey knitted cap. By the time she had straightened, Bit was leaning over with his hands on his knees. His blond hair hung around his face as he took a moment to draw oxygen into his lungs. Brook couldn't help but reach out and pat his back in praise.

"That was some field work, Bit," Brook commended as he reached up and took his cap. He made no move to put it on as he continued to stay in a bent position. "You saved Mary Jane Reynold's life by putting yourself at risk."

"Just don't go telling Big T that I feel as if I was hit by a Mack Truck." Bit slowly straightened until he was able to adjust his hat in place. His usual pale features were flushed, and beads of sweat had formed on his temples. "He'll try to coerce me into working out with him every morning, and I'm pretty sure that I would die from a stroke or something."

Bit took one last long inhalation before flashing her a smile.

"Was that an epic takedown or what?"

"Epic," Brook agreed with him as she steered him to the corner to grab her purse. While Agent Tirelli would handle the arrest, they would be inundated with paperwork. They also needed to touch base with Theo and Sylvie. First, though, she needed to get Bit a drink. She glanced over her shoulder and held up a hand. The bartender nodded his understanding. "Let's sit for a moment."

"It was the element of surprise," Bit continued as he reached for her umbrella, not taking in her suggestion of sitting at the table. She didn't comment about the tremor in his hand, but she did manage to take the umbrella from him and put it back in the corner. His adrenaline rush was gradually wearing off, and the knowledge that he had put his own life at risk to save another would gradually sink in. "Fast reflexes, you know?"

"I know," Brook said as he finally hopped onto the high-top chair. She reclaimed her seat, ensuring that her purse was still in its place. The patrons had all pitched in and were doing their best to clean up the shattered glass and right the tables and chairs into their upright positions. "You handled the situation like any federal field agent would have in such circumstances. You were closest to the suspect, and you were able to disarm him without anyone getting hurt."

Brook had noticed that Mindy had collected a small garbage bin to help with the cleanup. Her motions were slow, indicating that she was in shock for very different reasons.

"Mindy, would you mind?" Brook held out her hand, prompting Mindy to close the distance between them. She sluggishly handed off the black plastic bin. "Thanks. You'll want to get another one. Trust me."

Mindy tilted her head in confusion, but her name was being called by someone near the table. She finally walked away to help him, leaving Brook alone with Bit. The previous color on his cheeks from the physical exertion was wearing off, and his pallor was now a shade lighter than usual. She lifted the small plastic pale over the table right as he made a declaration.

"Boss? I think I'm going to throw up."