Page 7 of Urban Justice
Chapter 4
Dripping in sweat,arms throbbing, and lungs on fire, Sloane abandoned the punching bag and paced, her wrapped hands on her hips.
The exertion felt good, grounding her, and as many of the team members were using it at the moment, it was a noisy atmosphere.
On the mat, Lance, Joshua Chadwick, and Melina Gardner were repeating attack drills over and over, until muscle memory kicked in. Preparation and constant training were vital, as in the field, they not only fought criminals, but often, the police as well. Apart from each other, they had no allies.
Sloane grabbed a bottle of water from a concealed fridge and gulped it down. She had more energy to burn but decided against pushing herself. Night would soon take the city and she needed to be on full alert.
Immediately, she wondered what Professor Radcliffe was up to. The man had made an impression on her, on so many levels, but only one she would acknowledge. He had the knowledge she was desperate for, the knowledge she needed to stop the trafficking of Phantom, and even to trace it back to the source, the mysterious lab where the drug was coming from.
“Hey, you want to spar with me?”
Jerked from her thoughts by Melina, Sloane shook her head. “Nah. I’m done here.”
As Lance and Joshua were locked in an intricate wrestling hold, Melina lowered her voice. “Are you okay? You didn’t seem to truly attack the punching bags.”
With a sign, she rolled her shoulders. “You know when you feel you’re getting closer to your goal, but a door gets slammed in your face? I miscalculated with the professor. I moved too fast, without doing the appropriate research and background checks, and my impatience punched me in the face. I had to back away, if only to keep the potential lines of communication open.”
Their team doctor winced. “You’re human, Sloane. We all want to close this case, maybe you more than anyone else.”
Her throat closed, but Sloane refused to let it show. Melina was right and knew first-hand the damage drugs could do to individuals, and also to entire families.
“So what’s your next step? You’ve stumbled, but I know you’re not the kind of woman to stay down. What do you know about him?”
Indeed, when she’d returned from the university, she’d jumped on the computer and dug. “Former Marine who used a government program to go to school when he was discharged. Obtained his post-doctorate two years ago and became a teacher soon after. He’s discrete, only posts pictures or drawings on social media.”
It was then she realized that the pictures she’d seen in his office were his. Photographer, artist, scholar, it was an unusual mix for a former Marine.
“A Marine? How’s his record?”
“Stellar. He was offered many opportunities to advance, but turned them down, and instead started fresh. That’s courage in my opinion.”
Melina nodded. “Brawn and brain. What does he look like?”
Sloane elbowed the blonde doctor. “What kind of question is that?”
Far from being impressed by her frown, Melina’s green eyes sparkled like a cat. “Ah, a defensive reaction. That means he made an impression on you!”
Sloane didn’t know what made her angrier, Melina’s teasing, or the fact that her friend might be right.
Melina’s sudden outburst redirected Lance’s and Joshua’s attention. Both men took a break, and Sloane cursed. The last thing she wanted was to be sidetracked into something she had no intention of indulging in. Melina laughed, explaining the outburst, which made Sloane frown even more.
Joshua scratched the back of his head. “I thought you were having a hot affair with that girl, a barista, or something.”
Sloane rolled her eyes. “That ended months ago. And why do you care?”
Her burly Welsh colleague lifted a hand. “Don’t bite my head off. I just can’t keep up with who you’re with.”
“Damn, you make me sound as if my bed has a fucking revolving door!”
Probably sensing the tension was about to get the better of her, Lance put on hand on Joshua’s shoulder, but peered deep into Sloane’s eyes. “We’re not judging you here. We don’t care who’s in your bed, man or woman. All we want is for you to be happy. And lately, it looks as if you’re going through the motions, caught in your head. We’re just relieved to see you hyped up again.”
Sloane swallowed the rising emotions. She would never say it, but she was grateful for their tight-knit group, even if they sometimes annoyed her like a blood family.
“Listen, I’m only hyped because of the possibility of closing in on our target. Professor Radcliffe is certainly not what I expected, but even if he caught my eye, it doesn’t mean that he’ll get in the way of my job.”
This time, the energy shifted, the circle tightening around her.