“Right.”
“But I want to make sure you're not using that tiredness as an excuse to avoid taking care of yourself."She set her tablet aside again."Have you been seeing anyone?Socially, I mean.Outside of work."
The question caught Miles slightly off guard, even though he should have expected it.Dr.Mitchell had been gently pushing him toward some kind of social life for weeks now."Not really.I've had drinks with Vic and Kim a few times after we wrapped up cases.But that's work-adjacent."
"What about romantic opportunities?It's been nearly seven months since Elena's death.I'm not suggesting you should be dating if you're not ready, but I'm curious if you've given it any thought."
An image of Sarah Kim flashed through Miles's mind before he could stop it.The way he sometimes caught her looking at him only to turn her head away quickly.He thought of the intelligence in her eyes when she worked through databases and evidence, and the quiet competence she brought to investigations.He found her interesting…attractive, even.But the thought of pursuing anything felt wrong—like a betrayal of Elena's memory.
"No," Miles said simply.
Dr.Mitchell studied him for a long moment but didn't push further."All right.Let's talk about your sleep patterns beyond the nightmares.Are you getting enough rest?"
They spent the remainder of their session discussing the practical aspects of his recovery.His sleep schedule, his eating habits, whether he was still drinking too much bourbon in the evenings.Miles answered honestly, recognizing that lying to his therapist would only slow down his own progress.
When their time was up, Dr.Mitchell walked him to the door."You've made real progress, Miles.I truly mean that.Keep doing the work."
"Thanks.Same time next week?"
"Same time next week."
Miles left the office and headed toward the parking garage, feeling lighter than he had in weeks.And by the time he started the car his mind had already pointed to what was waiting at the office, he almost felt…God, he almost felthappy.
CHAPTER TWO
Miles had just pulled into the underground parking garage at FBI Headquarters when his phone buzzed.He checked the clock on the car’s dashboard; it was 9:58.He was sure the text would be from Vic or Sarah Kim, and he was honestly surprised he’d not been pinged yet already.But they both knew he had his weekly meeting with Dr.Mitchell and had always respected it.
He waited until he parked in his usual spot before checking the message.He was right in assuming it was from Vic or Kim.The message was from Vic, a simple, straight-to-the-point text:Need you in the Nest when you get in.Task force has something.
The Nest.Vic had started calling it that three weeks ago when the Elementalist Task Force had taken over Conference Room 4B on the third floor.The name had stuck, though Miles suspected it was meant ironically.The room had become the operational center for a sprawling effort that involved dozens of agents across the country, all coordinating through a central hub at Quantico.A new flat screen had been installed, with brand new telecommunications equipment.No expense was being spared to dig deeper into Kane’s network.
Miles took the elevator up and walked down the corridor toward 4B.Through the glass walls of the conference room, he could see Vic standing near the large monitor mounted on the far wall.Two other people were with her.Miles recognized them both from the joint briefings that happened every Monday morning.
Special Agent Rebecca Marsh was in her late thirties with dark hair cut short, hanging just above her shoulders.She had transferred from the FBI's Counterterrorism Division a month ago specifically to join the task force.Miles had heard she was ruthlessly analytical, the kind of agent who could process massive amounts of data and find patterns others missed.
The other agent present was David Masters from Homeland Security.He was in his forties, wearing the kind of suit that looked expensive but understated.Masters had a background in predictive analytics and had helped develop some of the algorithms the task force used to identify potential disciples.
Miles pushed open the door and entered.Vic looked up from the table and gave him a slight nod.
"Thanks for coming so quickly," she said."Marsh and Masters have been working a lead out of Louisiana.They think they might have something."
Marsh stepped forward and gestured to the monitor, which displayed a case file with several photographs attached.There was no hello or how-ya-doing.As always, Marsh got straight to the point."Patricia Brennan, forty-six years old, lives in Baton Rouge.Her husband died three weeks ago from what the local coroner ruled as acute lead poisoning.The death certificate lists the cause as accidental exposure, but the circumstances raised some red flags in our system."
Miles moved closer to examine the photographs.They showed a man in his fifties, clearly deceased, lying in what looked like a hospital bed.The skin had a grayish pallor that Miles recognized from his years working with toxicology cases.
"What kind of red flags?"Miles asked.
Masters pulled up another screen showing a timeline."Thomas Brennan worked as an accountant.No industrial exposure to lead, no hobbies that would involve heavy metals.The coroner found elevated lead levels in his blood that were consistent with chronic exposure over several months.But there was no obvious source."
"And the wife?"Vic asked.
"She works as a dental hygienist," Marsh said."She has no criminal record, no connection to Kane that we can find through our usual channels.But the death fits a pattern we're watching for.Unexplained poisoning using an element from the periodic table, and a victim with no clear occupational exposure.”
Miles studied the timeline Masters had displayed.The progression of Thomas Brennan's symptoms matched what he would expect from chronic lead exposure.Fatigue, abdominal pain, cognitive decline.The man had been to three different doctors over the course of four months before the final hospitalization.
"Have you spoken to the coroner?"Miles asked.
"Not yet," Marsh said."We wanted to brief you and Stone first, get your assessment before we started making official inquiries."