The Last Second: A Novella
3/5
()
About this ebook
Covert agent Zachary Griffin and FBI Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick are sidetracked from an ongoing investigation to follow up on a potential lead. In a small Arizona border town, gunrunning and drug trafficking into Mexico are a part of the landscape—but not when they're orchestrated by an officer in uniform. At least that's the story told to agents Griffin and Fitzpatrick.
But the dirty cop is now missing, and his sister says he's innocent, a victim of a corrupt police department. She is convinced they set him up to take the fall, then killed him, and she can prove it—with help from a highly unusual witness. Suddenly an open-and-shut case seems anything but, and the clock is ticking as Griffin and Fitzpatrick take on an entire police department in a deadly match that could go up in smoke at the last second.
Robin Burcell
Robin Burcell is an FBI-trained forensic artist who has worked in law enforcement for over two decades as a police officer, detective, and hostage negotiator. A two-time Anthony Award winner, she is the author of four Sydney Fitzpatrick novels—The Black List, The Dark Hour, The Bone Chamber, and Face of a Killer—as well as four novels featuring SFPD homicide detective Kate Gillespie: Every Move She Makes, Fatal Truth, Deadly Legacy, and Cold Case.
Read more from Robin Burcell
The Kill Order Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dark Hour Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Bone Chamber Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Face of a Killer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Black List Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to The Last Second
Related ebooks
Breach of Protocol: The Special Agent Jana Baker Spy-Thriller Series, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Lair of Anubis: The Project, #20 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Reformation: An Alivia Morgan Thriller: Alivia Morgan, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEyes of Justice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Not Her (A Camille Grace FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 4) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSolomon's Gold: The Project, #15 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Phoenix Fatale Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Silently Forever Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Cup: The Project, #13 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lethal Beauty: A MIA Quinn Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fatal Demand: A Jess Kimball Thriller: The Jess Kimball Thrillers Series, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTough Justice - Burned (Part 3 Of 8) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAssassination of a Dignitary Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Adverse Events: Galveston Crime Scene, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Atlantis Stone: The Project, #12 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Shameless: Splitsville Legal Thriller Series, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNight Work: A Jonathan Quinn Thriller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Matter of Trust Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUrgent Justice: Vigilante Justice Thriller Series with Jack Lamburt Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRendition Protocol: The Special Agent Jana Baker Spy-Thriller Series, #5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPatriot Force (A Zack Force Action Thriller—Book 1) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFatal Error: A Jess Kimball Thriller: The Jess Kimball Thrillers Series, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Legend of Gasparilla and His Treasure: Matthew Connor Adventure Series, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Special Agent Jana Baker Spy-Thriller Series (Books 2-4): The Special Agent Jana Baker Spy-Thriller Series Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDouble Blind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wired Courage: Paradise Crime Thrillers, #9 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Heretics Bible: James Acton Thrillers, #40 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Standalone Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSilent Rain Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Wired Fear: Paradise Crime Thrillers, #8 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Suspense For You
The Perfect Marriage: A Completely Gripping Psychological Suspense Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Kind Worth Killing: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fairy Tale Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pretty Girls: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Paris Apartment: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Then She Was Gone: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Flicker in the Dark: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5False Witness: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Thing He Told Me: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The It Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Flight: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5None of This Is True: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brother Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Daughter: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hunting Party: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5If We Were Villains: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Institute: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Outsider: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Housemaid Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Night Agent: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Misery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Whisper Man: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Long Walk Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Billy Summers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5End of Watch: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Maidens: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Related categories
Reviews for The Last Second
5 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Last Second - Robin Burcell
THE LAST SECOND
A Novella
ROBIN BURCELL
30816.pngDEDICATION
Those of us who have friends like Max,
who will stand by us no matter what, we are blessed.
This story is dedicated to those friends.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Now that I’ve completed my first ever novella, I realize it takes a small village to bring it to fruition. To (retired) supervising Special Agent George Fong, FBI, who always ensures that my FBI elements are based on reality. To (retired) Sergeant Dale Miller, LPD, my expert on explosive devices, who has helped me through several books and now this short story to ensure that anything that explodes does so with a semblance of believability. Any factual errors are mine. To Susan Crosby for being my first reader and best critic. To my agent, Jane Chelius, for always cheering me on. To everyone at Harper for all their hard work. And last, but certainly not least, to Lyssa Keusch, my editor. This story is better because of her.
CONTENTS
Dedication
Acknowledgments
The Last Second
An Excerpt from The Kill Order
Chapter 1
About the Author
Also by Robin Burcell
Copyright
About the Publisher
THE LAST SECOND
Zachary Griffin glanced over at his passenger, then back at the road. He had his reasons for asking Sydney Fitzpatrick to assist him with this case. They worked for two separate agencies. He was a covert operative for ATLAS, an intelligence agency that handled national security threats both domestically and internationally. She was an FBI agent. Typically the FBI would not be working with ATLAS. Very few people even knew his agency existed. But he’d crossed paths with Sydney on more than one case, and, since she was also a forensic artist, her clearance had been raised when they’d needed her assistance.
This investigation, however, was not one that needed a sketch, forensic or otherwise. He’d asked her to come with him as a pretext to discuss a past case he’d worked. One might even say it was a confession. A secret he’d held on to, even though he should have told her before they’d started dating.
Now it was time to clear the air.
What better way to do it than when they were stuck in some small town, two thousand miles away, where she couldn’t simply drive home? Maybe then she’d listen long enough to see things from his point of view.
One could only hope, he thought, checking his rearview mirror, then glancing over at her as she finished reading the case she’d started on the plane. They were now on the road, heading south from Tucson, Arizona. Unlike the gray January skies they’d left behind that morning in D.C., here it was blue and cloudless.
This guy looks guilty,
Sydney said, turning the page. It was a thick file, but she was nearly finished.
He probably is.
So why are we going out on it then? The guy skipped bail. You really think he’s going to talk to us?
Assuming we can find him. If he can give us Quindlen, it’ll be more than worth our while to offer him a deal.
According to the report, Calvin Walker, a Pocito police officer, was suspected of working with the Mexican cartels. He’d been seen talking with a known gunrunner and ex–CIA agent, Garrett Quindlen, who was under suspicion of running the entire operation. When Walker was stopped on his way home, the Pocito police found a number of guns in his trunk, along with a large amount of cash and drugs. He was arrested, and, for reasons Griffin had yet to determine, was granted bail before any other agencies had a chance to go out and interview him.
Their only hope now was getting to Walker through his sister, Trish, who they hoped might still be in touch with him.
They met Trish Walker at a coffee shop in the next town over. She had short, wind-tousled blond hair. Her blue eyes were rimmed with dark circles, and her skin looked gaunt, as though she hadn’t slept or eaten much the past several days. The restaurant was empty save for two people sitting at the counter, one scanning the paper, the other the waitress, who was reading a book. The three took a seat at a table near the window, and the waitress got up to pour them coffee, took their order, then went back to her