There was always a chance one of Pierce’s coworkers would reach out to warn him.

“I wish they’d allowed me to search his house before picking him up.” Alex frowned in a rare show of impatience. Baby Georgie was being bounced gently on his knee as she started to fuss. Alex and Mallory employed a part-time nanny, but the young woman had class on Friday afternoons so the couple took turns entertaining their daughter or used the FBI Academy daycare.

Sloan was worried about the potential threat of explosives even though it seemed unlikely in the man’s own home. Ashley Chen’s fiancé, Lucas Randall, was in charge of this arrest with HRT providing backup as well as surveilling the guy’s modest house in case Pierce had ditched work and headed straight home.

HRT were preparing to raid the place as soon as Pierce was arrested and bomb techs declared it safe.

Shane was in Charlotte.

Yael tried not to think about him, nor about last night. Tried harder not to worry about him.

He was acting as an observer and liaising between HRT and the task force, which was his job. Yael hated the fact that she missed him. Hated the fact that she didn’t know what would happen between them when this op was over and hated the fact that she wanted anything to happen at all.

“Get a move on already.” Laura stood and rolled her shoulders, flicked her blonde hair over one shoulder and checked her watch.

Tim sat beside her. Quiet as always.

“Where is this guy?” Yael grouched. She grabbed a glass of water. Paced as she sipped.

“There.” Alex pointed to a figure on the screen who was crossing the road and heading toward the main doors.

Suddenly there was chatter on other feeds which linked to the FBI Charlotte’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Squad, the Crisis Negotiation Unit, and the Tactical Operation Center.

Yael gnawed her lip as agents swarmed out of nowhere.

Pierce froze, then reached inside his jacket. He looked as if he was going for a gun and a blast sounded along the airwaves as one of the FBI agents shot the suspect. Innocent people who’d been going about their business paused, looking shocked and startled. One woman on the sidewalk drew up short, gaping in fear.

The suspect dropped to the ground and planted his hands on the sidewalk. His gun skittered across the concrete. Yael heard agents yell at Pierce to lie down on the ground and watched them cuff him even though he was bleeding. She watched them check his face to make sure he was the right guy. And then give the affirmative that they had Eric Pierce in custody.

An ambulance sped into frame and cut off their view.