Stanton grinned. “He used to send me applications already filled out and waiting for a signature. He thought that’s why I wasn’t applying. Just out of laziness.”
“Yeah, he was unique.” Kyle was silent a moment and then dipped into his pocket and came out with an ID badge. “I’ve known two people like you in my time, Jon. One was a detective when I was with Miami Homicide. He could just put himself in the place of others, victims and perpetrators. He knew where to look for everything to clear a case. But he was never arrogant about it. He treated everyone, even serial murderers, with respect. But it drained him. Every single case drained him a little bit. And he decided he couldn’t do it anymore so he retired, thinking that was the answer … and he drank himself to death one night on cheap whiskey.
“The other person applied to the Bureau from Phoenix Special Victims. Same thing. An amazing investigator, tenacious and smart. She threw herself into her work and kept getting promotion after promotion. She’s the SAC of my office now. She’s still helping, and she’s still fighting the same fight, but her life’s not at risk and she goes home to her family at five P.M. every night. She’s earned that.” Kyle threw the badge on the bed and Stanton could see the photo. It was himself with the blue FBI lettering stamped on top and the Department of Justice seal to the left. It said, SPECIAL AGENT JON STANTON and there were a series of letters and numbers underneath that.
“It’s up to you,” Kyle said, “which path you take. You can take that badge and come out and meet me at Quantico. Or you can go back and think you’re retired. It’s up to you.” He rose and walked to the door and turned to him. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. I really am.”
Stanton watched him leave and lifted the badge. He stared at it a long time and then placed it back on the bed before standing and going for his walk. He glanced out the window as he left and saw the sun poking through dark clouds far in the distance.
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BY VICTOR METHOS
Jon Stanton Thrillers
The White Angel Murder
Walk in Darkness
Sin City Homicide
Arsonist
The Porn Star Murders
Sociopath
Thrillers
Diary of an Assassin
Black Sky (A Mystery-Thriller)
Plague (A Medical Thriller)
Murder Corporation (A Crime Thriller)
Superhero (An Action Thriller)
Dracula (A Modern Telling)
Savage: A Novel
Creature-Feature Novels
The Extinct
Sea Creature
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Clone Hunter
Star Dreamer: The Early Science Fiction of Victor Methos
Black Onyx (A Superhero Thriller)
Empire of War (An Epic Fantasy)
Humor
Welcome to Hell, Earl
Philosophical Fiction
Existentialism and Death on a Paris Afternoon
To contact the author, learn about his latest adventures, get tips on starting your own adventures, or learn about upcoming releases, please visit the author’s blog at http://methosreview.blogspot.com/
Copyright 2013 Victor Methos
Kindle Edition
License Statement
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. Please note that this is a work of fiction and any similarity to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.