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Her boss stared back at her as though she were a slug under a rock that somehow had dared him to touch her The very fact that he couldn't fire her without bringing down a heavy barrage of interest in his office was only the tip of the iceberg of reasons he hated her

Thecareer suicide and didn't sees, the director of the FBI and Deerfield's boss She didn't run crying to Daddy Zach, but that didn't mean he wasn't well aware of the treatned to it

"Well, you can stop protesting the assignment," he bit out, his tone malevolent "You're off The operation is dead in the daodfather and your inco to him?"

Marty sat up straighter, a frown line forht of only n at the insult, but thanking God that her godfather had taught her how to lie when she was young "And I stopped crying to him when I was three "

"Then I don't have to worry about a protest on my desk when I tell you that you have to be one of the lousiest agents I've ever had in my division," he stated derisively

"The only report you have to worry about is the one Ito hide her anger "Perhaps it wasn't ht and inability to accept the fact that Mustafa is guilty of nothing but his own sexual excesses "

She kept her tone respectful She assured herself there was none of the ani into it

He sneered back at her, and it was all she could do to keep fro him what a fruitcake he had become over the years

His determination to find any shred of evidence that he could procure against Khalid had beco joke within the office He refused to listen to reason, refused to see that there was nothing to tie Khalid to any terrorist Except those that her godfather had hi with

Noasn't that fucked up?

"My lack of foresight has never been an issue " He rose to his feet and paced to the s that gave views out over D C as he blew out a hard, disgusted breath "Either way, the operation has been shut down You're off the case, Mathews You can finally begin the vacation you've been crying about for the past two years "

Crying about? She rather doubted it She had subned to Khalid, and had merely resubmitted it every six months She deserved her vacation She hadn't had one in over three years

"Thank you, sir " She just barely ed to keep the mockery out of her voice

Not that Deerfield was fooled He glared back at her as he clasped his hands behind his back and straightened his shoulders to stare down his hooked nose at her

"You're excused " He grih there was a smell that offended him "I'll see you back here in one nment worthy of your mediocre skills "