LITMIR.BIZ

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       TWO

      Mackenzie dared another glance behind her and opened the door to the local office of the US Marshals. As she entered the building, she wasn’t sure if she was being watched or not. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had their eyes on her and was paying attention to her every move, despite the presence of Jake Riley, who followed just a few steps behind. Last night she had stayed at the hotel suggested by Jake, but she had been truly surprised at the change in his attitude, which seemed to have gotten distinctly frostier once she’d mentioned the documentary. He’d turned into an iceberg in two minutes flat, and arriving to pick her up this morning, he hadn’t said more than a handful of words to her or even met her eye.

      She shouldn’t really have been surprised at his behavior. As a kid, she had done her best to garner Jake’s interest, but he had largely ignored her. Nothing had changed. Sure, they were both adults now, but it was painfully obvious that he still found her to be a nuisance. His distaste for her seemed even worse than when she had been following him around as a teenager. She didn’t know what she had done to offend him so, but at this point, she didn’t want to dwell on it. She had moved on years ago.

      Maybe she was just being too sensitive. She hadn’t slept very well last night. The feel of the man’s gun under her chin was still too real, and the entire experience from yesterday still had her nerves on edge. But life had to go on, and she had two meetings in this office today—one with Jake Riley to look at mug shots, if he still wanted her to do so, and one with the chief to go over her action plan and start the wheels turning on her video project. As she expected, Jake Riley disappeared soon after their arrival at the building, so she asked for the chief at the front desk and was soon ushered back into a small conference room.

      J.T. Austin, Chief Deputy US Marshal, came in with a warm smile and his hand out, ready to shake. He was a large man who exuded authority, with a tough-as-nails appearance. Yet his smile was genuine, and Mackenzie felt instantly at ease, incredibly glad that he was more receptive to her project than Jake Riley was. She stood to greet him and then sat back down and pulled out her portfolio.

      “I’m so glad we’re going to be working together, Chief Austin. I’ve heard great things about your unit and its amazing closure rate. You must have a truly excellent team.”

      “We do indeed,” Austin agreed.

      The door opened and Jake Riley reappeared. Mackenzie smiled at him but was met with a scowl. He still refused to meet her eye.

      “I believe you already know Deputy Marshal Riley,” Austin intoned.

      Mackenzie was a bit flustered by Jake’s icy expression, but she took it in stride. “Yes, he actually saved my life last night. A couple of men broke into my apartment and held me at gunpoint, but Deputy Marshal Riley scared them off before they could do any serious damage.”

      Austin raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

      He leaned back as Jake took a seat at the conference table. “Looks like you were in the right place at the right time, Jake.” He smiled. “Mackenzie Weaver is the videographer we are working with to create our documentary. We’d been keeping the project under wraps until we worked out all the details, but now that we have a contract in place, we’re ready to move forward. Ms. Weaver is making a one-hour special that will be broadcast on one of the biggest networks in the country. It should bring the agency some wonderful exposure from a media standpoint and may even help us with our budget requests. The more the legislature knows about what we do and how we do it, the better likelihood we have of getting properly funded. This movie is really important to us and will make a big impact. It’s good to have her.” He turned to Mackenzie. “Ms. Weaver, I’ve assigned you to Jake and his team so you can make your documentary. He’ll be showing you the ropes and answering your questions as you go through the filming process.”

      Mackenzie expelled a breath, hoping her disappointment didn’t show. She’d hoped Chief Austin had been planning to assist her personally, especially after Jake’s negative comments the night before. She dared another glance at Jake and was still surprised at his frigid expression. He obviously didn’t want to be working with her. The question was, why? Had she said or done something last night to turn him off or insult him? Did he still think of her as a lovesick tomboy from high school? She needed his cooperation for this film to become a success. She decided to put her best foot forward and let her professionalism shine. “I’m so pleased to be working with you, Deputy.”

      Austin stood. “I’ll leave you two to get to work. Ms. Weaver, if you need anything, my office is just down the hall. Jake, I’ll trust you to take care of Ms. Weaver and help her get her work accomplished. I’m already anxious to get some popcorn and watch the final version!” He shook Mackenzie’s hand again, clapped Jake on the back and left the room.

      Once they were alone, Jake sighed audibly. Mackenzie raised an eyebrow. “So I take it this wasn’t your first choice of assignments.”

      “Not even close,” Jake agreed in his southern drawl.

      “Did you even know this project was in the works?”

      “Nope. The chief must have known how I’d react. That’s why he played this one close to the vest. I didn’t even have an opportunity to talk to him about it this morning like I’d planned.” He leaned forward. “Look, you’re gonna get in our way. It’s that simple. You’re making my job a hundred times harder. I know the chief seems to have high hopes for this film of yours, but I sure wish you had chosen a different agency for your exposé.”

      “Exposé?” Mackenzie said, hoping her frustration wasn’t showing. “That’s hardly what I’m doing. My film will be a positive documentary about the good work that you’re doing. It’s designed to make the US Marshals look good—not hurt you.” She shifted. “You should also know that this was your agency’s idea, not mine. They sent out a request for bids, and my proposal won the contract. If I wasn’t the one behind the camera, it would have just been someone else doing the work instead of me.”

      He seemed to ponder her words, but in the end he didn’t change his expression. “Regardless, you’re still going to be in my way.”

      “The more you cooperate, the sooner I’ll be out of your hair. That’s a promise,” Mackenzie said, hoping her frustration wasn’t coming across in her tone. There was no reason to antagonize the man, especially since he had come to her rescue just last night. Arguing with him was also a waste of time. She would just have to prove to him that her work would reflect well on his unit and the job he did. She pulled out her storyboard sheets and laid out her plans for the movie, going over the various scenes she hoped to film and giving him the narrator’s script, which would tie it all together.

      “This is just my initial plan. I’d like for you to read over all of this and let me know your opinion. I want to create a realistic piece—not a work of fiction. Your input is vital.”

      * * *

      Jake gathered all the papers together in a stack but barely glanced at them. “Fine. I’ll take a look as soon as I get time, if I get time.” He grimaced, wanting to stay focused on doing his job and doing it well, not on making a video that he had no interest in. “For now, I would like for you to take a look at some mug shots. I think I recognized one of the guys from your attack last night, and if I’m right, he’s a mean, nasty character that I really want to get off the streets. Do you mind taking a look?”

      He could tell that he’d offended her by not studying the papers she’d brought, but his focus was on catching criminals, not helping make a movie for publicity. When she nodded, he quickly led her out to the bull pen where the deputies had their desks. He seated her at a long table with three large books of pictures. He left her for about half an hour and then came back once he noticed she’d flipped through the last of them.

      “Did you see anyone you recognized?”

      Mackenzie shook her head.

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