and Swanson's statement up the chain. Anderson has been harassing our females, and they haven't said a word. That shit stops now." His captain slammed his fist down on the table. "I have to talk to him this morning, but I need a sanity break before I do."
"Have you talked to HR?"
"Yeah, I just got off the phone before I saw you two standing at the door. They said he needs to be removed from his supervisory position, and because I can't trust him, I'm transferring his ass off the team. With four corroborating statements, he's going to get paperwork, and possibly a demotion."
"Damn it."
"You already said that."
"Still seemed appropriate." Brody chuckled even though there was no humor in the situation. Terrell's chuff of laughter followed.
"We'll need a new lieutenant." He wondered who was next up on the list with the right credentials.
"You're on the list."
"Yeah, but I'm way down on that list. You'll have to offer it to what, ten or fifteen people before you could reach me?" There was no way that many people would decline a promotion.
"Some don't have the qualifications." Terrell opened another file. "Three have what it takes. One is homicide, but word is that there is an opening coming up. Lt. Davidson is up to fill Captain Reisner’s billet, so the candidate there will probably slide into Davidson's position."
"Okay, that still leaves two above me. They'd be stupid to turn down the promotion. Look, I'm honored, really I am, but if you don't do this by the numbers, people will scream nepotism."
"Yeah, I know. Theron and Brantley are good candidates. Brantley was groomed in the Desert, and Theron has experience with task forces, plus he has five years of SWAT under his belt."
"That could be helpful. Either would be great in that position."
"Yeah, and what sucks, is a year or two from now, after one of those two settle in, a billet will open up for you somewhere else."
"New blood is a good thing, but don't send me down the river, yet. I fought hard to make it here, not planning on leaving anytime soon." Brody leaned forward. "Unless you think it’s for the best."
Terrell's forehead crunched down, and the captain glared at him through narrowed eyes. "Why the hell would I think that?"
"You know that shit I said I was working on last week?"
"I seem to recall that conversation."
"Agent Swanson and I have more in common than a simple past. Turns out she and I are parents." He waited a heartbeat and then launched into the specifics of the last week.
Terrell leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin. "Have you filed the paperwork with HR yet?"
"No, sir."
"Okay. Good. I'm going to ask you not to do that."
The words sat him on his heels. His captain followed every rule, every time. "Excuse me?"
"I'll put it in writing, so you don't take any heat because of it. Don't go to HR and report your relationship, yet. We have this surveillance gig almost lined up. I want you and Swanson to act like a couple and actually inhabit the house. We'll do the remote monitor from the truck. We can park it outside the housing area and still monitor the cameras. That way you and Swanson can sleep, but during the daylight hours, I want you and her out and about and seen by the neighborhood. I need you to be accepted so the occupants of those two houses feel like you're a part of the environment. If you file HR paperwork, I can't put you on the same operation, and I need two people who those suburbanites will believe are a couple."
He and Amber could sell the relationship, but Terrell was putting his ass on the line ordering him not to report a relationship. "That could come back to bite you."
Terrell shrugged. "You get to play house with Swanson for a couple weeks. File the paperwork after you finish. Undercover hookups aren't unheard of and ideally at the end of this, we'll have Peña's supply pipe throttled."
"I'll play ball, Cap." His old man would have a cow if he discovered they were going around the directives, but he'd have Terrell to act as a buffer. Not that he'd ever use it. He was well aware not filing the paperwork was wrong, and he was doing it anyway.
Terrell sighed and leaned back in his seat. The old grey metal groaned under his boss' muscled bulk. "Good. The hot sheets recorded three deaths at the