Sharpshooter (Shadow Agents 3)

“B-but he has been free,” Sydney said. Gunner saw her hands fist in her lap. “Slade’s been here for weeks, and he hasn’t used—”

“The shrinks say his behavior is becoming even more erratic. He needs help, the kind that he can’t get without the government’s help.” The lines around Mercer’s eyes deepened. “We have a special facility that we’re going to send him to—”

“You’re locking him up?” Sydney asked, voice rising.

“For his own safety.”

And for the good of the EOD. Gunner understood, without Mercer having to say the words.

“I want you to convince him to go into treatment willingly,” Mercer said as his attention focused on Sydney. “You’re the one he trusts. You tell him that we can help him.”

“Can you?” she fired right back.

“Maybe.” A brutal answer because of its honesty. “Or he may be so far gone that there is no pulling him back.”

Gunner wouldn’t flinch. His brother, the kid he’d promised his grandfather that he would protect...this was how he’d wound up? “Make him better,” Gunner growled. “Help him to heal.”

Mercer’s stare shifted to him. “If I can, I will.”

“And if you can’t?” Sydney pressed. “What then? You can’t just leave him in this—this treatment facility indefinitely—”

“If he doesn’t get better, we’ll explore the next step.”

What would the next step be? If the behavior changes were permanent, if there was no way to stop the aggression and the threats and the—

“He’s here now.” Mercer was back to looking at Sydney. “I had him brought in.”

Gunner knew that Mercer had actually been keeping a guard on Slade. Making sure that Slade didn’t carry through on his threats to speak to the media.

“I want you to go and talk to him. Get him to understand that we aren’t the enemy, Sydney.” Again, another flicker of the man’s gaze toward Gunner. “That none of us are his enemy.”

Sydney rose. “I want to see that file first.”

Mercer pushed it toward her. Her gaze scanned the reports, and Gunner heard her suck in a deep breath. “If he doesn’t get treatment?”

“According to my doctors, his behavior is just becoming worse. The paranoia and aggression have only increased while he’s been back in the U.S.” His lips tightened. “If he doesn’t get some serious intervention and treatment, he’ll become a danger to himself and others.”

If he wasn’t already. The way Mercer was talking, the guy already thought Slade was a threat.

“He needs your help,” Mercer said, his voice softening. “Are you going to leave him—”

Her head jerked up at that even as Gunner shot to his feet.

Low blow.

“Or will you help him?”

Sydney’s fingers were trembling as she pushed the file back toward Mercer. “I’ll help him.”

“Good.” Mercer had obviously gotten just the outcome that he’d wanted. “He’s one floor below us, second room on the right.”

She headed for the door.

“Convince him, Sydney,” Mercer ordered, the words heavy with an unmistakable command.

“I just want to save him,” she replied. Then she was gone. T

he door closed quietly behind her.