I studied my reflection with a critical eye. I was paler than usual, but it was winter, so I doubted anyone would think anything of it. I'd managed to hide the dark circles under my eyes with make-up and even though my clothes felt a bit loose, I hadn't lost enough weight for it to really be noticeable to anyone. I'd chosen one of my few conservative outfits: black dress pants, a plain white blouse and a black jacket. I'd always thought that it made me look like some sort of government agent, so I supposed it was my best bet. I didn't, however, have any decent shoes to wear, not in this kind of weather anyway. It had been snowing on and off all week and all of Fort Collins was blanketed in at least six inches of the stuff. No way was I wearing anything other than boots.

As I headed downstairs, I rubbed my palms against my pant legs. I wasn't sure why I was nervous. I was only meeting with Agent Matthews. It wasn't like I was being taken in for questioning or even having to face Christophe. It was only a job interview.

Right. I snorted a laugh, earning a disapproving look from the woman standing next to me at the bus stop. I ignored her. A job interview with the FBI. It still didn't seem real.

The bus dropped me off across the street from the police station and I gave myself a moment to steady my nerves before crossing and heading inside. The officer at the desk gave me a polite smile and pointed me towards the office Agent Matthews was using. I had to admit, it was an advantage to having changed my appearance. If I'd come in with my usual dress and blue hair, I doubted I would've been sent straight back on my own.

“Miss Lang.” Agent Matthews stood as I entered the room and held out his hand. I shook it and he motioned for me to have a seat. “Thank you for coming in.”

“I have to admit,” I said as I sat. “I hadn't seen this coming.”

He grinned, leaning back in his chair. “Trust me, I hadn't either.”

“Then where did this come from?”

“You told the ADA that you'd hacked into some government systems to erase your previous identity as well as damaging any files containing your name or image,” he began. “So I decided to take a closer look at you.”

I folded my hands on my lap and hoped that the agent couldn't see how hard I was gripping them together.

“Now, I'm no computer expert, but I had one of my guys who is look into it. From what he tells me, you're not just good, Miss Lang. You're exceptional.”

I didn't know how to respond so I settled for a simple. “Thank you.”

“I also see why you need the immunity.” He had a half-smile on his face. “If you wanted to, you could do some serious damage to national security.”

I shrugged, neither admitting nor denying it. He was right, of course, but I wasn't dumb enough to say it.

“We could really use someone with your skill set in our cyber-crimes division.”

I started to say that I didn't want to track down hackers and terrorists, no matter how much that might be a good thing, but he held up a hand and I let him finish.

“Specifically, I want you to work with a sub-division of cyber-crimes, one specifically formed to track down and stop child pornography.” He paused to give me a moment to absorb that and then kept going. “Technology is always a few steps ahead of the law and we're working to catch up. Part of the problem is that we're constantly reacting to things rather than going on the offensive. We don't have anyone who can keep up with these guys, so we're always trailing behind, picking up the pieces and hoping we get lucky once in a while and manage to catch someone.”

That didn't surprise me. The people who ran sites like that, who distributed films, they were usually smart. The dumb ones got caught because they screwed up. Men like Christophe could give us names of some of the higher ups, but I didn't doubt they'd be gone before the FBI got to them. Lily had told me that the man who'd run a lot of that stuff for my mom had gotten away.

“So that's what you want me for,” I said. “To find these guys faster than they realize it.”

Agent Matthews nodded. “We need you to track these guys, find out where they are. If possible, find where the kids are so they can't be used as leverage for lower sentences.”

“And your bosses are aware of my...past?” I asked.

He nodded. “Once I explained to them what you'd managed to do, they were definitely willing to overlook previous offenses to get you on our side.”

“Does that mean if I decline the offer, you're going to pursue a case against me?” It wasn't that I didn't trust the government, but I knew there were a lot of people who were willing to do whatever it took to get what they wanted. Since they wanted me, I needed to know the lengths to which the FBI would go.

“No.” His voice was firm. “I don't work like that.”

My estimation of Agent Matthews went up even more. “What if your bosses decide they'll do it without you?”

He gave me a half-grin. “I trust you're good enough not to have left tracks.”

“I am.”

“Then all they have is a hypothetical statement that I made based on what I'd heard you tell the ADA after signing the immunity agreement. I'm pretty sure a half-decent lawyer would be able to get that thrown out without a problem.”

“You do know that a lot of the restrictions in place are the reasons why people like that are able to get away,” I said.

“I know.” A flash of anger went through his dark eyes. “Laws meant to protect the innocent have become the same ones that the guilty hide behind.” He looked at me. “That's why we need you. You're good enough to work within the system and still get results.”

Not as good as the results I could get outside the system, I thought, but he was right. I was still faster than most, if not all, the techs the FBI had working for them. I might've had confidence issues in some areas, but this wasn't one of them.

“Does that mean I'd be working from the field office in Denver?” I asked. I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

“If you want. Or you could go to DC and work with the main task force there.”

“What about freelancing?” I nearly blurted the question out and wasn't sure why. “It's not like I'd be going on raids or anything, just doing the computer work. I wouldn't have to relocate that way.”

Agent Matthews studied me for a moment, and I knew what he was thinking. He knew something was going on with Rylan and me, or at least he'd known it when it had been true. The thing was, I knew I should've jumped at the chance to move. Denver was still near the mountains, which I loved. DC was back on the East Coast, but north enough not to feel like Florida. Either one would be far enough from Rylan that I wouldn't risk a random run-in, or him finding me...if he started searching again. It'd be a fresh start, something that I should have wanted. That I did want.

But I wasn't ready to say good-bye to Fort Collins yet. Sure, I had things to work through here, but this had been the first place I'd ever chosen to be. At the moment, the city itself was the closest thing to a home that I had.

“I'm sure I can convince my bosses to set up a freelance agreement, at least for a few months. Call it a trial period. We can feel each other out and see how we all work together.”

“That sounds good,” I said. “As for Denver or DC...I'll think about it.”