CaughtInTheTrap by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page B

You have to repair that tear because it’s not good for her to harbor what she’s seen inside of her.  She needs to talk about it and not let it incubate inside of her and grow into a bigger issue later.”
    “Patty, I’m not a shrink like you.  What am I supposed to do if she has a nightmare or goes off the deep end?”
    “First you apologize for your behavior then you make yourself appear pleasant and approachable.  You’re her protector; she needs to feel that from you.”
    “You’re asking me to do the impossible, you know that?  This woman is not a wimp by any means. Finding a soft side of her is harder than finding a needle in a haystack.”
    “If that were the case you wouldn’t have called me for advice.  Sweetie, I know it is hard for male FBI agents to shed their icy shell and show the human side of themselves. However, in my professional opinion; I think your problem is you fear you can’t relate to her because she is black.  So you’re absent-mindedly keeping her at a distance by pissing her off.  You might as well draw a line down the middle of the room and take sides because the tension will only get worse if one of you don’t give in. And that has to be you since you are the authority figure.”
    “She thinks I’m a racist, Patty.  I don’t dislike her because of her color. I don’t know how to deal with her attitude. A man, I would just curse out and not give a damn how he felt afterward, but I can’t do that to her.”
    “Zach, stop putting emphasis on her color and relate to her as you would any other woman.  A little niceness goes a long way.”
    He used the back of his hand to wipe away sweat beading on his forehead.  Although, it was raining, it was very humid outside.  “I’ll give it a shot. Before I let you go, I have another question.  She isn’t eating.  She claims she isn’t on a hunger strike, but she hasn’t touched any food since we got here last night. How do I get her to eat, so she doesn’t pass out on me?”
     “Well, that’s her preference if she doesn’t want to eat.  Is she a healthy size girl?”
    He chuckled. “A brisk wind would blow her into the next county.  She’s an inch-high, tiny human with a mouth the size of the Grand Canyon.”
    “I’m dying over here,” she laughed. “Zach, you’re a six-foot hunk of a man that outweighs her.  Don’t sit on her and break her.”
    “I wish I had your humor, Patty. And for the record, I’m 6’2,” and a sleek 185-pounds. You know I’m sensitive about my height and weight.”
    “Yes, for a man, you are a tad vain.  I have a patient arriving in a few minutes, so I have to run.  If you need any more advice, call me at home later tonight.  You do remember you have a niece and nephew that would like to see you more than once a year.”
    “Yeah, I know.  I get the same speech every time we talk.  Thanks for the free advice,” he said hanging up the phone.
    Zach touched base with his SAC before going inside the cabin.  In the kitchen he finished stocking the cabinets and cleaned the burnt pasta from the pot.  Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he leaned against the sink enjoying the quiet. It wouldn’t last long by his projections.  Sooner or later she would succumb to hunger, and he would have to apologize for what he’d said. Until it came time for them actually to speak, he decided staying out of her way would be best for both of them.

Chapter five
    Sitting in the center of the bed, Carla used her fingernail to eject the splinter lodged beneath the surface of her foot.  “Darn it!” She swore.  The splinter embedded in her foot was too deep, and her fingernails weren’t sharp enough to get the job done. She opened the drawer on the nightstand beside the bed to look for a sharp-tipped object.  Nothing was in the drawer but a dull pencil and a used up pad of paper.
    Two taps on the door and it opened before she could reply. Her eyes rolled as Zach stood in the doorway balancing