In the final hours of her last patrol shift, one rookie's true test begins.

For Deputy Celia Mendonca, the last night before joining the detective division was supposed to be routine, a quiet farewell to patrol before starting her dream assignment. But in law enforcement, plans rarely survive first contact with reality.

When an elderly man with dementia goes missing in freezing temperatures, Celia's tracking skills become his only hope for survival. Hours later, intervening in a volatile domestic violence situation leads to threats that follow her beyond the badge. And as dawn approaches, the discovery of a high-level cartel meth lab turns her final patrol into a desperate fight for survival.

With her shoulder throbbing from a suspect's attack and crucial evidence at risk, Celia must draw on everything she's learned from police academy training to the hard lessons taught by her missing mentor, Hope Novak. Her instincts and skills will be tested to their limits as she confronts the true weight of the oath she's sworn to uphold.

As morning light breaks over Miller's Diner, Celia faces the most important decision of her career. Has the night's chaos proven she's ready for the detective shield, or revealed wounds too fresh to ignore? Some calls to duty demand more than just answering, they require committing your entire self to the path ahead.

From the author of "Cult of Personality" comes a pulse-pounding novella about one night that will change everything.