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Seen At 11: Suburban Wives And Mothers Take On Dangerous Roles With FBI

NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A group of seemingly typical suburban wives and mothers are hiding secret lives. They are special agents in the FBI.

Shawn Brokos recently told CBS 2's Christine Sloan that people know her as an active and dedicated mother, not as a federal agent who risks her life at work on a daily basis.

"People don't know what I do. I'm very active with my children," she said. "I've had a hit put on me for one of the cases I was working on."

For Myrna Williams, her dedication to duty is as strong as her dedication to her family.

"You have a passion to come to work, and you have a passion for doing what's right. You have a passion for putting away the bad guy," Williams said.

These women work in the FBI's Newark, N.J. office, and are often assigned to high-profile cases.

Shawn Brokos, 40, was a hostage negotiator during the Daniel Pearl kidnapping, and Theresa Reilly played a key role in the Sidney Reso Kidnapping case in the 1990s.

"Ultimately they requested Mrs. Reso's daughter transport the money, and I acted as Mrs. Reso's daughter at the time," Reilly said.

There are nearly 2,700 female special agents in the FBI and they do everything that male agents do, including firing semi-automatic rifles.

But they said the awesome responsibility of being a federal agent does not get in the way of their parental duties.

"I tell them, mommy is going to get the bad guy," Williams said.

The FBI said female agents are role models for having sworn to protect and serve.

How do you juggle the responsibilities of work and parenting? Share your thoughts in our comments section below...

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