“Oh… their pictures don’t all end up on the news, do they?”
“Especially not full-grown men who’ve only been missing a few days.” She got up and started pacing. “They’re trying to flush you out. What does that mean? Where are they going with this? Do they think Kevin killed me? Or do they think I figured out the truth and took off with you? Why would they think I’d take you with me? It has to be about Kevin. It is his face, too. They must think I lost. Right? This news spot would be easier for the CIA to arrange than for my department. Of course, if they’re working together…”
“Will Kevin see this?” Daniel worried. “He’s right there in DC.”
“Kevin’s not showing his face, regardless.”
She paced for another minute, then went to sit with Daniel again. She curled her legs under her and took his hand.
“Daniel, who did you talk to yesterday?”
His color heightened. “I told you. I didn’t speak to anyone but the people at the counter.”
“I know, but who were they? Male, female, old, young?”
“Um, the checker at the grocery store was a guy, older, maybe fifty, Hispanic.”
“Was the store busy?”
“A little. He was the only checker. There were three people in line behind me.”
“That’s good.”
“The dollar store was small. It was just me. But the woman at the counter had a TV on—she was watching a game show. She didn’t look up much.”
“How old was she?”
“Older than the first guy. White hair. Why? Older people watch more news, don’t they?”
She shrugged. “Possibly. The third?”
“Just graduated, I guess. I remember wondering if school was out before I realized she worked there.”
Her stomach felt suddenly heavier. “A young girl? And she was friendly—very friendly.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes. How did you know?”
She sighed. “Daniel, you’re an attractive man.”
“I’m ordinary, at best. And I’m a decade too old for a girl that age,” he protested.
“Old enough to be intriguing. Look, it doesn’t matter. We’ll do the few things we can. You stop shaving as of now, and we lie not just low, but flat. Aside from that, all we can do is hope the girl’s not a news watcher. And that they don’t run any pieces on whatever social media kids are using right now.”
“Would they?”
“If they think of it. They’re throwing Hail Marys.”
He dropped his head into his free hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. We’ve all made mistakes on this little endeavor.”
“You haven’t. You’re trying to make me feel better.”
“I’ve made several major errors in the past few weeks.”
He looked up, disbelieving.
“One, I didn’t just ignore Carston’s e-mail in the first place. Two, I fell for the trap. Three, I missed your tracker. Four, I didn’t arm the ceiling in the barn. And then Kevin made the mistake of taking off his gas mask… I guess that’s the only one I can think of for him, except for not having transport out. Bummer, I guess he wins that round.”
“Well, he also did something wrong in the beginning or the CIA would have bought that he was dead.”
“Good point. Thanks.”
“Arnie, though,” he said sadly. “Arnie’s still batting a thousand.”
“Don’t you just hate those insufferable perfectionists?”
Daniel laughed. “So much.” The humor left his face. “But I don’t think you made so many mistakes. I mean, I guess when it comes to what’s best for you, yes. But for me… Well, I’m glad you fell for it.”
She gave him a sardonic look. “That’s taking romance a little too far, don’t you think?” She wished she could completely excise the memory of their first night together, with a scalpel if necessary. She wished those images weren’t so clear and sharp in her mind—the tendons standing out in his neck, the sound of his muffled screams. She shuddered, wondering how long it would take until they faded.
“I’m serious. If it wasn’t you, they would have sent someone else for me. And if that person had gotten the best of Kevin, whoever it was would have killed me right then, wouldn’t he?”
She looked into his earnest eyes, and then shuddered again. “You’re right.”
He stared back for a long moment, then sighed. “So what do we do now?”
Alex frowned. “Well, our options are limited. My face still isn’t ready for scrutiny. But it’s now better than yours. So we can stay here and keep our heads down, or we could go north. I have a place. It’s not as fancy as this one or as well protected. I don’t have a Batcave.” The jealousy in her voice on the last line was unconcealed.
“So you think it’s safer here?”
“It depends. I’d like to get Arnie’s thoughts about the town before we decide. Kevin’s take wouldn’t hurt, either. Hopefully he’ll call soon. The plans have changed a little. I think he’s going to get his wish. He gets to be the victor after all.”
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