Separation of Power

chapter TWENTY-SEVEN
Rielly was at her wit's end. Her third vodka tonic had been consumed and she'd switched to water. She'd gone from concern to anger, back to concern and then back to anger. That's where she was now, her fertile imagination playing out all of the possibilities as to why Mitch was late. None of the scenarios were good. It was in this moment of despair that she made up her mind. She loved him too much to just walk away, but if she was going to marry him some changes would have to be made.

No longer did she think it was good idea for him to take the job in the CIA's Counterterrorism Center. He needed to sever all ties with that godforsaken place. If they were going to get married and have children he would have to take a normal job like normal people. Rielly made up her mind. She didn't like giving ultimatums, but she was going to. It was worth it. She couldn't live the rest of her life in fear that every time her husband was late something terrible had happened.

She was pulled from her moment of decisiveness by a sound at the door. She did not leap to her feet. She kept her cool, and calmed herself for the ensuing battle. When the door opened she stared in utter confusion at the sight of her boyfriend entering the room with an extremely attractive woman on his arm. She could tell from the look on Mitch's face that something was not right.

Rapp closed the door, turned the deadbolt and latched the chain. He continued past Rielly and into the bedroom. "Anna, I need your help." He set Donatella on the bed and moved immediately to the French doors that looked down onto the inner courtyard. Rapp shut and locked the doors and drew the curtains. He turned to find Rielly standing in the doorway, arms folded, in her defiant pose.

Rapp moved back toward the bed saying, "Honey, I'm sorry I'm late, but something came up." He bent over Donatella and forced open her eyelids. Her pupils were dilated and her skin was getting clammy. In Italian he asked her how she felt. Donatella told him she was tired.

"What in the hell is going on, and who the hell is this?" From where Anna was standing it looked like Mitch had brought home an inebriated whore.

Before Rapp could answer Donatella blurted out, in English, a response to the second part of Rielly's question. "I am his lover."

"What?" snarled Anna.

Rapp grimaced and then began shaking his head as he went toward his girlfriend. "That's not what this is all about."

Anna seized on the fact that he didn't confirm or deny the woman's claim. "How well do you know this woman?"

He put his hands up in an effort to calm Anna. "Very well, but that's not what this is about."

"Very well," spat Rielly "What in the hell does 'very well' mean?"

"We had," Donatella slurred her words, "wild and passionate sex for many years."

Rapp cringed and waved his hands back and forth. "Don't listen to her."

Anna's skin was flushed with anger. She yelled, "Excuse me, but I was under the impression that you were going to take care of some business, and now you show up two hours late with this drunken tramp! I think you have some explaining to do!"

Rapp grabbed Anna by the shoulders. "Lower your voice."

She tried to break free from his grip, but couldn't. "Let go of me."

Rapp held her tight. "Anna, she isn't drunk. She's been shot. She's on morphine, and I think she's slipping into shock, so if it's okay with you I'd like to discuss this later." Rapp didn't wait for an answer. He released Anna and walked into the living room. He opened the mini bar and grabbed a bag of cookies and a bottle of water. He came back to the bed and propped Donatella up against the headboard. "Here." Rapp held the bottle of water to Donatella's lips. "I don't know how long it'll be until a doctor gets here." She drank half of the bottle and then Rapp handed her a cookie. When she was done with the cookie she drank the rest of the water. Rapp laid her down on the bed and shoved some pillows under her legs to get her feet elevated. He covered her with a blanket and checked her eyes again. Hovering above her face he whispered, "Everything is going to be fine. I want you to just lie here and rest. No more talking. Just rest."

Rapp turned around and found that Anna had again adopted her defiant pose. This time, however, there was a scowl on her face that told him he was in trouble. Rapp grabbed Anna by the arm and brought her into the living room. He closed the doors to the bedroom and said, "I know you're mad, but I can explain."

In an extra catty tone she said, "Please do."

"That woman and I used to work together. We were--" Anna eyed him. "Have you ever slept with her?"

Rapp looked her in the eye. The thought occurred to him that he should lie, but he knew it was wrong to keep a secret like this from her. "That's beside the point. It has nothing to do with this--"

"Answer the question." Anna took a step toward him and poked him in the chest. "Have you ever slept with her?"

"Yes, but it was--" Rapp was blinking in frustration, trying to figure out a way to make her understand.

She brought her hand up fast and slapped him across the face. "You bastard."

Rapp's demeanor changed instantly. He grabbed Rielly by the wrist and stuck his face within inches of hers. Very slowly, clearly and deliberately he said, "Don't ever hit me again! I don't hit you, you don't hit me!"

Rielly yanked her hand free. "Don't change the subject. We come to Italy to get engaged, and you take off on some meeting." Rielly mocked him by making quotation marks with her fingers. "To take care of some final business. What was that final business? One more screw with your old girlfriend?"

Rapp closed his eyes. "It wasn't like that. We used to work with each other."

"And you used to screw."

"Yes, but that was before I met you."

"Yeah, right. I screw everyone I work with."

"Stop it"

"No. Do you actually expect me to believe this crap? You keep all of these secrets from me because you say it involves national security." Rielly was getting louder. "And then you go have a drink with this gal who you used to work with. Now I'm no spy, but I sure as hell wouldn't think that the fact that you and this girl used to f*ck each' other is a national secret." She folded her arms across her chest and looked at Rapp with hatred in her eyes.

"Anna, please don't do this. I love you. I have never cheated on you, and I will never cheat on you."

"Then why didn't you tell me about her?"

"She was before you. I don't ask you about any of your old boyfriends."

"Excuse me, but I don't fly to foreign countries to have secret meetings with my ex-boyfriends. I don't show up in our hotel room with one of my ex-boyfriends who just happens to have been shot!"

Rapp took a step back and tried to figure a way out of the mess. "Anna, my darling, you have to trust me on this. I did not cheat on you. I will never cheat on you. This was official business."

Rielly wasn't buying any of it. "What did you have to talk to her about?" After hesitating Rapp said, "I can't talk about it."

"How did she get shot?"

"There were some men waiting for her in her apartment."

"Oh, so you went to her apartment. Did you have sex?"

"No."

"Oh, that's right, you couldn't because these men were waiting for her. But you would've, right?" "No, I would not have," Rapp said patiently.

Bullshit. Who were these men? Why were they waiting for her?"

"I can't talk about it, Anna."

"The hell you can't. I am so sick of your secrets. I am so sick of this double life. I'm so sick of worrying that you're going to get killed every time you walk out the door."

Rapp moved toward her. "I just have to see this last thing through," he moved to put his arms around her, "and then everything will be fine"

Rielly blocked him and stepped away. "No." She began shaking her head. "No, it'll never be over. I can't live like this." She moved toward the door, tears welling up in her eyes. "I can't do this."

Rapp held out his hand for her. "Anna, I love you. I promise I'll make everything right."

She stopped by the door and wiped some tears from her face. Turning, she faced Rapp and said, "I love you, too, but I know now I can't live this way." She grabbed her purse and her jacket. He moved toward her and she held up her hand. "Don't!" Rapp stopped. "I had my doubts before tonight. This ... this mess only confirmed what I already feared. I can't be married to you." Rielly opened the door and without looking at Rapp she said, "Don't follow me. I think it's best if we don't see or talk to each other. "With that she went into the hallway, and the door closed behind her.

Rapp stood in the middle of the room unable to move. He didn't know if he'd ever felt such pain. The woman he loved more than anyone in the world had just told him she would not marry him, that she did not want to talk to him or see him again. None of it made any sense. This was supposed to be one of the happiest times of his life and it had just turned into one of the worst. He couldn't just let it slip away like this. As Rapp started for the door, his phone rang. He stopped, thought about not answering and then decided he had to. It was Kennedy.