FAMILIARSTRANGER

SharonSala

Contents:

1

2

3

4

5

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15

Epilogue

Chapter1

^»

Rainthumpedagainstthesmall,thatchedrooflikesoggybullets.Thefamiliarsoundofan

incomingHueyrockedtheairasitpassedoverhead,butPrivateDavidWilsonwasdeafto

everythingbutthepanic.

Blood…somuchblood.Don'tlookatFrank.Don'tthinkaboutwhathe'sdone…whathe

madeyoudo.Destroytheevidencebeforeit'stoolate.

The scent of gasoline was everywhere now. On the walls, on the bodies, saturating the

moneythathisbrother,Frank,hadbeenwillingtodiefor.

Stupid.Stupid.Stupid.Moneyforguns.Brotherforbrother.Honorforsale.Stupid.Stupid.

Stupid.

Match.Needamatch.Don'tlookatFrank.Justthinkaboutwhathastobedone.

Jonah rolled from his belly to his back and kicked in his sleep, unconsciously sending his

coverstothefootofthebed.Eventhoughthesecond-storywindowbesidehisbedwasopen,

there was little breeze stirring. It was unseasonably warm for the Colorado mountains this

timeofyear,butthesweatonhisbodywasn'tfromtheheatofthenight.Itwasfromthehell

inhisdream.Andeveninthatdream,hestillcouldn'tcontrolhisownwarning.

Helooked.Andsawthedeadgunrunners…andthemoney,nowsaturatedwithrainand

mudandgasoline…andthebloodpoolingbeneathhisbrother'sbody.

A muscle twitched near Jonah's mouth, a reflex to the scream echoing inside his mind as

thematchwasstruck.Awordslippedfrombetweenhislips,toofainttobeheard,althoughit

hardlymattered.He'dbeenaloneforsomanyyearshewouldn'thaveknownhowtosharehis

thoughtsifhe'dhadthechance.

Inthespaceofonebreath,thedreamjumpedfrom1974andVietnamtotwoweeksagoin

NewYorkCity,bringingwithitthesamesenseofdesperationandleavingJonahwrithingin

torment.

From the air, New York City appeared as a vast but inanimate object, with only a small

clusteroflandandtreestheycalledCentralParkembeddedwithinthemassofconcreteand

steel.

He banked the chopper toward the unwinding ribbon that was the East River, and as he

did,hisheartbegantopound.Onlyafewmoreminutesandthishellwouldcometoanend.

Below him was a dark blanket of land peppered with thousands and thousands of lights.

Almostthere.WiththedesperationinDelRogers'svoicestillringinginhishead,allhecould

think was, no more. Too many innocents have been caught in this crazy man's revenge to

bringmedown.Please,God,justletMaggieandherbabystillbealive.Letusgetthemoutof

allthisstillbreathingandkicking.

Unconsciously,Jonah'shandscurledintofists,asherelivedthedescentoftheblackstealth

helicopterhewaspiloting,allthewhileknowingthatSimonwasholdingawomanandchild

betweenhimselfanddestiny.

A faint breeze came through the open windows, blowing across his nude body, but Jonah

was too deeply asleep to appreciate the sensation. The muscles in his legs twitched as he

relivedlandingthechopper.

In the landing lights, the fear on Maggie's face was vivid, overwhelming Jonah with a

renewedsenseofguilt.

Thecowardlysonofabitch,usinginnocentpeoplejusttogettome.

The force of wind from the descending helicopter whipped Maggie's hair and clothes and

sentashowerofgritanddustintotheairaroundthem.Hesawhertryingtouseherbody

asashieldforthehystericalbabyinherarms,butthemanholdingherhostagegavehera

yank,makingsureshestillstoodbetweenhimandthegunsaimedinhisdirection.

As the helicopter landed, Jonah could only imagine what was going through Maggie's

mind—all this hell—all the danger to her family—and for a man she didn't even know. He

slidopenadoorinthesideofthechopperandflashedabrightlightinSimon'sface.

Inthatmoment,Jonah'smindshutdown.Beforehissensescouldwraparoundthetruthof

whathewasseeing,Simon'sbodyjerked.HehadbeenshotbyDelRogers.

Afterthat,everythingseemedtobehappeninginslowmotion.

SPEARagentsfiringfromsurroundingrooftops.

Simontakinganotherbullet.

TheplayofemotionsmovingacrossSimon'sface—afacethatwasagedwithhateaswellas

passingyears,bearingscarsbotholdandnew.

TheimpactofthebulletastheshottorethroughSimon'sbody.

ThedesperatelungeSimonmadetowardtheEastRiverinalast-ditchefforttoescape.

Thewaythewaterpartedtolethimin.

TheknotofdismayinJonah'sbellywhenherealizedthatSimonwasgone.

Jonah woke with a grunt and sat straight up in bed. It had been two weeks, and he still

hadn'tgottenovertheshockofseeingSimon'sface.Theguiltofalltheseyears—ofthinking

hehadkilledhisbrother—hadbeenfornothing.

"Ah,God…Frank.Ithoughtyouweredead."

He shook his head and then massaged the tension in the back of his neck. As he did, the

powerfulmusclesinhisshouldersbunchedandrolled.Themiseryofthesenightmare-filled

nights was getting to him. He needed to work it off, but not in the weight room, as he

normallydid.Hewantedtheairagainsthisskinandthegroundbeneathhisfeet.Heneeded

torununtilhesethismusclesonfire.

Itwas5:10A.M.asherolledoutofbedandstrodetothebathroom.Eventheshockofcold

wateronhisfacewasnotenoughtowashawaythehorrorofwhathe'dbeendreaming.With

a curse on his lips, he strode into his bedroom, moving through the darkness with the

confidenceofananimalthatwellknewitslair.

Every motion was deliberate as he dressed—grabbing a pair of shorts and a clean T-shirt

fromthetopdrawerofthedresser,thenlacinghisrunningshoesandfasteningtheholsterof

a small-caliber handgun at the waistband of his shorts. Five minutes later he paused at the

kitchen table, fingering the single page of a letter he'd received less than twenty-four hours

ago.Althoughtheroomwastoodarktoreadthewordsagain,hedidn'tneedtoreadthemto

remember.

Iknowwhoyouare.Yourtimehascome.I'llbeintouch.Frank

Jonahshuddered.Ghosts.He'dneverbelievedinthemuntilnow.Hedroppedtheletterand

movedontothedeck.Daybreakwaslessthananhouraway,buthedidn'tneedlightbywhich

tosee.Hestretchedacoupleoftimestoeasetensemuscles,thenhesteppedoffthedeckand

began to walk toward the trees. Within moments, he'd moved to a jog, and by the time he

disappearedintothetreeline,hewasrunning,onlynowtherewerenodemonstooutrun.He

had a face and a name to go with it and only a short time left before the inevitable

confrontation.OnlyGodknewhowitwouldend,andinaway,italmostdidn'tmatter.

Almost.

Hewantedthisover.Allofit.BeingJonah.Hidingsecrets.Tellinglies.Justover.Hewasn't

thefirstmantogiveuphisidentityforthegoodofhiscountryandhewouldn'tbethelast.

Buthe'dgivenupmorethananidentity,andthatwaswhatdugathimintheweehoursof

themorningswhensleepeludedhim.

He'dgivenupCara.

Unconsciously, he increased his speed as the memory of her face crept into his mind. So

pretty.Soyoung.Andthey'dbeensomuchinlove.Lookingback,hewouldsaycrazyinlove.

He ducked on the path to avoid a low-hanging branch and swiped his arm across his

forehead, catching the sweat before it ran in his eyes. His calves were starting to burn. The

painfeltgood—areminderthathewasmorethanjustamachineforUncleSam.

Cara.

MyGod,whathadhebeenthinking?Theywereonlysixteenyearsoldandhe'dbeggedher

torunawaywithhim.Whathadhethoughtthey'ddo?Betteryet,whereinhellwouldthey

have gone? The fact that she'd pleaded with him to wait until they were out of college said

somethingforthetheorythatgirlsmaturedfasterthanboys.Intheircase,shecertainlyhad.

She'd known what he'd refused to consider, and because they'd fought and then been too

stubborntoadmittheywerewrong,theirliveshadturnedupsidedown.

A large bird flew across his line of vision, and he could tell by the absence of sound at its

passingthatitwasanowl,probablyonitswayhomefromanightofhunting.

Ifonlyhe'dhadthesensetogohomeaftertheirfight,butno,he'dhadtoshowtheworld—

and maybe himself—that he was a man. And what better way to do that than to go fight a

war?

Hisolderbrother,Frank,hadsignedupmonthsearlierandwasalreadysomewhereinthe

jungles of Vietnam. The family had gotten one letter from him in all that time, and their

mother had cried herself to sleep when it came. But that hadn't occurred to David then. All

he'dwantedtodowasprovethathewasmanenoughforCaratolove.

When he told her he'd enlisted, he hadn't expected her to like it, but he'd expected her to

wait for him to come back. Instead, she'd cried hysterically, claiming that he'd chosen the

armyoverher.Unabletoundoallthechoiceshe'dmade,hegotonthebusandnevercame

back,althoughatfirst,thathadn'tbeenhisplan.

He'dwrittentoherreligiously,buttohisdismaysheneverreplied.Overayearandahalf

laterandaworldawayinSaigon,ithadallcomeundone.Receivingapackagecontainingall

ofhislettersunopenedwasrough,butitwasthetwoaccompanyingnewspaperclippingsthat

nearly killed him. One was the announcement of her wedding, the second the birth of her

firstchild.

HeknewCara,andhe'ddonethemath.Thebabywashis.Hehadadaughterbackhomein

thestateofNewYork,andsomeoneelsewasgoingtoraiseher.

Afterthat,shortofturningthegunonhimself,he'dtriedtodie.Somanytimes.Insomany

ways.Itshouldnavebeensimple.Everyoneelsearoundhimwasdyingincombat,butitwas

asifhe'dbecomeimmortal.Nothingcouldhurthim.

Thenhe'ddiscoveredFrank'streason,andbloodshedhadfollowed.Afterthat,he'dquiton

everything, including himself. Just before the war was over, he was recruited by SPEAR. By

then,givingupDavidWilsonwassimple.Hisparentsweredead.Carahadgivenherlifeand

their child to another man. A man who slept with her and laughed with her and raised the

babyDavidhadputinherbelly.

AndDavidhadleftheralone—untilnow.Withnowaytoknowwhatthefuturewouldhold,

heneededtomakepeacewithhispast.Carawasawidowthesepastthreeyears.Theirchild

wasgrown.Hell,hewasagrandfatherandhadneverseteyesonhisowndaughter.It,byGod,

wasn'tfair.

Daybreakwashoveringonthehorizonbythetimehereachedtheedgeofthecliff.Hisheart

wasstillpoundingfromtherun,hisclothesdrippingwithsweatasheloweredhimselfdown

intoasittingpositiononthelipofarock,ashehadsomany,manytimesbefore.

The air was beginning to stir, promising a stiff breeze before the day was out. He sat with

back straight and legs folded, his hands resting lightly on his knees, staring at the crack of

lightappearingoverthemountain.Theskywaschangingnow,wrappingitselfinpale,dusty

bluesintermingledwiththreadsofhotpinkandgold.

As he watched, the anger in him slowly stilled. He'd seen just such a sunrise many times

sincehe'dcometothisplace,butitneverfailedtoinstillinhimafeelingofawe—agentleand

vibrant reminder of who was really in charge. The vista blurred and he told himself it was

nothingbutsweatinhiseyes.

Momentslater,thesunmadeitselfknown—thefirstrayscatchingandthenholdinginthe

silver wings of hair at his temples. With a deep, heartfelt sigh, he stood. It was time to go

home.Butnotjusttothecabin.ThankstothechaosFrankWilsonhadcreated,hisdaysas

Jonah had to be over. His guess was, the President was probably already in the process of

choosing his successor, but would wait until his formal request for retirement And before

thatcame,hehadthefinalshowdownwithFrank.Thewayhesawit,heowedittohimselfto

makepeacewithhispast,andtodothat,hehadtobecomeDavidWilsononelasttimeand

seeCara—thegirlhehadleftbehind.

***

FingerLakesRegion,NewYorkState

CaraJusticeswattedatabeethatkeptpilferingaboutherflowersasshekneltatthesideof

theflowerbed.

"Get back, you little beggar. Just let me get these weeds out of the bed and then you can

haveattheblossoms."

Thebee,ofcourse,didn'tanswer,andCara,ofcourse,expectednone.Butitfeltgoodtobe

talkingaloud,eveniftherewasnoonetohear.Shetossedasidethelasthandfulofweedsand

thenstood,brushingoffthekneesofherslacksandstraighteningthecollarofhershirt.The

day was warm, but not unbearably so. She stood for a moment, surveying the landscape of

herbackyard,andsmiled.Shelovedthistimeofyear.Everythingwasnewandgreen,flowers

invaryingstagesofbudsandblooms,birdsnesting.

Renewal.

That's what it was. Everything was new all over again. Except me, she thought, and then

thoughtofheryouthandsighed.Thosehadbeensadtimesandnothingshewouldeverwant

to relive. She'd suffered, endured and prevailed. After that, she'd made herself always look

forward,neverdwellingonthepast.Truthbetold,shedidn'twanttobeyoungagain.Ithad

hurttoomuchthefirsttimearound.

Turning fifty had been a plateau she'd welcomed. Her oldest daughter, Bethany, who lived

just down the road, was grown and married, as were her two youngest children, Tyler and

Valerie,althoughtheylivedoutofstate.

Shebenttopickupherhoe,andasshedid,herblondchin-lengthhairbrushedthesidesor

herface.Shestraightened,tossingherheadtogetitoutofhereyes,andmadeamentalnote

next time she came out to tie it all back. As she started toward the gardening shed, a stiff

breezecameoutofnowhere,moldingherclothestoherbodyandmomentarilyoutliningher

slender, willowy build. From a distance, she could easily have passed for a young, thirty-

somethingwoman.Itwasn'tuntilonelookedcloserthatthetinywrinklesatthecornersof

hereyesandthesmalllaughlinesframinghermouthwereevident.Herstomachgrowledas

sheputupthehoeandtossedherglovesinthebasket.Sheglancedatherwatch,surprised

thatnoontimehadcomeandgone.

Asshestartedtowardthebackdoor,sheheardthesoundsofanapproachingcar.Itcouldn't

be Bethany. She and her family were on vacation and weren't due back for several days.

Maybeitwasthemailmanwithapackage,shethought,andhurriedtowardthefrontofthe

house,anxioustocatchhimbeforeheleft.

Itwasn'tuntilsheroundedthecornerofthehouseandsawthetailendofadarksedanthat

sheknewitwasn'tthemailman.Shepausedintheshadebeneaththeclusterofmapletrees

and watched as a tall, middle-aged man emerged from the driver's side of the car. His

shoulders were broad, his belly flat beneath his white polo shirt. He walked with a military

bearing—head back, chin up. His hair was short and dark, but winged with silver above his

ears.Inreflex,shetouchedherownhair,awarethatthesamesilverthreadslaythereamong

thetaffy-coloredstrands,onlynotasevidentasthoseontheman.

Hedidn'tseeheratfirst,andsosheallowedherselftostare,tryingtothinkwhyheseemed

so familiar. She was certain she'd never seen him before. She would definitely have

remembered.Andthenthestrangersuddenlystoppedandturned,asifsensingherscrutiny.

Shewaitedforhimtospeak.

***

Daviddidn'thavetolookatthemaptoCara'shomethathe'ddownloadedfromtheInternet.

Itwasburnedintohismemory.Eventhoughheknewhowtogettoherhouse,hefeltlost.As

Jonah,he'ddonesomethingunheardofbyseekingoutanypartofhispast.

Butitwasn'tasifhe'djustwalkedoffthejob.Therewasenoughequipmentinthetrunkof

his car to connect him with everything from spy satellites to the President of the United

States,shouldtheneedarise.Forallintentsandpurposes,hewasstillinchargeofSPEAR,

butinhisheart,hewasalreadypullingaway.

Frank had set the ball rolling in this direction the day he'd kidnapped Easton Kirby's son.

After the last incident with Maggie and her baby, David had mentally called it quits. There

wouldhenomorepeopleassignedtorisktheirlivesonhisbehalf.Notforanissuethatwas

technicallypersonal.ThePresidentknewDavid'sfeelingsonthis,andalthoughDavidhadnot

said a word about looking for Cara, he made sure the President knew things were going to

change.

As he came around a curve, his heart started to pound. He was almost there. He began

slowingdown,thenturnedthesteeringwheel,guidedthecarintoalong,graveleddriveand

pulled up to the house. He killed the engine and then sat for a moment, absorbing the

structure.

It was a long, rambling two-story brick home with a porch that ran half the length of the

house. A chimney rose from the center of the roof, evidence of warm fires on cold winter

nights. Ancient trees threw large patterns of shade upon the lawn while flowers in bloom

aboundedeverywhere.

Hesighed.Itlookedsobeautifullyordinary.Wouldawomanwholivedinahomelikethis

beabletoacceptwhathewasgoingtosay?Thenhetookadeepbreathandgotoutofthecar.

Hesitationwouldgainhimnothing.Centeringhissunglassescomfortablyonthebridgeofhis

nose,hestartedtowardthehouse.

More than halfway up the walk, he caught a movement from the corner of his eye and

paused,thenturned.

Godinheaven,itwasher—standingbeneathaclusterofmapleswithacuriouslookonher

face.Oncehe'dseenher,hisfeetmovedoftheirownaccord.Whenhewasonlyyardsaway,

hesaidhername,andashedid,hesawconfusionandthenpanicasitregisteredonherface.

"Cara."

Shegasped,theninspiteoftheheat,shivered.

Hetookasteptowardher,andthenanother.Carastartedtoshake.

"Cara,don'tbeafraid."

"No,"Caramoaned,andcoveredherface."Noghosts.Noghosts.Idon'tbelieveinghosts."

Suddenlyhisvoicewasrightbesideher.Sheopenedhereyes.

"I'mnotaghost."

"David?"

Hisstomachknotted.Afteralltheseyears,hearinghisnamefromherlipswasmorepainful

thanhewouldhavebelieved.

Beforebecouldanswerher,sheshookherheadinvehementdenial.

"You'renotDavid.Davidisdead."

Thiswasharderthanhe'dimagined."Cara…I'msorry…sosorry."

He reached for her hand. When he touched her, she shuddered once, then her eyes rolled

backinherhead.

Hecaughtherbeforeshefell.

"Damn,damn,damn,"hemuttered,ashecarriedherunconsciousbodytotheshadeofthe

porch.

Choosing the nearest chair, he sat down, cradling her carefully as he looked at her face,

tryingtofindthegirlthathe'dknowninthewomanheheldinhislap,butshewasgone.

Itwasn'tuntilhereyelidsbegantoflutterandhesawtheclear,pureblueofhereyesthathe

foundthegirlhe'dleftbehind.

"Areyouallright?"heasked.

Herhandscuppedhisface—hereyeswidewithdisbelief.

"David?Isitreallyyou?"

Acardrovepastontheroadbeyondthehouse,andDavidlookedup,suddenlyawareofhow

publictheirreunionhadbecome.

"Let'sgoinside.Weneedtotalk,"hesaid,andstartedtocarryherinsidewhensheslidout

ofhislapandthrewherarmsaroundhisneck.

"How?Why?Didyou—"

Heputafingeracrossherlips,momentarilysilencinghernextquestion.

"Inside…please?"

Caragrabbedhimbythehandandledhiminsidethehouse.Themomenttheyenteredthe

hallway,sheshutthedoorbehindthemthenstood,staringathisfacewithherhandspressed

tohermouthtokeepfromcrying.

Davidranashakyhandthroughhishair,thengaveheratentativesmile.

"Idon'tknowquitewheretostart,"hesaid."Doyouwantto—"

Tearsrolleddownherface,silencingwhateverhe'dbeenabouttosay.

"Oh,honey,don't.YouknowInevercouldstandtoseeyoucry."

And then her hands were on his shirt, moving frantically across the breadth of his chest,

then up the muscular column of his throat, then tracing the outline of his features. He

grabbedherfingers,tryingtoputsomedistancebetweenthemsohecouldthink.Butthere

hadalreadybeenfortyyearsofdistance,andforCara,itwasfortyyearstoomuch.

Hisnamewasjustawhisperonherlipsasshewrappedherarmsaroundhisneck.Before

hecouldthink,she'dkissedhim—atentativeforaythatwentfromtestinggroundstatustoan

all-outexplosion.Itwasinstinctthatmadehimpullheragainsthisbody,butitwasneedthat

keptherthere.

"Ifthisisadream,Idon'twanttowake,"Caramuttered,andthenpulledhisshirtoutofthe

waistbandofhisslacks.

Hisstomachflattenedasheinhaledsharply.Thefeelofherfingernailsagainsthisskinwas

anaphrodisiachewouldn'thaveexpected.Thenherarmswerearoundhiswaistasshelifted

her lips for his kiss. David was broad-sided by the sexual tension erupting between them.

He'dplannedforeverything—exceptthis.

"Cara…God,Cara,weshouldn'tbe—"

"Sincewhendidshouldn'tbecomepartofyourvocabulary?"sheasked.

She caught him off guard, and he laughed. And the moment the sound came out of his

throat, he wanted to cry. He couldn't remember the last time he'd known joy. His eyes

narrowed hungrily as he began pulling at her clothes, undoing buttons and shoving aside

fabric. Her hands were on him, as well. Somewhere between one moment and the next, his

shirt was on the floor and his slacks were undone. He lifted her off her feet and then spun

around,pinningherbetweenhisbodyandthewall.Herarmswerearoundhisneck,herlegs

aroundhiswaistandshethrewbackherheadandlaughedwhenheslammedintoher.

Onehard,desperatethrustfollowedanotherandanother,asiftheyweretryingtodestroy

all the bad memories with this sexual act. Somewhere between one breath and the next, it

begantochange—turningintoadancebetweenlovers.

Cara'seyeswereclosed,herlowerlipcaughtbetweenherteethasshefollowedtherhythm

ofhisbodyandwastakenbysurprisebytheforceofherclimax.Whileshewasstillridingthe

high,Davidspilledhimselfwithinherinwhatseemedlikeendless,shudderingthrusts.

Thesilencethatcameafterwasasabruptastheirmatinghadbeen.David'shandswereslick

with sweat as he eased her down, and when she moved away and started rearranging her

clothes,Davidfollowedsuit.Hecouldtellthatshewasasshakenbywhatthey'ddoneashe,

and was afraid she'd withdraw in embarrassment before he had a chance to explain. He

touchedhershoulder,andwhensheturned,hecuppedherfaceinhishands.

"Lookatme,"hesaid.

Carahesitated,thenliftedherhead,meetinghisgazestraighton.Again,disbeliefcameand

went as she stared at him. Then she touched the swollen edges of her mouth, as if needing

thereminderofpaintoassureherwhathadhappenedwasreal.

"Iseeyou,"shesaid."Oh,David,therearesomanythingsIhavetotellyou.Afteryouleft,I

foundoutIwaspregnant.Wehavea—"

"Iknow,"hesaid."Bethany."

Alookofshockcameandwentonherfaceandthenhereyesnarrowedsharply.

"Youknewwehadadaughter?"

Henodded.

Thetimbreofhervoiceroseanotch."Youknewandyoustilldidn'tcomeback?"

David felt as if he'd been sucker punched. He should have seen this coming, and yet after

whatthey'djustdone…

"Itwasn'tlike—"

"No.Wait.Let'sstartthismeetingalloveragain."

Theangerinhervoicewasblatantlyapparentnow,andheknewtherewasnogoingback.

"DavidLeeWilson,justwherethehellhaveyoubeen?"

Chapter2

«^»

"Cara,please…canwedothissomewhereelse?"

She made no attempt to hide her pain. "Maybe we should adjourn to the bedroom to talk,

sincewejusthadsexinmyhall."

Davidinhaledslowly,usingeverymentalskillhehadtoremaincalm.

ForCara,hissilencewasstrongerthananydenialhemighthavemade.Courtesydemanded

sheapologize.Sheliftedherchin.

"I'msorry.Thatwasuncalledfor.Whathappenedjustnowwasmoremyfaultthanyours.If

you don't mind, I'd like to change my clothes. The guest bathroom is just down the hall if

you'dliketo…uh…I'mjustgoingupstairsnowand…"

"Ssh," he said softly, and lifted a lock of her hair with one finger, gently pushing it into

place."Godowhatyouhavetodo.I'llbeherewhenyougetback."

The tenderness in his voice was her undoing. Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to let

themgo.

"You'llpardonmeifIhavedoubtsaboutthat,"shesaid."Iseemtoremembertellingyouthe

samethingaboutfortyyearsagoandlookwhathappened."

Shewalkedaway,leavinghimwithnothingbutacold,hardtruth.Hehadwalkedoutonher

—twice.Oncewhenshewouldn'trunawaywithhimandthenagainwhenheleftforVietnam.

Heheadedforthebathroom,feelingalotlessoptimismthanhehadwhenhewalkedinthe

doorwithherearlier.

Cara barely made it to her bedroom before she started to cry—huge, gulping sobs that

shatteredherallthewaytohersoul.

Tearing off her clothes as she went, she staggered into the shower and then turned the

water on full force, standing beneath the stinging spray until her mind was numb and her

skinwasburning.

Oneminuteledtoanotherandthenanotheruntilshelostalltrackoftime.Theadrenaline

rush of making love to a man she'd long thought dead was fading, leaving her shaken and

weak. If it hadn't been for the slight discomfort between her legs, she could have made

herselfbelieveitwasnothingmorethanadream.

She flinched as the water began to run cold and reached down and turned off the faucets.

ShepushedbackthecurtainsonlytofindDavidsittingonasmallstoolbythedoor.

Hehandedheratowel.

"Igotworried."

She clutched it in front of her nudity like a shield, and as she did, realized any show of

modestywaslikeclosingthebarndoorafterthehorsehadescaped.

"Ifyou'llgivemeafewmoments…"

Hestoodupandquietlyclosedthedoor,leavingheralonetofinishdrying.

Cara'shandsbegantoshakeassheswipederraticallyatthemoistureclingingtoherbody.It

wasn'tuntilshewascompletelydrythatsherealizedherclotheswereintheotherroom,with

him. She grabbed her bathrobe from a hook on the back of the door and quickly put it on,

wrapping and tying it firmly before making another appearance. To her relief, he was

nowhereinsight.

As she began to dress, she glanced at the clock. It was almost three. It had been just after

onewhenshe'dcomearoundthecornerofthehouse.Nowonderhe'dcomelookingforher.

Heprobablythoughtshe'dgonetoherroomandslitherwrists.

She snorted lightly as the thought came and went. If ever there had been a day when that

thoughthadcrossedhermind,itwaslongsinceover.She'dsurvivedalotmorethanthiswith

ahellofalotlessreason.Exceptfortheirchild.Aftershe'dknownaboutBethany,everything

had changed. David Wilson might have walked out on her, but he'd left a piece of himself

behindthathe'dnevergetback.Withthatthoughtinmind,shegaveherselftheonce-overin

themirror,noddinginsatisfactionatthesimplisticstyleofherclothes.Noneeddressinglike

thiswasanykindofacelebration,becauseitfeltmorelikeawake.Butasshestarteddown

the stairs to face the ghost from her past, she had to accept the fact that she didn't want to

buryhimagain.

David was lost in thought, staring at the array of family pictures displayed on the mantel

andtryingnottoresentthepictureoftheshort,stockymanwithhisarmsaroundCara.Ray

Justice.Theyhadbeenlaughingwhenthepicturewastaken.Hetookadeepbreath,making

himselfaccepttherealityofherlife.She'ddonejustfinewithouthim.Maybebeingherewas

another selfish act on his part and he should never have come back. Before his thoughts

couldgofurther,heheardherfootstepsinthehallandturnedtofacehisaccuser.

Shesawhimbythemantel.Hergazeslidfromhisfacetothepicturesbehindhim,andshe

realizedwhathe'dbeendoing.

"She'sbeautiful,"Davidsaid.

Cara's lips trembled, but she nodded. "She has your coloring. All that pretty dark hair and

youreyes."

"Butshehasyoursmile."

Caracaughtbackasob,determinednottofallapartagain.

"Oh,David…wherehaveyoubeen?Weweretoldyouweredead,youknow."

"Yes,Iknow."

Cara tried not to stare as she sat down on the sofa, but it was difficult not to do so. Her

memories encompassed a young, gangly sixteen-year-old boy; not this powerful, secretive

man.

"Won'tyoupleasesit?"shesaid,assheseatedherselfonthesofa.

"Ithinkbetterstanding."

Shesighedandthensmoothedherhandsdownthelegsofhernavyslacks.

"Icouldn'tformarationalthoughtrightnowifmylifedependedonit,"shesaid.

Davidshovedhishandsinthepocketsofhisslacks."Iknowthisisgoingtobedifficultfor

youtounderstand,butyou'vegottobelievemewhenItellyouthatwhatIdid,Ididforyou,

nottoyou."

Cara'seyestearedagain,butsheremainedfirmlyinherseat.

"Lettingmethinkyouweredeadwasdoingmeafavor?"Hervoicestartedtoshake."Evenif

Ididn'tmattertoyouanymore,howcouldyoufatherachildandthenignoreherexistence?"

"No…no…notthat.Neverthat."

"Thenexplain,"Carabegged."Makemeunderstand."

Hetookhishandsoutofhispocketsashebegantopace,andCaracouldn'thelpbutstareat

the animal grace of his movements. And then he started to talk and she became lost in the

soundofhisvoice.

"Itbeganwiththeletters."

"Whatletters?"

"ThelettersIwrotetoyou."

"Ididn'treceiveanyletters."

"Yes,Iknow…atleast,Iknewafterawhile,butbeforeIfoundout,Ikeptwonderingwhy

you didn't answer mine. There were dozens and dozens. I wrote almost every day for about

threemonthsandthenasoftenasIcouldafterthat."

Shestiffened."Idon'tbelieveyou."

He strode to a chair and picked up a packet he'd gotten from his car while she had been

dressing.

"Seeforyourself.IcarriedthedamnthingsalloverNamaftertheycameback.Halfadozen

times I thought about chucking them, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of them. Even

thoughyouhadn'topenedthem,theywerethelastlinkIhadtoyou."

Cara'sbrowsknittedasshedumpedthecontentsofthepacketintoherlap.

"That'snotallofthem,"Davidsaid."ButenoughforyoutoknowI'mtellingthetruth."

As she turned them over, she started to shake. The evidence was there before her eyes.

Water-stainedpapers.Ancientpostmarks.AlladdressedtoCaraWeberandallunopened.But

it was the two newspaper clippings, yellowed with age, that startled her. One was of her

wedding,theotheranannouncementofherbaby'sbirth.

"Wheredidyougetthese?"

"Yourparentssentthemtome,alongwithallofthelettersI'dwrittenyou."

Shegasped.

"The message was plain," David said. "I had no place in your life anymore. You had a

husbandandachild."Hetriedtosmile,butthepainofsayingwhathe'dlivedwithallthese

years made it impossible. "Only I knew the child was mine. I knew you would never have

cheatedonmebefore,andthebabycametoosoonafteryourwedding."

"But David … why let everyone think you were dead? I would never have refused you the

righttoknowandloveyourownchild."

"Iknow,butyouhavetounderstand.ItwashelloverthereandFrankdiedaboutamonth

afterIgotthepackage.Afterthat,IguessIprettymuchwentoutofmyhead.Itriedsomany

damn ways to get myself killed, but it didn't work. I volunteered for mission after mission,

and each one should have been my last. When my tour of duty was up, I reenlisted. I was

therewhenSaigonfell."

TearssliddownCara'sfaceasshesatwithherhandsclenchedtightlyinherlap.

"Why didn't you come home then? Why did you let me … let everyone … think you were

dead?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Hell … I felt dead, I guess I was just waiting for my body to

catchupwithmymind.Onlythingwas,UncleSambeatmetoit."

"Idon'tunderstand."

Hehesitated,tryingtofigureoutexactlywhathecouldsaywithoutgivingtoomuchaway.

"Ican'ttellyoueverything,"hesaid."ButIgotrecruitedbyaSpecialForcesunitandbecame

involvedinsomecovertmissionsforthegovernment.Onethingledtoanotherandnow,let's

justsaythatmyyearswithUncleSamarecomingtoanend."

"Areyoutellingmeyoubecameaspy?"

"Don'taskmeanythingmore,honey…please.I'vealreadysaidmorethanIshouldhave."

"My God," Cara muttered. She stared down at the unopened letters in her lap and then

coveredherfacewithherhands.

Daviddroppedtohiskneesandtookherhandsinhis.

"Cara?"

Forcedtolookathim,sherealizedthat,forthefirsttime,shewasreallyseeingtheman—

andhissecrets—andhisscars.

"Whydidyoucomeback?Whynow,afteralltheseyears?"

Hehesitatedagain,stillcarefullychoosinghisanswers.

"BecauseIneededtomakepeacewithmyselfandwithyou.Ineededtolookyouintheface

andtellyouthatwhenIleftforVietnam,Ihadeveryintentionofcomingbackandmakinga

life with you. I couldn't go to my grave knowing you still believed I'd walked out on you,

leavingyoupregnanttoraiseourbabyonyourown.IsweartoGod,Cara,Iwouldneverhave

donethattoyou.Ilovedyou."

"Whatdoyoumean,gotoyourgrave?Areyouill?"

Heslidintotheseatbesideher,reachingforherhands.

"No,no,Ididn'tmeanitlikethat.I'mfine."

Caralookeddownathishands,sogentlyworryingtheknucklesofherfingers,wonderingif

it was safe to give so much of herself away. And then she shoved the worry away. They'd

alreadylosttoomanypreciousyears.Whateverhehadtogiveher,shewaswillingtotake.

"Whatareyourplans?"sheasked."Imean…canyoustayawhile?Maybeafewdays?Iwant

toshowyouthings…andoh,David,youhavetostayandmeetBethany.Sheandherfamily

areonvacation,butthey'llbebackattheendoftheweek.Fiveorsixdays.Youcanstaythat

long…can'tyou?"

Heheardhimselfansweringandknewhewasmakingamistake,buttherewasnowayhe

wasgoingtoloseheragain,atleastnotyet.Therewaseveryreasontobelievethathisfinal

showdown with Frank could be his last. He didn't want to give Cara false hope, but on the

otherhand,hecouldn'tdenyhimselfthislittlebitofheaven.

"Yes.I'llstay.Atleastforawhile."

Forthefirsttimeinaverylongwhile,Carafeltasenseofanticipation.

"Areyouhungry?IwascominginthehousetomakemyselfsomelunchwhenIheardyou

arrive."

The lilt in her voice only deepened his guilt, but he found himself agreeing. "That sounds

good.Ican'trememberwhenIlastsharedamealwithanyone."

Cara pulled out of his embrace. "Can't remember when you last shared a meal? My God,

David,whatkindoflifehaveyoubeenliving?"

"Youdon'twanttoknow."

***

ItwasthedrippingfaucetinthisexcuseforakitchenthatfinallysentFrankovertheedge.

Hepickedupapanandbeganhammeringonthefixtureuntilitbrokeoffinthesink.Water

shotuplikeageyser,sprayingtheceilingandcabinetsalike.Astringofvirulentcursesfilled

theairashereachedfortheshut-offvalvebeneaththesink.Finally,thewaterceasedtoflow

andFrankwasleftwithabiggermessthanbeforehe'dstarted.Butitwasn'ttheconditionof

his decrepit hideout that was pushing his buttons. It was the fact that, once again, he had

failedtoreachhisgoal.Thewaterpooledaroundhispantlegsasheleanedbackagainstthe

cabinetsandclosedhiseyes.He'dbeenclose,soclose.

He'd seen the stealth chopper coming in and knew in his bones it was David. Who else

wouldhaveaccesstosuchstate-of-the-artmilitaryequipmentbuttheinfamousJonah?

AshethoughtofDavid,themusclesinhiswoundedshouldergaveatwingeandheshifted,

easinghisbacktoamorecomfortablepositionagainstthecabinets.Itwasnothingbutaflesh

wound. He'd had worse. And the wound on his ear was almost well, too, although it would

never be the same. Then he ran his hands through his hair in mute frustration, absently

fingeringtheancientburnscarsonthesideofhisface.Hell,nothinghadbeenthesamesince

thedayhisownbrothertriedtoburnhimalive.

Disgustedwiththemessinwhichhewasstanding,hewenttothephonetocallthemanager

to fix the sink. It didn't occur to him that, like the sink, all of his troubles stemmed from

somethinghe'ddone,ratherthansomethingthathadbeendonetohim.Afterward,hestrode

intothebedroomtochangehisclothes,absentlysteppingonacockroachashewent.Ashe

crossedthethreshold,hecaughtaglimpseofhimselfinthecrackedanddustymirroracross

theroomandfroze.Inthatmoment,hesawhimselfasotherssawhim,atallandagingman

withaglasseyeandabitterexpression.Hisgray,thinninghairwasbrushedback,baringhis

scarred face for anyone who chose to look. Oddly enough, the look seemed to appeal to a

certain type of woman, although he rarely took advantage of the fact. He still mourned his

belovedMartha,hiswifeofsomanyyears.

As he thought of her, pain shafted. He turned away, moving to the closet to get a fresh

changeofclothes.Assoonashisshoulderwasbetter,hewasgoingafterDavidhimself.No

more trying to get to him through the agents who worked under him. He was tired of this

game.Hewanteditover.

Hedressedquickly,hismindshiftingfromonescenariotoanother,imaginingthepleasure

ofwatchingthelifedrainoutofDavid'sbody.Therewasnofutureforhimbeyondthatfact.

Hisdaughterhadceasedtoexistforhimwhenshe'ddefectedtotheothersidebyfallingin

love with one of the agents. If only Martha was still alive. She'd been his reason for living.

Then he blanked out the thought. There would be time later to wallow in memories. Right

now,hehadmurderonhismind.

***

Night had come when Cara wasn't looking. One minute she was cleaning up their supper

dishes and tidying the living room and the next thing she knew it was dark. The idea of

sleeping under the same roof with David Wilson was almost frightening. She'd known the

boy,butshedidn'tknowthisdark,broodingman.Thensheremindedherselfthathispersona

hadn't bothered her enough to stop her from making love to him in her hall. Surely they

couldsleepbeneaththesameroofwithoutincident.Itwasn'tlikehewasgoingtomurderher

inherbed.

Andthemomentshethoughtit,hersanitytookahike.He'dallbutsaidhewasaspy.Spies

killed people. Then she shook off the thought. He'd also been a soldier, and they killed

people,too.Itdidn'tmakethemheinous.Itmadethemheroes.

Havingsettledthatinhermind,shebegantorearrangethemagazinesonthecoffeetable,

unawarethatDavidwaswatchingherfromthedoorway.Itwasn'tuntilshestraightenedand

startedtoleavethatshesawhimstandingintheshadows.

"Oh!David!Youstartledme."

"Sorry.Ididn'tmeanto."

"Wastheresomethingyouneeded?"sheasked.

Yes, my life back … with you. "Not really. I was just watching you, thinking how very

beautifulyouare."

"I'mamiddle-agedgrandmother,"shemuttered,andgavethecoffeetableafinalswipewith

herdustcloth.

"With a damned fine body and a face that could still break a heart," he added, and then

walkedintotheroomandtookthedustclothoutofherhands."Weneedtotalk."

Her heart fluttered, then settled back into a normal rhythm as she reminded herself there

wasnoneedtobenervous.Themanwasthefatherofherchild.Butwhenhetookherbythe

handandpulledherclosetothelight,shefeltnakedalloveragainbeneathhisgaze.

"Ifrightenyou,don'tI?"heasked.

Carablushedthensighed.Finally,shenodded."Alittle."

"Mylifehasbeenugly,I'lladmit,butIwoulddiebeforeI'dhurtyou."

The tenderness in his words was shattering. Before she knew it, her hands were on his

chest,herfacetiltedtowardthelight—andhim.

"Ididn'tmeanitlikethat,"shesaidquickly."Iwasn'tthinkingphysicalharm.It'sjustthat

I'vebeenaloneforalmostthreeyearsnowandjuststartingtolearntolivewithoutthesound

of someone else's voice. It's hard to become accustomed to loneliness when you've shared

yourlifewithanother."

"Iwouldn'tknow."

Again,hisanswerpulledatheremotions.

"WhatI'mtryingtosayis…youweremyfirstlove,David.Igavethetruestandbestpartof

myselftoyou."

Hegroanedandstartedtotakeherinhisarmswhenshestoppedhim.

"No … wait … let me finish." She took a deep breath. "The only thing that kept me going

afteryouleftwasknowingthatIcarriedyourchild.Myhusbandwasagoodman.Heloved

Bethanyasifshewashisownandnevermadeadifferencebetweenhisaffectionsforherand

our other two children." She ducked her head and then made herself look at him. "But I'm

ashamedtosaythatInevergavehimwhatIshouldhavebecauseI'dalreadygivenittoyou.

Deadoralive,youhadmyheart.Nowhe'sdeadandyou'rebackandI'mafraid.I'mafraidto

gettoknowthemanyou'vebecome.I'mafraidI'lllovehimasmuchasIlovedtheboy."Her

voicetrailedoffintoawhisper."AndI'mafraidthatifIdo,Iwon'tgetoverlosingyouagain.

So … what I guess I'm asking is, why did you really come? Was it just to assuage what you

perceivedasguilt,orwereyoulookingforsomethingmore?"

He wanted to assure her, but he couldn't lie. As long as Frank was loose, his life wasn't

worthadamn.

"I'dbelyingifIsaidI'donlycometosayhello.Buttherearealotoflooseendstomypast

thathavetobetied,anduntilthathappens,Idon'thavetheluxuryofmakingplans."

Carafelttheblooddrainingfromherface.Thatwasn'twhatsheexpectedtohear.

"Thatsoundsfatal,"shesaid,tryingtofakealaugh.

Hedidn'tanswer,andthelaughbecameasob.

"MyGod…tellmeI'mwrong."

"I can't make promises … but if I could, then I'd be giving you fair warning that I wanted

backinyourlife."

Hervoicetrembled."Howfar?"

"Asfarasyou'dletmego."

"Ah…David…youalwayswereahardsell,"shesaid,andthenwrappedherarmsaround

hisneck.

Theweightofherbodyagainsthischestwasagift.

"So,areyousayingit'senough?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm not saying that, but I am saying that I'll take what you're

willingtogive.Iaskedfortoomuchthefirsttimeandlostyou.I'mnotwillingtomakethat

mistakeagain."

Hewrappedhisarmsaroundher,pullingherclose.

"God…woman,youdon'tknowhowmanyyearsI'vedreamedofthis."

Shepulledbacktolookathim."Oh,butyes,Ido.AndwhileIwouldliketheluxuryofbeing

wooedandcourted,I'mnotwillingtowasteourtimeontheritual."

"Whatareyousaying?"

"Iwanttofallasleepinyourarmsandwakeupthesameway.Iwanttolaughwithyouand

cook for you and play with you. I don't want to think about loose ends. Whatever time you

havetogivemewillhavetobeenough."

He tunneled his fingers through her hair, taking her kiss without asking, ripping her

emotionstoshredswiththeanguishonhisface.

"Idon'tdeservethis,"hesaid.

"No,youdon't,"shesaid."ButIdo."

Helaughedsoftly,thensweptheroffherfeetandintohisarms.

"Areyougoingtomakelovetome?"sheasked.

"Hell,yes,"hemuttered.

Shesighed."It'sabouttime."

"Ifyoudon'tmind,"Davidwhispered,nuzzlingthesideofherneck,"I'dratherdothisina

bedthistime."

"Downthehall,thirddoorontheright."

Ashecarriedherthere,hehadtoremindhimselfthatthiswasn'tadream.Carawasreally

inhisarms.

When they reached Cara's room, he set her down by her bed and kissed her. Tentatively,

thengently,thenwithalow,muffledgroan.

Caratangledherarmsaroundhisneck,clutchinghimdesperately.Whenhebegantotake

offherclothes,herkneeswentweak.Thiswashappening,sheknew,butitwasallsosurreal.

Shecouldn'tcountthenumberoftimesinherlifewhenshe'dimaginedsuchascene.David

stridingthroughthedoorandsweepingherintohisarmsandthencarryingheroffintothe

sunset.Thefantasyhadlastedthroughhertwentiesandherthirties,andsomewherearound

themiddleofherforties,she'dgivenuponfantasies.

Nowthiswashappeninganditwasn'tadream.

Itwasn'tafantasy.

It was David—a rock-solid, flesh-and-blood man who wanted her as much as she wanted

him.

When he began pulling off her clothes, then his, her pulse accelerated. Seconds later, she

wasflatonherbackinthemiddleofherbedandhewashoveringaboveher.

"Youaresoverybeautiful,"Davidwhispered,andthenrolledoverontohissideandbegan

tracingthecontoursofherbodywithonehand,fingeringthecurveofherchin,cuppingthe

shape of a breast, mapping the plains of her belly, then testing the juncture between her

thighs.

Cara's heart was pounding, her mouth slack with desire. She wanted to touch him, too, to

testthestrengthofhismusclesagainstthetendernessofhisgaze,butshewastoodistracted

bywhathewasdoing.

"David?"

Heshookhisheadandleanedoverher,takinglicensewitheverythingthathechosewhile

leavingherbreathlessandachingformore.

Oneminutepassedandthenanotherandanotherandthecoilthathadbeenwindingwithin

Cara's belly began to throb. She moaned, then moaned again. This time louder. This time

longer.

David'sheadwaspoundingasthebloodrushedthroughhisveins.Theneedtobeinsideher

wasstrong,buthewaswaitingforthatbreakingpointofcomingundone.

Thenheheardhergaspandsawhereyesloseallfocus.Whensheclutchedathisarms,his

nameaprayeronherlips,hemadehismove.

"David…oh…oh…please."

He was above her and inside her before she took her next breath. Her climax shook him,

comingwithinthreestrokesofentry,anditwasallhecoulddonottofollow.Butwhenshe

started to cry in soft, happy sobs, he couldn't hold himself back. The joy of knowing he'd

given her this pleasure was an aphrodisiac he couldn't control. He rode the feeling with all

thestrengthhecouldmuster,andwhenitwasover,thoughthe'ddiedinherarms.

***

Cara woke abruptly, as mothers always do when sensing something wasn't right in their

world. Only this time, it wasn't the high-pitched wail of a frightened child that woke her, it

wasthemanbesideher.Shelaymotionless,listeningtothelaboredrhythmofhisbreathing,

and fought an urge to cry. His skin was clammy and he kept muttering something she

couldn'tunderstand.Sheraisedupononeelbow,staringintentlyintotheshadowedcontours

of his face, then let her gaze drift down his body. She'd seen the scars. Bullet holes. A

shrapnelwound.Athick,ropyscaralongthebackofhisleg.DearLord,whathadhappenedto

him?Whathellwasherelivinginhisdreams?

Suddenly,hesatstraightupinbedandshefellbackinsurprise.

"David?"

Atthesoundofhervoice,hisbodywentlimp.

"IforgotwhereIwas,"hesaid.

"Youweredreaming."

"Yes."

"CanIgetyousomething?Aglassofwater?Someaspirin?"

Hecrawledoutofbedandwalkedacrosstheroomtowherehissuitcasewaslying.

"Whereareyougoing?"sheasked,asshewatchedhimdigapairofshortsfromthecase.

"Ineedtorunitoff,"hesaidshortly."I'llbefine.Gobacktosleep."

"Runwhatoff,David?"

Heturnedthen,nothingbutamassofshadowandshapeontheothersideoftheroom,but

thetoneofhisvoicewasimageenough.

"Thepast."

"ButDavid,youcan'trunawayfromthepast."

"I know, but I can damn well wear it out. Now go back to sleep. I'll let myself in when I

comeback."

"You'llneedakey,"shesaid,andstartedtogetup.

"No,Iwon't."

Thenhewasgone.

Shelaythereforamoment,absorbingthelastthinghe'dsaidandthenstartedtotremble.

Whatkindofmanhadsheletintoherbed?

Chapter3

«^»

David ran without thought, focusing only on the impact of foot to ground and the mind-

numbing relief that exhaustion always brought. Leaving Cara had seemed cowardly,

especiallyafterhe'dcomeallthiswaytoseeher.Buthewastooashamedtoletherseehis

weaknesses—to admit that something as innocuous as a nightmare could undo him to this

extent.

Whenhe'dfirstrunintothewoodsbehindherhouse,he'dgonewithoutadestinationother

than to forget. But a short time later, when he realized he had no idea where he was, he

pausedinaclearingandlookedatthesky,readingtheheavenslikeroadmap.TheNorthStar

was a constant that he quickly sought out. Once he found it, he realigned himself with the

world and wished it was as simple to do that in his own life. By the time he'd outrun the

demons, he had begun to circle back and was less than a mile from her home. Now it was

simplyamatterofgettingtherebeforeexhaustionhit.

He came out of the trees, his steps dragging, his feet numb and burning. As he started up

thegentleslopebehindherhouse,helookedupandthenstopped.

Lights.

She'dturnedonthelightssohecouldseetocomehome.

There had been so many times in his life when he had not allowed himself the luxury of

sheddingatear.Hehadnowayofknowingthatthesimpleactoflightinghiswayhomewas

allitwouldtake.Butnow…

Heshuddered,thenswallowedaroundalumpinhisthroat.Notoncesincehe'dbegunthis

lonelyjourneythathadbecomehislifehadhehadsomeonetocomehometo.

DearGod,ifonlyhedidbelonghere—toCaraandwhatwasleftofherworld.Heneededit—

deserved it. He'd given up so damned much. Surely he would be allowed some joy on this

earthbeforehisdayswereover.Hetookadeepbreathandthenshookoffthethoughts.As

long as the showdown with Frank still loomed, he couldn't allow himself to dwell on the

future.Hethrewbackhisshouldersandstartedtowalk.

Carasawhimcomeoutofthetrees.Hershoulderssaggedwithareliefshewouldn'tvoice.

He paused at the bottom of the hill, and although she couldn't see his features, she was

struckbythestillnessofhisposture,asifhe'dbecomeapartofthescenery.Thenhestarted

towardher,hisstepsslowanddragging.

She stood up from the chair in which she'd been sitting, then stayed within the shadows,

strugglingwiththeurgetoruntohim.Stilluncertainwhereshefitintohislife,shewatched,

waitingtotakehercuefromhim.

Davidfeltherpresencebeforehesawher,andwhenshesteppedoutoftheshadowstothe

edgeoftheporch,aweightliftedfromhischest.Thiswasjustlikeadreamhe'dhadsomany

times before. Coming home to find this woman awaiting his arrival was nothing short of a

miracle.

"Cara."

"Areyouokay?"

"Yes."

"I made some coffee. There are fresh towels and a washcloth in the bathroom." She

hesitated,thenadded,"Doyouneedanythingelse?"

Heswallowedaroundalumpinhisthroat."Justyou."

"I'vebeenhereallthetime."

"Iknow.I'mtheonewho'sbeenlost."

Shewalkedofftheporchandtookhimbythehand.

"Thenwelcomehome,mydarling,"shesaidsoftly,andledhiminside.

Davidwentsilently,knowingthatsimpleacthaddonemoretowardsavinghissanitythan

anythingelseshecouldhaveeverdone.

Whenhecameoutoftheshoweritwasclosetofourinthemorning.Thelightswereoutin

therestofthehouse,withonlyasmallgingerjarlamplightingtheareabesideCara'sbed.He

stoodinthedoorway,watchinghersleep.Sostill.Sobeautiful.

He wondered how many times Ray Justice had done this very same thing, maybe in this

verysameplace—watchinghiswifeintheirbed.Jealousyburnedlowinhisgutbutheshoved

itaside.Therewasnothinglefttobejealousabout.Themanwasdead,andhewashere.

ButtherewasFrank.

Thepossibilityexistedthathemightneverhaveanotherchancetodothis—tostandwithin

thequietofahomeandwatchthewomanhelovedassheslept.Thistime,itwasregretthat

drew him to the bed. He pulled back the covers and slipped in beside her, selfishly taking

everythingshehadtooffernow.

When she sighed and turned, snuggling her cheek against his chest, his arms tightened

aroundher.

God…don'tletthisend.

Thenheclosedhiseyesandletexhaustionclaimhim.

***

Davidsmelledcoffeeandrolledoverinsurprise.Mostofhisadultlifehadhingedonbeing

cognizant of his surroundings, even in his sleep, and yet Cara had arisen from this bed and

dressedwithouthimknowingit.Andfromthescentswaftingdownthehallway,she'dbeen

upforsometime.Notonlydidhesmellcoffee,butifhewasn'tmistaken,alsobaconandthe

aroma of baking bread. He rolled out of bed and grabbed a clean pair of shorts and a shirt,

unwillingtowasteanothermomentofthisday.Afteraquicktriptothebathroomtobrush

histeethandcombhishair,hepaddedbarefootdownthehall.Thetelevisionwasoninthe

livingroomandhestopped,takingamomenttolistentotheannouncer.

"TalksbetweentheIrishRepublicanArmyandGreatBritainhavecometoahalt.Reports

from unnamed sources tell us that the recent bombing in Trafalgar Square has been

attributed to a renegade faction of the IRA and that until this has been sorted out,

negotiationswillcease."

"Damn," David muttered, and made himself a mental note to check on the status of the

situation. When the announcer continued, he lingered another moment, although he was

tornbetweenhisdutytoSPEARandhislongingtobewithCara.

"On the local front, hit-and-run robberies are continuing within a three-county area of

upstateNewYorkJustlastnight,aliquorstoreinThreeCornerswasheldup,andtheclerk

ondutywasshotandrobbedofmorethansixthousanddollars.Thewoman,athirty-four-

year-oldAsianmotheroftwo,isstillinsurgery.Moreonherconditionlater."

David sighed, sorry for the woman and her family, but his focus had to be on the larger

picture. Even though it was on a limited basis, terrorism had already made its mark in the

UnitedStates.Itwaspartofhisjobtomakesureitdidn'tescalate.

When the station broke for commercial, he turned to other issues—namely breakfast with

Cara.

Whenheenteredthekitchen,Carawaswashingherhandsatthesink.Hewalkedupbehind

her,slippedhisarmsaroundherwaistandnuzzledthebackofherneck.

Caragaspedwithsurprise.

"David!Youstartledme,"shesaid,thensheleanedbackagainsthimandclosedhereyesas

hishandsmovedupherbellytoherbreasts.

"Thenwebothgotasurprisethismorning,"hesaid,asheturnedherinhisarmsandkissed

thesmileonherlips.

"Howso?"Caraasked.

"Ineverheardyougetup."

She shrugged. "I was trying to be quiet. You were sleeping so soundly I thought you must

needtherest."

"That's beside the point," David said. "There were lots of days and nights I went without

sleepandIstillstayedalert.Itmadethedifferenceinmyeverseeinganothersunrise."

Shecuppedhisfacewithherhands."Yes,butthatwaswhenyouwereindanger,right?"

"Yes."

"So…subconsciously,youknewtherewasnothingheretofear.Endofstory.Nowcomesit

down.Breakfastisalmostdone."

Shewasright,andtheanswerwassosimple,hedidn'tknowwhyithadn'toccurredtohim

first.Maybehe'dspenttoomuchofhislifeinhidingtobeabletodothisnormal-guystuff.

"Needanyhelp?"heasked.

"No,butthanks."

He took a seat, thinking he couldn't remember the last time he sat down to a meal with

flowersonthetable.Thenhesawthebasketofhotblueberrymuffinsandhisheartskippeda

beat.HefeltCara'shandonthebackofhisneck.

Helookedather.Shewassmiling.

"Youremembered,"hesaidsoftly.

"How could I forget," Cara said, and then brushed a brief kiss across his mouth. "We had

breakfasttogetheratFlanders'Delithemorningyou leftforbasictraining. Iwassomadat

youandIstillcametosaygoodbye."

David sighed, unwilling to think about the negative aspects of their parting. "It was

blueberrymuffinswithsomekindofsugarystuffontop."

"Streusel.It'scalledstreusel."

Davidtouchedthecornerofhermouth."Youhaditstuckrighthere."

Carasmiled."Andyouremoveditwithyourtongue.Causedquiteascenethereinthedeli,

as I recall." Then she frowned. "Someone told my parents. When I got home, there was the

proverbialhelltopay."

"Sorry,"Davidsaid.

"I'm not. Even though they've been gone for several years, after knowing what they did to

us,David,Idon'tthinkIcaneverforgivethem."

"Holding on to grudges isn't healthy," he said, thinking of Frank. "Let's just focus on here

andnow."

Cara sensed he was alluding to more than what her parents had done, because that dark

lookwasbackinhiseyes.Determinednottotalkaboutanythingnegative,shehandedhima

muffinandmadeherselfsmile.

"StartonthatwhileIgettherestofourfood."

The bread was warm against his palm, and when he broke it open, the scent of sugar and

blueberriesmadehimfeellikeakidofsixteenalloveragain.Ignoringthebutterandjam,he

tookabigbite,savoringthetasteaswellasthethoughtbehindit.

"Whatdoyouthink?"Caraaskedasshesetaplateofbaconandscrambledeggsathisplace.

Heswallowed."IthinkRayJusticewasadamnedluckyman."

At first, the mention of her deceased husband was startling, until she began to accept the

complimentinthemannerinwhichithadbeenmade.Shesmiled.

"Why,David…whatagenuinelydearthingtosay."

Hearchedaneyebrow."Ihavemymoments."

She laughed and then went to get her own food, leaving David with the sound of her

laughterechoinginhisearsandtheknowledgethatwhateverhappenedlater,he'dbeenright

incoming.

They finished their meal in near silence, each absorbed in the simple wonder of sharing

food.ForCara,thewholeexperienceseemedsurreal.Daybeforeyesterday,DavidWilsonwas

aheartachefromherpast,andnowhewassittinginherhouse,athertable,eatingthefood

that she'd prepared. But this David was nothing like the boy who'd left her behind. He was

hard and secretive and rarely smiled. She wanted her old David back. Not only that, she

wantedmore—somuchmore.Butshekeptrememberinganoldsayingaboutbeingcarefulof

what you wished for. Her life was settled. If he stayed, could she live with a man with so

manysecrets—amanwhohadtowearhimselfoutphysicallytobeabletorest?Shesighed.

Godhelpthemboth,becauseshehadneverwantedanythingsomuchinherlifeandshewas

afraidshewouldn'tbeuptothetask.

Davidgotuptopourhimselfanothercupofcoffee.

"Wantarefill?"heasked.

"No,I'vehadenough."

Herwordswrappedaroundhissenses,remindinghimthathewouldneverhaveenoughof

her.Thesmilehe'dbeenwearingstoppedatthecornerofhismouthashesatthecupdown

onthecounter,unfilled.Thenhewalkedacrosstheroom,pulledherupfromherchairand

intohisarms.

"Yousure?"heasked,hisvoicehuskywithpromise.

Shesmiled."MaybeIwasalittlehasty."

"Ifyoucomebacktothebedroomwithme,wecantakeallthetimeyouneedtodecide."

Ashiveroflongingrolledthroughherassheslidherarmsaroundhisneck.

"ThewayI'mfeelingrightnow,itwon'ttakeanytimeatall."

Araresmilebrokethesombernessofhisfaceashescoopedherupinhisarms.

"Icanwalk,"shesaid,ashecarriedherdownthehall.

He laid her on the bed and then crawled on top of her, straddling her legs. There was a

gleaminhiseyeashebegantoundressher.

"Tellmethatagainafterward,"hesaid.

Breathcaughtinthebackofherthroatashishandstuggedhershirtfromthewaistbandof

her slacks. From where she was lying, he seemed indomitable. And then he leaned forward

andcenteredhismouthacrossherlips.Shemoaned.

He leaned even closer, his mouth against her ear as he whispered something dark and

promisingthatsenthersenseofselfintoatailspin.Couldshedosomethinglikethat—even

withamansheloved?

Clothescameoff,flyingineverydirection.

Herslacks.

Hisshorts.

Herbra.

Hisshirt.

When there was nothing left between them but his promises, he turned her over on her

stomach.

Carashiveredashishandsencircledherankles.Afterthat,nothinginherlifewouldeverbe

thesame.

***

CarasteppedoutoftheshowertofindDavidwaitingonher.Shesmiledslowly,gazingherfill

ofhisstrong,nakedbodyandthelookinhiseyes.

Davidreturnedhergrinashewrappedherinatowel.

"What?"heasked.

"It would have been an absolute tragedy if I'd lived my whole life without experiencing

that."

The corner of his mouth tilted, but not much. "That, as you call it, is one of the most

interestingpagesoftheKamaSutra."

"Oh? And here I thought you'd learned that from some Mata Hari type during your world

travels."

"Hell, honey, it wasn't a James Bond type of life, I can tell you that. I could count the

numberofwomenI'vesleptwithinthelasttwentyyearsononehandandhavefingersleft

over."

"Oh,Iwasn'tspeakingfromjealousy,"Carasaid."Quitethereverse.Iwasgoingtosuggest

thatifI'meverwithyouandyouseeanyofthosewomenagain,pleaseintroduceme."

"Why?"

"Iwanttothankthemforwhatevertheyaddedtoyourexpertise."

Hiseyeswidenedinsurpriseandthenhethrewbackhisheadandlaughedasheswungher

offherfeet.

Carawrappedherarmsaroundhisneck,grinningathisdelight.

"God,woman,youunmanme,"hesaid,ashesetheronherfeet.

"Notfortoolong,Ihope.Nowletmegetdressed.Ican'tstaynakedallday."

"Whynot?"

Hergrinwidened."BecauseIhavethingstodo."

Hefrowned."Whatkindofthings?"

She shrugged. "Normal, everyday things, like picking up some clothes from the cleaners,

buyinggroceries,washingthecar.Youknow…juststuff."

David followed her into the bedroom and sat on the bed as she began to dress. He didn't

wanttoadmitthathedidn'tknow.Stuffhadn'tbeenonhisagendasincethedayhe'dleftfor

Vietnam.

"CanIcome?"

Caraturned,surprisedbythehesitanttoneinhisvoice.

"Ofcourseyoucan.Iexpectedyouto."

"Isthereadresscodeforthiskindofstuff?"

Shestartedtolaughandthenrealizedhewasserious.Herhandsfistedasshestruggledto

keeptheangeroutofhervoice.

"IkeepwantingtoaskexactlywhatthehelltheUnitedStatesgovernmentdidtoyouinthe

nameofpeace,butI'mafraidoftheanswer.Youcanwearshortsoranykindofpants.Jeans

… slacks, whatever you like. A shirt of any kind is fine with me. There's this great little

restaurant where we can have lunch." She frowned, then added, "Actually, it's more like a

tearoom,butthedresscodeiscasual."

"Okay," David said, and took a pair of chinos from a hanger, then stood for a moment,

choosingashirtthatwouldmatch.

Carapaused,watchingtheplayofmusclesacrosshisback.Hergazefellonthemultitudeof

scars on his body as it had so many times before. Suddenly blinded by tears, she turned

beforehecouldseethemandbegandiggingthroughadresserdrawer.

It occurred to her then that she'd taken her freedom for granted, never considering the

countlessmenwhosacrificedonadailybasissothatshewouldneverliveinfear.Sheturned

abruptly.

"David."

"Yeah?"hemuttered,ashebentovertotiehisshoe.

"Thankyou."

Helookedup."Forwhat?"

"Fortheyearsyouspentintheserviceofthiscountry.Forthenightsyoudidn'tsleepand

thepain—"

Hestoodandputhisforefingerinthecenterofhermouth,gentlystoppingwhatshe'dbeen

abouttosay.

"Youdon'thavetosaythis,"hesaid.

"Yes…actuallyIdo,"Carasaid."Ispentalotofyearsfeelingsorryformyselfbecausemy

lifedidn'tworkoutthewayI'dplanned.AndthenIseeyou,likethis,andwhatyousuffered

whileIwaswarmandsafeand—"

Hervoicebrokeandshelookedaway.

David'sexpressionwasshuttered.Howdidherespondtoabrutaltruth?

"Comehere,honey.It'sokay."

"No,"shemuttered."Itwillneverbeokay."

"It'salmostover,"hesaid.

She frowned. "That's not the first time you've alluded to unfinished business. What is it,

David?Whycan'tyoutellme?"

Hetriedtogrin."Youknowtheoldspyjoke.IfItoldyou,thenI'dhavetokillyou,andwe

bothknowIcouldn'tdothat.So…"

Caraturnedaway,mutteringsomethingbeneathherbreathasshefinisheddressing.

Davidarchedaneyebrowashesmiled."Thoseareprettysaltywordsforsuchaprettylady."

Shepurposefullyignoredhim,whichmadehimsmileevenmore.Thiswomanwasafarcry

fromthegirlhe'dleftbehind.Hewasfallinginlovealloveragain.

"I'llfinishdressingnow,"hesaid.

Shealmostglared."Areyoumakingfunofme?"

"No,ma'am."

Shesighed."Yes,youare."

"Whatwouldittakeforyoutochangethesubject?"heasked.

She lifted her chin, refusing to smile. "I'm going to the living room. When you're ready, I

willbewaiting."Thenshemarchedoutofthebedroom,leavinghimonhisown.

David hesitated briefly, then grabbed his wallet and keys before following her exit. This

mightbenewandunchartedterritoryforhim,butdamnedifhewasn'tlookingforwardtoit.

Tearoom,indeed.

Two hours and a half dozen errands later, they walked into the restaurant. Almost

immediately,Carasawpeoplesheknew.Theywavedahello,andshecouldtellbythelooks

ontheirfacesthattheircuriositywasraisedbythemanatherside.

Earlier, she'd almost lost his company when she had gone into the hair salon to pick up a

bottleofherfavoriteshampoo.Oneofthestylistshadflirted,whichhe'dcalmlyignored,but

whentheshampoogirlcamebyandpinchedhisbehind,Carathoughthewasgoingtobolt.

Cara had calmly told the girl to go molest someone else, which had made everyone laugh,

includingDavid.Afterthat,therestofthemorninghadbeenfairlyinnocuous.Butnowthere

wasthis.SheglancedatDavid,judginghisexpression.Tohersurprise,hewaslookingather.

"Whatdoyouthink?"Caraasked.

"Itsmellsgoodinhere,"hesaid.

Shesmiled."Thefoodtastesasgoodasitsmells."

"Then I think you made the right choice, and I think those people at the table near the

windowaretryingtogetyourattention."

Carasighed."Yes,Iknow.WhatdoIdo…aboutyou,Imean?"

Aneyebrowarched."Whatdoyouwanttodo…aboutme,Imean?"

She grinned. "One thing has certainly changed since I first knew you. You have a wicked

senseofhumor.Nowbeserious.Isit,uh,safetointroduceyouasDavidorshouldI—"

David slid his hand along the length of her spine and gave her a gentle push in their

direction.

"IamwhoIam.Ifitwasdangerousformetosurface,Idamnsurewouldn'thavebroughtit

toyou."

She looked startled, and he realized she hadn't considered that aspect of his life having a

negativeimpactonhers.

"Cara!Dear!Howwonderfultoseeyou."

Cara smiled. Obviously they'd stood too long at the door waiting to be seated. Her friend

DebraShayhadbeentoocurioustowait.

"Goodtoseeyou,too,"Carasaid.

"Well…aren'tyougoingtointroduceme?"Debraasked,andthenglancedcoylyatDavid.

Carasmiled."Ifyoupromisenottopinchhimonthebackside,Iwill."

Debra giggled and patted David's arm in commiseration. "Oh, no! You must have been at

Ream'sSalon.ThatJanisfemaleislethalaroundgood-lookingmen."

David smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said smoothly. "I'm David Wilson. It's a

pleasuretomeetoneofCara'sfriends."

"David,thisisDebraShay,"Carasaid."Rayworkedwithherhusband,Roy."

Davidnoddedcongeniallywhilethinkingthathefeltlikehewasplayingapart.Normalchit-

chat,ordinarypeople,havinglunchinatearoominChiltingham,NewYork. It was a far cry

fromsubterfugeandespionage.Andthenthehostessarrivedandthemomentended.

"I'msorryforthedelay,"shesaid."Pleasefollowme."

"Nice to meet you," Debra gushed, giggling again as David and Cara were shown to their

table.

DavidseatedCara,thentookthechairbesideher.Assoonasthehostessleft,hetookCara's

hand.

"Thatwasn'tsobad,wasit?"

Shemadeherselfsmile."No."

"WhydoIfeellikethere'sabutjustwaitingtocomeout?"

Shesighed."Becausethereis."

"Thenwhat?"

"Thisdoesn'tfeelreal."

Hestartedtosmile,whichwasthelastthingCarawouldhaveexpectedhimtodo.

"What'ssofunny?"sheasked.

"I'dforgottenthatweusedtothinkalike."

"Whatdoyoumean?"

"JustafewmomentsagoIwasthinkingtheverysamething.IfeellikeI'mactingapartand

anyminutenowsomeoneisgoingtoyellcutandI'mgoingtoturnbackinto—"

He caught himself before he said the word Jonah and looked away, but the message was

clear.Caraputherhandsoverhisandgavethemasqueeze.

"It'sallright,darling,"shesaidquietly."Ifyou'reuncomfortable,wecangohome.I'llmake

ussomesandwichesandwecan—"

"Hell,no.I'mnotfragile,justoutofpractice,"hesaid,andthenhandedheramenu."Now,

tellmewhat'sgood."

Thesmileonherfacewaswortheveryuncomfortablemomenthe'dhadthusfar.Whenshe

bent her head to study the menu, he watched her changing expression as devoutly as he'd

watched the sunrises over the Rockies. He didn't know how this journey was going to end,

buthewouldneverbesorryhe'dmadeit.

"Howhungryareyou?"Caraasked.

He blinked. Telling her the truth about what he really hungered for would probably

embarrassher,butwhenshestartedtoblush,hefiguredshe'djustreadhismind.

Asmallgrintiltedtherightsideofhismouth,thenasquicklydisappeared.

He leaned across the table until their foreheads were almost touching. "I'm starving," he

saidsoftly.

Her blush heightened. "Just don't lick the corner of my mouth again until there's a really

goodreason."

His eyes glittered warmly as he sat back in his chair. "You're safe for now," he promised.

"Now,sinceyou'retheexperthere,whydon'tyouorderforme?"

"Really?"

"I think I'm secure enough as a man to let a woman order for me without feeling

threatened.Besides,I'mcuriousastowhatyouthinkmightappealtome."

"Whatifyoudon'tlikeit?"

He thought of the times he'd eaten grubs and insects to survive and decided against

mentioningit.

"I'llstilleatit."

Shebeamed."Mykindofman."

Theteasingdisappearedfromhiseyes."Sweetheart,Iwasalwaysyourman."

Unpreparedforthegentlenessinhisvoice,Cara'seyesteared,butsheblinkedthemaway.

"Justforthat,you'regoingtogettheirfamousdessert,too,"shesaid.

"What'sthat?"

Shegrinned."Cake.It'scalledBetterThanSex."

Davidthoughtshewasputtinghimonuntilshepointedtothedessertportionofthemenu.

"No way," he muttered, wondering what else had changed in this world while he'd been

hidingbehindthegenerationsofJonahswho'dgonebeforehim.

"Oh,yes,andwhenyou'vefinishedyourmeal,I'llproveit,"Carasaid.

Atthispoint,David'ssenseofjusticegotthebestofhim.He'dneverhadabiteoffoodinhis

lifethatwasbetterthanmakinglovetoCara—notevenwhenhe'dbeenstarving.

"You just do that," he whispered. "And I'll be a really good boy and eat everything on my

plate,butwhenwegethome,I'mgoingtoprovetoyouthatthereisn'tanythingbetterthan

sex,especiallywhenit'swiththerightperson."

"MayItakeyourorder?"

Startled,Caralookedup.Thewaitresswasgrinning—proofthatshe'doverheard,atthevery

least,thelastthingDavidjustsaid.CaraglaredatDavidandthenrolledhereyes.Thiswould

bealloverthetearoombeforethey'dbeenservedtheirfirstdish.

Thewaitresswaited,herpenpoisedaboveherpad.

Refusing to look at David, Cara gave their order. As soon as the waitress was gone, Cara

glancedup,butheseemedpreoccupiedwithacoupleacrosstheroom.Sheturnedtolookand

thensighed.ItwasBenandKatieMurphyandtheirnewbabygirl.Probablytheirfirstouting

since the baby's arrival last month. She looked at David again. The pain in his eyes was

unmistakable. Despite the fact that everyone in the room would see and put their own

interpretationontheaction,shereachedforhishand.

Startledbyhertouch,Davidblinked,thenturnedhisfocustoCara.

"I'msorry,"shesaidsoftly.

Hesighed.Soshe'dreadhismindagain.Sowhatelsewasnew?

"Youhavenothingtobesorryfor,"hesaidbriefly.

"Don't,David."

"Don'twhat?"

"Don'tdenyyourfeelings…nottome."

"Okay then. What do you want to hear first?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"That I envy that young couple the life ahead of them, or that I want things I know I can

neverhave?"

"Ican'tgiveyoubackyouryouth,butIcangiveyouadaughter…andgrandchildren."She

heldherbreath,afraidtosaytherestofit—thatshewouldbehiswifeifhewantedit.

Davidmadehimselfsmile,unawarethattheactionneverreachedhiseyes.

"You'vealreadydonethat,"hesaid."AndIcanonlyhopethattheywillforgivemeasquickly

asyouhave."

"There's nothing to forgive," Cara said, refusing to admit her disappointment that he had

mentionednothingaboutthefutureoftheirrelationship."Whentheygettoknowyou,they

willloveyou."

BeforeDavidcouldanswer,hesawawomanapproachingtheirtable.Fromthelookonher

face,thecuriositywaseatingherup.HegaveCaraanodandthenbracedhimself,thankfulhe

wassittingdown.Thisonelookedasifshewouldn'tsettleforasimplepinchonthebehind.

"Ooh,Cara,who'sthisbighunkandwherehaveyoubeenkeepinghim?"

Cara flinched and David saw it, identifying the woman as someone other than a friend.

Whoevershewas,she'djustbecomehisenemy,too.

"Macie,IthoughtyouwereinReno."

"Ijustgotback,andlook,I'mafreewomanagain."Shewiggledtheemptyfingersonherleft

handasproof.

"I'msorrytohearthat,"Carasaid.

"Don'tbe!Idon'tknowwhatIwasthinkingwhenImarriedthatGlenHarvey."

"Thatheownedhisdaddy'sbusiness?"Caramuttered,toolowforanyonebutDavidtohear.

"Well,"Maciesaid."Aren'tyougoingtointroduceme?"

ItwasthewayMacieHarveyleanedover,displayinghermorethanamplecharmsinDavid's

face,thatpushedCara'sbuttons.Thatplusthefactherhusband,Ray,hadconfessedtohaving

abriefaffairwithMaciebetweenhusbandsthreeandfour.Althoughshehadfinallyforgiven

Ray, she had never confronted the woman. Suddenly, now seemed like the perfect time to

yankherchain.

Sheturnedinherseat,givingMacieabeatificsmile.

"Macie, this is David Wilson. He's not only my childhood sweetheart, but also Bethany's

father. David, Macie Harvey. Elizabeth Taylor has nothing on our Macie for shedding

husbands.IbelieveGlenwasnumberseven…orwasiteight?"

David was surprised but secretly pleased that she'd admitted their relationship. He stood

andheldouthishand.

"Mrs.Harvey,mycondolencesonyourrecentdivorce,butasI'msureyoumustknow,time

doeshealallwounds,exceptthosethatkillyou,ofcourse."

Macieblinked.Shedidn'tknowwhethertobeinsultedfirst,orruntospreadthisjuicybitof

news.Sheoptedforthenews.

"Yes…well…thankyou,I'msure,"shesaid,givingCaraafierceglare.

Carareturnedthelook,stillwearinghersmile.Maciewasthefirsttolookaway.

"I'dbettergetbacktomytable,"Maciesaid."Ithinkmyorderhasarrived."

"Enjoy,"Carasaid.

Cara'seyeswereglitteringassheturnedtoDavid.

"Cara,honey?"

"What?"

"Remindmenevertomakeyoumad."

Shestartedtogrin."Why?"

"BecauseyoushedbloodbetterwithoutweaponsthananyoneI'veeverseen."

She tossed her head and then smiled primly. "Thank you. It's part of the gift of being a

woman."

"Oldenemiesareoftenthemostdifficulttodispatch,"Davidadded,thinkingofFrank.

"ShehadanaffairwithRay.TheythoughtIdidn'tknow."

David'shearttwisted.Somanythingsshe'dhadtoendure,andallbecausehehadn'tcome

home.Thistime,hewastheonereachingforherhand.

"Thistime,it'smewho'ssayingI'msorry."

Sheshrugged."Youdidn'tdoit.Youhavenothingtoapologizefor."

"Oh,butyou'rewrong,"hesaidsoftly."It'swhatIdidn'tdothathascausedthemosthurt."

Beforeshecouldanswer,theirfoodarrivedandthetensionofthemomentdissipated.

"Hot beef sandwich and tuna salad, coming up," the waitress said, setting the hot plate of

thinlyslicedroastbeefontoastpointswiththickbrowngravyinfrontofDavidandtheplate

ofcoldtunasaladonlettuceinfrontofCara."Eathearty,folks,butremembertosavesome

room.Youdon'twanttoforgetthatdessert."

Davidlaughed.

ItfilteredthroughCara'sanger,leavingherweakandbreathless.Ithadbeensolongsince

she'dheardthatremarkablesound.

"Thislooksgreat,"Davidsaid."Idon'trememberthelasttimeIhadthis."

Heduginwithrelish,rollinghiseyesinappreciation.

Cara smiled and tucked into her own food, all the while thinking about cake and sex with

themarvelousmanatherright.

Chapter4

«^»

Frank Wilson slammed the phone down in disgust. So far, no amount of money had been

able to buy him any pertinent information on where his baby brother had gone. David had

disappearedasthoroughlyashehadwhenhe'dfirstcomebackfromVietnam.Hefrownedas

he stared across the room. He didn't like not knowing where his enemies were. It left him

defenseless,andhedidn'tlikebeingweak.

Abruptly,hestrodetothewindowoverlookingthestreetbelow.EastL.A.wasaneasyplace

togetlostin.Cashboughtanonymityhere.Identificationwasunnecessaryforrentingrooms

or cars if enough money changed hands. Despite all that, the fact that he was still in the

United States was dangerous. He'd messed with Uncle Sam's elite, and even though he'd

gottenaway,he'druffledfartoomanyfeatherstothinkthey'dbrushedhimoff.

Hisfrowndeepenedasheabsentlystaredatthepeopleonthestreetbelow.Thereweretoo

damnedmanypeopleinthisworldandnotaoneofthemknewtheirhandfromtheirass.The

longerhethoughtaboutit,themoreconvincedhebecamethatthatwaswhatwaswrongwith

hisplans.NomoretryingtogettoDavidthroughotherpeople.He'dtakenelevenrunsatthe

manandcomeupempty-handedeverytime.Thenexttimeithappened,itwouldbehimself

andDavid—facetoface.

Nexttime.

In frustration, he suddenly slammed his fist against the window ledge, and in doing so,

jarredhisshoulder,sendingabarrageofpainuphisneckandtothebackofhishead.Whatif

therewasnonexttime?

Cursingtheinfirmitythatcausedhimpain,heturnedawayfromthewindowandmovedto

thebedtoliedown,tellinghimselfthathewouldfindDavid.Itwouldhappen—whenhewas

ready. He had no desire to face him again until his gunshot wounds weren't so tender.

Anotherdayorsoandhe'dberaringtogo.

Heclosedhiseyes,lettinghisthoughtsdrift.Outside,thesquealofapolicesirencameand

went,whiledownthehall,hecouldhearamancursingandawoman'sshrillcriesforhelp.

Herolledoveronhisgoodshoulderandpulledthepillowoverhishead.Crazy.Theworldhad

gonecrazy.Withinafewminutes,hewassnoring.Sometimelater,hebegantodream.

"Frankie,gofindyourbrotherandtellhimsupperisready."

Ten-year-old Frankie Wilson rolled his eyes, then peeked over the kitchen counter to the

piescoolingontheracknearthesink.

"Okay,Ma,andcanIhavesecondsondessert?"

"Ifyoueatgood."

"Iwill,"Frankiesaid,exitingthekitchenontherun.

He jumped off the porch and ran around the holly bushes toward the side of the house

wherehissix-year-oldbrother,Davie,hadbeenplaying.Butwhenhegotthere,theyardwas

empty.

"Dumb kid," he muttered, thinking of the dessert awaiting him inside. "Hey, Davie!

Supper!"

Nooneansweredandnolittlekidcamerunning.Hebegantocirclethehouse,thinkingthat

Daviemusthavemovedtotheshadetreeinfront.Butwhenhegotthere,hislittlebrother

wasnowhereinsight.

"Hey,Davie!Davie!"

Noanswer.Hefrowned.FrankieWilsonconsideredhimselfalmostgrown,butDaviewas

justakid,andheknewbetterthantoleavetheyardwithoutpermission.

Hejoggedtowardthesidewalk,andashedidheheardtheunmistakablecryofsomeonein

pain. A few feet farther, he rounded the lilac bush and saw his little brother sitting on the

curb,holdinghisknee.Hisbicyclewithtrainingwheelswaslyingonitssideinthestreet.

"Hey,kid,whathappened?"Frankieasked,ashekneltinfrontofDavie.

Daviesniffedloudly,thenwipedadirtyhandbeneathhisnose.

"Ifellandskinnedmyknee,"hesaid.

Frankie looked. Sure enough, the kid was missing a good chunk of skin and bleeding all

overhisshoes.

"Youweren'tsupposedtobeinthestreet.IfMafindsout,she'llwhipyourbutt."

Davie's eyes widened. Not only had his brother used the B word, but he was right about

theirmother.Shewouldwhiphimforridinghisbikeinthestreet.

"Don'ttellonme,Frankie.Idon'twantawhipping."

Frankiesighed.Beingabigbrothercarriedalotofresponsibilities.HepattedDavieonthe

headandthenhelpedhimtohisfeet.

"Comeon,kid.I'llgetyourbikeintheyardandMawilljustthinkyoufelloffthere,okay?"

Davienodded."Okay."Thenhesmiledthroughhistears."Thanks,Frankie,you'rethebest

brotherever."

"Yeah, I know," Frankie said. "Now hurry. Supper is ready and we got cherry pie for

dessert."

A car backfired and a motorcycle revved before taking off, leaving a single trail of rubber

behindontheL.A.street.Frankjerkedinhissleep,buthedidn'tawake.Instead,thesound

shiftedhisdreamfromchildhoodtoVietnam.

Davidcameoutofnowhere.Thestupidlittlebastard.Hewasgoingtomesseverythingup.

ThenFrank'sshockturnedtopanicwhenherealizedthegunrunnerswerereachingfortheir

weapons.

"Don't!"heyelled."He'smybrother."

"Getridofhim,"oneofthemsnapped,"orwe'lldoitforyou."

Before he could react, David stepped between them, yanking the money out of Frank's

handsandthrowingitontheground.

"Whatthehelldoyouthinkyou'redoing?"Frankyelled.

"Savingyourstupidass,"Davidsaid."Nowlet'sgetoutofhere."

"What'sgoingon?"thegunrunnerasked.

Frank spun, his eyes blazing with anger. "Leave this to me," he said, and shoved David

asideashereachedforthemoney.

Butthekidsteppedonhisfingers,stoppinghisintent.Afterthat,everythingbecameablur.

Beforeheknewit,bothofthegunrunnersweredeadandDavidwasstaringathimasifhe'd

neverseenhimbefore.

Time blurred the memories of what came next. All Frank could remember was pointing a

guninhisbrother'sfaceandthenpullingthetrigger.Afterthat,herememberedcomingtoon

the floor of the hut, smelling gasoline and feeling the heat of the fire against his face. He'd

crawledthroughfire,livingwithonepurposeonly,andthatwastomakeDavidpayforwhat

he'd done. Over the years, Frank had chosen to forget that he was the one to fire the first

shot.Hisentirepurposeforlivingwasrevenge.

AndthatsamerevengehadkepthimaliveinVietnam,hidinginanemptyvillageunderthe

noseoftheVietconguntilhewashealed,thensmugglinghimselfintoIndonesiaandstowing

awayonafreighterboundforNewZealand.Hestrangledthemanwhohelpedhimonboard,

stole his identity, then hid in the hold among the freight until they docked weeks later.

Withinayear,hewasworkingtheopalminesinAustraliaandsavingeverypennyhecould

gethishandson.Througheverytough,hungrydayandnightofhislife,onethinghadkept

himgoing—theknowledgethatsomedayhewouldfindDavidWilson,andwhenhedid,he

wouldkillhim.

Finally, Frank slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep. As he did, he rolled onto his back, his

arms flung out. Asleep, his scars gave him a look of vulnerability, but they were deceiving.

He'dgoneintothisvendettawithnothingtolose.HisbelovedMarthawasdeadandhisonly

child, like his brother, had turned into a traitor. There was nothing helpless about Frank

Wilson,andeverythingtofear.

***

Itwasthreeinthemorningwhenthenightmaresstarted.Carawokeabruptly,hersenseson

an all-out alert. David was still asleep, but curled up in a ball with his back to her. The

musclesinhisarmswerejerking,andeverynowandthenhewouldkick,asiffightingoffan

invisiblefoe.Shereachedforthelamp,quicklyturningitonandilluminatingtheircornerof

the room with a soft, yellow glow. A thin film of sweat covered his skin, and the sheet that

hadbeenoverhisbodywastwistedaroundhisankles.

Caragotupfromthebed,untwistedthesheetandpulledituptohiswaistbeforecrawling

inbesidehim.Thenshespoonedherselfagainstthecurveofhisback,slidanarmaroundhis

waistandheldon.

Hemoaned.

"Ssh,David,ssh.Everythingisallright,darling.Everythingisallright."

Thesoftnessofhervoiceseemedtopenetratehissubconscious.Hestiffenedmomentarily

andtheneversoslowlybegantorelax.

Carapulledherselfcloseragainsthim,andasshedid,heturnedoverandpillowedhischeek

againstherbreasts.Hisfacewasstreakedwithsweat,hisfeaturestwistedintoagrimace.As

she looked, she felt like crying. Instead, she held him close. Only after she heard the even

tenorofhisbreathingdidsheclosehereyes.

David was no longer the fearless young man who'd first gone off to war, convinced of his

immortality. This man who'd come back to her had been forged in hellfire and was holding

himselftogetherbynothingmorethansheerwill.Hewashardtothepointofbrittle,andhis

smileswerefartoorareforherpeaceofmind.Heexistedbydayandsufferedbynight.And

herragefortheinjurieshe'dsustainedgrewwitheachpassingday.Theonlythingshehadto

givehimwasherlove.Sheprayeditwouldbeenough.

Dawn finally broke, bathing the couple in the warm fingers of light slipping through the

curtains.Davidwasthefirsttostir,andashedid,herealizedthatsomethingofamiraclehad

occurred.He'dslepttheentirenightthroughwithoutwakingup.AndthenhefeltCara'sarms

around him and realized she must have held him while he slept. A great wave of peace fell

over him, leaving him weak and humbled. Dear God—he didn't deserve this woman, but he

wasn'tgoingtogiveherup.Notnow.Notwhenhe'dfinallyfoundareasontoliveagain.

Heshiftedslightlysothathecouldseeher.Themorninglightwassoft,shadowingthefine

lines that time had etched on her face. So beautiful. She was so very, very beautiful. He

thoughtofFrankandknewthathecouldn'tputofftheirmeetingtoomuchlonger.IfFrank

had even an inkling of Cara's importance in David's life, he would kill her just to see David

weep.

He shuddered, and as he did, her arms instinctively tightened around him. Even in her

sleep,sheseemedtosensehisdespair.

Heraisedupononeelbow.Sheopenedhereyes.Foramoment,itwasasifthey'dseeninto

each other's soul. Then David cupped her face and kissed her. She sighed as he levered

himselfaboveherbody.Hekissedheragain.Sheshifted,makingroomforhimtocomein.

Hetookherthere,intheearlymorninglightwithherhairintanglesandloveinhereyes.

By mid-morning, Cara was in the kitchen packing a picnic lunch while David was

rummaging in the storage shed out back, looking for Ray's fishing equipment. Despite his

claim to the opposite, Cara suspected it had been years since he'd done something as

innocuousasfishing,especiallyforfun.

The day was warm with a line of white puffy clouds in the distance, the wind almost

nonexistent, making it a perfect day to go to the lake. She was putting the last of the

sandwichesintothecoolerwhenthedoorbellrang.Shewipedherhandsandthenfrownedas

it began to ring again. Someone was certainly insistent. She hurried through the house,

peekedthroughthewindowbeforeansweringthedoorandthengroaned.

ItwasHarryBelton.

He'dbeentryingtocourtherformorethanayearnow.Shedidn'tknowhowmuchplainer

she could be without being terribly rude, but she wasn't interested. Masking her irritation,

sheopenedthedoor.

"Cara!Howareyou,dear?"

"Harold?"

"I know I should have called, but I was in the neighborhood and couldn't bring myself to

leavewithoutsayinghello."

Shefrowned.Hewaslying,andtheybothknewit."Youreallyshouldhavecalled,"shesaid.

"Iwasjustgoingout."

Ignoringthehintshehadjustgivenhimtomakeagracefulexit,hesteppedinsidethedoor

andthenpeeredoverhershoulder.

"Iseebythecarinthedrivewaythatyouhavecompany.IhopeI'mnotintruding."

"Actually,that'swhatIwastryingto—"

"There'sthesilliestrumorgoingaroundChiltinghamthatthere'sastrangerstayinginyour

house."

Cara'seyesflashedangrily,althoughshemaintainedhercalm.

"No.There'snostrangerstayinginmyhouse,"shesaid.

Hesmiledandputhishandsonhershoulders."Therenow!IknewwhenMaciesaiditthat

shewasjusttellingtales.EventhoughRayhasbeengonethesethreeyears,youjustaren't

thekindofwomanto—"

Carawatchedhiseyeswidenandhismouthdrop.Thefactthathe'dforgottenwhathewas

sayingtoldherthatDavidmusthavecomeinthehouse.

Haroldglaredather,andthetoneofhisvoicechangedfromhappytoaccusing.

"Ithoughtyousaidyouwerealone."

"No. I didn't say I was alone. I said there wasn't a strange man in my house. David isn't a

stranger."

Harold'sfaceturnedadark,uglyred,hiseyesnarrowingangrily.

"IfIhadn'tseenthiswithmyowneyes,Iwouldneverhavebelievedit."

Suddenly,Davidwasstandingatherback,hisvoicedarkandfullofunleashedanger.

"You'veneverseenafishingpole?"Davidasked,andthenthrustarodandreelinHarold's

face."Thenhere,takearealgoodlookbeforeIshoveitrightupyour—"

CarastifledagrinasHarolddroppedtherodandboltedforthedoor.Onlyafterhewason

theporchwiththescreendoorbetweenthemdidhestopandturn.Itwasamistake,because

Davidwasrightbehindhim.NowtheonlypersonstillinthehousewasCara.

"Don'ttouchme!"Haroldscreeched.

"Don'teverraiseyourvoicetoheragain,doyouhearme?"Davidasked.

Therewasalookintheman'seyesthatHaroldseemedafraidtochallenge.Henodded.

Davidcontinued."AndyoubetterhopeIdon'thearonedenigratingwordbeingsaidabout

CaraJusticeorI'mcomingafteryou."

"ButwhatifI'mnottheonewhosaidit?"Haroldmuttered.

"ThenIsuggestyoupray."

"Myword!"Haroldgasped,andboltedforthecar,leavingdustandgravelintheairbehind

himashedroveaway.

CaracameoutsideandslippedherhandinthecrookofDavid'sarm.

"Myhero."

Davidlookedatherandthenshrugged."Hetickedmeoff."

Shesmiled."Icouldtell."

"Are you mad at me?" he asked, suddenly aware that he might have run off someone she

actuallycaredfor.

Shelaughed."ForgettingridofHastyHarold?Noway!"

"HastyHarold?"

"It's an unfortunate nickname, but one he's certainly earned. He's the first man on the

doorstepwhenawomangetsdivorcedandthefirstonetoexpresshissympathywhenthere's

anewwidowintown.I'vebeenfightingoffhisadvancesforthreeyearsnow.Thankstoyou,I

thinkI'vejustseenthelastofthepest."

"You're welcome," he said, and then slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Are we still

goingfishing?"

"Oh,yes,"Carasaid."Iwouldn'tmissthistripwithyouforanything.Let'sloadupbeforewe

haveanymoreuninvitedvisitors."

Theywereontheirwaywithinthehour,andforDavid,everythingseemedsurreal.Hehad

theloveofhislifeathisside,apicniclunchinacoolerinthebackofCara'sSUV,alongwitha

coupleoffishingpolesandtackle.Theskywasapaleblue-whitewithafewscatteredclouds

uponthehorizon.Alltheyneededtofinishthepostcardimagewasacoupleofkidsscreaming

inthebackseatandadogpokinghisheadoutthewindow.HeglancedoveratCara,whowas

talkingaboutsomethingthathadhappenedinherpast.Hewassofascinatedbythefactthat

he was actually here in the moment that he lost track of what she was saying. Suddenly, a

shiverofforebodingranuphisspine.Thedaywasalmosttooperfect.Heshruggeditoffasa

hangoverfromthelifehe'djustgivenupandconcentratedonhisdrivingandthedirections

Carawasgivinghimtothelake.

"Look!"Caracried,astheycamearoundabendintheroad.

Itwasamagnificentbuck,momentarilyspellboundbytheironcomingvehicle.

"Wow,asixteenpointer,"Davidsaid,admiringtherackofantlersontheanimal'shead.

Carawasscramblinginthegloveboxwhenthebucksuddenlycametoitselfandbounded

intothesurroundingwoods.

"Darnit,"shemuttered."Iwasgoingtotakeapicture."

"Youbroughtacamera?"

Shenodded,holdingupacompact35mmcamerawithatelescopinglense.Herexpressionof

joysuddenlystilled,asifshewasafraidofhisreaction.

"What'swrong?"Davidasked.

"Nothing."

Hefrownedandthenpulledofftothesideoftheroadandturnedtofaceher.

"Thatlookonyourfaceisnotnothing,"hesaid."Talktome."

Shelookedaway,afraidhewouldreadwhatwasinherheart."It'snobigdeal.Ijustwanted

totakeafewpicturestorememberthisday."

Itwasn'twhatshesaidbutwhatsheomittedthathithimliketheproverbialrock.God.It

wasjustlikebefore.Shedidn'ttrusthewouldcomebackandwasmakingmemoriesforthe

daythathewouldleave.Whathurthimthemostwasthathecouldn'tpromisetoreturn.He

could say he wanted to. But that didn't mean he would live through his confrontation with

Frank.

It was at that moment he made up his mind to quit thinking negatively. He, by God, was

goingtocomebackandhewas going to spend the rest of his life with her. He brushed the

sideofhercheekwiththebackofhishand,thengavethelobeofherearagentletug.

"That'sgood.Wecanlookbackonthemwhenwe'reoldandgrayandrememberthatIwas

theonewhocaughtthemostfish."

Caraturnedherhead,sawthechallengeinhiseyes,andinspiteofherfearsmadeherself

smile.Twocouldplayatthisgameofpretend.

"Themostfish?You'realreadytellingmethisisgoingtobeacompetitioninwhichyou're

goingtowinandyouhaven'tevenwetyourhook?"

Hegrinnedashepulledontotheroad."SoIlikealittlechallengenowandthen.What'sso

wrongwiththat?"

"Absolutelynothing,"shesaid."AndI'mgoingtoaddalittlesomethingtothepot,okay?"

"Whynot?Iknowhowtobeagoodsport.Nameyoursomething."

"Theloserhastocleanthefish."

Hewrinkledhisnose."Idon'tknow.Idon'twantyouhurtingyourself."

She laughed. "My word! The utter gall of the man. Not only have you announced yourself

winnerbeforethegameevenstarts,butyou'realreadyconcerningyourselfwithmyinability

tocleanafish."

"Notafish,mydarlingwoman.Lotsandlotsoffish."

"Fine.Iacceptyourchallenge."

He nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now … is this the turnoff you told me to take, or do we

takethesecondonepostedonthatsign?"

"Thisisit,"Carasaid,pointingtowardanarrowblacktoproadleadingofftotherightofthe

highway."CaribouLake,deadahead."

***

It was late afternoon before Cara showed signs of wearing out. They'd shared a picnic and

taken pictures and reminisced about so many people that David's head was flooded with

thingshehadspentyearstryingtoforget.

Tohisdelight,she'dcaughtthemostfish,andherpridehadbeenobvious.Hisclaimtofame

forthedaywasthathe'dcaughtthesmallest,whichshehadpromptlyrecordedforposterity

withademandforapose.Laughing,he'dheldupthefour-inchfishontheline,measuringit

withhisthumbandforefingerforthecameraasshesnappedtheshot.

Heglancedatheragain,ashehadsooftenduringtheday,smilingaboutthesmearofdirt

onherforeheadandthefainthintofsunburnonherreddeningnoseandcheeks.

"Don'tyouthinkit'stimetocallitquits?"heasked.

Shelookedathim,hereyessnappingwithchallenge.

"Onlyifyou'retheonewho'ssayinguncle."

"Thenuncle…andaunt,andcousinJoe,andUncleBob,andwhateverthehellelseittakes

foryoutoadmityou'reastiredasIam."

Shegrinned."Allrightthen,justonemorecastandI'myours."

"Nowyou'retalking,"hesaid,andthenwatchedasshemadeaperfectcastintothelake.

"Goodone,"hesaid."Wheredidyoulearntofishlikethis?"

"Myson,Tyler.Hedemandedhistimebetweenballetlessonsandcheerleadingpractices."

Davidnodded,wonderingwhereRayJusticehadbeenduringthoseyears.Sofar,Carararely

mentioned his presence in their everyday lives. Then her next comment answered his

questionwithoutbeingasked.

"Raywasalwaysworking,"shesaid."Someonehadtodotheguystuffwithourson."Slowly,

shereeledintheline,skillfullyplayingthelureinthewaterasshetalked."Igotprettygood

at it, too. In fact, there for a while, spending the night at Tyler's house was all the rage

becausehismomwasn'tsqueamishaboutworms."

Davidgrinned.

Suddenly,Cara'slinejerked.

"I'vegotone!"sheshouted,andbeganbackingupasshereeled.

Thepolewasbending,thelinequiveringandtaut.Whenitwaslessthanfivefeetfromthe

shore,theycouldseetheshadowyshapeofthefishbeneaththewater.

"It'sabigone,"shesquealed."Justlookathimfight."

Davidglancedtowardthewaterjustasshetookanotherturnonthereel.Inthatmoment,

thefishslippedthehook.Thetensionwentfromconstanttonothingandthehookcameup

andoutofthewaterlikeaprongedbullet,headingstraightforCara'sface.

David reacted without thinking, spinning between her and the missile, then flinching in

painwhenthehooksetitselfdeepwithinhisback.

Still blinking from an impact that never happened, Cara saw David reaching over his

shoulder, feeling his way around the wound. When he removed his hand, it came away

bloody.

"David?"

"It'sinmyback,"hesaid."IfIhadapairofneedle-nosedpliers,Icouldpullitout."

"Oh,myGod,"shemoaned,andmadehimturnaround."Isawitcomingandjustfroze.Ifit

hadn'tbeenforyou,itwouldhavebeeninmyface."

"It'snothing,"hesaid."LordknowsI'vehadworse.Nowgolookforthepliers,willyou?"

"Iwillnot,"shestatedfirmly,andtookapocketknifeoutofhertackleboxandquicklycut

the line. "We're going to the emergency room. You're going to have that taken out like a

decenthumanbeing,notrippedoutofyourfleshlikesomebarbarian."

"ButIamabarbarian,"hemuttered.

"Notinmyworld,you'renot."

"Damnit,Cara,it'salittlebittyhook."

"That'simbeddedinyourback,"sheretorted.

Heglared.

Shefrowned.

Hesighed.

Shebegangatheringuptheirthings.

"Give me those," David said, taking the heaviest of their gear out of her hands. "I'm not

crippled."

"No,justdifficult,"shesaid,andthenstartedtocry."God…don'tdothat,"Davidsaid,ashe

followedhertothecar.

"Ihaveto,"Carasaid.

"Why?"

"BecauseI'mawomanandbecauseifIdon'tcry,Imightsaysomethingstupid.Trustme.

It'sbetterifIcry."

Inspiteoftheburningpaininhisback,hehadtogrin.

WhentheyreachedtheSUV,sheopenedthebackdoorandslidtherodsinside.

"IsthissomethingIshouldstartgettingusedto?"Davidasked.

Hercheekswerestreakedwithtears,hereyesstillbrimming,butshemanagedaweaksmile

asshetookthetackleboxesfromhimandputtheminthefloorboardbehindthefrontseat.

"What?Youmeancrying?"sheasked.

"Um…thatandbeingbossedaround."

Thistimehersmilewasgenuine."WasIbossing?"

"Oh,yeah."

"Howdidyoufeelaboutit?"

Hegrinnedback."Scared?"

"Oh,right,"shemuttered,andheldoutherhand."MayIpleasehavethecarkeys?"

"Andyou'redriving,too?Dang,Cara,I'mnotdying."

"Doyouknowwherethehospitalis?"

"Oh."

"That'swhatIthought.Thekeys,please."

Hehandedthemtoherwithoutfurtherargumentandgotintothepassengerside.

"Whataboutthefishthatwecaught?"heasked.

"Drat," Cara muttered, as she realized she'd left her stringer of fish in the water. "Wait a

minute.I'llberightback."

David watched her sprinting toward the lake, her long, slender legs making quick work of

the distance. When she reached the shore, he saw her kneel and lift the stringer out of the

water.Buttohissurprise,shedidn'tbringittothecar.Instead,shegentlyremovedeachone

andreleasedthemintothelake.

Whenshegottothecar,shetossedtheemptystringerintothebackseatwiththerestofthe

tackleandbrushedherhandsontheseatofherpants.

"So,I'mnotgoingtohavetocleanthemafterall,"Davidsaid.

She looked at the bloodstained portion of his shirt and the hook still protruding from his

back,andhereyesfilledwithsympatheticpain.

"Ijustrealizedhowthefishmusthavefeltwhentheybitthebait.Ithoughtitwasonlyfair

thatIletthemgo."

David'shearttwisted.Herempathyforsufferingwashumbling.Hethoughtofallhisyears

inthemilitaryandthenhisyearswithSPEARandwondered,ifsheknewwhathe'ddonein

thenameoffreedom,wouldshestillbeassympathetictohispain?

Chapter5

«^»

Theywalkedintotheemergencyroom,stillarguing.Thenurseattheadmittingdesklooked

up,sawthebloodontheman'sshirtaswellassomeofthesamespotsonCara'sarms.

"Cara!Myword!Whatonearthisgoingon?Areyouhurt?"

"I'mnot,butheis,"Carasaid."He'sgotafishhookinhisback."

"Goodness gracious," the nurse said. "Come this way. We'll get that taken care of

immediately."

In a town as small as Chiltingham, it stood to reason Cara would be recognized, but for

David, a man who'd spent most of his adult life pretending to be someone else, it was a bit

disconcerting.

"Howdidthishappen?"Francessaid,asshereachedforapairofscissorsandbegancutting

David'sshirtdownthemiddleoftheback.

"Ilikedthatshirt,"Davidmuttered.

"Youcanbuyanotherone,"Carasaid."Nowquitfussingandletherdoherthing."

Davidwantedtoglare,butthedamnedhookwasreallystartingtothrob.Ifhehadtogiveup

agoodT-shirt,thensobeit.Anythingtogetalittlerelieffromthepain.

"Therenow,"Francessaid."I'mgoingtogetDr.Edwards.I'llberightback."

Cara bit her lower lip. Now that the shirt was gone, she could actually see how deep the

hookhadgone.

"Ifthathadhitmyeye,itwouldhaveblindedme.Ican'tbelieveyoujuststeppedinfrontof

itlikethat."

"Itwasreflex,"Davidsaid."Itdidn'tamounttoanythingmuch."

"It'smuchtome,"shemutteredthroughtightlyclenchedteeth."IfIsayyou'reahero,then

you'reahero."

Atthatpoint,atall,skinnymanwholookedtobeonthefarsideofsixtywalkeduptothe

side of the examination table where David was sitting. If it wasn't for the white lab coat he

was wearing over a Grateful Dead T-shirt and jeans, David would have doubted the man's

authenticity.This,hesupposed,wouldbeDoctorEdwards.

"Well, now, Cara, who do we have here?" he asked, looking at Cara instead of the man on

theexaminingtable.

Davidfrowned.Theywereactingasifhewasdumb,aswellasbloody.

"MynameisDavidWilson,"hesaid,answeringforhimself.

"He'smyfriend,"Carasaid."Andifhehadn'tmovedasquicklyashedid,thathookwould

havebeeninmyface,nothisback."

Now Marvin Edwards looked at David, looking past the bloody condition of his clothes to

theangeronhisfaceandofferedhishand.

"ThenonbehalfoftheresidentsofChiltingham,letmebetheonetothankyou.Caraisa

muchbelovedmemberofthiscommunityanditseemsyouhaveavertedatragedy.Iliketo

fishmyself,andknowhowthesethingscanhappen.Oneminuteafishisonthehookandthe

nextit'snot.Thosehookscancomeflying,especiallyifthereisalotoftensionontheline.

Howdidyoureactsoquickly?"

Davidwasn'tinthemoodtoexplainthatithadbeenthesameinstincthe'dhadathousand

timesbeforeinthejunglesofVietnam.

Knowingasniperwashiddensomewhereupatree.Knowingtherewereboobytrapsonthe

trailupaheadalthoughnothingcouldbeseen.

Knowingthatthesmilingoldmanwhoappearedonthetrailinfrontofhimwasholdingan

unpinnedhandgrenadebeneaththesheavesofrice.

Itwasaningrainedsensetosurvive.Orinthisinstance,toprotect.

"Idon'tknow.Ijustdid,"hesaid.

MarvinEdwardssmiled,satisfiedwithDavid'sreticentattitude.Hecouldrespectthat.There

wereplentyoftimeswhenhedidn'tmuchwanttotalk.Unfortunately,inhislineofwork,he

didn'thavetheluxuryofclammingup.

Withtheshirtoffhispatient'sback,Marvinranhisfingersacrossthemultitudeofscarson

David'sbodywithoutcomment,thenwavedatFrances.

"Getmeasyringe,Frances.We'regoingtoneedtodeadenthisareafirst."

ThenursebusiedherselfatanearbytablewhileDavidfidgetedbeneathCara'sworriedgaze.

"Look,"Davidsaid."Trustme,Doc,thisisnothing.I'vebeenhurtenoughtimesinmylifeto

knowthedifference."

"ThenhumormesoIcanhumorourfriendCaraJustice.Whatdoyousay?"

Davidgrimaced."Fine.Lookanddig.It'sjustahook."

Marvin Edwards grinned. "Look and dig? I spent all those years and all that money on

medicalschooljustsoIcouldlookanddig?"

Theolderman'ssarcasmalmostmadeDavidgrin."Sorry.Figureofspeech."

"Apology accepted," Marvin said, as he closed the curtain around the examining table and

tookthesyringethenursehandedhim.

"Heregoesnothing.Pleasedon'tmove."

Davidsighed,barelyawarewhenthedoctorshovedtheneedleintohisback,buthewinked

atCara,wholookedasifshewasgoingtocry.

"Honey,whydon'tyougofindabathroomandwashthatbloodoffyourhands?"

"Areyousayingyoudon'twantmehere?"sheasked.

"No.I'msayingyoudon'tneedtobehere.You'regoingtocryagainandit'sreallynotabig

deal,okay?"

"Promise?"

"Ipromise."

"I'llberightback,"shesaid.

"Ifiguredthat."

Sheslippedoutofthecurtainedarea,leavingthetwomenalone.

"So…David,isit?"Davidnodded.

"Exactlywhatlineofbusinessareyouin?"

"I'msemi-retired,"Davidsaid.

"Um,Isee.Butbefore…whatdidyoudo?"

Daviddidn'trespond.

Marvin Edwards glanced up. The expression on the man's face was closed, so he tried

anothertopic.

"Areyoujustvisiting,orplanningtostay?"heasked,ashereachedforasmallscalpel.

Daviddidn'tanswer.

Marvingrunted.Sothemanwasn'tatalker.Thatwasallrightwithhim.

"Thismightstingalittle,"hesaid,ashemadethefirstcut."Frances,swabthatforme,will

you?"

ThenursecaughttheinstantflowofbloodasheliftedthescalpelfromDavid'sflesh.

Hemadeanothersmallcutandthenlaiddownthescalpelandpickedupaninstrumentthat

looked to David a whole lot like the damned needle-nosed pliers he'd wanted in the first

place.Withacoupleoftugsandonesmallsidewaystwist,thehookcameout.

"That'sgotit,"Marvinsaid."Flooditwithdisinfectant,Frances,thenI'llstitchitup."

Davidfeltcoldfluidrunningdownhisback,butnothingmore.Thatwouldcomelater,when

theshotworeoff.

In between stitches, the doctor watched David's face, absently noting the military-straight

settohisshouldersandanunflinchingstare.Itremindedhimofadrillsergeanthe'dknown

andhated.

"Whoareyou?"heasked.

David sighed. How the hell did he answer that one? Then he remembered what Cara had

doneyesterdayandtookhiscuefromher.

"DavidWilson."

"IknewCaraandherhusbandforyears.Ineverheardeitherofthemmentionyoubefore."

"Idon'tdoubtthat,"Davidsaid.

Thiswasn'ttheanswerMarvinwaslookingfor.

"Look, I'm not being nosy." Then he sighed. "Well, yes, maybe I am, a bit. Cara's a widow.

Sometimeswidowscanbeveryvulnerable.Iwouldnotliketosee—"

David took a deep breath and jumped in with both feet. "Do you know Cara's daughter

Bethany?"

"Suredo.Ideliveredallthreeofherchildren."

"I'mBethany'sfather."

MarvinEdwards'sjawdropped,butonlymomentarily.

"I'msorry.Ineverheardthemmention—"

"TheythoughtIwasdead."

"Foralltheseyears?"

Davidshrugged."Itseemedlikeagoodideaatthetime."

Suddenly,MarvinEdwardsbegantoseethingsinadifferentlight.Thehorrificscarsonthis

man. The secrets. The military bearing of a man who was supposed to be dead. His gaze

sharpened.

"IwasamedicinNam,"Marvinsaidsoftly.

Davidshifted."Youmusthavebeenprettyyoung."

"Yes,alotofuswentintooyoung,didn'twe?"

David resisted an urge to look around lest they be overheard. And then he realized it no

longermattered.Lotsofpeoplewereveterans,whichisexactlywhathe'dbecome.Finally,he

nodded.

"So,didyoudieonyourown,ordidUncleSamhelpyou?"

Again,Davidwassurprisedbytheman'sperceptions.

"It'snolongerafactorinmylife,"Davidsaid.

"Youplanningtostickaround?"

David sighed. "I would like nothing better." He refused to acknowledge, even to himself,

thattherewasstillahugeobstaclebetweenhimandanormallife.

Marvingrinnedandheldouthishand."Then,welcomehome,soldier."

Davidknewhewasshakingthedoctor'shand,buthecouldn'tfeelit.Hecouldtellthatthe

man was still talking, because he could see his lips moving, but he couldn't hear what was

being said. All sound had faded except Marvin Edwards's last words. He'd never thought of

himselfasamanwithoutacountry,becausehe'dgivenagoodportionofhislifeinhelping

keep it safe, but it was true. Until this moment, David Wilson had never truly come home

fromVietnam.Theemotionofitallalmostnailedhim.Hishandswereshakingasthedoctor

continuedtotalk.

"So,"Marvinsaid,ashetookhislaststitch."Doyougolf?"

It was the most benign question David had been asked in over forty years, and he didn't

knowhowtoanswerit.Copingwiththeinnocenceofeverydaylifewasmoredifficultthanhe

wouldhavebelieved.

"No.Can'tsaythatIdo."

"Shame,"Marvinsaid."I'malwayslookingforabuddytoplaythefrontnine."

"I thought doctors were supposed to be notorious for their eighteen-hole games," David

said.

Marvinshrugged."Notdoctorsintownsthissize.We'realwaysoncallanditseemsasifI

alwaysgetpagedbeforeIgettothebacknine."

BeforeDavidcouldrespond,Carareturned.

"Isheokay?"sheasked.

"Askme,"Davidmuttered."I'mtheonetowhomheshovedaknifeintheback."

Cara blinked, then grinned as Marvin Edwards calmly ignored David's petulance and

answered.

"Rightasrain,"Marvinsaid."Andhe'llbejustasprettyashewasbefore.Mystitchesareas

goodasmygrannie'squiltingstitcheswere."

Davidresistedtheurgetorollhiseyes.Quiltingstitches?Havemercy.

MarvinEdwardsputasmallbandageoverthestitchesandthengaveDavidathumponthe

thigh."Don'tforgetwhatIsaidaboutthatgolf."

David nodded. "I remember … I remember everything you said." He hesitated, and then

impulsivelyshookthedoctor'shand."AndIthankyou."

"Forwhat?"Marvinasked.

The words "welcome home, soldier" were still ringing in his ears, but he couldn't bring

himselftoadmithowmuchthey'dmeant.Instead,hejustshrugged.

"Foreverything."

"You'llgetmybill,"Marvinsaid,andhandedhimaprescriptionforpainpills.

"What'sthat?"Davidasked.

"Somethingforthepain."

"Iwon'tneedit,"Davidsaid.

MarvinEdwardsarchedaneyebrow,purposefullylettinghisgazelingeronthebigscaron

David'schest.

"Oh,right,whatwasIthinking?"

CaraignoredthembothandtooktheprescriptionfromDavidbeforehecouldprotest.

"We'llgetitfilledatthedrive-throughpharmacy,"shesaid.

"Betteryet,taketheseinstead,"Marvinsaid,andhandedCarasomepharmaceuticalsamples

fromadrawer.

"Thankyou,Dr.Edwards."

"You'rewelcome,"hesaid,thanwavedafingerinDavid'sface."Mindthatwoman,youhear

me,boy?"

Daviddidn'tanswer,butasmileteasedthecornersofhismouthastheyleftthehospital.

"I'mstilldriving,"Carasaid.

Daviddidn'targue.

"Ilikethat,"Carasaid.

"Likewhat?"Davidasked,asshestartedthecar.

"Thatsmileonyourface.Youshouldwearitmoreoften."

David thought about waking up beside Cara each morning and sleeping beside her each

night.Ofbuyinggroceriesandgettinghaircutsandplayinggolfwithafriend.Yes,itwouldbe

easytosmileaboutalifelikethat.

"Youthink?"heasked,andgaveherawink.

"Yes,Ithink.Nowmakeyourselfcomfortable,darling.We'regoingstraighthome."

Home.

God.HisfingerscurledinhislapasCaraacceleratedthecar.

***

Frankstoodbeforethebathroommirror,adjustinghiswigandrunninghisfingersoverthe

mustache he'd affected, testing its position. Everything seemed stable enough. He

straightened the collar of his white Gucci shirt, checked one last time to make sure it was

tucked neatly into his navy blue slacks, then picked up the sunglasses from the back of the

commodeandslippedthemonbeforelookingup.

Perfect!Themaninthemirrorwasastranger.

He grinned, and as he did, the movement puckered the burn scars on the side of his face,

givinghimaslightlydemonicexpression.Ifshe'dstillbeenalive,hisownmotherwouldnot

haverecognizedhim.

Frankwasamasteratdisguise.Ithadkepthimalivealltheseyearswithoutdetection.He

hadnoreasontosupposeitwouldfailhimnow.Thewoundonhisshoulderwasalmostwell.

Onlynowandthendidhefeelarealtwingeofpain.Thefactthathewasmissingmostofthe

tophalfofoneearwashiddennicelybythehairstyleofthewig.

Convinced that all was well, he strode out of the bathroom, picked up the suitcase he'd

packedlastnightandthenpausedatthedoor,givingtheapartmentafinallook.Satisfiedthat

he'd left nothing of himself behind, he opened the door and walked out. No more roach

motel.Itwastimetomoveupandon,whichmeantonceagainchanginghispersona.

When he passed through the lobby, he tossed the room key on the desk and kept on

walking.Theclerkdidn'tbothertolookup,whichwasjustaswell,becausehewouldn'thave

recognizedthemanastheformerresidentofroom413.

Frankwasonthestreetlessthanaminutebeforehailinganemptycab.

"Whereto,buddy?"thecabdriverasked.

"LAX,andsteponit,"hesaid."I'vegotaflighttocatch."

***

Davidlayonhissideonthebed.AtCara'sinsistence,hewassupposedtoberesting,butin

truth,hehadalotofthinkingtodo.Beforehe'dcome,hisexpectationsofseeingCarahadnot

included a future. All he'd wanted to do was see her—ask her forgiveness—and if possible

make a place for himself within his daughter's life. Not as a father, of course. He didn't

deserve that much consideration. But he wanted to know her—and he wanted her to know

him.Thathadbeentheapexofhisdream.MakinglovetoCarawithinminutesofhisarrival

wouldneverhaveoccurredtohim,noteveninhiswildestimagination.Butithadhappened

andhehadacceptedthefactthatshe'dbeenmakinglovetotheboyhe'dbeen,nottheman

thathe'dbecome.However,thatdidn'taccountfortheothertimessince,orthefactthatCara

had openly admitted she wanted him to stay. And he wanted to, desperately so. He wasn't

goingtoloseheragain.

Somehow,hehadtofindawaytostopFrankforgoodwithoutlosinghislifeintheprocess.

Frustrated with the mess he was in, he rolled over on his back, wincing slightly as the

pressurecausedaslightpain,thenbeclosedhiseyes.Inspiteofhimself,thepainpillswere

havingtheirway.

He didn't know how long he'd been sleeping when the phone rang. He woke abruptly,

waiting for Cara to answer, but she didn't. On the fourth ring, he thought he heard water

running from the faucet outside and realized she must not be in the house. He reached for

thephoneandansweredasitrangagain.

"Justiceresidence."

Therewasasoftgaspontheotherendofthelineandthenayoungwoman'svoice,hesitant

andsuddenlyanxious.

"Who'sspeaking,please?"

Davidhesitatedbriefly,thenoptedforminimalintroduction.

"ThisisDavid."

"Um … David, this is Bethany. Is my mother there?" David stood abruptly, his heart

pounding against his chest. All he could think was, My God, I am hearing my daughter's

voice.

"Hello? Are you still there?" Bethany asked. David felt like crying. Instead, he took a deep

breathandthenexhaledslowly,makinghimselffocus.

"Sorry.Yes,I'mhere,andsoisyourmother,butIthinkshe'soutside.Doyouwanttowait

whileIcheckandsee?"

"Yes,please,"shesaid.

Daviddidn'twanttobreaktheconnection,butwasnotabouttoexplainhisreluctance.

"Okay.You'llhangon?"

"Yes."

HehurriedthroughthehouseandthenranintoCaraasshewascominginthebackdoor.

Davidheldupthephone."It'sBethany.Shewantstotalktoyou."

Cara'seyeswidened.ShecouldtellfromthestrickenlookonDavid'sfacethathehadbeen

sideswipedbythecall.

"Youdidn'tsayanythingaboutwhoyouare?"sheasked,keepinghervoicelow.

Heshookhishead.

EventhoughshewantedtotellBethanyeverythingaboutDavid'sarrival,itwasn'tnewsto

betoldoveraphone.

"Hello?Bethany?"

"Mom,areyouallright?"

CararolledhereyesatDavid,whowaspushinghertowardachair.

"Yes, I'm fine, sweetheart. How's the vacation going?" Now David was the one rolling his

eyesatherasshestruggledtomakeconversation.

Caramadeafaceathim,andtheybothsmiled.

"So…Mom?"

"Yes?"

CaraheardanexasperatedsighandknewBethanywasn'tanywherenearsatisfiedwithwhat

she'dbeentold.

"WhoisDavid?"

Caralookedatthemansittingacrossthekitchentablefromher.

"He'safriend."

Bethanysnorted."I'veneverheardyouorDadmentionanyonebythenameofDavid.When

didyoumeethim?"

"Yearsago,"Carasaid."Enoughaboutme.How'sthevacation?Arethekidshavingfun?"

This time Cara could hear noise in the background and deduced that the rest of Bethany's

familywasjustreturningtothehotelroom.

"Yes, they're having a ball. Actually, we're all having a wonderful time. We've got to come

hereagainandwhenwedo,youhavetocomewithus.YouwouldloveDisneyWorldaswell

asEpcotCenter."

Carasmiled."I'mgladeverythingisgoingwell."

Bethany continued, "I didn't really have a reason to call other than to say hello and to tell

youwe'llbehomeSunday.Ithinkourplanelandsaroundtwointheafternoon.Weshouldbe

homebeforedark.We'lltalkmorethen."

"Ican'twaittohearallaboutthetrip,"Carasaid."Oh,bytheway…whenyougethome,we

needtotalk.It'simportant."

David flinched. Just the thought of facing his daughter and trying to explain why he'd

absentedhimselffromherlifemadehimsicktohisstomach.

"Mother!It'saboutthemanwhoansweredthephone,isn'tit?Iknewit!Youhaven'tbeen

outwith a man sinceDad died. Who ishe? Is this serious?" Thenshe shrieked. "It can'tbe

serious. We've only been gone for eight days. Please tell me you've known him longer than

eightdays!"

"Muchlongerthanthat,"Carasaid."Nowcalmdown.We'lltalkwhenyougethome."

"Howmuchlonger?"Bethanyasked."Weeks?Months?"

"Years,darling.Yearsandyears.Nowhaveasafetriphomeandcallmewhenyougetin."

"Mother,you'renottellingmewhatIwanttohear."

"Iloveyou,Bethany.TakecareandgivemylovetoTomandthegirls."

"Mother!Don'tyoudarehangupuntilyou—"Caracalmlypunchedtheoffbuttonandthen

laidthephonedownonthetablebesideher.

"Ourdaughterisinapanic,"Carasaid.

"Why?BecauseI'mhere?"

Caranodded.

"Are you okay with this, because if my being here is going to cause you trouble, then I'll

leave.Iwon'twantto,butI'lldoitforyou."

CaragotupfromherchairandsatinDavid'slap.Reliefhithimfastandhardasshewound

herarmsaroundhisneck,carefulnottotouchhisstitches.

"Ifyouweren'twounded…"

Hegrinned."It'snotfatal,"hesaid,ashebeganunbuttoninghershirt.

"Butyourstitches…"

"Arenotintheway,"Davidsaid,finishinghersentenceforher.

Shegrinned."That'snotwhatIwasgoingtosayandyouknowit."

Hestoodupandthengrabbedherhand,givingitatug."Today,Iwasahero,remember?No

onegavemethekeystothecity,soI'mtakingyouinstead."

Hedidn'thavetoaskhertwice.Inspiteofherbetterjudgment,shelethimpickherupin

hisarmsandcarryherallthewaytoherbed.

"Weseemtobedoinganawfullotofthislately,"Carasaid.

Davidpausedintheactofremovinghisshirt,hiseyesdancingwithmischief.

"What?Undressing?"

Sheblushed."No.Well,yes,butnotthatspecifically."

Davidtossedhisshirtandthenreachedforhisbelt."AreyoureferringtothefactthatIkeep

takingyoutobed?"

Shearchedaneyebrow."YouknowexactlywhatImean."

"Ah … well then," David said, removing his right shoe. "I look at it this way. I have forty

yearsofmakinguptodoandnotalongtimetodoit,soifI'mevergoingtocatchup…"

Shelaughedandthrewapillowathim.

Hedodgeditneatlythenkickedoffhisothershoe,shedtherestofhisclothesandpounced.

Carawasstilllaughingwhenheslidintoherbody.Thelaughturnedintoagroanandthena

sigh.Afterthat,itwasdownhillalltheway.

Later,astheylayquietlyineachother'sarms,talkingandsavoringthepleasureofwhathad

just happened, Cara could feel David starting to withdraw. She raised up on one elbow,

lookingathim.

"Issomethingwrong?"sheasked.

Hestartednottoanswer,thensighed."Notwithyou…orwithus.It'sjustthatIneedto…

uh…checkinattheoffice."

"Ofcourse,"shesaid,andreachedforthephone."Pleasefeelfreetousemyphoneanytime

youneed.I'llgetdressedandgiveyousomeprivacy."

Davidgrabbedherarm,stillingherintent.

"Thankyou,Cara,morethanIcansay.ButIcan'tuseyourphone."

"Why?Idon't—"Understandingdawned."Oh."

Hekissedthesideofherface."It'sallright.IhaveeverythingIneedinthetrunkofmycar.

However,itwilltakeawhiletosetupandIdon'twantyoutothink—"

Thistime,shewastheonetosilencehim.

"David.Enough.Youdon'texplaintome.Youdowhatyouhavetodoandjuststayinone

piece.I'llbesatisfiedwiththat,allright?"

Hesmiled."Thankyou,baby."

"Useanyroominthishousethatyouneed.IhaveplentyofthingsIneedtodooutside.Just

letmeknowwhenyou'rethrough."

Davidthoughtaboutitandthenshookhishead.

"No.Idon'twanttobringanypartofthatlifeintothishouse,andIdon'tneedtonecessarily

beinside.IthinkI'lldrivebacktowardthelake."

She nodded, frowning as she tried to picture a place at the lake where he could stay

unobserved.

"Yourememberwhereweturnedtogotothelanding?"

Henodded.

"Ifyouskipthatturnandtakethenextoneinstead,itwilltakeyoutoaverywoodedareaof

thelake.Therearen'tanycampsitesorboatdocksthere.Ithinktheyhaveplanstodevelopit,

butsofarnothinghasbeendone."

Davidsmiled."Soundsperfect."

Cara looked pleased. "Good, and while you're gone, I'm going to do some laundry. Do you

haveanythingyouneedwashed?"

"No,baby,butthanks,"Davidsaid,andgaveheraquickkissbeforeherolledoutofbedand

headedforthebathroom.

Whenhecameoutafewminuteslater,Carawasalreadygone.Bythetimehedressedand

left the house, he'd left more than Cara behind. David Wilson wasn't the man who got into

therentalcaranddroveawaytowardthelake.ItwasJonah.

By the time he reached the area that Cara had mentioned, he had completely refocused.

Therewasnothinginhisheadbutduty.Inlessthanthirtyminutes,hehadeverythingsetup

and running. With a laptop and modem, some prototype chips in his Global Positioning

System and a couple of other gadgets from technical research that had yet to be named, he

hadloggedintohissiteandretrievedhismessages.

Withinanhour,hehadtwoagentsenroutetoIllinois to investigate death threats against

the President, another dispatched to the border between Mexico and Texas and had

restructuredalistofagentsonforeignsoiltoinsuretheiridentitiesstayedanonymous.

Out of curiosity, he checked a site reserved for personal messages between him and the

WhiteHouse.Tohisrelief,therewerenone.Hecheckedanothersite,hopingthattherewas

some sort of message on there that had been intercepted from Frank, but again, there was

nothing.

Convincedthathe'ddoneallhecoulddo,heloggedoff,packedthestuffbackinthetrunk

andthenstrolledtotheedgeofthelake.

Thedaywascalm,thewatersostillitlookedlikeglass.Onlythesmallestofripplescouldbe

seenasthewaterlappedattheshore.Hestoodforawhile,absorbingthepeacefulnessofthe

daywhilementallylettinggoofJonahbeforehereturnedtoCara.

Atrioofgullscircledhighoverhishead.Curious,hewatchedforawhile,thinkingthatthey

werequiteadistancefromthesea.Probablyblownherewiththelaststormtopassthrough

andjuststayed—sosymbolicofthepathhisownlifehadtaken.

He'dsetoutononepathandhadbeenwar-tossedintoanother.And,insteadoffindinghis

waybackhome,likethegulls,he'dstayed.Haditbeenamistake?Ifhe'dcomebackafterthe

war,whatkindofahusbandandfatherwouldhehavebeen?Hethoughtofthehellhe'dlived

with, thinking he'd not only killed his own brother but had hidden the truth about Frank

beingatraitor.Inthatmoment,heacceptedhislifewithoutregret.Hewouldhavebeenhell

to live with, would have ruined whatever chances he and Cara might have had for a happy

life,andtheywouldhavebeendivorcedbeforetheywerethirty.

Hesighed,rememberingsomethinghismotherhadsaid,thatthingsalwayshappenedfora

reason.Itwasn'talwayseasytounderstand,butthatwithtime,understandingalwayscame.

She'dbeenright.Now,lookingbackonwhathe'ddoneandhismentalstateatthetime,he'd

donethebestthingforbothofthem.

Thewaterbeckoned.

Impulsively,heshedhisclotheswherehestoodandthenwalkedintothewateruntilhewas

uptohischestandthenstartedtoswim.Thewaterwascoolagainsttheheatofhisskin.He

swamuntilhiscarwaslittlemorethanablackspeckbeneaththetreesbeforeheturnedand

wentback.Bythetimeheemergedfromthelake,hewastiredbutrenewed.

Withinaveryfewminutes,hewasdryenoughtoputonhisclothes.Ashewalkedtohiscar,

he began to smile. It had been a long time since he'd done anything so innocent as skinny-

dip.Maybehewasactuallygettingthehangofbeinganormalguy,afterall.

BythetimehegottoCara'shouse,itwasmid-afternoon.Whenhedroveupandparked,she

lookedupfromtheflowerbedsinfrontofherhouseandwaved,butthencontinuedtoweed.

Hehadnowayofknowinghowmanyprayersshe'dsentupinhisname,orthatshe'dcried

morethanonce,fearinghewouldnotreturn.Allhesawwasawomanconfidentwithinher

life,wavingahello.

"Looks like you've been busy," he said, tweaking the end of her sun-stained nose. "You're

abouttogetasunburn,honey."

Sherockedonherheelsandputthebackofherarmagainsthercheeksandnose,onlythen

feelingtheemanatingheat.

"Ooh, you're right," she said. "And I forgot to put on sunscreen before I came out." She

stood, dusting off her gloves and pushing her hair away from her face. "I've done enough

anyway.Let'sgoinside.Areyouhungry?"

Herealizedthathewas.

"Yes,starving."

Shesmiled."Good.Howaboutahamandcheesesandwich?"

"Howabouttwo?"

Shelaughed."Ithinkthatcanbearranged."

Shewentinside,leavingthedoorajarforhimtofollow.Ashesteppedoverthethreshold,he

sighed.

DavidWilsonwashome.

Chapter6

«^»

Sundownhadlongsincecomeandgone.Theeveninghadpassedwithremarkablesimplicity.

ItwasasifthetimeDavidhadspentawayfromthehousehadsomehowsettledsomeofthe

turmoilhe'dbroughtwithhim.They'dwatchedtelevisiontogetherlikeacouplewho'dbeen

married for years. David sat with an open book in his lap, sometimes reading, other times

watchingtheprograminbroadcast,whileCarashelledsomepeasshe'dboughtfromanearby

truckfarm.

The gentleness of the evening had rolled over into their bedtime. Now, Cara lay naked

beneath David's gaze. The love she felt for him was there in her eyes for him to see. All he

had to do was look. Silently she watched as he undressed beside the bed. He moved in the

darknessasifhehadlivedhereallhislife.Shecouldtellhewasfarmorecomfortablewithin

theshadowsthanthelight.

"David."

Hedroppedtheshirthe'djusttakenoffandturned.

"Yes?"

"Thatbulletscaronyourback."

"Whataboutit?"

"Howdidyougetit?"

Hefrowned."Ithoughtyouwantedtomakelove."

"Ido,butIalsowanttoknowwhoI'mmakinglovetoandthereisahugegapbetweenthe

boywhowentofftowarandthemanyouaretoday."

"Ifyouknew,youwouldn'twantmeinyourhouse,letaloneyourbed."

The defeat in his voice surprised her. She got up on her knees and then pulled him down

ontothebedbesideher.

"That's not true," she said. "I didn't ask because I feel a need to judge you. I asked for the

samereasonsIseeinyoureyeswhenRay'snameismentioned."

Davidpulledherintohisarmsandpressedhercheekagainsthischest.

"It'snotjealously,baby,Iswear,"Davidsaid.

"Iknow,butwelostsomanyyears…wonderfulyearswecouldhavespenttogether.Ijust

havethisoverwhelmingurgetofillmyselfupwithyourlife.Maybebecauseit'stheonlyway

Ihavelefttoshareit."

Davidbowedhishead,pressingasoftkissagainsthercheek,andtheneasedherbackonto

thepillow.

"IfItalk,willyoupromisetoliestill?"

Shesighed."Areyouturningdownmyratherblatantrequest?"

Hegrinned."Notbyalongshot…justpostponingitabit."

Shemadeaface.

Hetweakedhernose."Okay,youwantedtoknowaboutthescaronmyshoulder?"

"Yes,please."

He thought of the searing pain from Frank's gun, spinning him around and knocking him

offhisfeet.

"Vietnam."

"Andtheoneonthesideofyourneck?"

"Afghanistan.Don'taskmewhyIwasthere."

"Whataboutthelongscaronthebackofyourrightleg?"

"Disagreement with a sniper in Beirut. He ran out of bullets and I jumped him. I didn't

knowhehadaknife."

Cara'seyeswerehuge,herlipsslackwithshock.Hewastellingthesehorrorsinsuchacalm

voice, and she felt like throwing up. She laid her hand on the sickle-shaped scar above his

heart.

"Andthisone?"

Hehesitated,andsuddenlyCaraputherhandonhismouthbeforehecouldanswer."Idon't

thinkIwanttoknow."

"Now you're getting the picture. They don't matter anymore, baby. That part of my life is

almostover."

Cara looked away and then closed her eyes. David could tell she was fighting tears. He

cuppedhercheekgently,thenkissedthesideofherface.

"What,honey?Don'tshutmeoutnow."

"Oh, God, David. Don't you understand? It's the almost that undoes me." She ran a finger

alongthesurfaceoftheoldscars."Icanlivewiththese.It'stheonesyouhaveyettoreceive

thatscarememost."

Therewasnothinghecouldreallysaythatwouldreassureherandstillbetruthful.Andhe

wasn'tlyingtoCara—noteveragain.

"Lookatitthisway,"hesaid."Iwasalwaysoutnumberedandsurvived.Thistimeit'sonly

oneman."

"Whydoyouhavetodothisalone?Aren'ttherepeopleyoucancallon?Isn'tthereanyone

inauthoritywhowillstandbesideyou?"

Davidhesitated."It'snotthat.It'sjustthatthemanwantsmeandonlyme.He'sspentthe

better part of a year trying to destroy me and damned near took a huge chunk of national

security and my best agents along with him. We can't afford … no … I can't afford to waste

any more time. He has to be stopped." His voice changed to a deep, warning growl. "How

muchdoyouvalueyourlifeandthelivesofyourchildrenandgrandchildren?"

Cara'smouthparted,herlipsslackwithshock.

"Ifheknewaboutyou…aboutBethanyandherfamily…theirliveswouldn'tbeworthdirt.

In the past eleven months, he's kidnapped, lied, stolen and killed, and all in the name of

tryingtogettome.IamresigningfrommypostbecauseIcan'tletanotherpersonfightwhat

wasultimatelymybattlefromthestart."

"Dear God, David, what manner of man is he? Why you? What did you ever do to him to

makehimhateyouthisway?"

Silencehungbetweenthem,shroudedinsecretsandguilt.Hepreferrednottoanswer,butif

they were ever going to have a chance at any kind of a future, she had to know part of the

past.

"He'samangonecrazy.ItstartedyearsagoinVietnam.Heshotatme.Ishotback.Infact,I

thoughtIhadkilledhim."

"Whoishe,David?Whatkindofmanhateslikethat?"

"Youknowtheoldsayingaboutbloodbeingthickerthanwater?Well,hatewithinafamily

isjustasstrong."

Cara frowned. "I don't understand. Your parents are dead. Your brother died in Vietnam.

Whoelseis—"

Even though the room was in darkness, she saw enough of his expression to realize what

he'dbeentryingnottosay.

"Oh…my…God.Pleasetellmeit'snotwhatI'mthinking.Frank'sdead…isn'the?"

Hissilencerockedtheroom.

Sheinhaledsharply."Whatcanyoutellme?"

"Nothingthatwillmakeanysense."

Hergazewentstraighttothescaronhisshoulder.Shetoucheditindisbelief.

"Hedidthis,didn'the?"

Davidnodded.

Shestartedtocry.

"We all tried to kill you, didn't we, darling? Deception. Lies. Betrayals. My God, you must

havethoughttherewasnooneonyourside.Notevenme."

"Don'tsaythat,"hemuttered,andtookherinhisarms."Ineveronceblamedyou.Youdid

whatyouhadtodo."

"Iwillforeverblamemyparentsfortheliestheytoldmeaboutyou."

"Andtheydidwhattheythoughtwasright,too.Letitgo,Cara.I'mherenow."

Sheburiedherfaceagainstthecurveofhisneck."I'mscared."

Hisarmstightenedaroundher."I'mscared,too,butnotofFrank…onlywhathecandoif

heisn'tstopped.Youunderstand,don'tyou?"

Hervoicewasshaking,herfacestreakedwithtears."Yes,asmuchasIhatetoadmitit,Ido.

IpromiseIwon'ttalkaboutthisagain.Wehavenowandwehaveeachother.Andwhenyou

comeback,we'llhavetherestofourlives."

NowDavidfeltlikecrying.Instead,helaidherdownandbegantokissher.Gentlyatfirst

andthenwithdesperation,untiltheywerelostinthepassion.

***

Afteradayoftravelinginhisnewdisguise,FrankWilsonwascomfortableinhisskinashe

tossedahandfulofbillsontothecounter,pickedupthesackscontaininghisnewwardrobe

and sauntered out of the Denver, Colorado store. The day was almost balmy. One of those

clear,robin's-eggblueskiesthatmadeamanfeelasifhecouldtakeontheworld.Hepaused

atthecurbbeforeswaggeringdownthestreet.Morethanonewomangavehimasecondlook

as he passed, and in spite of his scars, and his long ponytail wig, he knew it was not in

disgust.Therewasabad-boyairofdangerabouthimthatneverfailedtoattractthewomen.

Granted, they were always the wrong kind of women, not like his beloved Martha, but they

werealwaystherejustthesame.

Hestoppedatacrosswalk,waitingfortheredlighttochange,andthoughtofwhathehad

lost.Hisidentitywasunimportant.He'dlivedsolongintheshadowsthatanotherassumed

namewouldbeasmallpricetopayforpeaceofmind.AfterhisconfrontationwithDavidwas

over,maybehe'dfindhimselfagoodwomanandsettledownagain.Despitethefactthathis

sixtieth birthday had come and gone, he had the body and constitution of a much younger

man, and he knew it. It wasn't too late to make a new life for himself. He would have the

time,andhealreadyhadthemoney.

The light changed, and he started across the street, losing himself in the crowd of

pedestrians.Bythetimehegotbacktohishotel,he'dmadeuphismindtoheadsouthafter

heridhimselfofDavid.MaybetheFloridaKeys.Helikedthesun.Itwaswhyhe'dsettledin

Australia, but he'd had enough of the outback. This time, he wanted to be where there was

water.Awholelotofwater.

Inside his room, he tossed the bags with his purchases onto the bed and began to go

through them, searching for certain items. A few minutes later, he had changed into khaki-

colored cotton shorts and a navy blue T-shirt. He put on a baseball cap with the Denver

Broncoslogoandthentransferredanumberofitemsintoamedium-sizefannypack,patted

hispocketstomakesurehehadhiswalletandroomkey,aswellassomeotheridentification,

andheadedoutthedoor.Hehadanappointmenthedidn'twanttomiss.

Ahalfhourlater,acabdroppedhimoffatapublicfiringrange.Hesaunteredinsideasifhe

ownedtheplace.

Theclerkatthefrontdesklookedup."CanIhelpyou?"heasked.

Frank nodded, flashing a badge. "Detective Ferraro out of New York City. I'm here on

vacation. Thought I'd get in some target practice while the little woman spends all my

money."

Theclerkgrinned."Yeah,Icanidentifywiththat,buddy,"hesaid."Signinhere.I'llgetan

escorttotakeyouintotherange.He'llgetyouallsetup."

"Great,"Franksaid,signinghisfakenamewithaflourish.

Afewminuteslater,hestoodwithinhiscubicle,safetyglassesandheadphoneson,his9mm

Glockloadedandwaitingforthefirsttargettoappear.Someonetappedhimontheshoulder.

Heturned.

"Areyouready,sir?"

Franknodded,tookaimandwaited.Aboutfiftyfeetinfrontofhim,apapertargetappeared.

Hesqueezedoffacoupleofrounds,takingsatisfactionintheweapon'skickagainstthepalms

of his hands. The muffled sounds of gunfire, the smell of burning gunpowder, the surge of

adrenaline—everything combined within his senses and sent his memory into overdrive.

David'sfacesuddenlyappearedonthetarget,tauntinghimliketheghostthathe'dbecome,

and when it did, Frank snapped, emptying his gun into the target. Moving in robotlike

motions,heejectedtheemptyclipandslippedafulloneinplacebeforepressingthebutton

onthewallbesidehimtobringthepapertargetupclose.

Yankingitfromthewire,hegruntedinsatisfaction.Everyshothe'dfiredhadhitwithina

three-inchradiusofwhereaman'sheartwouldbe.Hedroppeditontothefloorbesidehim,

hittheswitch,thenadjustedhissafetyglassesashewaitedforanewtargettoappear.He'd

donefine,justfine.Buthecoulddobetter.

He set the distance on the new target at fifty feet farther back than before and took aim.

Again, David's face appeared before him. He squeezed the trigger in rapid succession again,

this time peppering the head until there was nothing left of the target above the shoulders

andnobulletsleftintheclip.

Musclesinhishealingshoulderprotested,butheignoredthepainfultwingesashetookoff

theheadphonesandgoggles,thenmoppedthesweatfromhisfacewithhishandkerchief.

ApassingattendantglancedintoFrank'scubicleandwhistledsoftly.

"Goodjob,sir.Whoeverheis,he'sdefinitelydead."

Frankturnedabruptly,stillholdinghisweaponandmakingsurethathe'dneverseenhim

before.Luckilyfortheattendant,hewasastrangertoFrank,orhemightneverhavelivedto

seeanothersunrise.ThenFranksmiled,pullingthescarredsideofhismouthintoagrimace.

"Yeah…he'sthat,allright,"Franksaid,andheadedfortheexit.

***

Morning dawned on a gray, overcast day. It looked like rain. David stood at the living room

windowsstaringoutintotheyard,buthewasn'tlookingattheview.Histhoughtshadgone

inward, mentally plotting out a course of action. The scent of coffee still permeated the air

from their breakfast. Cara had scooted David out of the kitchen, claiming she was making

himasurprise.Thenshe'darguedheshouldberestinginbedandhe'dretaliatedbyignoring

her.

Now, although they were but a room away from each other, the distance between them

couldn't have been further. He wasn't thinking like David. He'd become Jonah again—

planningthebestwaytotrapanddisposeofakiller.

Happy with the pie she was baking, Cara never knew when David went out the front door

andcheckedthecontentsofhistrunk.Heneededtocheckinwithhisagentsandthepowers

that be again. If God had been listening to his prayers, maybe they'd already fished Frank's

bodyoutoftheEastRiver,buthewasn'tbettinghisfutureonthat.Atleastnotyet.

He looked at the house. He wasn't in the mood to go to the lake, but no way was he ever

goingtodestroythesanctityofthathomebybringinganypartofhisoldlifeintoit.Anxious

togetthingsinmotion,hesetthebaginthefrontseatofthecarandranintothehouse.

Cara heard the front door slam, then the sound of running footsteps. She turned just as

Davidenteredthekitchen.

"What'sthehurry?"

Hehesitated."Somethingsmellsgood."

She frowned. "David. I raised three children and I've heard just about every excuse in the

book.That'snotwhatyoucameheretotellme."

Hegrinned."Damn,you'regood."

"Yes,anddon'tyouforgetit,"shemuttered."So,what'sup?"

"I'mgoingtotakeanotherlittledrive.Iwon'tbegonelong,okay?"

Her fingers tightened around the handle of the knife she was holding. It was the only

outwardsignofherunease.

"Okay.IfyougetasfarasChiltingham,wouldyoumindbringingbackagallonofmilk?"

Hiseyeswidened,thenagenuinesmilespreadacrosshisface.Hehadn'tdoneanythingthat

ordinarysincebeforehe'dleftforVietnam.

"No,Idon'tmind.Idon'tmindatall,"hesaid,andthensuddenlyswooped,swingingherup

inhisarmsanddancingheracrossthekitchenwithherfeetdanglingabovethefloor.

"Becarefulofyourstitches,"shecried.

"Tohellwiththestitches.I'mgoingtokissyou."

Caralaughedfromthejoyinhiseyesandfromthesillinessofitall.Bythetimehestopped

moving,shewasdizzyfromallthespinning.

"You'reacrazyman,"shesaid,andplantedahardkissinthecenterofhismouth.

"Thatkindofbehaviorwillmakeamancrazy,"hemuttered,andkissedherback.Thenhe

turnedherloosewithareluctantgroan."Iwon'tbelong,"hesaid.

Sheeyedhimcautiously,afraidtosaywhatwasinherheart,butDavidreadtheexpression

onherface.

"IswearI'llbeback,"hesaidsoftly.

"Iknewthat,"Carasaid."Nowget.Thispiewon'tbereadyintimeforsupperifIdon'tgetit

intheoven."

ButDaviddidn'tmoveandhewouldn'tturnherloose.

"Cara…"

"Yes?"

"Iloveyouverymuch."

Quicktearsblurredhisface.Ithadbeenfortyyearssinceshe'dheardhimsaythosewords

andyetherheartstillskippedabeat.Shecuppedhisfacewithherhands,fingeringthesilver

strandsofhairabovehisearsandthensmiling.

"Thankyou,mydarling.Iloveyou,too."

He laughed and then hugged her fiercely before bolting out of the house. Only after Cara

couldnolongerhearthesoundofthecar'senginedidshesitdownandcry.

Stillridingonanemotionalhigh,Daviddrovewithfocus,searchingforthesameroadthat

he'dtakenbefore.Theradiowason,butturneddownlow,littlemorethanbackgroundnoise

forbiggerplans.Butwhenheheardthediscjockeygivingabriefupdateonabreakingstory,

heturneditup,thenbegantofrown.Anotherbusinesshadbeenrobbed,presumablybythe

samethreethieveswho'dbeenterrorizingthearea.

"They'llmakeamistake,"hemuttered."They'regettingtoococky."

A few miles down the road, he saw the cutoff he was looking for and swerved. The car

bumpedandbouncedalongthegraveledroadbeforehehadachancetoslowdown.Justlike

before,noonewasanywhereinsight,notevenonthewater.

A few minutes later, he was set up and running. As he dialed the first number, he felt

himself slipping back into the Jonah mind-set, and as he did, realized that it felt

uncomfortable. Just these few days with Cara were easing forty years of scars from his

military service. Seconds later, his call was answered. He gave a one-word code, which

instantly connected him to another line, then another. Finally, his call reached its final

destination.

"Hello,Jonah,thisisthePresident.Howhaveyoubeen?"

"Better,sir,"Davidsaidbriefly."Hastherebeenanywordonourquarry?"

"No,I'msorrytosaytherehasnot.Itlookslikeyourassumptionswerecorrectafterall."

DavidslumpedindisappointmentandwasgladthePresidentcouldn'tseehisface.

"Yes,sir.I'msorry,too,sir."

"Isthereanythingyouneed?"

"Notatthemoment,sir.I'llletyouknowwhenit'sover."

"Thankyou,Jonah.Iappreciatethat."

"Oh…sir?"

"Yes?"

"Aboutlookingformyreplacement."

"Yes?"

"Isuggestyoustarttheprocess."

"It'syourcall,"thePresidentsaid,andthenadded,"IhopeyouknowhowmuchIregretit

hadtocometothis."

"Yes,sir.Thankyou,sir,butitwasinevitable.Wedon'tlastforeverinthisjob."

The President's chuckle rumbled in David's ear. "Longer than I do in mine, I can assure

you."

Davidgrinned."Yes,sir."Thenheaddedquickly,"I'llbeintouch."

Thelinewentdeadinhisear.Satisfiedthatwasdone,hedialedanothernumber.Seconds

later,awoman'svoiceanswered.

"MailBin,Birminghambranch,Jenniferspeaking."

"Hello,Jennifer,thisisDavidWilson."

"Oh,hi,Mr.Wilson.Longtime,notalkie,"shesaid,andthengiggledatthejokeshe'djust

made.

"Yes,ithasbeenawhile,"Davidsaid."Ineedyoutodosomethingforme."

"Areweforwardingyourstuffagain?"sheasked.

"Yes."

"Okeydoke.EventhoughIrecognizeyourvoice,Ineedyourpassword."

"FourthofJuly,"hesaid.

"Allrighty,then.Wheredoyouwantyourstuffsentthistime?"

"I'llbeinWashingtonD.C.byMonday.PleasesendthecontentsoftheboxtotheWardman

ParkHotel.Here'stheaddress."

A couple of minutes later, he hung up again, satisfied that whatever mail had been

accumulating for him would be awaiting his arrival at the hotel. Then he dialed another

number,checkeduponthesituationattheTexas/Mexicoborderanddeployedanotheragent

tohelptheonealreadyon-site,thensentanotheragenttoassistthetwoinIllinoiswhowere

investigatingthedeaththreatsonthePresident.

Oncehe'dfinishedwiththebusinessofSPEAR,hedialedonemorenumber,thistimehis

last.

"MarriottWardmanPark,howcanIdirectyourcall?"

"Reservations,please,"Davidsaid."Onemoment,sir."

Acoupleofringslater,Davidwasconnected.

"Reservations,howmayIhelpyou?"

"ThisisDavidL.Wilson.Numberfifty-one.IwillbearrivingSundayafternoon."

The moment the name was typed into the hotel computer, it automatically opened into a

securityfilewithapredestinedroomreadyathisdisposal.

"Yes, Mr. Wilson, I have entered you into the system. Will you be needing a driver at the

airport?"

"Not this trip," David said. "I'll catch a cab. Oh … there will be a package arriving for me

withinacoupleofdays.Thatistobeheldformetopickupuponmyarrival."

"Yes,sir.Haveasafeflight."

David hung up, set the laptop aside and crossed his arms upon the steering wheel then

leanedforward.Thesunwasclosetosetting,givingtheglassysurfaceofthelakeamirrorlike

appearance.Itseemedalmostimpossibletobelievethatonlythedaybeforeyesterdaythey'd

been here, fishing and laughing and pretending that they were normal people with normal

lives.

Althoughhesatwithoutmoving,histhoughtswereinconstantmotion.He'ddoneallthere

was to do from this end. There was nothing left to do but get to D.C. and wait for Frank to

contact him. And he was in no doubt that it would happen. His brother had obviously

investedalifetimeintrackinghimdownwithfullintentionsofdestroyinghim.AllDavidhad

todowasmakesureitdidn'thappen.

Asimplething,actually.Juststayalive.Itwasaninstinctiveactthatshouldn'tposeareal

problem.Theonlythingwas,Frankwasmostlikelysetontheverysamething.

Davidsaidabriefbutferventprayer.Itwouldn'tbethefirsttimebrotherhadfoughtbrother

onAmericansoil.HejusthopedtoGodtheoutcomeoftheirmeetingwouldlieinhisfavor.

Whenhelookedup,thesunwasslippingbehindthetreetops.Hepackeduphisequipment

andthenstartedthecar.Hehadagallonofmilktobuyandawomantocomehometo.

BythetimehegotintoChiltingham,thestreetlightswereon.Thecharmofthelittletown

wasamazingtohim.Everywherehelookedwasapicturepostcardscene.Perfectlittlehouses

with perfect little lawns and perfect little flower beds to accentuate their beauty. He pulled

intotheparkinglottothesupermarketandcaughthimselfwhistlingashewalkedtowardthe

door.

Lord, when had he last done something so innocuous as whistle? Then he grinned. Too

damnedlong,that'swhat.

Ashestrolledinside,hegrabbedashoppingcartandbegantowheelitdowntheaisles.

WhatwasitCarawantedmetobuy?Oh,yeah…milk.

He headed toward the back of the store, knowing that was where most of the cold storage

itemswerekept,butgotsidetrackedbythecookieaisleandthensideswipedbyawomanhe

knew he'd seen before. It wasn't until she started to speak that he remembered her name.

Macie.ThewomanwithwhomRayhadhisaffair.

"Why…ifitisn'tCara'ssweetheart,"shesaid,andslidherhanduphisarm."Isn'tthiscute?

Ijustlovetoseeabig,strongmandoingthesethoughtfullittlechores."

Davidreachedforapackageofcookies,wellawarethatashedid,shehadtostepback.

"I'm sorry, but I've forgotten your name," David said, knowing that wasn't something she

wouldappreciate.Fromthefrownthatappearedonherforehead,hewasright.

"Macie.MynameisMacie."

Henodded."NowIremember.Sorry.Niceseeingyouagain,"hesaid,andpushedthecarta

littlefartherdowntheaisle.Unfortunately,shefollowed.

"Iseeyouhaveasweettooth,"Maciepurred,andthenloweredhereyelashestohalfmast.

David assumed she thought it was sexy, but he could see they were false and wondered if

sheknewonewascomingunglued.

"Youknowwhattheysayaboutmenwholovetheirfood,"shewhispered.

Davidgrinned."Yeah,theygetfat.Listen,it'sbeennicetalkingtoyou,andI'llbesureand

tellCarayousaidhello."

Macielookedirritated."Yes,well…youdothat,"shemuttered,andthenwalkedaway.

Daviddidn'tbothertowatch.He'dspiedaboxofcerealthathemightwanttotryandtossed

itintothecart.

"Milk.Milk.Remembertogetmilk,"hemuttered,andkeptongoing.

Bythetimehegottothecheckoutstand,he'dcoveredtheentirestore.Henowknewwhere

thetoiletpaperwasshelvedandwherehecouldfindaspirinandcinnamon,aswell.

Thechecker,whocouldn'thavebeenmorethannineteenortwenty,ranguphispurchases,

eyeing him curiously as she did. When he handed over a ten and a twenty to pay for his

purchases,hecaughtherstaringathimandhewinked.

Sheblushedallthewaytotherootsofherhairanddroppedadimeofhischange.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, as she dug another out of the drawer and handed it to him.

"Thankyou,andcomebackagain."

"Yes,thanks,Iwill,"hesaid.

"Doyouneedanyhelpcarryingthoseout?"sheasked.

"Areyouoffering?"

Sheblushedevenharder."Why,no,sir,butIcouldcalla—"

Davidgrinned."No,thanks.Idon'tneedanyhelp.Iwasjustteasingyou."

Shegrinnedthen,alittlemoresureofherself.

"Well,Iwasstaring.IsupposeIhaditcoming."Thensheadded,"Areyounewhere,orjust

passingthrough?"

Hehesitatedandthensmiled."New."

"ThenwelcometoChiltingham,"shesaid.

Theinnocenceofherremarktookhimabackandthentouchedhimgreatly.

"Thankyou.ThelongerI'mhere,themorecertainIamthatit'sjustwhereIbelong."

As he left the store, he had the feeling that he'd just made another friend. Dr. Marvin

EdwardshadwelcomedhimhomefromVietnamandnowthisgirl,barelypastherchildhood,

hadwelcomedhimtothetown.Damnedifhewasn'ttakingareallikingtonormalliving.

Heputhispurchasesinthetrunkandthendroveoutoftown,anxioustogetbackhome.He

thoughtofthepiethatCarahadbeenbakingwhenheleftandwonderedwhatothersurprises

shehadinstoreforhim.Whatevertheywere,theywereboundtobegood.

Chapter7

«^»

DavidpulledintothedrivewayofCara'shouseandparked.Beforehecouldgetoutofthecar,

shecameoutthedoortomeethim.Hewavedasshecircledthecarandgavehimawelcome-

homekiss.

"Igotthemilk,"hesaid,ashepoppedthetrunkofthecar.

Carapeekedoverhisshoulderandstifledagrin.

"It'ssortofdifficulttoseeitamongalltheotherstuffyoubought,soI'lljusthavetotake

yourwordforit."

"Donotchidethehunterwhobringshomesustenance,"Davidsaid.

Thistimeshelethergrinshow.

Hehanded her one grocerysack and then took theothertwohimself, closed the trunk lid

withhiselbowandshiftedthesackstoasaferpositionwithinhisgrasp.

"Leadtheway,"hesaid."I'mrightbehindyou."

AllsortsofwonderfulscentsassailedDavidastheyenteredthehouse.Hecoulddefinitely

smellthatapplepieshe'dbeenbakingwhenheleft.

"Smellsgoodinhere,"hesaid,ashesatthegrocerysacksonthecounter.

"Ihaven'thadthismuchfuncookinginIdon'tknowwhen,"Carasaid.

Davidtookthegrocerysackfromherandthentookherinhisarms.

"Yeah,andIdon'tknowwhenI'vehadthismuchfun,period."

Shesmiledandcombedherfingersthroughhishair.

"You'retooeasytoplease,"shesaidsoftly.

"It'snotthat.It'sthewomanwho'sdoingit."

Shegavehimaquickkiss."Savethatforlater.Iwanttoseewhatthehunterhasbagged."

"Juststuff,"hesaid,anddugthemilkfromasackandputitintotherefrigerator.

"Isthereanythingelseinthesethatneedsrefrigerating?"Caraasked.

"Acoupleofthings,Iguess."

"Likewhat?"sheasked,asshestarteddiggingthroughthesacks.

"Well…likethis…andforsurethis,andIthinkthiswouldspoil,too."

Her eyes widened, then she started to smile as she watched him pull out a half gallon of

Rocky Road ice cream, a package of hot Polish sausage and a carton of dip to go with the

enormousbagofchipsintheothersack.

"ThislookslikethegroceriesTylerusedtobringhome."

"He'stheyoungest,isn'the?"

Caranodded."Andmyonlyson.He'llbethirtyonhisnextbirthday.You'lllikehim."

Davidstilled,watchingasCarabeganputtingtheitemsawaythathe'dpurchased.

"SawMs.Macieatthesupermarket.Shesaidtosayhello."

Caraturned."Andyouwouldbelyingtomenow."

Henodded."Well…shedefinitelysaidhellotome."

"She'sasnake,"Caramuttered.

"Morelikeabarracuda,"Davidoffered.

ThesimilemadeCarasmile.

He handed her a couple more items from the grocery sacks, which she put on the

refrigeratorshelves,thenmovedtothepantrytostoretherest.

As she worked, she realized David had gotten very quiet. She turned and looked at him,

trying to judge what he was thinking against the expression on his face. As usual, it was

impossibletotell.

"Well," she said. "Are you going to tell me, or is this going to be another game of twenty

questions?"

"Thislifeissosimple—soordinary.IkeepworryingifI'lleverfitin.Andyourchildren…I'm

tryingtoputmyselfintheirplaceswhenconfrontedwithsomeonelikeme.I'mnotsosure

thisisgoingtobegood.IfIwasthem,Idon'tthinkIwouldlikeme."

"Well…Ilikeyou,whichisallthatmatters.Besides,youdon'tknowthemoryouwouldn't

beworrying,"shesaid,andhandedhimtheicecream."Putthisinthefreezer,please."

Hedidassheasked.

"Nowgowashup,supershopper.Supperisready."

David sighed and then headed for the bathroom. For a man used to being the one giving

orders,thiswasadefinitechangeinhisroutine,butonehecouldgetusedto.

He paused at the doorway and looked back. Cara was already at the stove, dishing up the

food.

Sobeautiful.Thenheshookhisheadandthenhurrieddownthehall,anxiousnottowaste

anothermomentofhistimewithher.

By the time he returned, she was carrying the last of the dishes into the dining room. He

followed, his eyes widening with appreciation as he entered. The cherry wood table was set

with china instead of the stoneware she used every day. There was a bouquet of her own

flowersinthecenterofthetableandlitcandlesonthemantelaswellasoneithersideofthe

flowers.Hethoughtofallthelonelydaysandnightsofthelastfortyyearsandwordsfailed

him.WhenCaraturned,shesawhimstandinginthedoorwayandheldoutherhand.Hetook

it,kissingittwice—onceontheback,thenagaininthecenterofherpalm.

"Foryou,"Carasaidsoftly."Forallthemealsyouatealone."

Hetookherinhisarms,toooverwhelmedtospeak.Carawasthefirsttomove.

"Let'seatbeforeitgetscold."

HeseatedCaraandthenhimself,missingnothingoftheelegance.Everywherehelookedhe

saw beauty, and all for him—all in the name of love. Cara handed him the carving knife,

indicatingthathecarvetheroastshehadcooked.

Helookedatthelong,thin-bladedknife,tryingtorelateittoservingfood,buttheimagesit

evokedweredeadlyandugly.Almostimmediately,helaiditdown.

"There'ssomethingIneedtodofirst,"Davidsaid,andtookherbythehand.Histhoughts

flashedtoFrank,lyinginhisownblood,andheshookhisheadasifclearingawaytheghosts.

Carawaited.

David bowed his head, uncertain how to proceed, but the need to acknowledge a greater

powerwas,atthatmoment,overwhelming.

There, in a deep, quiet voice, David Wilson asked a blessing for the food and the woman

whohadcookedit,endinghisawkwardpleawithasoftamen.

Carasqueezedhishand."Thankyou,mydarling,thatwaswonderful.Wouldyoucarve?"

ThistimewhenDavidpickedupthecarvingknife,itdidn'tfeellethalinhishands.

"Iwouldbehonored."

Afterthat,timepassedinaseriesofmomentsthatwouldforeverbeinhisheart.

Theflickeringcandlelightsofteningthepassageoftimeontheirfaces.

Thedark,blood-redwineashefilledtheircrystalgoblets.

Thepurityoftheclinkastheytoastedtheirfuture.

ThelookofjoyinCara'seyeswhenhetookhisfirstbiteofroast.

Thesensationofcrisp,sugarycrust,warm,cinnamonapplesandthecold,silkensensation

ofvanillaicecreamastheyatethedessert,applepieàlamode.

Finally,Davidpushedbackhisdessertplatewithagroan.

"Ihaveneverhadsuchwonderfulfoodinmyentirelife."

Carabeamed,thenheldoutherhand."Comewithme.Theeveningisn'toveryet."

Hegroanedagain."Whateveritis,Ibetternothavetoeatit."

Shelaughed."Comeon.Youwon'tbedisappointed.Ipromise."

TheygotasfarasthelivingroomwhenCaraorderedhimtotakeaseat.

"Just remember to save room for me," she said, and headed for the television across the

room.

WhileDavidwatched,sheslippedavideofromacaseandputitintotheVCR,thentooka

seatbesideDavidonthesofaandpunchedtheremote.

Hegrinned."What'splaying?"

"Yourdaughter'slife."

Thegrinslidsideways."They'revideosofBethany?"

Shenodded."AndlaterValerieandTylerwillbeinthem,too."

He looked at the screen, his expression fixed. When the first images appeared, she heard

him grunt as if someone had just kicked him in the belly. It was easy to see why. Ray had

takenitthedayofherreleaseaftergivingbirthtoBethany.Anursewaswheelingheroutof

thehospitalwiththebabyinherarms.

"Oh, Lord, I always forget how long my hair was then," Cara said, but words were beyond

David.

Hesawthesadnessofhersmileandknewitwasbecauseofhim.Thenthecamerapanned

to the baby she was holding. The focus was bad and the picture kept bouncing, as if the

photographerwaswalkingashefilmed,buttherewasnodenyingthetinylittlefacepeering

outfromtheblankets,northedarkwispsofhairframingherfeatures.

"Eventhen,shelookedlikeyou,"Carasaid."Itwasatonceablessingandapain.Shewasa

constantreminderofhowmuchIlovedyouandhowmuchI'dlost."

"Lord,"Davidmuttered.

Cararubbedherhandacrosshisshoulderinacomfortingmotion.

"It'sokay,honey.Justwatch.Ifyouhavequestions,ask.Otherwise,mostofthestuffisself-

explanatory."

Heleanedforward,hiselbowsrestingonhisknees.Forthenexttwohours,hewasvirtually

mute.Whenthatvideowasover,helookedupwithastart,likeamanwhohadbeenrudely

awakened.

"That'snotall,isit?"

He'donlyseenthefirstyearofherlife.Shehadjustbeenlearningtowalk.

Carawasalreadyupandchangingthetape.

"Oh, no. There are far more than you could possibly watch in one night. You haven't even

gottentothepartwhereshefinallygetsawholespoonfulofcerealintohermouthwithout

spillingit."

"Youhavethatontape?"

"Yes,thankstoRay."

Heswallowedaroundthelumpinhisthroat."ItseemsIhavealottothankRayJusticefor."

"Don't be sad, David. I couldn't bear it if this hurt you. I only wanted you to see the little

milestonesinherlife.Theyweren'tallcaughtontape,butenoughweresothatyouwillsee

partofhergrowingup."

"Notsad.Justsodamnedsorry."

ShehesitatedbeforeputtingthenexttapeintheVCR.

"Noregrets,remember?"

Hesighed."Iremember."

"Okay.Thenheregoes."

AndsoDavidsat,relivinghisdaughter'slifeinsilence,frombirthdaypartiesandswimming

lessons,tolearningtorideabike.Whenthecameracaughthertakingaspill,Davidflinched.

He watched her get up crying—saw a tiny trickle of blood on her knee and the pain in his

chestwassogreathethoughthewoulddie.She'dhurtandsomeoneelsehadwipedawayher

tears.

Hesawherhitahomerunatasoftballgameandthejoyonherfaceassheroundedthird

basetohomemadehimlaughaloud.

Cara hugged him, her cheek against his shoulder, but she remained silent, answering

questions only when he asked, letting him see and accept this in his own way—in his own

time.

Bethany'slifeunfoldedbeneathhisgaze,fromthegapinhersmilewhenshelostherfirst

toothtoherfirstdate.Hesawitall,unaware that Cara hadfallen asleep beside him.When

thetapeintheVCRranout,heglancedathiswatch,thenatCara.Shewasasleeponthesofa

besidehim,andnowonder.Itwastenminutestothreeinthemorning.

HeswitchedofftheTVthenpickedherupandcarriedhertotheirbed.Asbelaidherdown,

sherousedbriefly.

"Ssh,justsleep,"hesaidsoftly,ashetookoffhershoes.

Sherolledoverwithasigh.Hepulledasheetoverhershoulders,notbotheringtohelpher

undress.He'dsleptmanynightsinhisclothesandithadn'tchangedthegravityoftheearth.

Shecouldsurelydothesame.Butwhenhestartedtoundressandgetintobedbesideher,he

hesitated, then stopped. Knowing himself too well, he knew there was no way he would be

abletosleep.Notaftertheeveninghe'djusthad.

Instead,hemovedquietlythroughthehouseandbegantoclearthedinnerdishesfromthe

table.Thereinthequietofthehousewiththememoriesofhisbabygirl'sfaceinhisheart,he

washed the dishes from the meal that Cara had prepared. The hot soapy water felt good on

hisskin,cleaningtheuglinessofhispastjustashecleanedthechina.Uncertainwheretoput

the things he had washed, he left the china in neat stacks on the kitchen counter instead,

thenhungupthedishtowelandturnedoutthelight.

Asheexited,hestoppedinthedoorwayandturned,lookingbackattheroomtomakesure

he'd left nothing undone. The table was clean. The dishes were shadowy stacks against a

darkened counter—the curtained windows like judgmental eyes looking back at him. He

shuddered, and as he did, sensed he wasn't alone in his inability to sleep. Somewhere, his

brotherwasalsoawake—andthinkingofwaystokillhim.

***

FrankWilsonwasahauntedman.Thepastyearhadbeenonedisappointmentafteranother,

and with each failure to get to David, his frustration had risen, multiplying into a dozen

differentsymptoms.

Spicyfoodmadehimnauseousandhecouldn'trememberwhenhehadn'thadaheadache.

He had intermittent bouts of insomnia that would often last for days and when his body

finally gave out and he could sleep, it wasn't rest. Instead, he seemed destined to relive the

failuresofhispast.

Inevitably, the dreams always spiraled into one horrible, recurring nightmare—of fire and

burning flesh, of the mind-bending pain that came afterward. His brother's traitorous face

wasetchedinhisbrainandhewouldknownopeaceuntilDavidwasdead.

Tonightwasn'tanydifferent.Thesilhouette of the Colorado Rockies were visible from his

hotelroom.Theyroseabovethelandscapelikejaggedripsinthehorizon.Butthegrandeurof

thepresencecompletelymissedhim.Herubbedawearyhandacrosshisfaceandwishedfor

peace.

At night, without his wig and mustache, he couldn't hide from himself. The face looking

backathiminthemirrorwasthesamemanwhowasontherun,notthecockyNewYorkcop

hewaspretendingtobe.Hehatedthatface.Hehatedthemanbehindit.

Hepacedbeforethewindows,ignoringthetrafficonthestreetbelowfortheblanketofstar-

litteredsky.ItwasnightslikethisthathemissedAustralia.Itseemedthattheskytherewas

larger and the stars closer. Martha had loved to camp out with him, lying on their bedrolls

beneaththewideopenspacesandsleepingbeneaththestars.

Hischinjuttedangrilyasheslammedafistagainstthewindowsill.

Getoverit,sucker.Thosetimesaregoneforever.

"Damn it," he muttered, and sank onto the side of the bed, then covered his face with his

hands,unconsciouslytracingtheroadmapofburnscarswithhisfingertips.

A car horn sounded on the street below, and in the distance, he could hear approaching

sirens.

God,buthemissedthequietoftheoutback.MayberetiringtoFloridawasn'tsuchagood

ideaafterall.Quietwouldbethelastthinghe'dfindinsuchaplace.

Swampsandalligators—orangesandhurricanes.

HundredsofthousandsofpeoplewhosefirstlanguagewasnotEnglish.

Oldpeoplewho'dmovedtheretoliveoutwhatwasleftoftheirlives.

Hesighed.Damnitalltohell,wasn'tthereaplaceleftonearthtowhichhecouldbelong?

He laid back on the bed and closed his eyes, and while he was feeling sorry for himself,

exhaustioncameandwrappedhiminablanketofdeep,dreamlesssleep.

***

TheunexpectednightofresthadgivenFrankawholenewoutlookonlife.Heawokewiththe

feeling that he could conquer the world. For the first time in months, he was confident of

whathewasdoing.Ashedressed,hebegantolayouthisplansfortheday.Maybeanother

round of practice at the firing range, a good meal around mid-afternoon; after that, find a

goodtravelagent.AnothernightorsohereinDenveranditwouldbetimetomoveon.

Thishotelsuitewasafarcryfromtheroachmotelhe'dbeenatinL.A.,butthen,he'dhad

fewoptions.Ithadbeeneasiertodisappearintotheseedylifeofacitythantoexplainaway

thebandageshe'dbeenwearingatthetime.Nowthattheyweregone,hislifestylehadtaken

abigchangeforthebetter.

He sat down on the sofa, opened his laptop, plugged in the modem and logged on to the

Internet. His hands were steady as he opened his e-mail, but his heart was pounding. He'd

been sending the same message to the same mailbox each day, certain that he would

eventually get the answer he wanted. It began to download, zapping one message after the

otherthroughamediumhestillfoundamazing.He'dseenalotofthingsinhislifetime,but

in his opinion, the public availability of the Internet was the most life-altering one of them

all.

The little You've Got Mail logo centered on the screen. He scanned the contents rapidly,

deletinganyandeverythingthatdidn'thaveDavidWilson'snameonit.Thirty-ninemessages

laterheleanedbackwithafrustratedsigh.Stillnoanswer.

Heshrugged.Itdidn'tmatter.Itwasn'tlikehewasonatimeschedule.Hell.Timewasallhe

had.Hecouldwait.

Hetypedinthesamemessagethathe'dbeensendingregularlyeachdayandthenpressed

send. When the process was finished, he shut down the computer and set it aside. His

stomachwasgrowlingandhehadaneedtofeelthesunonhisfaceandthewindinhishair.

A few minutes later, he exited the hotel and strode to the curb to hail a cab. As he did, he

heard the shrill and strident voice of an insistent child. He looked out of curiosity and

suddenlyfoundhimselfonthereceivingendofalittlegirl'sdelight.

"Ganpa!Ganpa!"

He froze. The little girl, who couldn't have been more than two or three, had wrapped

herselfaroundhisleg.

"Up!"sheshrieked."Wantup!"

Beforehecouldreact,ayoungwomanemergedfromadoorway,herexpressionfrantic.

"Martie!Martie!Whereareyou?"sheshouted.

Frankturnedagain,thistimewavingtogetthewoman'sattention.

"Lady…isthisyourkid?"

"Oh,myGod!"thewomancried,andthenboltedtowardthem.Secondslatershewasonher

knees,unwindingthechildfromFrank'sleg.Thenshestoodandpickedherupinherarms.

"Badgirl!YouranawayfromMommy."

Thebaby'slowerlipslippedforwardinaninstinctivepout.

"Ganpa!"shemuttered.

For the first time, the woman got a good look at Frank's face, and as she did, a smile of

recognitionreplacedherfrown

"Oh,mygoodness,"shesaid."NowonderMartierantoyou."

"I'msorry?"Franksaid,certainthathe'dneverseenthembeforeinhislife.

"No,I'mtheonewhoshouldbeapologizing,"thewomansaid,andthenheldoutherhand.

"My name is Beth Stalling. This is my daughter, Martha. We call her Martie, for short. You

lookenoughlikemyfather-in-lawtobehistwin."Thenshehuggedherdaughtertoher."And

MartieloveshergrandpaJules.Shemusthavethoughtyouwerehim."

Frank shook her hand, but he had quit listening to what she was saying after hearing the

littlegirl'sname.Martha.Marthaoftheblueeyesandplatinumblondhair.Andthislittlegirl

hadblueeyesandalmostcotton-whitehair,justlikehisMartha.

"…soIhopeyouunderstand,"thewomanfinished.

Frankblinked,suddenlyrealizingthatshe'dstillbeentalking.

"Ofcourse.Noharmdone,"hesaidbriefly,andthensomething—maybethelastgoodpartof

his soul—prompted an action quite out of character. He reached for the little girl's hair and

lightlyfingeredthesoft,cottonywhorls.

"I'mthinkingGrandpaJulesisaveryfortunateman."

Thewomanbeamed."Why,thankyou."

Suddenly uncomfortable with the whole incident, he muttered something about being late

for a meeting and headed for the curb. Saved from having to make further conversation by

theimmediatearrivalofacab,heslidintothebackseatandactuallybreathedasighofrelief

asthedoorslammedbehindhim.

Unwilling to be reminded of a life he'd chosen to forgo, he wouldn't look back. Yet the

farther they drove, the heavier his heart became. He even toyed with the notion of walking

awaynow.JustquittingontheideaofrevengeandlosinghimselfinAmerica.Hecoulddoit.

He'd done it before. Everyone knew that you could buy anything in America for the right

amountofmoney.Itwouldbecheaptobuyanewidentityandliveouttherestofhislifein

relativecomfort.Butasheglancedatthewindow,hecaughtaglimpseofhisreflectionand

realizeditwasnothisown.Withhismaskinplace,themanbeneathdidnotexist.Butnight

alwayscameandthemaskalwayscameoff.

The notion of forgive and forget quickly disappeared. David had wronged him. He had to

pay.

"Letmeouthere,"hetoldthecabby,tossedhimahandfulofdollarsandallbutboltedfrom

thecab.

His steps were hasty as he started down the street, as if he was trying to outrun a new

enemy.Butthefartherhewent,themoreherealizedthattherewasnoescapeforhimaslong

asDavidstilllived.

Oncethethoughtwasfirmlyinhismind,hebegantorelax.Hisstepsslowed,histhinking

cleared.Hespiedatravelagentontheoppositecornerofthestreet.Nowwasasgoodatime

as any to make his plans. But as he stood at the corner, waiting for the light to change, he

knewitwouldbealong,longtimebeforeheforgotthesilkentextureofbabyhairagainstthe

palmofhishand.

By the time night came to Denver, Frank Wilson was long gone. As his plane landed in

Chicago,hehadsecurityofknowingthatthenextfourdaysweresecurelymappedoutinhis

mind.Thistimewhenhegottoahotel,hewasdigginginuntilheheardfromDavid.

***

Caracameoutofthekitchenwithavaseofflowersinherhand,headingtowardthedining

roomtable.Everywoodsurfaceinthehousegleamedfromthepolishingshe'dgivenit,and

wonderfulscentswerecomingfromthekitchen.Inspiteoftheenticingaromas,Davidknew

theywerenotforhim.

Last night, just as Cara had come out of the shower, she'd glanced at the calendar and

gasped. The planning committee for the annual fall church bazaar was being held at her

house.Andthemeetingwasgoingtobetomorrow!She'dknownaboutitforweeks.Butwith

all the excitement of David's arrival, she'd completely forgotten the date and that she was

expectedtoservelunchintheprocess.

He'dlaughedandtoldhernottoworry,thathe'dhelpherstraightenupthehouse,butthat

wasbeforehehadcompletelyunderstood.

Twelve women were coming to her home. Twelve women who had husbands and children

andhomesoftheirown.TwelvewomenwhowouldbejudgingCara'sworthonthisearthby

howcleanshekeptherhouseandhowtastyanduniquehermenuwouldbe.

She had set the alarm for six-thirty and was up before it went off. And she hadn't just

straightenedthehouse.InDavid'sopinion,she'ddoneeverythingshortofrebuildit.Wisely,

he'dchosenasimplebowlofcerealforbreakfastandthenwhenhewasfinished,washedand

driedthedishandputitbackwhereitbelonged.

By the time she had moved into the kitchen to begin preparing the food she would serve,

he'd made another wise decision and dragged the lawn mower out of the shed and begun

mowingthefrontyard.Herpleasureathischoiceofoccupationwasobviouswhen,anhour

later,shebroughthimacolddrinkandgavehimakissthatrockedhimbackonhisheels.

"Theyardislookingwonderful,"shesaid."I'vegottorun.Theoventimerisabouttogooff."

"Imaynotgetthroughinthebackbeforetheycome.Isthatallright?"

"Oh,sure.Itwon'tmatterifyou'restillmowing."

Hesighedwithrelief.Ifhewasstillworkingintheback,hewouldhaveaverygoodexcuse

toabsenthimselffromtheirpresence.

By the time he had finished in the front and come in the back door for another drink, the

foodindifferentstagesofpreparationlookedlikesomethingfromafive-starrestaurant.The

eleganceofthepresentationwassurpassedonlybythearoma.

"Wow,Cara.Ididn'tknowyoucoulddostufflikethis."

Shegavehimaharriedsmileandshrugged.

"You'dbesurprisedwhatafemalecandoinanemergency."

Heshookhisheadwithoutcomment.Thischurchbazaarhadtakenontheundertonesofa

life-and-death situation. Her emergencies were certainly different from the ones that he'd

faced,butsomethingtoldhimthatitwouldheeasiertodealwithaninternationalterrorist

thantofacethesetwelvewomen.

"Imadeyousomefood,"Carasaid."Althoughyouarecertainlywelcometositandeatwith

usatnoon."

"No,"Davidsaid,andthencounteredtheabruptnessofhisanswerwithasmile."Butthank

youforinvitingme."

Shesighed."Iwouldn'twanttoeatwithus,either.Ican'tbelieveI'dforgottenthis."

Davidshovedasideherhairandkissedthebackofherneck.

"I'lleatlater,afterI'vefinishedmowingthebackyard,okay?"Thenheadded,"And,ifyou're

notfinishedwithyourmeetingbythattime,I'llbeeatinginthekitchen."

Shelaughedandtweakedhisnose.

"Coward."

"Devoutandproudofit,"hesaid,andthenturnedatthesoundofacarcomingupthedrive.

"Lookslikeyourfirstguestisalreadyarriving."

Cara turned to the window and peered out. "Oh, Lord! It would be Hillary. She's the most

criticalofthelot."

Heputhisfingerundertheedgeofherchinandlightlypushedup.

"Chinup,baby.Justrememberthatallthetimethey'relookingatyouandthehouse,you've

gotamaninyouryardwholikestojumpyourbones."

Havingsaidthat,hegaveheradevilishgrinandwinked,thenwalkedoutthebackdoorjust

asthefrontdoorbellbegantoring.

David'swordswerestillinherheadassherushedtothefrontdoor.Thankfulthatthoughts

werenotvisible,shesmoothedherhairandthenstraightenedherblousebeforeopeningthe

door.

"Hillary!Youlookgorgeousasalways.Comein."

HillaryRedfordsaunteredintothehouse.CaraknewthatHillarywaswellawareherfriends

dreadedherarrivalandshelikeditthatway.Itgaveherasenseofimportancetothinkthey

valuedherapprovalenoughtobeworried.

"How nice everything looks," she said, raking the gleaming wood and fresh flowers with

quietapproval.

Cararesistedtheurgetosnortbeneathherbreath.Nice?Itlookedgreatandsheknewit.

"Haveaseat,willyou?IneedtotakeonemorethingoutoftheovenandthenI'llberight

back."

Hillary sat, tentatively testing the cushions of the sofa and finding the one that suited her

best. Within moments, Cara was back, and one by one, the other eleven women began to

arrive.ThenoiselevelrosewitheacharrivaluntilthefrontpartofCara'shousewasasnoisy

asaSaturdaynightatthelocalbar.

Caraflittedamongthem,servingdaintylittleappetizersandflutesofwhitewine,knowing

thateachtimeshelefttheroom,theyresumedtheirconversation,whichwasallabouther.

As they nibbled and talked, Cara finished carrying the last of the food to the dining room

where she'd set up a buffet on the sideboard. With one last glance to make sure she'd

forgottennothingimportant,shewenttothelivingroomtocallthemtoeat.

"Ladies, the food is ready. Let's adjourn to the dining room where you can continue your

discussion about my life and if somewhere in the midst of it someone should happen to

rememberweareplanningabazaar,thenthatwouldbewonderful."

There was a moment of embarrassed silence and then everyone laughed while Hillary felt

theneedtoexplain.

"Oh,Cara,youfunnything.Weweren'treallytalkingaboutyou,justcuriousaboutthenew

maninyourlife.Afterall,youcan'treallyblameusforthat."

Carasmiledandthenledthewayintothediningroom,comfortablewiththefactthatshe'd

takenthewindoutoftheirsailsbyacknowledgingthegossipandthenignoringit.

"Mm, everything smells wonderful," one of them said, while Hillary Redford silently

applaudedtheeleganceofthedishesshe'dfixed.

"Thank you," Cara said. "Although they're really simple, they are some of my favorite

recipes."

As they began to round the buffet and fill their plates, their chatter lessened. And for the

firsttime,thesoundofDavidmowinginthebackyardcouldbeheard.Hillarywasthefirstto

comment.

"InoticedyouryardwasfreshlymowedwhenIcametothedoor,"shesaid.

"Yes,butDavid'snotquitethroughintheback."

"WhoisDavid?"Hillaryasked.

"Bethany'sfather,"Carasaidsimply.

Twelvepairsofeyesturnedinstantlytowardher.Twelvemouthsdroppedtoanequaldegree

ofshock.

"Oh,I'vejustgottohavealook,"Hillarysaid,andsetherplateonthetablewithoutfillingit

andheadedforthekitchen.

Eleven other women followed suit without waiting to see if Cara minded that they were

troopingthroughthekitchenwhereshe'dbeenpreparingthefood.Shesmiledtoherselfand

followed,thankfulthatalmosteverythingshe'dbeencookingwithhadbeencleanedupand

putawayorwasinthedishwasherwaitingtobewashed.

But when she got to the kitchen, she couldn't see outside. Every window in the room was

linedwithwomenwhoseemedtoodumbstrucktomove.

"That'shim?"Hillaryasked,anddidsomethingquiteunlikeherselfandsmearedtheglass

whensheputherfingeragainstthewindowtopoint.

CarapeekedoverHillary'sshoulder.

"Yep,that'shim."

"Havemercy,"someonewhispered."Helookslikethatactor…oh,what'shisname?Hewas

inthatmovieSniperandawholebunchofothers."

SomeoneofferedthenameBerenger.

"Yes!That'sit!Berenger!HelookslikeTomBerenger."

Then they all turned and stared at Cara as if they'd never seen her before—then turned

again,theirfacesgluedtothesight.

Caracrossedherarmsasshewatchedthem,resistingtheurgetolaugh.Inspiteofallher

cleaningandcooking,abare-chestedmanhadbeenthehitoftheday.Andshecouldn'tblame

themforgawking.

"Um,Cara?"

It was Susan Hanover, the banker's wife, who was standing near the door and waving her

handtobeseeninalltheshuffle.

"Yes?"

"Ishethat,uh,fitallover?"

Theelevenotherwomenturned,allbutsalivatingastheyawaitedtheanswer.

Cara smiled politely, as if they'd just asked for the recipe for her cake, although she knew

hercookingwasnomatchforDavid,nakedordressed.Andthefactthathewasn'twearinga

shirtandthathisshortswereridinglowonhishipsdidn'thurt.Thathard,flatbellyandthat

beautifulfacewerehardtoignore.

"Yes."

"Oh…my…God,"Susanmoaned,andleanedagainstthewallasifpretendingtofaint.

Thequestionbroketheiceofcuriosity.Thequestionsbegancomingatherfromrightand

left.

"Whatdoeshedo?Wherehashebeen?Ishegoingtostay?Areyougoingtomarryhim?Is

hegoingtocomeinside?"

Carajustwavedawaythequestions.

"Food'sgettingcold,"shesaid,andwentintothediningroom.

Onebyone,courtesydemandedthattheyfollow,butwhentheyfinallyallsatdowntoeat,

they were looking at Cara with new respect. And as they chewed their first bites, they were

thinkingoftheirrespectivehusbands,mostofthemsoft,overweightandgoingbald.

After a few minutes, they seemed to settle down and as they talked and ate, they actually

settledonmostoftheplanningcommitteesthatthey'dcometoputinplace.Itwasn'tuntil

Cara was serving cake that she heard the back door slam. David was obviously through

mowingtheyard.

Again,twelvewomenfroze;intheactofputtingcakeintheirmouths,theyseemedtohold

theirbreaths,hopingagainstallhopetheywouldgetacloserglimpse.Davidgavethemway

morethantheybargainedfor.

Still bare-chested and carrying his T-shirt in his hands, he stuck his head into the room.

Everywhere he was bare was glistening with sweat, and his thick, dark hair was spiky and

damp.

"Cara,I'mthroughwiththebackyard.I'mgoingtoshowerbeforeIeat."Thenhegavethe

womananall-encompassingsmile."Isurehopeyouprettyladiessavedsomethingforme."

Having dropped the verbal bomb in their midst, he sauntered off, giving them an all-too-

generousviewofhistightbunsandlonglegs.

Susan, the banker's wife, laid her fork on her cake plate and covered her face with her

hands.

"Lordforgivemeformythoughts,"shemuttered.

They all burst into laughter, glad that she was the one who'd said what they'd all been

thinking.

They lingered through coffee. Some even ate a second piece of cake just to prolong their

presence in the house. When David finally emerged from the bedroom, he was dressed in

slacksandloafersandablueknitshirt.

"He looks good in clothes, too," Susan muttered, as he passed them by on his way to the

kitchen.

David heard her and grinned. Well aware of the fuss that he'd caused, he didn't know

whethertomakehimselfscarceorgosayhello.

Carasavedhimthetroubleofdecidingbyfollowinghimintothekitchen.

"Wesavedyouapieceofcake,"shesaid.

"Sureyouwantmeinthere?"heasked.

She sighed and then shrugged. "You'd have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to know that

they'requitetakenwithyou."

"Oh?"

"Yes.Itstartedwhentheysawyounaked."

"Naked?"

"Honey,whenamanhasnothingonbutapairofshortsandwearsthemaswellasyoudo,

womencanfigureouttherest."

Hegrinned.

"Soyoumayaswellcomeinandfinishthemoff."

Hisgrinwidenedashefollowedherintotheotherroom.

"So,youdidsavemesomecakeafterall,"Davidsaid.

"Here!Sithere!"oneofthemsaid,andjumpedupfromherchairandgavehimherseat.

"Oh, no, but thank you," he said. "A gentleman never sits in a room full of ladies. You sit

yourselfrightbackdown.I'lleatmycakestandingup.ThatwayIcaneatmore."

Justtheknowledgethatthecakethey'dbeeneatingwasnowgoingintohisstomachwasall

ittookfortwelvepairsofeyestostareathisshirt,rememberingthehard,washboardsurface

ofhisbellyunderneath.

"Haveyoufinished?"Davidasked.

Twelvestartledwomenlookedathisfaceandthenattheirplates.

"Withyourmeeting,Imean,"Davidsaid.

Caralaughed.Hewasplayingthemlikeafiddle.

"DavidWilson,youareawful,"shesaid."Stopteasingthemthisminute,doyouhear?"

Hegrinnedandthenleanedoverandkissedhersquareonthemouthbeforetakinganother

biteofthecake.

Twelvesighsofappreciationroseinaccompaniment.

Carasmiledtoherself.

Herluncheonhadbeenasuccess.

Chapter8

«^»

Davidwokeupbeforesunrise,savoringthequietoftheroomandthewarmthofthewoman

snuggledagainsthim.ItwasFridayandhistimewithCarawasalreadyalmostgone.Bethany

andherfamilywouldbehomethedayaftertomorrowandhewouldbeinD.C.,andhestill

hadn'ttoldCarahewasleaving.Truthwas,hewasscaredtotellher.They'dfoughthorribly

thelasttimehe'dannouncedhisexitfromherlife.Hedidn'twantittohappenagain

His thoughts scattered as Cara sighed and rolled onto her back. He watched her eyelids

fluttering slightly and knew she was waking. Unable to wait, he leaned over and kissed her

therestofthewayawake.

Carastretched,thenwrappedherarmsaroundhisneck.

"Whatawonderfulwaytowakeup,"shesaid.

"Areyougoodandawake?"

Shesmiled."Ithinkso,why?"

"Idon'twantittobesaidthatItookadvantageofanunconsciouswoman."

Shelaughedashepulledhernightgownoverherheadandtosseditaside,thenrolledover

ontopofher,pinninghertothemattresswiththeweightofhisbody.

"Areyoupayingattention?"hegrowled.

Anotherlaughbubbledupherthroat.

"Woman…I'mtryingtobeserioushere."

Suddenly, the laughter was over. Cara had her legs locked around his waist and her arms

aroundhisneck.

"Howserious?"shewhispered.

"Oh,baby,letmeshowyoutheways."Withoutforeplay.

Withoutsweet-nothingwhispers.

Withoutwarning.

Betweenonebreathandthenext,hewasinsideher.

Carawouldlookbackonitlaterandrealizethattherewasasmuchdesperationintheactas

therewaslove.Butfornow,shehadnofocussavethemanaboveherandthehard,rhythmic

poundingofhisfleshagainsthers.

OneminutespilledintothenextandthenthenextandjustwhenCarathoughtshewould

die from the intensity, it shattered within her, splintering the power and flooding her body

with a bone-melting ecstasy. She lay within his arms, her eyes closed, her heartbeat little

more than a ricochet of its normal rhythm, while savoring the sensations from the act of

perfectlove.

Shedidn'tknowitwasn'tover.

Davidpaused,raisinghimselfaboveherontightlytensedarms,asifjudgingherexpression.

Shegroanedthensighed.

Atthatpoint,heseemedtoshiftgears.

Sheopenedhereyesandlookedup.

One slow, sensuous stroke after another, David started again, and all the while, he was

watchingherface.Inherentirelife,Carahadneverfeltsovulnerableorsoloved.

A long minute passed, and then another, and time seemed to stop. There was nothing in

theirworldbutthesensualbody-to-bodyhammer,seekingthatfleetingandvolatileburstof

sweet pleasure. Sweat beaded across David's forehead and dropped into the valley between

herbreastsas,again,theydancedthedanceoflove.

One moment Cara was aware of David above her, and then her mind suddenly blanked.

Clutching his forearms, she arched beneath him, her eyes wide, unseeing. Shattered by the

forceofherclimax,hermoanbecameascream.

ItwasthesoundasmuchasthespasmsofherbodythatsentDavidovertheedge,spilling

fortyyearsoflonelinessanddenialintothewomanbeneathhim.

Moments later, he collapsed with a gut-wrenching groan, and then rolled, taking her with

himsothatshewouldnotbeburdenedanylongerwithhisweight.Whathadjusthappened

was so perfect, he didn't even feel twinges from the stitches on his shoulder. So they lay

locked within each other's arms, awaiting the end of the world or a steadying heartbeat,

whichevercamefirst.

Sometimelater,shegroanedandraisedherhead.

"David…I…"

Hearchedaneyebrow."You'rewelcome."

Shesnortedlightlybeneathherbreathandteasinglypulledathishair.

"Areyougoingtobrag?"

Hegrinned."Honey,afterthat,ifIcouldwalk,I'dbestrutting."

Shelaughed.Itwasthemostperfectsunriseofherlife.

***

"Authorities are still searching for the perpetrators of the ongoing tri-county crime spree.

Thetriostruckagainaroundmidnightlastnight,robbingtheclerkatanall-nightquickstop

and beating him unconscious. The clerk, a thirty-two-year-old father of two, is in the

intensivecareunitofBurneyHospital.Heisincriticalcondition."

Carapausedintheactofputtingonhermakeupandsteppedoutofthebathroomintothe

bedroom where David was watching the news on the wall-mounted television opposite her

bed.

"That poor man … and his family," she added. "I can't believe they haven't caught those

awfulpeopleyet."

David nodded without answering, his thoughts in a whirl. This wasn't something that

SPEARgotmixedupin,yethissenseofjusticewasbeingsorelytried.Unlesshe'dmisseda

report,thiswasthethirdincidentintheareasincehe'darrivedatCara'shouseandthesixth

inlessthantwoweeks.Thatwasclosetoonerobberyaday.Heknewhowcriminalslikethat

thought. They were cocky now, confident of their ability to get away with anything, even

murder.Besidesthecountlessassaults,thereweretwodeathsattributedtothecriminals.If

thisyoungmandied,itwouldmakethree.Unconsciously,hisfingerscurledintofistsandhis

expressiondarkened.

Caraleanedoverhisshoulderandpressedakissonhischeek.

"Youcan'tfixeverything,darling,"shesaidsoftly.

The gentleness in her voice touched him. He turned, pulling her into his lap and nuzzling

thesideofherneckbeforegivingheralong,silenthug.

Cara sensed something was bothering him and suspected it wasn't all connected to the

broadcastthey'djustheard.

"Isthereanythingyouwanttotalkabout?"sheasked.

He froze. Damn, she was good. There was plenty he needed to say, but now was not the

time.

"No,honey…atleastnotnow."Heliftedhisheadandmadehimselfsmile."Youlookgood

enoughtoeat,butI'dsettleforahamburgerinstead."

"Okay,David,I'llplayyourgame.I'llbethesilly,airheadedblondewho'sblindlyunawareof

underlying currents, and you be the big, strong hero who needs to protect the little woman

fromherself."

A startled look crossed his face before he could hide it. She'd read him right down to the

bone,anditshamedhimthathecouldn'tdenyit.

Inamomentofblindingpain,understandingcametoCara.

Ah,God,he'sgoingtoleaveme.Butinsteadofcrying,sheslidoffhislapandstraightened

her slacks and shirt. "Just remember that games eventually come to an end. At that time, I

expectthetruth.Deal?"

Shefixedhimwithasteelygazeandheldoutherhand.

Hesighedandthenstood.

"Deal,"hesaid,enclosingherfingersinhisgrasp.

Fearshiftedwithinher,butshewouldn'tgivein.Notnow.Notwhentheyhadpreciouslittle

timeleft.

"AreyoureadytogointoChiltingham?"Davidasked.

Shenodded."Ijustneedtogetmygrocerylistfromthekitchen."

"I'llmeetyououtfront,"hesaid.

"Wanttotakemycar?"sheasked.

Hehesitated,thenshookhishead."No,let'stakemine.Ineedtogetgas,anyway."

Cara couldn't look at him yet. More proof he was getting ready to leave. Again, her heart

twisted,butsherefusedtocomment.

"Berightthere,"shesaid,andwalkedoutofthebedroombeforeshemadeafoolofherself.

Allthewaytothekitchenshewasblinkingbackteam,butbythetimeshewalkedoutofthe

house,heremotionswereundercontrol.Davidwasstandingatthepassengersideofhiscar,

thedoorajar,waitingforhertoenter.

"Why,thankyou,sir,"shesaid,assheslidintotheseat.

"My pleasure," he countered, as he closed the door and then circled the car to get in. He

started the engine and then drove out of her drive onto the blacktop road. "Where to first,

ma'am?"

"I'dsayHawaii,butIdon'tthinkyouhaveenoughgas."

Heheardthedesolationinhervoiceandreachedoverandsqueezedherhand.

"Notthistimearound,Idon't,baby.Butmaybesoon.HaveyoueverbeentoHawaii?"

Shesighed."No,butI'vealwayswantedtoseeifthewaterisasblueastheysay."

"Itis."

Shesmiledsadly."Ishouldhaveknownyou'dalreadybeenthere."

Hethoughtofthedrugrunnerhe'dchasedforsixweeksbeforecorneringhiminaninletoff

theeasterncoastofOahu.

"Itwasn'tavacation,"hesaidsoftly.

"Oh."

"Whendoyouwanttogo?"heasked."Thisfall?Nextspring?Younamethetimeandwe're

there."

Hereyeswidened."Areyouserious?"

Hepulledovertothesideoftheroadandputthecarinpark,thentookherinhisarms.

"Yes,I'mserious.I'mcommitted.I'minlove.AndIwasgoingtowaituntiltonighttoask,

butsomethingtellsmethetimeisnow."

"Askwhat?"shesaid.

"IfI'mabletocomeback…andIwilldoeverythinginmypowertocomeback…willyou

marryme?"

It was the last but best thing she would have expected him to say. Good sense demanded

more time with the man before committing the rest of her life to him, but the good sense

she'dusedbeforehadcostherfortyyearswithouthim.Shewasn'tgoingtodoitagain.

"Yes."

Davidwasallreadytopleadhiscase.Herpositive,one-wordanswertookhimaback.

"Youwill?"

Shenodded.

"Justlikethat?Withoutknowingif—"

Sheputherhandoverhismouth,silencingtherestofwhathe'dstartedtosay.

"Don't say it aloud. Don't give the words power, David. Just do what you have to do and

comebacktomewhenit'sover."

"Ah,God,"hegroaned,andtookherinhisarms."Youwon'tbesorry,Iswear."

"Itoldyounothefirsttimeandhaveregretteditforfortyyears.I'mnotabouttomakethe

samemistaketwice."

"Hallelujah,"hemuttered,andkissedherhardonthemouth.

A speeding car passed them by as they embraced, the driver blaring his horn as a taunt to

thelovers.

Carajumpedatthesound,andDavidgroanedandpulledback.

"Whowasthat?"Davidasked,ashestaredatthedisappearingtaillightsofthecar.

Carasighed."Um,I'mnotsure,butitlookedabitlikeHaroldBelton'scar."

Davidgrinned."HastyHarold?"

"Thesame.Andwipethatsatisfiedsmirkoffyourface."

Davidputthecarintogearandthenpulledontothehighway.

"Iwasn'tsmirking."

"Youweresmirking."

"Itwasmoreofa—"

"Youweresmirking,David.Havethegracetoadmitit."

Heglancedather,hiseyesglitteringdarkly,awidegrinonhisface.Atthatmoment,Cara

sawtheyoungboythathe'dbeen.Shecouldn'thelpbutsmileback.

"Okay,Iwassmirking,"Davidsaid.

"Iknow.Thankyouforbeinghonest."

"IwassmirkingbecauseIgotthegirlandhedidn't."

"True,"Carasaid."Butyouhadanunfairadvantagecomingin.

"What?YoumeanBethany?"

"No.Aflatbellyandadynamitekiss."

Hissmilewidened.

"You'resmirkingagain,"Carawarned.

"You just keep on talking like that and by the time we get to town, I'll be ready to do that

strutIpromisedyouearlier."

Shethrewbackherheadandlaughed.God,butshelovedthisman.

Ashortwhilelater,hepulledupinfrontofthesupermarket,buthedidn'tkilltheengine.

"Aren'tyoucomingin?"Caraasked.

"Notrightaway.Ineedtorunaquickerrand.Itwon'ttakemelong.I'llbebackbeforeyou

finish,okay?"

"Sure.Justlookformeintheaisles.I'llprobablystillbeshopping.Iwanttogetsomefood

to make a special meal for Bethany and her family on Sunday." Her face lit up. "Oh, David,

she'sgoingtobeecstaticaboutyou…andaboutus."

Sunday.Hewasn'tgoingtobehereonSunday.Damn.Hehadtotellher,butnotnow.

"I'llfindyou,"Davidsaid."Countonit."

Sheflashedhimasmile."Iloveyouverymuch,youknow."

"Iloveyou,too,nowscootorI'llbetemptedtodashyourreputationevenmorebykissing

you again." He pointed to the people going in and out of the store. "And we're not exactly

alonethistime."

"So what," she said, and gave him a quick kiss before getting out of the car. "If I finish

beforeyougetback,I'llwaitforyouinsidewhereit'scooler,okay?"

"I'llbeherebeforeyou'rethrough,Ipromise."

Shenoddedandthenshutthedoorbehindher.

Davidwatchedheruntilshewasinsidethestore,thenhebackedupanddrovetothemain

street. If memory served, he distinctly remembered a jewelry store a couple of blocks down

onthecorner.Hewasn'tleavingCaraagainwithouthisringonherfinger.

***

Tenminuteslater,Carahadyettogetdownthefirstaisle.Twowomenfromherchurchhad

stopped to ask her if it was true that Ray wasn't Bethany's father. Before she could answer,

they'dfollowedthatquestionwithanother.Wasitalsotruethattherealfatherwasstayingat

Cara'shouse?

Cara had answered truthfully without elaborating and told them goodbye, knowing the

momentsheturnedthecornertheyweregoingtorakeherreputationoverthecoals.Instead

ofbeingbotheredaboutit,shejustsmiled.Shewouldn'ttradeDavid'spresenceinherlifefor

anything,notevenaperfectreputation.Besidesthat,shewasmorethanslightlyamusedat

being thought of as a loose woman. It certainly beat the loneliness and tedium of the last

threeyearsofherlife.

Glancingoverhershoulder,shesawthetwowomenhuddledtogetherattheendoftheaisle

andlookingherway.Impishly,shewaved.Theyscurriedawaylikeflushedquail.

Still chuckling to herself, she continued with her shopping and was halfway up the next

aislewhensheheardacommotionatthefrontofthestore.Rememberingthelargedisplayof

cannedgoodsnearthedoor,sheassumedsomeonemusthaveknockeditoverandgaveitno

morethought.

Thensheheardawomanscreamandanotherstarttocry.Thosesoundschangedeverything.

Afraid that someone had surely been hurt, she hurried toward the front of the store, but it

wasn't an accident, as she feared. As she rounded the corner, she found herself face to face

withanarmedtrioofmen.Thestorewasbeingrobbed!

Instinctively, she pivoted and started to run when someone grabbed her by the arm and

draggedhertowardthegroupofshoppersthey'dalreadycorralled.

"Getoverthereandshutup,"themansaid.

"Ow,"Caracried,ashetwistedthefleshonherarm.

"Shutup,woman,orI'llgiveyousomethingtocryabout."

Caraflinchedasheshovedhertowardtheothers.Shedidasshewastold.Andeventhough

she was standing here, watching three armed men tear through the cash registers for the

money, the reality of the situation had yet to sink in. It wasn't until one of the armed men

shovedhisguninthemanager'sfaceanddemandedheopenthesafethatithitherwhothey

mustbe.

Lessthananhourearlier,she'dbeenhorrifiedbythetelevisionbroadcastofthepoorclerk

who had been robbed and was in critical condition, and now she had become one of their

latestvictims.

Anxiously, she glanced out the window, praying for David's return. She knew he would

come,andshealsosuspectedthathewas,quitepossibly,theironlyhope.

"Move!" one of the robbers suddenly shouted, and as he did, the other two armed men

herdedthehostagestowardthebackofthestore.

Cara'spanicrenewed.DearGod,don'tletthisbethedayIdie.

***

Davidslappedacreditcarddownonthecounter,smilingtohimselfasthejewelerslippeda

small velvet box into a sack. It was, without doubt, the most important purchase he'd ever

made,andithadtakenhimlessthantenminutestomakeuphismind.

"I think your lady is going to be quite pleased with your selection," the jeweler said, as he

handedDavidhiscreditcard.

"SodoI,"Davidsaid,andhurriedoutofthestore.

He got into the car, the smile still on his face. But by the time he was pulling into the

supermarket parking lot, a sense of urgency had replaced his glee. It was that same hair-

raising, flesh-crawling feeling that he'd had so many times before, and it didn't make sense

untilhetriedtogetintothestore.

Whenherealizedthefrontdoorswerelocked,hebegantofrown.Ashecuppedhishands

againstthewindowandpeeredinside,hesawthedrawersofthecashregisterswereallajar.

Added to that was the fact that not a shopper or clerk was in sight. It was gut instinct that

madehimgobacktothecarforalockpickandhisgun.

Awomandroveupjustashewasheadingtothestore.

"Doyouhaveacellphone?"heasked.

Shenodded.

"Thencallnine-one-one.Thestoreisbeingrobbed."

Shelookedaskance,staringwildlyatthegunhewasholdingandthenathisface.

"Not by me," he said shortly. "The doors are locked and the cash registers are open. I'm

goingtotryandgetin,butIneedyoutohelpme,understand?"

Shenodded,herexpressionstartled.

"Afteryoumakethecall,driveyourcartothestreetandkeepeveryoneelseaway.Wedon't

needanyinnocentbystandersgettinghurt,dowe?"

"No!Oh,my!Ican'tbelieve…"

"Lady!Justmakethecallandthengetthehelloutoftheway."

Sheboltedforhercar.

Satisfiedshewoulddoashe'dasked,heheadedtowardthefrontdoorsagain.Hewouldn't

lethimselfthinkofwhatmighthavealreadyhappened.Instead,hepalmedthelockpickand

withafewdeftstrokes,openedthedoorandquietlyslippedinside.

Hestoodagainstthewall,hisgunraised,listeningforsomethingthatwouldtellhimwhere

everyonehadbeentaken.Thesilencewasmorehorrifyingthananyscreamwouldhaveever

been. When he finally heard angry shouts coming from the back of the store, he closed his

eyesmomentarily,recallingthelayoutofthefloorplanfromhisearliervisit,thenstartedto

move.

***

"Damnit,Travis,shutthatwomanupnoworI'mgonnadoitforyou,"DarrylWayneshouted.

Cara flinched as the short man, the one who was shouting, grabbed a can of peas from a

shelfandthrewitatthehostages.Caraducked,coveringherheadasthecansailedpasther

ear,onlytohitoneofthegroceryclerksonthehead.Thewomanneversawitcoming,and

whenithither,itknockedheroutcold.Shedroppedtothefloorinaslump.

Carascrambledovertoherside,tryingtostaunchtheflowofbloodwiththetailofhershirt,

andwasbackhandedforthetrouble.

"ItoldyoupeoplenottomoveandImeantit."

Pain-filled tears blurred her vision as she grabbed the side of her face. Already it was

beginningtothrob.

"Please,"shebegged."Herhead…it'sbleedingbadly."

Darrylgabbedherbythehairandyankedhertoherfeet.

"Lookatme!"

Carastared,toofrightenedtomove.

"Canyouseemylips?"

Shenodded,wincingwhenbetightenedhisgriponherhair.

"I'mtellingyouforthelasttime,don'tmove.Canyoudothat?"

Shenoddedagain.

He shoved her hard. She fell backward over the unconscious woman's feet, then onto the

floor.Fromwhereshewaslying,shecouldseethethirdmmintheofficewiththemanager,

holdingaguntohisheadasthemanageropenedthesafe.Neverinherlifehadshebeenso

certainshewasgoingtodie.Themomentthatsafecameopen,theywereallexpendable.

Oh,God!Oh,David!Whereareyou?

"Hurryupwiththatsafe!"Darrylshouted."Weain'tgotallday."

Thethirdmansteppedoutoftheoffice."Hesayshecan'tgetitopen."

"Bull!"Darrylyelled,turnedtowardthehostagesandfiredatthenearestone,whohappened

tobetheMethodistpastor'swife.Thebullettorethroughhershoulderandricochetedagainst

theconcretewallbehindher.Sheslumpedoverwithoutasound."Onedown,tentogo,"he

yelled."Nowseehowfasthecanopenthatsafe."

The third man grinned and stepped back into the office. A horrified silence permeated the

area.Noonedaredlookupforfeartheywouldbenext.Andbecausetheirheadswerebent,

they didn't see the man who slipped through the open door of the loading area and

disappearedbehindastackofwoodenpallets.

***

David'sgutwasinaknot.He'dbeenonlyfeetawayfromthedoorwhenhe'dheardtheshot,

andeventhoughheknewtherewasboundtobeotherhostages,hisheartsank.Allhecould

thinkwas,Please,God,don'tletitbeCara.

Asecondlaterhewaspeeringthroughthehalf-opendoor.Hecountedelevenhostages,two

unconscious,maybedead.WhenhesawthetopofCara'sheadandrealizedshewasn'toneof

the bodies on the floor, he said a quick prayer of thanksgiving, then slipped into the room

behindastackofpallets.

Twogunmenhadtheirbackstohim,andtheywerestilltalkingtoathird,whohefigured

must be in an office somewhere nearby. He glanced at his watch, trying to figure out how

longitwouldbebeforethesoundofpolicesirensalertedthementotheirarrival.He'dbeen

inside for more than four minutes, and if the police were on the ball, he didn't have much

time.

Suddenly,athirdmancameintoview,holdinganotheratgunpoint.Davidfroze.Withless

than five feet between them, he could have reached out and touched the back of the

gunman'shead.

"Igotit!"thegunmanshouted."Let'sgetthehelloutofherenow."

Davidheldhisbreath.Iftheywouldjustleave,itwouldbethesafestmoveforallconcerned.

Unfortunately,theshort,stockyonewhoseemedtobeinchargehadotherideas.

"Nowitnesses,"hesaidabruptly,andtookaimatthepeopleonthefloorascalmlyasifhe

wasabouttosquashabug.

ToDavid'shorror,Carawastheclosesttothegun.Therewasnotimelefttowait.

Davidcoldcockedthemanclosesttohimonthebackofthehead,thengrabbedhimbefore

hefell,usinghimforashieldashetookaim.Hefiredtwiceinrapidsuccession,hittingthe

shortmanfirstandthenextmmashewasspinningaround.

Astunnedsilencemomentarilyenvelopedthehostages,andthentheyeruptedintoamelee

ofshoutsandscreams.Severalstartedtorun.Davidstoppedthemallwithoneshout.

"Wait."

Theyfroze.

He looked at Cara, who was on her knees, trying to stop the blood pouring from the

shoulderofoneofthevictims.

"Cara!"

Shelookedup,hereyesfilledwithtears,buttherewasalookonherfacethattoldhimshe

wasallright.HeyankedhisT-shirtoverhisheadandtossedittoher.

"Usepressure,honey.Helpisontheway."

One of the stock boys followed suit and removed his T-shirt for her, as well. She nodded,

quickly folding the shirts and pressing them against the front and back of the wound. The

womanwho'dbeenknockedoutwascomingaround.ToDavid'sdismay,herealizeditwasthe

young cashier he'd teased only the other day. The one who had welcomed him to

Chiltingham.

"Seeabouther,too,"heordered,andimmediately,acoupleoftheotherhostagesbeganto

attendtoher.

Davidmotionedtothemanager.

"I hear sirens. Go up front and meet the police and the paramedics. Make sure they know

everything is under control. We wouldn't want anyone to be mistaken for a bad guy, would

we?"

Themanagernodded,stillwide-eyedandshaking,unabletobelievetheordealwasover.He

boltedforthefrontofthestorewithoutlookingback.

ThemanDavidhadhitwasmoaningathisfeet.Hegrabbedsomereinforcedstrappingtape

from a nearby shelf and quickly bound his hands and feet, then checked the two that he'd

shot.Theyweredead.

Confidentnowthatdangerwaspast,hemovedtowardCara,needingtotouchher.Whenhe

kneltbesideher,shelookedup.

"Iknewyouwouldcome."

Hecuppedthebackofherheadandpulledhertohim,kissingherquickandhard.

"Letmehelp,"hesaidquietly,andtookoverthejobofkeepingthepastor'swifealivewhile

Cararockedbackonherheelsandstartedtocry.

"It's all right, baby," he said quietly, as he inspected the woman's wound. Satisfied that it

wasathroughshotandhighenoughthatnothingvitalhadbeenhit,hekeptpressureonthe

makeshiftbandagesandwaited.

Astheywaited,theyoungclerkwho'dbeenknockedoutbegantositup.Lookingaroundin

stunned confusion, she saw Cara's face and then the blood all over the dress the preacher's

wifewaswearingandstartedtocry.

"Hey!"hesaidquickly."Lookatme!"

Sheblinkedasrecognitiondawned.

"Iknowyou,"shewhispered."You'rethenewguywhomovedtotown."

"Andit'sagoodthinghedid,"oneofthehostagessaid."Theyweregoingtokillus.Hesaved

usall."

"Oh,my,"shesaid,andthenclutchedherheadandclosedhereyes.

"Areyoufeelingsicktoyourstomach?"Davidasked.

Shenodded.

"Put your head between your knees," he said, and then pointed with his chin toward a

coupleoftheyounggrocerysackers."Isn'tthatanicemachineoverthere?"

Theynodded.

"Getaplasticbag,fillitwithiceandputitonherhead."

Theydidasheordered,thankfultohavesomethingtodobesidesstareatthebloodpooling

beneaththetwodeadmen.

DavidlookedatCaraandthemarkuponherface."Bringtwoofthosebagsofice,willyou?

GiveonetoMrs.Justicesoshecanputitonherface."

Caratriedtowhisperathanks,butsheknewifshetalked,shewouldscream.Thehorrorof

whathadjusthappenedwasfinallysinkingin.

Whenoneoftheboyssuddenlythrustthecold,wetplasticintoherhands,shelaiditagainst

herfaceinmutethanksgiving.

Chapter9

«^»

Moments later, they heard shouts at the front of the building, then the sounds of running

feet.Suddenly,thebackroomofthesupermarketwasoverflowingwithuniformedofficersas

wellasmedicalpersonnel.

"Here!" David called. "This woman is hurt the worst. She has a clean shot all the way

through the shoulder but she's lost a lot of blood." Then he nodded toward the young clerk

whowasholdingabagoficeagainstherhead."Shewasknockedoutforashortwhile.Might

haveaconcussion."

"Whataboutthosetwo?"oneoftheparamedicsasked,lookingtowardthetwomenonthe

floor.

"They'redead,andit'sabetterfatethantheydeserved,"Davidmuttered,thengottohisfeet

andgotoutoftheirway.

A second later, Cara was in his arms, her face pressed against his chest, the melting ice

clutchedtightlyinherhand.Davidcouldfeelthecoldagainsthisbareback.Butdidn'tgivea

damnforthediscomfort.NothingmatteredbutCara'swelfare.

"It'sallrightnow,honey,"hesaidsoftly,holdinghertight."It'sover."

"You saved us, David. You saved us all," she muttered. "Yes, God bless you, mister,"

someonesaid,andpattedhimontheback,theirhandswarmagainsthisbareflesh.

One after the other, the hostages thanked him, some hugging him, some unable to do

anythingbuttouchhimastheywereledaway.

JustwhenDavidthoughtitwasover,anothersetofofficersarrived.Thesewereinsuits.He

sighed. Detectives. Now the questions would really commence. But how to answer?

Identifyinghimselfandnotgivinghimselfawaycouldbetricky,especiallysincehe'donlyleft

themwithonelivebodytotaketotrial.

"Sowhere'sthisRambothey'realltalkingabout?"oneofthemenasked.

"Itwashim,Robert!That'sthemanwhotoldmetocallthepolice."

David turned around. It was the woman from the parking lot. He looked back at Cara,

assessinghercondition.Herfacewasswollenwhereshe'dbeenhitandshewasstillshaking.

Heneededtogetheroutofthebuilding,butitwasn'tgoingtohappen.Notyet.

ThedetectivelookedfirstatDavid,thenatthewomaninhisarms.Surprisespreadoverhis

face.

"Mrs.Justice,isthatyou?"

Caralookedup."Oh…Robert,Ishouldhaveexpectedyou,butthisallseemssosurreal.I

stillcan'tbelieveit.Ifithadn'tbeenforDavid,wewouldallbedead."Thenshelaidherhand

on David's arm. "David, darling, this is Robert … oh, excuse me, Robert. I forget all of you

boyshavegrownup.It'sDetectiveFoster,now.Heandmyson,Tyler,grewuptogether."

Davidshooktheman'shand.

"Detective,"hesaid,reluctantlyacknowledgingtheman'sneedtobehere.

RobertFosternoddedcordially.

"Caretotellmewhathappened?"heasked,wonderingaboutDavid'slackofshirt,andthen

sawonewaddeduponthefloorwheretheparamedicshaddiscardedit.Itwasstainedwith

blood."Isthatyourshirt?"heasked.

But David was more concerned with the trembling in Cara's muscles than his lack of

clothing.

"Canwegosomewhereandsitdown?"heasked."Caraisgoingintoshock."

"I'llbefine,"Carasaid,butwhenshestartedtowalk,herlegswentoutfromunderher.

Davidcaughtherbeforeshefell."Areyousurehedidn'thurtyou?"

Sheshookherhead."Justaslapacrosstheface.ItwasnothingcomparedtoMargiebeing

shot."Thenshestartedtocryagain."MyGod…myGod…Ithoughtweweregoingtodie."

David held her close against him and headed for a nearby stack of boxes. He sat, still

cradlingherinhisarms.

"Sheprobablyneedstoseeadoctor,"Fostersaid.

"No,"Caramuttered."Iwasn'thurt,justterriblyafraid."

"Hecouldgiveyousomethingtosleep,though,"Fosterinsisted.

"Idon'tneedanythingbutDavid."

"Look,couldyoumakethiskindofquick?"Davidasked."Ifthereareanydetailsyouneedto

fillinlater,youcanreachmeatCara's.I'llbethereanotherdayorso."

"You'releavingtown?"Fosterasked.

DavidfeltCarastiffeninhisarms,buttherewasnodenyingwhathadtobesaid.

"Yes,butonlyforafewdays."

"Thencouldyoutellme…brieflyofcourse…exactlyhowyougotinvolvedinthis?"

DavidgaveCaraaquick,gentlesqueezeashesettledhersecurelywithinhisembrace.

Hewentintoabrief,butconciseaccountofwhathadoccurred,rightdowntothemoment

hemadethedecisiontofirethefirstshot.

"The short, stocky perp had already shot one hostage and knocked another unconscious.

WhenhesaidnowitnessesandturnedhisgunonCara,helostwhateverbreaksImighthave

givenhim."

"I see," Foster said, then picked up David's gun, turning it over in his hands and casually

eyeingtheweapon."Youmustbeagoodshot."

"Yes."

"Neversawagunlikethisbefore.Wheredidyougetit?"

Davidhesitated."That'sbecausethere'snotanotherlikeit."

FosternotedthatDavidhadonlyansweredhalfhisquestions.

"Prototype?"

Davidnodded.

"Interesting.Howdidyoucomebyit?Didyoudesignit?"

"No,I'mnotthatskilled."

"Idon'tsupposeyoustoleit?Iwouldn'twanttohearsomethinglikethat,especiallysince

you'regoingtobetheheroofthehour."

Davidsighed."It'snotstolen.Look,justruntheserialnumbersthroughthecomputeralong

withmydriver'slicensenumber.Itwillexplainitself."

Fosternodded."Thatsoundssimpleenough,"hesaid.

"Canwegohomenow?"Caraasked.

Davidlookedatthedetective.

Fosternoddedreluctantly."Yousayyou'llbeatMrs.Justice'shouseforanotherdayorso?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll just run the numbers on your gun and bring it out to you later this evening, if

that'sallright?"

"I'llbethere,"Davidsaid.

Caraslidoutofhislap."Icanwalk,"shesaid.

Davidpulledherintotheshelterofhisarms.

"Iknow,butifyouneedto,justleanonme,honey."

Caraleaned.Notbecausesheparticularlyneededto,butbecauseshestillcould.She'dheard

itfromhisownlips,eventhoughithadn'tbeensaidtoher.Withinacoupleofdays,hewould

be gone, maybe walking into something far worse than what she'd just witnessed, but she

swallowedherfearsandkeptonwalking.

Theparkinglotwasamess.Ambulanceswerecomingandgoingandfromtheappearances

ofthepoliceonthescene,they'dhadtocallintheirreserves.Someweren'teveninuniform,

butweredoingtheirbesttokeepcuriosityseekersatbay.

WhenDavidandCaraemergedfromthestore,asmatteringofapplausesoundedfromsome

ofthebystanders.Obviously,wordhadalreadyspreadthathewastheherooftheday.When

he saw a television crew pulling into the parking lot, he kept his head down, tightened his

holdonherhandandkeptonwalking.

"Hurry,Cara,Ican'thavemyfacesplashedalloverthenews."

Caralookedstartled,onlythenrealizingtheconsequencesofwhathehaddone.Bysaving

them,he'dblownwhatevercoverhe'dhadleft.Nooneintheworldwouldrecognizehimas

Jonah,butFrankwoulddamnsurerecognizehimasthemanhesought.

Withthehelpofacoupleoftheofficers,thepolicecruiserblockingDavid'scarwasquickly

moved.Assoonasthecarwasfree,hespedaway.Onlywhentheywereontheirwayoutof

towndidhebreatheasighofrelief.

"ThankGod,that'sover,"Caramuttered,assheleanedbackagainsttheseatandclosedher

eyes.

Davidglancedather,butdidn'tcomment.Ifsheonlyknew,itwasprobablyjustbeginning.

ThemomentDetectiveFosterrantheserialnumbersofthatgunthroughNCIC,itwasgoing

tosetoffsomanybellsinWashington that they'd probably hear them in heaven. And then

therewasFrank.Davidcouldn'tdependonanonymityanylonger.Heneededtostartlayinga

trailforhisbrothertofollowthatwouldleadhimasfarawayfromCaraaspossible.

Ashortwhilelater,theyarrivedatCara'shome.Shestaggeredashehelpedheroutofthe

car,thenweaklyapologized.Heglaredatherforapologizingagain,thenscoopedherupinhis

arms.Thistime,shedidn'targue.Bythetimehegotherintothehouse,shewassobbing.The

tendernessinhisvoicewasevenmoreofherundoing.

"That's all right, baby. Go ahead and cry. Lord knows you've earned a few tears after the

morning you've had." He set her on the side of her bed and began helping her take off her

bloodstainedclothes."TherewasatimeortwowhenIfeltlikecrying,myself."

She hiccupped on a sob and tossed her bloodstained bra onto the floor. Gently, he cupped

thesideofherface,wincingatthebruisingalreadytakingeffect.

"Thesonofabitch,"hemuttered,andthenkissedherthere."IfIcould,Iwouldhavekilled

himtwice."

Shesighedandleanedforwarduntiltheirforeheadsweretouching.

"Oh,David,ifyouhadn'tcomebackformewhenyoudid,todaywouldhavebeenthedayI

died."

Heshuddered."Don't!Don'tplaythatifgame.It'llmakeyoucrazy.Iknow."

Shewrappedherarmsaroundhisneckandhuggedhimfiercely.

"Beforetoday,Ihatedwhatthegovernmenthaddonetoyou,butnow…"

Asadsmilecameandwent.Heknewwhatshemeant.HeandCarahadbeencheatedoutof

a normal life, but because he knew how to kill, he'd saved her—saved them all—to live

anotherday.

"Let'sgettherestofthesebloodyclothesoffofyou,"hesaid."Canyoustandonyourownin

theshower,ordoyouwanttotakeabath?"

"Shower,please,andyes,Icanstand."

Whenshedroppedthelastarticleofherclothinginthepileonthefloor,shekickeditaside

withhertoe.

"Throwthemaway."

"Allofthem?"heasked.

Shenodded."Idon'teverwanttowearthemagain."

Hegatheredthemupinhisarmsandstartedforthedoor,thenhesitated.

"Cara?"

"What?"

"Theclotheswillwash."

"ButI—"

The despair on his face confused her, then suddenly she understood. David not only had

blood on his clothes, but blood on his hands. And if she was so disgusted by something as

inconsequentialasbloodyclothes,thenwhatmustshethinkofamanwhohadshedblood?

She made herself smile. "You're right. I just overreacted. Besides, those are my favorite

slacks.Maybeifyoujusttossedtheminthewashingmachineincoldwaterandletthemsoak

forawhile?"

Araresmileofapprovalappearedonhisface,beforeheturnedandwalkedaway.

Acoupleofhourslater,theywereinthekitcheneatingsomesandwichesDavidhadmade

forthemwhenthephonebegantoring.

CaralookedatDavid.

"Wantmetoanswer?"heasked.

Shesighed.Nouserunningfromsomethingshewouldinevitablyhavetoface.

"No,I'llgetit,butthanksanyway."

Shepickeduptheportable,eyeingthecallerIDscreen,thenrolledhereyes.

"Hello."

"Oh,myGod,Cara,wejustheard."

"Hello,Debra.Lookslikenewstravelsfast."

"Areyouserious?Itisn'tgossip,honey!Thewholethingisonthenews."

"Now?"Caraasked.

"Yes,now."

"Thetelevision,"Carawhispered,pointingtothelivingroom."Debrasaystheincidentison

TV."

David bolted for the living room. Cara followed, still talking to her friend. To her dismay,

she realized it wasn't a local news show, but a national network broadcasting live from the

scene, where police were still working the area. She quickly disconnected and then slipped

intotheseatbesideDavid.

"Thisisn'tgood,isit?"sheasked.

"Theydon'thaveanytapeofus.Itshouldbeallright."

Atthatmoment,someoneblurtedouthisname.

"Oh,no,"Caramoaned.

David's expression darkened perceptibly. She was right. It wasn't good. Even though there

wereprobablythousandsofDavidWilsonsintheUnitedStates,therewouldn'tbemanywho

could have pulled off the rescue of eleven hostages single-handed. Hooray for the training

he'dreceivedatSPEARandtohellwithanyanonymityhemighthavehopedtoretain.When

she clutched his hand, he slipped an arm around her and pulled her close, shoving all

thoughtsofSimonfromhismind.

Less than ten minutes later, the phone rang again. This time, Cara handed the phone to

Davidwithapleadingexpression.

Davidtookitunwillingly.

"Youcouldunplugthephone,"hesaid.

"Please?"

Hesmiled,thenanswered.

"Justiceresidence."

"IsthisDavid?"

Heflinched.He'donlyheardhervoiceonce,butitwasasfirmlyetchedinhismindnowas

wasCara'sface.

"Bethany?"

"Yes!WejustsawthenewsaboutthesupermarketinChiltinghambeingrobbed."

"Yes,sodidwe,"Davidsaid."Here'syourmother."

"Thanks.Oh,David…"

"Yes?"

"Nicetalkingtoyou."

Hefoundhimselfsmiling."Nicetalkingtoyou,too,honey."

HehandedthephonetoCaraandthenstartedtogetupandgivehersomeprivacy,butshe

grabbedhishandandpulledhimbackdownbesideher.

"Hello?"Carasaid."Bethany,darling,howareyou?"

"We're all fine," she said. "I just had to call, though. It was so weird, seeing our little

hometown on the evening news. Isn't it awful? They said someone was shot. Do you know

who?"

"Yes,itwasMargieWeller,theMethodistpastor'swife."

Bethanygasped."Howhorrible!Wasitserious?Isshegoingtobeallright?"

"Yes,itwasterriblyfrightening,butlastwordwehad,shewasinsurgeryandherprognosis

wasgood."

"Thank goodness," Bethany said. "I guess you never know about things like this, but who

wouldhavethoughtitcouldhappenathome,right?"

"Right,"Carasaid.

"TheysaidtherewereelevenhostagesandsomeguynamedWilsonsavedthemall."

"Yes, he did," Cara said, wanting so badly to tell Bethany that it was her own father who'd

beentheherothatday.Buttellinghersomethinglikethatoveraphonewasunconscionable.

"Ishenewtotheforce?"Bethanyasked.

"Heisn'tamemberofthepoliceforce."

TherewasamomentofsilenceandthensuddenlyBethany'squestionstookonthefeelof

aninquisition.

"Mother,istheresomethingyouaren'ttellingme?"

Carasighed."Everythingisfine.We'lltalkaboutitwhenyougethome."

"Mother!PleaseGod,don'ttellmeyouwerethere?"

Cara's hesitation was enough to send Bethany into hysterics. She could hear her daughter

screaming at her husband on the other end of the line. She looked at David and rolled her

eyes.

Davidpattedherleg."It'stobeexpected,honey.Itwouldbeenoughtoscarethehelloutof

anyone,nevermindthatit'syourmother."

"I guess," Cara said, then put the phone back to her ear. Bethany was shouting her name.

"Yes,darling,I'mstillhere.Areyouthroughscreaming?"

Bethanywascryingnow."Mother,myGod…areyouallright?"

"I'mfine."

Bethanymoaned."Ican'tbelievethis."

Cara tried to laugh, but it sounded awkward, even to her. "I know how you feel. It's a bit

hardforustobelieveandwewerethere."

TherewasalongmomentofsilenceontheotherendofthelineandthenBethanyspoke.

"Hewasthere,too?"

"By he, I suppose you mean David? Oh, yes. Actually, he's the man of the hour in

Chiltingham.Iwouldn'tbesurprisediftheynameastreetafterhim."

NowDavidwastheonerollinghiseyes.

"Ishetheonethey'retalkingabout…themanwhosavedallofyou?"

"Yes."

"Iwanttospeaktohim,"Bethanysaid.

"Justaminute,"Carasaid,thencoveredthemouthpiecewithherhandandlookedatDavid.

"Shewantstotalktoyou."

Davidnodded,gearinghimselfforthesweetsoundofhervoice.

"Bethany,Ipromiseyourmotherisfine."

Atfirstshedidn'tanswerandhethoughthecouldhearhercrying.

"Honey…areyouthere?"

"David, whoever you are, I just want to tell you that I'm so sorry for everything I first

thoughtaboutyou,andIwillneverbeabletothankyouenoughforsavingMother'slife."

"You'rewelcome,"hesaidsoftly,andheardhersigh.

"Iwanttoapologizetoyou,"shesaid.

Hesmiled."Forwhat?"

"For thinking you were some kind of con man who was after my mother's money. It's not

like she's rich or anything, but she has her home and Dad's retirement and … well … you

knowwhatImean."

It hurt to hear the word Dad come out of her mouth and know she was referring to Ray

Justice,butitwasatitleRayhadearned.

"Iunderstand,andIdon'tcarethatyourmotherdoesn'thavealotofmoney,becauseIdo,

okay?"

Cara'smouthdropped."Whatonearthisshesayingtoyou?"shewhispered.

"ShethoughtIwasaconmanafteryourmoney,"Davidsaid.

"Oh,myword,"Caramuttered."Givemethatphone."ShetookitoutofDavid'shandwitha

yank."BethanyGail,youmightbeanadult,butyouwillnevergetoldenoughtoquestionmy

behavior,isthatunderstood?"

"Yes,ma'am."

"Allrightthen,"Caramuttered."Aslongasweunderstandeachotheronthatcount."

"We're coming home a day early," Bethany said. "We'll see you tomorrow sometime after

noon.OurplaneisdueinatCanandaiguaaroundteninthemorning."

Carahesitated."Well,I'llbegladwhenyougethome,butpleasedon'tshortenyourvacation

onmyaccount."

"Mother,afterthis,doyouthinkanyofuscouldfindawaytoforgetwhathappenedtoyou

andhavefun?Wewanttocomehome…allofus."

"Thencome,"Carasaid."Andhaveasafetrip."

"Wewill,"shesaid,thenadded,"tellDavidgoodbyeforme."

"Tellhimyourself,"Carasaid.ShehandedthephonebacktoDavid.

"Hello?"

"David,thanksagain."Hesmiled."You'rewelcome."Thensheadded,"David?"

"Yes?"

"I'mlookingforwardtomeetingyou."

Hesighedandclosedhiseyes."I'mlookingforwardtomeetingyou,too."

"Well…goodbyethen."

"Yes,honey.Goodbye."

Thelinewentdeadinhisear.HehandedthephonetoCaraandthentookherinhisarms.

"MyGod,Idon'tthinkI'veeverbeenthisscaredinmylife,exceptmaybewhenthatbastard

puthisguninyourface.NoteveninNam.Shehaseveryrighttohateme."

"Shedoesn'thavearighttohateanyone,"Carasaid."Shedidn'tdowithoutasinglethingin

her entire life. She was loved from the moment of her birth, by both Ray and me. She had

lovinggrandparentsonbothsides,andsiblings,aswell.ShehasknownallherlifethatRay

Justicewasheradoptivefather.Knowingthatyou'restillalivewillbejustasbigajoyforher

asitwasforme."

"Swear?"Davidasked.

"Iswear."

Hesmiled,andthenleanedbackonthesofa,eyeingthewomanwho'dgivenhimsomething

hethoughthe'dneverhaveagain—hope.

"Yourememberthismorning…beforewegottotown?"

She grinned. "You mean when you proposed? Yes, I remember it, so don't think you can

changeyourmindnow."

"Idon'twanttochangemymind.Iwanttomakesureyoudon'tchangeyours,"hesaid,and

thenpulledthelittlevelvetboxoutofhispocketandgotdownononeknee.

Suddenly,Carawaslookingathimthroughabluroftears.

"Oh,David."

"ThisiswhereIwentwhenIletyouoffatthestore.YouknowIhavetoleaveagain,butI

prayitwon'tbeforlong.Iloveyousomuch,andIoweyousomuch.Awarcheatedusoutof

a lot and I want to give you everything, all at once. I can't make any guarantees about the

future,soyou'llhavetosettleforjustthis,rightnow."

Herhandwasshakingwhenheslidtheringonherfinger.

"Itfits,"shesaid,morethanalittlesurprised.

"Yeah,I'maprettygoodjudgeofthingslikethat."

She shook her head and then threw her arms around his neck. "You're good at a lot more

thanthat,"shesaid."Ican'twaitforthedaywhenwecanstartlivingourlife…forus."

"Me,too.Doyouwantto—"

Beforehecouldfinish,thedoorbellrang.Carajumpedatthenoiseandthenglancedatthe

clock.Itwasafternine.Surelyitwasn'twell-wishingfriendscomingthislate?

"I'llgetit,"Davidsaid,andthenstrodetothedoor.ItwasDetectiveFoster.Thenhelooked

pastFostertothetwodark-suitedmenbehindhimandsighed.

"Gentlemen,comein.I'vebeenexpectingyou."

Chapter10

«^»

RobertFosterglaredatDavidashesteppedinside.Hewasstillsweatingfromtheunexpected

confrontationhe'djusthadwiththesetwofederalagents.

Allhe'ddonewaswhathe'dbeenhiredtodo,whichwasinvestigatecrimes.He'denteredthe

serialnumbersfromDavid'sgunintothecomputer,andthenproceededtofinishhisreport

whilehe'dwaitedfortheprogramtorun.

Half an hour later, two strangers in suits had walked into the room as if they owned the

place.Flashingtheirbadges,theytossedhimahardcopyofthefilehe'dsentthroughNCIC

anddemandedhebringthemtothemanwhoownedthegun.

Now,herehewas,stillreelingfrombeingtreatedlikeanunderling.Nocourtesyfromone

officertoanother.Nonothing.Hedidn'tlikeit.Hedidn'tlikeitonedamnedbit.

Heturnedbacktotheagents,stillpissedandglaring."Happynow?"

TheylookedatDavid,comparingthisman'sphysicaldescriptionagainsttheonethey'dbeen

given. They didn't know who the hell he was, but when they got orders direct from the

President, they knew enough to respond without question. Convinced that they had their

man, one of them stepped forward and handed David his gun while Detective Foster

continuedtofume.

"Youknewthiswouldhappen,didn'tyou?"hesaid,givingDavidashareofhisanger.

"Knewwhat?"Davidasked,eyeingthetwomenwhofollowedFosterinside.

Thedetectiveturned,wavinghishandtowardhisuninvitedescorts.

"ThatTweedledeeandTweedledumwouldshowupandtrytoeatmefordinner."

David stifled a grin. The man's description of the two men who were with him was funny,

butitwasn'tinhisbestintereststolaugh.

"Theydon'tbite,"Davidsaid,andthenadded,"UnlessmaybeifIaskedthemto."

The federal agents looked surprised as their curiosity grew, but they knew better than to

voiceit.

Fosterwasoverhisheadandheknewit.Hethrewuphishandsindefeat.

"Look,Idon'tknowwhat'sgoingonhere,andI'mthinkingitwouldbeinmybestinterests

nottoask."

"Carasaidyouwerebright,"Davidsaid.

Fostershiftednervously."You'resomeonespecial,aren'tyou?"Thenheshrugged."Hell…I

alreadyknewthatwhenyouwalkedintothesupermarketandtookdownthreearmedmen.

WhatI'mtryingtosayis…youhavethatdamnedgunback,andwhoeveryouare,it'sbeena

pleasuremeetingyou."

Davidshooktheyoungdetective'shand."Likewise."

"David,iseverythingallright?"

Allofthemturned,acknowledgingCara'sarrivalintotheirmidst.

"Mrs.Justice,Itrustyou'refeelingbetter?"Fosterasked.

"Much."Thenshelookedatthetwomenaccompanyingthedetective."DetectiveFoster,are

yougoingtointroduceyourfriends?"

"IfIknewtheirnames,Imight,"hemuttered.

"They'rehereforme,"Davidsaid.

It was the quiet, resolute tone in his voice that made her heart sink. She turned to David,

silentlybegginghimtodenywhatshefeared.Toherdismay,heshookhishead.

"It will be okay," he said. At that moment, the two agents stepped forward, one of them

handingDavidaphone.

"Sir, I'm Federal Agent Thomas Ryan, and this is Agent Patrick O'Casey. In less than a

minute,thePresidentwillbecallingyou.Wehaveinstructionstoawaityourorders."

CaragaspedandDetectiveFostermuttered,"Lordhavemercy,"beneathhisbreath.

Secondslater,thephoneDavidwasholdingrang.Heansweredabruptly.

"Sir?"

"Imustsay,whenyoutakealeaveofabsence,youdon'tdoitquietly,doyou,son?"

Davidalmostrelaxed.He'dexpectedadressingdownforgettingmixedupinpublicmatters.

"ItwasachoiceImade.Iwoulddothesamethingagain,"hesaid.

"And I would expect you to," the President replied. "Now to more important matters. Our

people have been monitoring your old contact station. You are receiving e-mail from the

quarry."

OnemomentDavid'sfacewasanimatedandthenextexpressionless.Carashivered.Itwas

like looking at a stranger. She took a step backward, unconsciously distancing herself from

thefearthatcamewithit.

"Sir,I'massumingthislineissecure."

AsoftchucklerippledinDavid'sear."Yes.Feelfreetospeakyourpiece."

"Themessages,whatdotheysay?"

"Hewantsameeting."

Davidpivotedsharplyandwalkedintotheotherroomalone.

"Can you see that he gets an answer?" David asked. "Just a minute, son, I'm putting

someoneelseon.Tellhimwhatyouwantsent.Itwillgetdone."

"Yes,sir,thankyou,sir."

Seconds later, another voice was on the line. It didn't matter to David who it was. If the

Presidenthadhimstandingby,thenhewasokay.

"Readytotransmit,"thevoicesaid.

"Justtellhim…WashingtonD.C."

"Gotit.Anythingelse?"

"No."

Momentslater,thePresidentwasbackonthephone.

"Isthereanythingwecandoforyou?"

David thought of the hundreds of agents who could be instantly at his disposal and knew

thattheirpresencewoulddonothingbutdrivehisbrotherfurtherunderground.Itwastime

forallofthishatetoend.

"No.I'llletyouknowwhenit'sover."

Therewasahesitationontheotherend,andthenasofteninginthetoneofthePresident's

voice.

"JustmakedamnsurethecallIgetisfromyou,personally,doyouunderstandme,son?"

David almost smiled. It was as close as the President would come to saying "be careful"

withoutactuallyvoicingthewords.

"Yes,sir,Iunderstand."

"Allrightthen.ThosemenIsentaretheretohelpyouinanywaythattheycan.Usethemor

sendthemhome.It'suptoyou."

"Yes,sir,andonceagain,sorryaboutthefuss."

"Therewasaneed.Youmadetherightdecision.Nowgodoyourthing."

Daviddisconnected,walkedintotheotherroomandhandedthephonebacktoAgentRyan.

"ThanksforescortingDetectiveFosterouttoseeme.Youmenhaveasafejourneyhome."

Forthefirsttime,theagent'scomposurewasrattled.

"Butsir,don'tyou—"

"No."Thenhesoftenedtheanswerbyadding,"Butthanks."

Theynodded,ignoredFoster'spresenceandsmiledcourteouslyatCara."Ma'am,"theysaid,

andthensteppedaside,waitingforFostertomakehisexcuses.

Hequicklytookhiscue."Mrs.Justice,ifyouneedanything,youknowwheretocall."Then

helookedatDavid."WhydoIfeeltheurgetotellyougoodluck?"

AwrysmiletiltedthecornerofDavid'smouth."ProbablybecauseI'mgoingtoneedit."

Momentslater,theyweregone,leavingDavidandCaraaloneinthehall.Shebitherlower

liptokeepfromcrying,buthesawthegestureandopenedhisarms.

"Comeheretome,"hesaidgently.

Shewalkedintohisarms.

"I'mnotgoingtocryandI'mnotgoingtobeg,butsohelpmeGod,ifyougetyourselfkilled,

Iwillneverforgiveyou,"shemuttered.

"I'm not going to die on you, baby. I spent too much money on that ring to let it go to

waste."

"Thatisn'tfunny,"shemuttered.

"Oh,Idon'tknowaboutthat.I'msmiling."

Shelookedup."You'recrazy,youknowthat?"

"Oh,yeah,crazyinlove.Whatdoyousaywecallitanight?"Hetouchedthesideofherface

wherethebruisingwasstartingtoshow."Ihavethissuddenneedtojustliedownbesideyou

andlistentoyousleep."

Cara knew he was trying to reassure her that there would be no lovemaking this night

becauseofthetraumashe'dsuffered.

"Wecandomorethansleep,ifyouwant,"shesaid.

Heshookhishead."Maybeyoucould,butIdon'tthinkIcan.I'mstilltryingtogetpastthe

sightofthatsonofabitchholdingaguninyourface."Hehuggedheragain,thistimealmost

desperately."WhenIthinkhowcloseIcameto—"

"Butyoudidn't,andI'mstillhere.Let'sgotobed."

Together, they locked the doors and turned out the lights before walking hand in hand up

thestairstowardthebedroom.

Asmalllampshe'dturnedonearlierlitthewayastheywent.Itwasamomentintimethat

was neither remarkable nor different, and yet Cara knew it would be in her heart forever.

Smallthingsshemightneverhavenoticedbecamethingstoremember.

Likethewarmthofhishandasitenfoldedhers.

Thesteadyclipofhisfootstepsbesideher.

Thescentofhisaftershaveandthetickofthegrandfatherclockstandingintheentryway.

Therushofcoolairagainstherskinassheundressed.

Thecrisp,cleansheetsonthebedastheyslippedbetweenthecovers.

Thewayhepulledherintothecurveofhisbodyandthenpromptlyfellasleep,asifgirding

himselfforthetraumatocome.

Unwillingtowasteherlasthourswithhimbysleepingthemaway,shelaywithoutmoving,

savoringtheriseandfallofhischestbehindher.

Sometimeaftermidnight,exhaustionclaimedher.Whenshewokethenextmorning,there

wasaroseonherpillowwithanotebeneath.

Don'tbemadatmefornotsayinggoodbye.Ididitonceandlookhowthingsworkedout.

Thistime,I'msayingIloveyou,andpleasewaitforme.

David.

Cara covered her face. To her surprise, her cheeks were already wet. She'd been so certain

thatthepainshewasfeelingwastooterriblefortears.Itwouldseemthatshe'dbeenwrong.

***

Inanotherpartofthecountryandatthesametimetheyweregoingtobed,FrankWilsonwas

lyingontopofhiscovers,smokinghislastcigaretteofthedayandwatchingTV.Buthismind

wasn't on the programming. He was going through scenario after scenario, plotting all the

differentwayshecouldenacthisrevenge.Afewminuteslater,hestubbedouthiscigarette

andturnedofftheTVandlightsandclosedhiseyes.Withinseconds,hewasasleep.

***

ItwasthefirstfootballgameoftheseasonandFrankiewasalmostreadytogo.Atsixteen,

his voice had deepened to what would be his normal pitch and he'd finally grown into his

feet.Andhehadagirlfriend.Atleast,inhismind,hedid.ThefactthatEllenMayhewhad

yettoacknowledgeheevenexistedwasbesidethepoint.Helikedher,thereforehemustbein

ascloseavicinitytoheraspossiblewithoutgivinghimselfaway.

Hestartedoutthedoor,hishaircombedintoaperfectducktail,hissideburnsjustbrushing

thelobesofhisears.HethoughthelookedalittlelikeElvis.

"Frankie,yougetyourlittlebrotherbackherebyten.Schooltomorrow,"hismothersaid.

Hefroze,hishandonthedoorknob,andthenturnedabruptly.

"WhydoIalwayshavetohavethatbrattaggingalong?HowamIevergoingtohaveany

friendsifI'malwaysbaby-sittingwithhim?"

Davie leaned against the sofa, his gaze beseeching his brother to relent, yet a little afraid

thatifhedidgettogototheballgamewithFrankie,he'dpayforitlater.

"Friendsarefine,"hismothersaid."Butbrothersarefamily.Brothersareforever."

Frankieglaredatthelittlebrat,ignoringthefactthatDavie wasn't so little anymore and

thatthekid'sbodywasprobablygoingtobemoremuscularthanhisownwhenhereached

fullgrowth.

"Ifyougo,you'renotsittingwithmeandmyfriends,youhear?"

Davienodded."Iwon't,Frankie,Ipromise."

"AndIdon'twanttohavetogolookingforyouwhenthegameisover.Youbewaitingfor

mebytheticketgate,youhear?"

Davienoddedagain."Ihear.I'llbethere."

Their mother hugged them both. "That's fine then. You two go and have a good time, but

remember,homeassoonasthegameisover,andFrankie,Davie'scareisinyourhands."

"Damn,"Frankiemuttered,andshovedhiskidbrotheroutthedooraheadofhim.

"I'msorry,Frankie,"Daviesaid."Iwon'tbeanytrouble,Ipromise."

Frankie muttered a curse word and hoped to God that Ellen Mayhew didn't see him

walkingintothegrandstandswithDavieintow.

Two hours later the game was over. Davie Wilson stood by the ticket gate, watching

anxiously for a sign of his big brother's face. Families fled past him, laughing and talking

about the big win that they'd had tonight, and with each group that passed, Davie was

certainthatFrankiewouldbeinthenextgrouptocomealong.

Buthewasn't.

When the gatekeeper and a couple of teachers came by, he slipped into the shadows,

unwillingtobequestionedastowhyhewasstillatthefield.

Thelightswentout.Thelastcardroveoutoftheparkinglot.Daviewasalone.

He could have walked home by himself and would have, except then Frankie would have

beeninrealtroubleforabandoninghim.Sohewaited,knowingtheywouldbeintroublefor

beinglate,butatleasttheywouldbeintroubletogether.

Ahalfhourpassed,andthenanother.Itstartedtorain.Hepulledthecollarofhisjacketup

around his neck and hunched his shoulders against the downpour. Everything that had

beensofamiliarunderthelightsontheplayingfieldnowtookonominoustones.Familiar

buildings became sinister shapes, waiting to morph into swamp monsters and ghouls. The

onlybenefittothedownpourwasthatithidthecontinuousstreamoftearsrunningdown

hisface.

"Hey,kid."

He spun, his heart in his mouth. Frankie was standing before him with a sheepish

expressiononhisface.

"Iwaited,Frankie,justlikeyousaid."

It was one of the few times in his life that Frankie Wilson was truly ashamed. Gently, he

cuffedhislittlebrotheronthesideoftheheadandthengavehimabriefbearlikehug.

"Yeah,kid,yousuredid.I'msorry,okay?"

Daviesmiled.Itwasgoingtobeokay.Yeah,theyweregoingtocatchhellfromtheirfolks,

butitdidn'treallymatter.Whateverhappened,theywereinittogether.

"WhatareyougonnatellMama?"Frankieasked,astheywalkedthroughtheraintoward

home.

"Nothing,"Daviesaid.

Frankiefeltevenworse."She'sgonnaberealmadatus."

"Yeah,Iknow."

Frankiepausedbeneathastreetlight,staringattherainrunningoutofDavie 's hair and

downhisface.

"Youaren'tgonnasnitch?"

Daviefrownedandshookhishead.

"Why?"Frankieasked."Iprobablywould."Davieshrugged."You'remybrother."

AnambulancespedbytheChicagohotelwithsirensblaring.Disoriented,Frankboltedfrom

bed,hisheartracingwiththeimageofhisbrother'sfaceinhishead.Justforamoment,the

magnitude of what he'd been planning to do overwhelmed him and he let out a cry and

coveredhisface.Thesoundshatteredwithinhim,bringinghimtohisknees.Hecouldhear

hismother'svoiceasclearlyasifshewasstandingbyhisbed.

Youareyourbrother'skeeper.

Thoushaltnotkill.

Bloodisthickerthanwater.

He moaned. Could he really do this? The first time had been in the heat of the moment,

wrappedupintheday-to-daycombatandtheangerthathaddraggedhimintoawarhedidn't

understand.Andhe'dfueledthatangeralltheseyearswiththeneedforrevenge.Hewanted

to destroy him, that was certain. He wanted him defiled as he'd been—his reputation in

shredsashishadbeen.Butcouldheriptheheartfromamanwhowashisblood?

Thenhefingeredhisscars,rememberingwhytheywerethere,andthathislittlebrotherhad

sethimonfire.Itdidn'tmattertoFrankthatDavidhadthoughthimdead—thathehadbeen

tryingtohidetheevidencethatwouldmarkhisbrotheratraitor.

Hestoodabruptlyandstrodetothewetbar,pouringhimselfaverystiffdrink.Hetossedit

backwithouthesitationthenpouredhimselfanother.Bythetimetheliquorhithisstomach,

his brief moment of uncertainty had passed. He moved to the window overlooking the city

andtohissurpriserealizeditwasraining.Toorestlesstosleep,heturnedonthetelevision

andthenloweredthevolumeashesurfedthroughthefewavailablestations.Withnothing

butCNNandsomepay-per-viewmoviesforcompany,heretrievedhislaptopanddecidedto

checkhismessages.

Usingthebedforadesk,hecrawledontothemattressandcenteredthelaptopbetweenhis

legs.Thetelevisionwasonmuteontheothersideoftheroom,andonlynowandthendidhe

even bother to look up to see what newsworthy event CNN was covering. When the You've

GotMailsignflashedacrossthecomputerscreen,herefusedtoanticipatethecontentsofthe

box. With a click of the mouse, e-mail began to download. As it did, he glanced at the

televisionscreenacrosstheroomandthenhitthemutebuttontoreinstatethesound.

A spokesperson for some local police department was making a statement regarding the

deathsandcaptureofsuspectsinvolvedinaweek-longcrimespreesomewhereinthestateof

NewYork. He was reiterating the well-being of one of the victims when the laptop signaled

theendofthedownload.

Immediately,Frankhitmuteagainandlookedatthescreen.Ashedid,hemissedhearing

thelocationoftheincidentandthenameofthemanwhowascreditedwiththerescues.He

didn'tknowityet,butfatewasalreadydealinghimahandfulofbadcards.

Hescannedthelistofmessages,andashedid,hisheartskippedabeat.Quicklydeletingall

buttheonefromReunion, he began to read. As he did, a cold smile spread across his face,

puckeringtheburnsearsonhischeekandneck.

"Atlast,littlebrother,youfinallygotsomeballs."

He fumbled for the remote and turned off the TV. There were things to do and

arrangements to make. He rolled out of the bed, dragged his suitcase from the closet and

begantopack.

Itwasalmostover.

But Frank Wilson was due for some more delays. He caught a few hours sleep and by

daylight was on his way to the airport. By the time he got to Chicago O'Hare, it was just

before seven in the morning and the gentle rain of the night before had turned into violent

storms.Planesweregroundeduntilfurthernotice,andtheairportwasameleeofangryand

unrulytravelers.

Cursing the weather and people in general, he bought himself a cup of coffee and a

doughnut,thensettleddowntoreadhisnewspaper.Timewasstillonhisside.

***

The small Canandaigua Airport was a madhouse of voices and people. David stood at the

windows overlooking the runway, watching the big silver plane coming in for a landing. As

thewheelstoucheddown,hisheartskippedabeat.Hisdaughterwasonthatplane,andfor

thefirsttimeinhislife,hewasgoingtoseeherinperson.

Shifting nervously, he watched the plane as it began to taxi toward the terminal. A voice

over an intercom announced the arrival of flight 447 at gate 9, and people began gathering,

anxiousforthatfirstsightoftheirlovedones.Davidwonderedwhatitwouldbeliketostand

withthosepeople—toseethelookofrecognitiononBethany'sfaceandfeelherarmsaround

hisneckasshegreetedhimwithdelight.Butashe'dlearnedlongago,hekepthisthoughtsto

himself,maskingemotionbehindanexpressionlessexterior.

Afewminuteslater,thefirstofthepassengersappearedatthegate,thenmoreandmore,

untilasteadystreamoftravel-wearytravelersstraggledfromtherampintotheterminal.

Heshiftedhispositionsothathecouldbetterseethefaces,hisanxietygrowingastheline

continuedandstillnosignofthewomanhe'dseeninCara'spictures.

Thensuddenlyshewasthere,walkingbesideatall,sandy-hairedmanwhowascarryingone

sleeping child while Bethany held hands with the other. Her shoulder-length hair was dark

and straight like his, and she was taller than he'd expected. She was slim and graceful and

whenshesmiled,hecouldseethebeginningsofadimpleinherleftcheek.

Withoutthinking,hemovedtowardher,wantingtohearthesoundofhervoice.Although

there were at least a dozen people between them, he could hear her talking to her husband

abouthowgooditwastobeonfirmgroundandlaughingatsomethingheroldestdaughter

justsaid.

Godinheaven,hedidn'tthinkthiswouldbesohard.

Hepausedafewfeetawayandwatchedastheypassedby.Astheydid,asmallstuffedrabbit

felloutoftheoldestgirl'sbackpack.Hepushedthroughthepassengersandsnatcheditfrom

thefloor,thencaughtupwiththemafewfeetaway.

"Excuse me," he said, and briefly touched Bethany's shoulder. "This fell out of her

backpack."

Surprised,Bethanyturned,sawtherabbitinthestranger'shandsandsmiled.

"Oh, my! Thank you so much, that's Rachel's favorite toy." Then she looked down at her

daughterandlightlytouchedheronthehead."Rachel,wouldyouliketothankthemanfor

findingHenry?"

Davidfelthimselfsmilingasthelittlegirlnodded."So,hisnameisHenry?"

Shenodded.

"Well,it'sagoodthingIsawhimjumpout,right?"

Hereyeswidenedappreciablyashehandedherthetoy."Hejumped?"

Withoutbreakingasmile,Davidnodded."Itlookedlikeittome.Betterholdhimtight."

Thechildclutchedtherabbitagainstherchest.

"Thankyousomuch,"Bethanyrepeated. "Losing Henry wouldhave been nothing shortof

disastrous."

"You'rewelcome,"Davidsaid.Resistingtheurgetotouchthechildren,henoddedagoodbye

toherhusbandaswellasBethanyanddisappearedintothecrowd.

Bethanylookedatherhusband."Thatwasfortunate,wasn'tit?"sheasked.

Herhusbandnodded,stilllookinginthedirectionthatthemanhadgone.

"Youknow,heremindedmeofsomeone,butIcan'tthinkwho,"hemuttered.

Bethanyshrugged."Comeon,Tom.I'manxioustogethomeandcheckonMother."

"Yes,you'reright,"hesaid,andthenheadedtowardthebaggageclaim.

Ashortwhilelater,theywereontheroadhome,unawarethatthemanthey'djustseenwas

onaplaneofhisownandboundforthenation'scapital.

Chapter11

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Allday,CarafoundherselflisteningforthesoundofDavid'svoice,althoughsheknewthat

he was gone. Never in the three years she'd been widowed had she felt so alone. A gut-

wrenchingfearhadsettleditselfinthepitofherstomach,andshecouldn'tfindawaytoget

past it. She could only imagine what he was going to have to face, but could not wrap her

mindaroundthetruthofit.Hisbrotherwantedhimdead.DearGod,howmuchmorewashe

destinedtowithstand?

She'dprayedforhimuntilhermindwasspinningandthewordsnumbuponherlips.She

had nothing left to do but wait, and it was the uncertainty that was driving her mad. In

desperation, she cleaned her house from top to bottom, even preparing some extra food,

knowingBethanyandherfamilywouldarrivebeforethedaywasout.

Duringthecleaning,she'drunacrosstheenvelopeofpicturesshe'dtakenontheirdayatthe

lake.Ithadalmostbeenherundoing.Lookingattheimagesofahappiertimeandwondering

iftheywouldbeallshehadleftofhimhadsentherintoanotherwaveofweeping.Unwilling

toputthepicturesaway,shesearchedoutsomeemptyframesandframedthebestofthelot,

addingthemtothemantelwiththeothersofherfamily.Onlyaftershesteppedbacktolook

atthemasawholedidthepainbegintosubside.Itwasasifthepictureshadgivencredence

tohisreappearanceintoherlife.

Thensherubbedthediamondsolitairehe'dputonherfinger,shamedthatherfaithwasso

shallow.Thepictureswerewonderful,butshedidn'tneedthem,orthering,oranytangible

reminderthatDavidWilsonwasalive.Aslongasherheartbeat,hewouldneverbeforgotten.

With one last look at David laughing and holding up a very small fish, she blew him a kiss

andwalkedaway.

Fourhourslater,Bethanywasatthedoor.

***

"Darling,howwonderfultoseeyouagain,"Carasaid,asshesteppedasidetoletherdaughter

in.

Bethany took one look at the spreading bruise on the side of her mother's face and burst

intotears.

"Oh,Mother,yourpoorlittleface."

Caraquicklyembracedherdaughter."Honey,it'snotasbadasitseems,Ipromise."

Bethanywasfortyyearsoldandalmostaheadtallerthanhermother,butatthatmoment,

shefeltlikeachildagain.Thehorrorofknowinghowcloseshe'dcometolosingherwastoo

horribletocontemplate.

"Ican'tbelievethatthishashappened,"shesaid,ashergazesearchedthefamiliarcontours

ofCara'sface."Areyousureyou'reallright?IsthereanythingIcando?"

"Yes,I'mfine,andyoucancomeinsideandsitdownwithme.Iwanttohearallaboutyour

trip."ThenshelookedoverBethany'sshoulder,suddenlyrealizingtherestofthefamilywas

nowhereinsight."WhereareTomandthegirls?"

"They'llbealonglater,"Bethanysaid."Ileftthemathomeunpacking."Shetracedthecurve

ofhermother'scheekwithherfingertip,barelygrazingthepurplingflesh."Icouldn'twaitto

seeyou."

Carasmiledanddidadaintypirouette.

"Well,youseeme.HowdoIlook?"

Bethany frowned. "Actually, except for that awful bruise, you look wonderful." Suddenly,

she remembered the man named David and looked around. "Where is this David person? I

wanttomeethim."

Cara'ssmileslipped,butshewouldn'tgivein.Notnow.NotinfrontofBethany.

"And you will, but not today," Cara said. "He was called away on business quite suddenly.

Actually,heleftveryearlythismorning,soyou'vejustmissedhim."Thensheremembered

thepicturesshe'dputonthemantelandtookBethanybythehand."However,Icanshowyou

apicture.Itooksomewhenwewentfishingtheotherday."

Bethanyfollowedhermotherintothelivingroomandwasstartledtoseethathermother

hadputupnotone,butthreesnapshotsofthemanonthemantel—andrightinthemiddleof

the family grouping. For once, she kept her thoughts to herself and smiled as her mother

handedherthefirstone.

"ThiswastakenlastTuesdayatthelake…orwasitWednesday?"ThenCarasmiled,"Oh,I

don'tremember,butwehadthemostmarveloustime."

Bethany scanned the image and then started to look at the others when something about

thefirstoneclicked.Hehadn'tbeensmilingwhenshe'dseenhim,butshewouldbetherbest

pairofearringsthatshe'dseenhimbefore.Shegrabbedhermother'sarm.

"Mom!Youwon'tbelievethis,butIthinkwemetthisman!"

Caraturned."When?"

"Thismorning.Attheairport.HenryfelloutofRachel'sbackpackasweweregettingoffthe

planeandamancameoutofthecrowdandgaveitback.Iswearitwasthesameman,right

downtothosesilverstrandsofhairoverhisears."

Cara'sheartstartedtopound.SheshouldhaveknownthatDavidwouldfindawaytolookat

hisdaughter'sface—justincasehe—Shestifledasob,unabletofinishherownthought.

"Oh,Bethany,areyousure?"

Bethany looked intently at the other two snapshots, then nodded. "Positive." When she

lookedup,sheknewsomethingwaswrong."What?

Carahesitated.

"Damn it, Mother, I knew something was wrong from the start. Talk to me. Who is he?

Whathashedonetoyoutomakeyoucry?"

"HisnameisDavidWilson,andI'mcryingbecauseI'mscared.Thefirsttimeheleftmeto

fight a war." She inhaled on a shaky breath. "And he left again because … because for him,

thatwarhasneverended."

Bethany'sheartstartedtopound.Sheheardhermother'swords,buttheydidn'tmakesense.

Sheknewthemanwho'dbeenstayingwithhermotherwasnamedDavidWilson.She'dheard

hermothercallhimDavid,andthey'dheardhislastnamewhentheincidenthadmadethe

news. Her biological father's name had been Wilson, but he died in Vietnam. Hadn't he?

Whathadhermotherjustsaidaboutthefirsttimehelefther?Shestartedtoshake.

"Mother?"

CarafeltguiltyfortheconfusiononBethany'sfaceandwhensheheardthetrembleinher

voice,shereachedforherhands,holdingthemcloseagainstherbreast.

"Thatman…themanyousawintheairport…themanwhosavedmylife…isyourfather."

Bethany's face crumpled and she staggered backward to a chair, her voice barely above a

whisper.

"Butyousaidhewasdead."

"Weallthoughthewasdead,"Carasaid.

"Where…why…?"

Cara sighed. "It's a long, terrible story, my darling, and it's not mine to tell. When David

comesback,hewilltellyouhimself."

Bethanylookedup,theyearningthereonherfaceforCaratosee.

"Willhecomeback?"

Carasmiled."Yes,Ibelievehewill."

"Howcanyoubesure?"Bethanysaid.

Caraheldoutherhand."Becauseheputthisonmyfinger."

Bethanytookonelookatthediamondandburstintotears.

Caraknelt,cradlingherdaughterinherarms.

"Don't cry, darling. It's actually wonderful, you know. It's a miracle that David and I have

beengivenasecondchanceforhappiness."

"I'm not crying because I'm unhappy," Bethany sobbed. "I'm just crying, okay?" Then she

clutchedCaraalittletighter."Oh,Mom,hehastocomeback."

Caraclosedhereyesmomentarily,refusingtogiveintothefear.

"Yes,darling,Iknowjusthowyoufeel."

***

"Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts and put your seats and tray tables in

theiruprightpositions.Wewillbelandinginafewminutesandtherewillbepersonnelatthe

gatetohelpyouwithflightinformationshouldyoubetravelingontootherdestinations.On

anothernote,thetimeinournation'scapitalisnowoneohfivep.m.Theweatherishotand

sunny, ninety-five degrees with a slight westerly breeze. Enjoy your stay and thank you for

flyingwithus."

Ignoring the flight attendant's spiel, David glanced out the window as the plane began its

descent.Fromwherehewassitting,hecouldpickoutseverallandmarks,themostnoticeable

of which was the Washington Monument. The spire was like a finger pointing the way to

heaven—orawayfromhell.Inthiscity,itwasalwaysatoss-upastowhichonewasinpower

atthemoment.Asenseoftimelessnesshithimashelookeddownatthegreatwhitedomeof

thenation'sCapitol.Sinceitsinception,somanypeoplehaddedicatedtheirlivestomaking

certain that the nation maintained itself as a democracy, while others had spent fortunes

trying to manipulate and control it. David had seen both sides and right now wasn't too

enamoredwitheither.Allhewantedwastoenjoywhatwasleftofhislife—andhewantedto

doitwithCara.Godwilling,itwouldhappen.

Bythetimetheplanetoucheddown,hehadtheentiresituationmappedoutinhismind.He

wouldsendFrankanothere-mail.Themeetingwouldtakeplace.Andheknewjustwhereit

wouldhappen.AlittlebitofVietnam—theplacewhereitallbegan.

The park surrounding the Vietnam War Memorial was spacious and at the right time of

night fairly deserted. There was plenty of cover. Plenty of places where a man could stand

withoutbeingdetected.Frank'snamewasonthewall.HewonderedifFrankhadeverseenit,

but he knew it was a hell of a feeling to know that the rest of the world had given up and

forgottenyou.Itwastheclosestalivingmancouldcometoknowingwhatitwasliketobea

ghost—that the only tangible evidence of your life on this earth was a name engraved on

blackstone.

ButDavidhadsomethingmorenowthanhedidthelasttimehe'dcometothiscity.Hehad

Caraagain,andhewasgoingtohavehisdaughter.Almostayearagohe'dcometoD.C.and

leftaroseatthewallbeneathhisbrother'sname.Nowhewascomingbacktokillhim.Itwas

anightmareofunspeakableproportions.

Godhelpme.

Heshuddered,andashethoughtofwhatlayaheadamendedthethoughtto,Godhelpthem

both.IfonlyFrankwouldhaveachangeofheart.Ifbysomemiraclehewouldsimplyappear

andturnhimselfin,Davidwouldbeecstatic.Therewasnothinghefeltheneededtoprove—

tohimselfortoFrank—andhesodesperatelywantedtobefreeofthepast.

"Sir?"

Davidlookedup.Theflightattendanthadherhandonhisshoulder,smilingdownathim.

"Yes?"

"Ihaveinstructionstotellyouthatyouwillbemet."Itdidn'tsurprisehim.ThePresident

wasdoinghisparttohelpbringanendtothis,too.

"Thankyou,"hesaid.

"You'rewelcome,sir.Assoonastheplanelands,Iwillescortyoutothedoorofthecockpit.

Youwillbethefirsttoexit."

Henoddedagain,ignoringthecuriousstaresfromtheotherfirst-classpassengers.

She walked away, taking her seat at the front of the plane and preparing herself for the

landing,aswell.

Aminuteorsolater,theplanewasonthegroundandtaxiingtowardtheterminal.Hisflesh

crawled,muchinthesamewayithadinthejunglesofVietnam.

Itwasbeginning.

Aspromised,themomenttheFastenSeatBeltsignwentoff,theattendantwasathisseat.

Hestood,retrievedhisbagfromtheoverheadbinandmovedtowardthecockpit.

A short, heavyset man who'd been sitting across the aisle from David grumbled just loud

enoughtobeheardaboutsomepeoplegettingprivilegeswhenthey'dallpaidtoflyfirstclass.

ButwhenhemetDavid'sgaze,thegrumblestilled.

ForDavid,thatmanwasnothingmorethanaflyintheointmentofhislife.Bythetimehis

foottouchedtheexitramp,hewasforgotten.Davidemergedintotheterminalwithhisbag

on his shoulder and immediately found himself flanked by another duo of suited men. He

didn'tknowtheirfaces,butheknewwho'dsentthem.

"Sir,FederalAgentMcCauley.MayItakeyourbag?"

HelifteditfromDavid'sshoulderwithoutwaitingforananswer.

"I'mFederalAgentMatthews.Thisway,sir,"theothersaid."Wehaveacarwaitingforyou."

David nodded. There was no reason to chitchat. They didn't expect it and he wasn't in the

mood.

The ride to the hotel was smooth and silent. Every now and then he would glance out the

windowfromhisseatinthebackofthecar,absentlyadmiringthelush,greenbeautyofthe

surroundingforests.Whentheycrossedtheriver,hispulseaccelerated.Thecloserhecame

totheWardmanPark,thecloserhecametohisdestiny.

A few minutes later they reached the hotel. Before he could get out, the agent on the

passenger side was out and opening his door while the other agent took his bag from the

trunk.

"Thisisasfarasyougo,men,"Davidsaid."Icanhandleitfromhere.Thankyou."

"Yes, sir. You're welcome, sir," they said, and then disappeared as quickly as they had

appeared.

Davidturnedtowardthehotelandstartedinside,onlytobemetatthedoorwaybyanother

man,thistimeanemployeeofthehotel,whopromptlyrelievedDavidofhisbagagain.

"Sir,you'vealreadybeencheckedin.Ifyou'llfollowme,I'llescortyoutoyoursuite."

Davidhadbeenherebeforeandbarelyglancedattheelegantlobbyortheopenbarbeyond.

As they turned left at the hallway to go toward the bank of elevators, a woman suddenly

jumpedupfromanearbychairandgrabbedhisarm.

"Hey!Longtimenosee,"shesaid,andtriedtogivehimakiss.

Davidgrabbedherarms,gentlybutforcefullypreventingthemove.

"I'm sorry. You have mistaken me for someone else," he said, and tried to walk away, but

shepersisted.

"Noneedtoactlikethat,"shesaid."Ikeptourlittlesecret."

Davidfrowned.Hewasn'tinthemoodforthis.

"Lady, I don't know who are you, so if you will please excuse me, I'm on my way to my

room."

"Comeon,Larry,thisisn'tfunny,"shemuttered.

"Mynameisn'tLarry,"hesaidandpulledoutofhergrasp.

She frowned and then furtively glanced around before pulling a pair of glasses from her

shoulderbag.Themomentsheslidthemuphernose,herexpressionchanged.

"Oh,my!You'renotLarry.Larry'seyesarebrown."Thenshegiggled."Sorry.Mymistake."

Davidwasalreadywalkingtowardtheelevator.

"Everythingallright,sir?"themanasked.

Davidnodded."Acaseofmistakenidentity."

Astheelevatordoorsslidshut,Davidrealizedthewomanwasnowhereinsight.Hefrowned

asawarningwentoffinhisheadandthenmomentslatershruggeditaway.

At the moment David was entering his room, the woman was in a stall in the women's

bathroomwithhercellphonetoherear,waitingforhercalltobeanswered.

"ThisisSheila.He'shere."Shewaited,listeningintentlytothemanontheotherendofthe

line,then she smiled. "You're welcome," she said. "If there's ever anything else I can do for

you…well,let'sjustsay…youknowwheretofindme."

Shehungup,strodeoutofthebathroomandoutofthehotel,hailedacab.Havingdoneher

part,shedisappearedfromDavid'slife.

***

FrankWilsonshovedhiscellphoneinhispocket,silentlycursingtheweatherforcausingthe

delays.HewasstillattheChicagoairportandDavidwasalreadyinD.C.Heboltedupfrom

his seat and strode to the window. Outside, the black wall of thunderstorms still hovered

overhead,whileintermittentflashesoflightningcontinuedtostrike.Ashewatched,onebolt

suddenlycameoutofnowhere,strikingsoclosehewasmomentarilyblindedbytheflash.

Coveringhisface,heturnedaway,hisgutinknots,hisbodyshaking.Itwastooreminiscent

ofthefirethathadnearlyconsumedhim.Whenhestartedtoreturntohisseat,herealized

someonehadtakenit,whichjustaddedtotheunsettledmoodhewasin.

Cursing beneath his breath, he headed for a newsstand a short distance away. He bought

anotherpaperandthenambledtowardarestaurant,finallyfindinghimselfaseatatthebar.

"What'llitbe?"thebartenderasked,asFrankslidontothebarstool.

"I'llhaveadarklagerandahamburger."

"Comingup,"thebartendersaid,andwalkedaway.

Frankopenedthepaperandbegantoread.Ashortwhilelater,hisfoodarrived.Heatefor

sustenance,notpleasure,hardlynoticingthatthemeatwasdryandthebreadtoosoft.When

itbegantofallapartinhishands,heshovedtheplateasideandsatsippinghisbeerinstead.

Itwasn'tuntilthemanathisrightlaughedabruptlyandmadeacommenttoafriendabout

a real-life Dirty Harry that he began to listen. As he did, he realized they were discussing a

recentincidentinasmalltowninupstateNewYork. At that point, memory clicked, and he

rememberedhearingpartofitonthenewsthenightbefore.Butitwasn'ttheincidentitself

that had captured his interest. It was the name of the man who had been credited with the

rescues.Hecontinuedtoeavesdrop.

"Yeah, it was a hell of a deal," the man was saying. "Walked into this supermarket with a

handgunandtookdownthreethugswho'dtakenelevenpeoplehostage."

HisfriendmadeacommentFrankcouldn'thear,butwhenthemannexttohimanswered,

thehairsuddenlyroseonthebackofhisneck.

"Oh,hell,isn'tthatthetruth,"themansaid."Igotthesamenameashim,butIsuredon't

havetheballstopullsomethinglikethat.Buthere'sthekicker,Joe.Youknowwhatmywife

said? If she'd married that David Wilson instead of me, she probably wouldn't fall asleep

duringsex."

Bothmenlaughed,butFrank'sfocushadmovedpastthejoke.Granted,DavidWilsonwasa

very common name, yet he couldn't help wondering how many men with that name could

pull off such an incident and walk away without a scratch. That kind of skill came from

combat—andspecialforcestraining.

He dropped the newspaper and strode out of the bar, his mind racing. Could it be? Would

Daviddosomethingsobrashastocallattentiontohimselfinthisway?Andwhywouldhe

resumeusinghisrealidentity?

Themomentheaskedhimselfthequestion,heknew.

Ofcourse.

David had walked away from SPEAR. He would have had to anyway since his identity had

been compromised. But why upstate New York? What could he have possibly been doing

thereifhewassofocusedontheirmeeting?Frank'smindwasracing.WhatwouldIdoifI

thoughtIwasgoingtodie?

IwouldwanttoseeMartha.

The answer startled him. But David didn't have a Martha. He'd never married, and their

parentsweredead.ToFrank'sknowledge,hedidn'thaveapersonaltieonthisearth.

Atthatpoint,hefroze,theninhaledslowly.Therewasaflawinthatthought

Tohisknowledge.

That's where Frank's mistake had begun. Just because he didn't know about any personal

tiesdidn'tmeantheydidn'texist.Itoccurredtohimthenthathe'dneverreallyexploredthat

side of David's life. He'd been so busy trying to find him, then take him down from within

SPEAR,thathe'dneverthoughtaboutinvestigatinghimfromapersonalangle.

Helookedup,gazingblanklyatthepeoplepassingbyhimandtheotherssittingglumlyin

their seats, as stranded by nature as he. Despite the fact that David had summoned him to

D.C.andwasalreadytherewaiting,Frankdidn'twanttopassupanopportunitytoturnthe

knifeafterhe'dplungeditintoDavid'schest.

Heturned,searchingforaplacewherehecouldmakesomecallswithoutbeingoverheard,

then realized there was no such place. Considering the small risk he would take in making

the calls, he headed for a bank of pay phones, opting for one of the cubicles. He waited for

onetovacatethenslippedintotheseatandtookouthiscellphone,pausingmomentarilyas

hedebatedaboutwhotocallfirst.Afewmomentslater,hepunchedinaseriesofnumbers

thenwaitedforhiscalltobeanswered.

"PetroskiHeatingOil,Petespeaking."

"Ineedafavor."

"Likewhat?"Peteaskedwarily.

"TherewasanincidentinasmalltowninupstateNewYorkyesterday.Somethingabouta

manrescuingabunchofhostagesfromasupermarket."

"Oh,yeah,Iheardaboutthat.Somehotshot,huh?"

Frank frowned. "Maybe, but that's not the point. Is your brother-in-law still on the police

forceonWykomis?"

"Yeah,butheain'tgonnagofor—"

"Justshutupandlistentome,"Franksaid."AllIwantissomeinformation.Iwanttoknow

thenameofthattownandwhatthisDavidWilsonwasdoingthere.Iwanttoknowhowold

heis,whathelookslike,andwashejustpassingthroughorvisiting.Getit?"

"Yeah,sure,"Petesaid."Icandothat.GivemeanhourandI'llseewhatIcancomeupwith.

HowcanIreachyou?"

"I'llcallyouback,"Franksaid,anddisconnected.

He moved from the pay phones to a seat near his gate. This time when he sat down, his

patience had taken itself to a new level. If there was a way to make David's life more

miserablebeforehedied,itwouldbeFrank'spleasure.

Outside,thestormscontinuedtohoveroverthecityofChicago,butitwasthestorminside

FrankWilson'sheartthatwasthemostdangerous.Neitherwindnortimewasgoingtomove

itaway.Onlythesightofhisbrother'sbloodwasgoingtoputoutthefireofhishate.

He sat without moving, his eye on a clock across from where he was sitting. When the

minute hand finally ticked over for the sixtieth time, Frank took his cell phone from his

pocketandmadethecall.

Peteansweredonthefirstring."ThisisPete."

"Talktome,"Franksaid.

"DavidWilson,midtolatefifties.Darkhairwithsomegrayatthetemples.Alittleoversix

feettallandphysicallyfit.They'recallinghimRamboorsomethinglikethat.Hewaspicking

upthiswomanandwhenshedidn'tcomeout,hewentinafterher."

"Whatwoman?"Frankasked.

"HernameisCaraJustice.Gossiphasitthatshehadhiskidwaybackwhen.Hewasstaying

atherhousewhentheincidentoccurred."

AslowsmilebegantospreadacrossFrank'sface,crumplingthesearsandpullingtheflesh

untilthesmileturnedintoagrimace.

"Thenameofthetown,please."

"Chiltingham,inupstateNewYork.It'supbytheFingerLakesregion.Nearestairportwould

beatCanandaigua."

"Yourcheckisinthemail,"Franksaidsoftly,anddisconnected.

Thenhestoodabruptlyandstrodetothecheck-indesk.

"Iwanttochangemyflight,"hesaid.

"Butsir,noneoftheplanesaretakingoffnow,"theclerksaid.

"Iknowthat,"hesaidsoftly."Butwhentheydo…"

The clerk felt herself resisting the urge to shiver as the man thrust his ticket across the

counterandcontinued.

"IneedtoreroutefromD.C.toCanandaigua,NewYork."

"Yes,sir,"shesaid."Youdoknowtherewillbeanextrafeefor—"

"Justdoit,"Franksaid."Moneyisnoobject."

Chapter12

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It was just after nine the next morning when Frank's plane landed at Canandaigua Airport.

He disembarked without notice, just one of the twenty-three passengers to arrive, and

proceededthroughtheterminaltorentacar.Withinthehour,andarmedwithamapofthe

area, he drove out of the airport toward Chiltingham. He had no plans beyond finding Cara

Justice'shome.Afterthat,hewouldletimpulseleadhim.

A couple of hours later, he entered the city limits and was surprised by the quaint New

England charm of the small country town. Saltbox houses abounded, some painted a pure

robin's-egg blue with white trim, others in varying shades of pastels and whites. Lawns and

hedges were neatly trimmed and the flower boxes at the downstairs windows of the houses

overflowedwithsplashesofcolor.

HetriedtopicturethemanknownasJonahlivinginanondescriptplacelikethis,butthe

image wouldn't come. He reminded himself they'd grown up in a place not unlike this. He

sneered.Solittlebrotherwastryingtoreturntohisroots.Toodamnedbad.

His stomach grumbled, a reminder that he hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon, so he

pulledinatthecurbinfrontofasmallcaféandwentinside.

Thescentoffryingbaconandcoffeeonlyincreasedhishungerashetookaseatinacorner

booth.Beforehecouldreachforthemenurestingbetweenthenapkindispenserandthesalt

andpeppershakers,awaitresswasattheboothwithapotoffreshcoffee.

"Coffee,sir?"sheasked.

Henoddedandturnedoverthecupalreadyattheplacesetting.

"Doyouknowwhatyouwant,orwouldyoulikealittletimetolookatthemenu?"

"Bringmeacoupleofeggsovereasy,baconandhashbrownsandsomewholewheattoast."

"Yes,sir.Wouldyoucareforjuice?"

Franklookedupatherandsmiled."Sure,whynot?Howaboutgrapefruit?"

The waitress nodded, although her attention had been transferred from the order she was

takingtothemassofscarsonthesideofhisface.

"Itisn'tcatching,"Franksaid,takingsomesatisfactioninherembarrassmentasshehurried

away.

Buttheincidentonlyservedtoremindhimofwhyhe'dcome.

An hour later he drove out of town with a full belly and the directions to Cara Justice's

home.Itwasrelativelyeasytofind.Hisconfirmationthathewasattherightplacewasthe

nameonthemailboxattheendofthedrive.

Justice.

He smiled. How ironically perfect. That's what he'd come for—some justice. He paused at

the mailbox to look at the house, making a quick assessment of the layout of the grounds.

Sincetherewasnoneedadvertisinghispresenceyet,hewouldcomebackafterdark.Ashe

putthecaringeartodriveaway,awomancamearoundthecornerofthehousewithagarden

hose in her hand. He hit the brakes, his eyes narrowing as he watched her watering the

shrubsnexttothehouse.

So,youtakegoodcareofwhatbelongstoyou.That'sgood.MyMarthawasawomanlike

that.

Suddenly angry with himself for even thinking of Martha and this woman in the same

breath,heacceleratedangrilyandspedaway.

Atthesoundofflyinggravel,Caraturned,noticingatansedanasitspedpastherhouse.She

shook her head as she returned to her task, thinking that some people should never be

allowedtodrive.

As the water began to flow, a small fly buzzed at the corner of her eye and she turned to

brush it away. When she saw her reflection in the windows above the shrubs, she couldn't

help but flinch. The bruise on the side of her face was huge now, a dark, purplish-green. It

wasalsothemainreasonshe'dskippedgoingtochurchservicesthismorning.Ifshe'dgone,

shewouldhavehadtotalkabouttheincidentatthesupermarketandshewasn'tinthemood.

And there were bound to be questions as to why David wasn't with her, and where he had

gone,andshedarnedsurewasn'tinthemoodtotalkabouthim.Soshewashere,watering

herplantsandfussingatfliesasifthoseweretheonlyimportantthingsinherlife,whenin

reality she wanted to scream. At least she would have Bethany and her family as dinner

gueststonight.Thevitalityoftheirgrowingfamilyshouldbeenoughtokeephermindoffof

whatwashappeningwithDavid,ifonlyforawhile.

A short while later, she went back inside and began making a strawberry tart for tonight's

dessert.

***

Frankhadalwayslikedthedark.Evenasakid,he'dfeltsafewithinthethickvelvetshadows.

It gave him a feeling similar to that of being cosseted beneath a warm comforter on a cold

winter night. Tonight, he had the added adrenaline rush of a foray into new territory. He'd

drivenhiscarofftheroadintothewoodsaboutaquarterofamilebelowCaraJustice'shouse

andnowhestoodattheedgeoftheclearing,watchingasshebidhercompanygoodbye.

Fromthewaytheywereallbehaving,hetookthemtobefamily—aman,awomanandtwo

younggirls.Hemovedcloser,stayingwithinthetreelinebutwantingtohearwhatwasbeing

said. When he heard Cara Justice call the woman Bethany, he flinched. By God, two birds

withonestone.Ifhehadarifle,hecouldfixitrightnow.David'swoman.David'schild.The

perfectjustice.Ifhepoppedbothofthem,hemightjustwalkawayfrombabybrotherandlet

himlivewiththehellofknowinghewasthecauseoftheirdeaths.

Thenhisflightsoffancysettled.Noneedtomakehastydecisions.Theonlycertaintyinhis

lifewasmetingoutajusticeofhisown.Heleanedforward,listeningintentlyasthepeople

bidtheirgoodbyes.

"Dinnerwasgreat,Mom,"Bethanysaid.

"No,itwasfantastic,"Tomadded,andCarachuckled.

"Isentyoutherestofthestrawberrytart,soyoudon'thavetokeepbragging,"shesaid.

Herson-in-lawlaughed."Youdon'tthinkIlaiditontoothick?"

"Well,yes,butitwasunnecessary.Youweregoingtogettheleftoversanyway."

Caraleanedinthebackseatofthecarandblewkissestohertwogranddaughters.

"You'regoingtohavetocomespendthenightwithmeatleastonemoretimebeforeschool

starts,"shesaid.

"Oh,Nanny,don'tevenmentionschool,"Rachelsaid.

"Noschool,"herlittlesister,Kelly,echoed,althoughshewouldn'tevenattendpreschoolfor

anotheryear.

Cara laughed and then stood back as they drove away, waving until the taillights of Tom's

cardisappeared.

RubbingherarmswithherhandsandwishingDavidwasheretoholdherclose,shetooka

deepbreathandlookedatthesky.Thenightwasclear,theskylitteredwithstars.

"I'mhere,darling,underthesamesky,lookingatthesamestars.Justcomehomesafely,"

shesaidsoftly,thendroppedherheadandsaidabrief,silentprayer.

An owl hooted from a nearby tree and she turned to look, hoping for a glimpse of the

nighttime visitor, when something told her she was no longer alone. She turned abruptly,

raking the area with a nervous gaze, but saw nothing to cause her alarm. Still the notion

wouldn't go away. Uneasy, she hurried inside, locking the door behind her, then quickly

movedthroughouttherestofthehouse,makingsureallthewindowsanddoorswerelocked.

Onlyaftershe'dsetthesecurityalarmdidthehacklesonherneckbegintosettle.Bythetime

shehadturnedoutthelightsandwasmovingtowardherbedroom,shehadalmostconvinced

herselfshe'dbeenimaginingthings.

Almost—butnotquite.

A short while later as she lay in bed, drifting between restlessness and sleep, the feeling

cameback.Butitwastoobrieftohangonto.Exhaustionclaimedher,andsheslept.

***

FrankhadthelicensenumberofBethany's car. It would be simple enough to hack into the

DMVandfindheraddress.Shewouldcomelater,afterhe'ddealtwithhermother.

HewaiteduntilCarahadturnedoutthelightsbeforemakinghismove,stillimpressedby

the fact that she'd sensed his presence. That wasn't something he'd expected. But then he

thoughtofthemanDavidhadbecomeanddecidedhewouldn'thavesettledforanyordinary

woman.Jonahhadtohaveamatecomparabletohistalents.

A frisson of anticipation rippled through Frank's body. It stood to reason she would be

perceptiveenoughtosensesomethingamissinherworld.Wouldshesensehimagain—when

hewasstandingatthefootofherbed?

Whenmorethananhourhadpassed,Frankwassatisfiedthatenoughtimehadpassed.He

startedtowardherhouse,thankfulthatshedidn'townadog.Hehateddogs.

Formorethanhalfanhour,hemovedaroundoutside,lookinginwindows,peeringintothe

placewhereDavidhadlefthisheart.Fromthelittlehecouldsee,thehouselookedwarmand

inviting, and again he thought of Martha and ached. People lied when they claimed the

passage of time made a loss easier to bear. For him, it was the opposite. The longer he was

withouther,theemptierhisworldbecame.

WhenhediscoveredthewindowstoCara'sbedroom,heranhisfingersalongtheedges,just

tocheckandmakesuretheywerelocked,whichtheywere.Itdidn'tstophimfromwatching

herthroughthepartinthecurtains.Hewatchedforseverallongminutesuntilhewascertain

shewassoundlyasleep,thenheheadedfortheelectricalboxhe'dseenonthebacksideofthe

house.Heknewthehousewasprotectedbyasecurityalarm,butforamanwho'dhackedinto

top secret computer files of the United States government, bypassing a personal security

systemwassimple.

Afewsnipshere,acoupleofconnectionsthereandhewasin.Afterthat,hepickedthelock

onherfrontdoorandwalkedinside.

Once in, he stood for a moment, letting his vision adjust to the absence of light, until he

could easily make out shapes of furniture as well as a hall leading toward the back of the

house.

As he began to move, he smiled at the thickness of the wall-to-wall carpeting. Perfect

coveringtomaskhissteps,shouldshebealightsleeper.

Hetookasmallpenlightfromhispocketandrakedthewallswiththetinybeam,moreout

of curiosity than anything else. He'd seen what Cara Justice looked like. Now he wanted to

know what turned her on. Did she like bright, vibrant colors, or was she as subdued as she

appeared?

Asthelightfellonthemantel,hesawthepicturesshe'ddisplayedandmovedcloser.From

whathecouldtell,shehadthree,notjustonechildashe'dfirstbelieved,andshe'dobviously

beenmarriedtosomeoneotherthanDavid.Twoofthechildrenlookedlikethestockyblond

manstandingbesideherinoneofthepictures.Butitwasthetall,slenderwomanwithdark

hairthatFrankwasinterestedin—theonewholookedlikeDavid.

Bethany.

Nice name. Probably a nice enough woman. Damned shame his brother's blood ran in her

veins.

Hemovedthepenlightalongthemantel,andwhenitfellonthesnapshotofDavidwiththe

fish, he caught himself from grunting aloud. It was a kick in the gut feeling of déjà vu that

madehimsicktohisstomach.

Davidwaslaughing,makingfunofthesizeofthefishonhisline,andbeforeFrankthought,

hewasgrinning,too.

Stupid little shrimp of a fish. Why the hell would he want to have his picture taken with

somethinglikethat?

Andthenhejerkedasifhe'dbeenslapped,remindinghimselfofwhyhewashere.Hewas

wondering about David when he should have been asking himself what the hell was wrong

with him. He didn't give a damn about what David liked to do for recreation. It didn't even

matterthatDavidhadlookedsohappy,orsoatpeace.Hesetthepicturebackonthemantel

andturnedaway.

It,byGod,doesnotmatter.

Making himself focus on why he had come, he headed for the hall, remembering the

directionofCara'sbedroomashewent.Itshouldbetheoneatthefarendofthehouse.Sure

enoughhewasright.

He stood quietly just outside the doorway, listening to the soft, even sounds of her

breathing,andcheckedhispocketfortheknifethathecarried.Hefavoredknivesover,guns,

twotoone.Theywereswiftandsilentkillers,muchcleanerthanagun.Bulletsalwaystore

upthebody.Aknife,whenusedproperly,couldemptyabodyofbloodwithinaminute,often

less.

Confidentthatshewasstillasleep,hetooktwostepstotherightandthenoneforward,then

smiled.

Hewasinsideherbedroom.

Hecouldtellshewasaboveaverageheightandquiteslender,althoughshelayonherside

withherbacktothedoor.

Adimglowfromtheoutsidesecuritylightpiercedthegapinthecurtains,highlightingthe

hairspillingacrossherpillow.Fromwherehewasstanding,itlookedlikegossamer,andhe

hadasuddendesiretoseeifitwasassoftasitlooked.

Resisting his carnal urges, he moved to the foot of her bed instead, and then slowed his

breathingashewatchedhersleep.Herbreastswerefull,herskinfirm.Shewasawomanin

every sense of the word. As he stood, watching her sleep, his palms began to sweat. It had

beenalong,longtimesincehe'dlainwithawomanlikethat.

Sheshiftedinhersleep,quietlysighingandthenrollingoverontoherback.

Hefroze.Onlywhenhewascertainshewasstillasleepdidheshiftpositionagain,thistime

movingslightlytowardthedoorwayforabetterviewofherface.

God.Shewasbeautiful.

He shivered with sudden anger, unable to believe that a woman other than Martha could

awakeanysortofemotion.Hishandscurledintofistsandhetriedtomakehimselfmove.In

onesingleleap,hecouldbeinherbed,lyingontopofher,hearingherscream.Hecouldhave

her with ease, savoring her panic as he whispered what he was going to do to her and her

lover.Itwouldbeeasy,soeasy.

AsajealouslustforwhatwasDavid'sgainedmomentum,heleanedforward.Thenheheard

hertakeadeepbreathandexhaleonasob.Hepausedagain,frustratedbyhishesitation.

Soshe'sgrieving.Sowhat?SoamI.

Hetookanotherstepforward,hisfistsuncurling,hisfingersitchingtoencirclethefragility

ofherneck.

Frank…I'llalwaysloveyou.

He jerked as if he'd been slapped. Martha's voice was as loud in his head as if she was

standingbesidehim.

Hiseyesnarrowed.Hewonderedwhatshewouldthinkifshesawhimnow.Wouldshestill

lovehim,orwouldshelookuponhimwithloathingforwhathe'dbecome?

Ashewatched,atearrolleddownthesideofCara'sfacethenheheardherwhisperaname.

David.

Hecursedsilently.Damnher.Damnhertohell.Fingeringthebladeofhisknife,hestarted

acrossthefloor.

***

Bethanysatupinbed.

One moment she'd been sound asleep, and the next she was wide awake and cognizant. It

wasaskillshe'dperfectedafterthebirthofherfirstchild,andithadyettoproveherwrong.

GlancingoveratTom,whowasstillsoundasleep,shesmiledtoherselfandthenslippedout

ofbed.Theroofcouldfallinandhewouldn'thearit.Outofhabit,shereachedforherrobeas

shelefttheirbedroom.

Assheenteredherdaughters'bedroom,sheinstinctivelymovedtowardKelly'sbedfirst.As

theyoungest,shewasstillpronetomoreofthechildhoodillnessesthanhersister,Rachel,

whowasalmostten.

But a quick check of her daughter's cool forehead eased her worries. Obviously, it wasn't

Kellywho'dawakenedher.Sheturnedthen,movingquietlytoRachel'sbedside,butshe,too,

wasrestingquietlyandfastasleep.

Frowning, she left their room, pausing momentarily in the hallway to listen. The house

soundswerenormal.

Aclockticking.

Atreebranchscratchingattheeavesofthehouse.

TheintermittentsoundofTom'soccasionalsnore.

Nothingthatshouldhaveawakenedherinsuchamanner.

Shivering now from nerves rather than cold, she wrapped her arms around herself and

thoughtaboutwakingTom.Buthehadtogotoworktomorrowandsheresistedthenotion.

Tellingherselfthatshemusthavebeendreaming,shestartedtowardtheirbedroom.

No sooner had she begun to move than she heard the faint sound of a board squeak, and

when it did, her heart skipped a beat. There was a loose floorboard beneath the kitchen

linoleum that squeaked just like that as she stood at the kitchen sink and another by the

doorwayleadingintothelivingroom.

Nowshewasscared.

Bolting into the bedroom, she shook Tom awake, then put her hand over his mouth and

whisperedinhisear.

"Ithinksomeoneisinthehouse."

Tom'seyeswidened.Withoutspeaking,herolledoutofbedandhurriedtowardtheircloset.

Taking a box down from the top shelf, he unlocked it, took out a loaded hand-gun and

motionedforhertocall911.

"Whataboutthegirls?"shewhispered."Callthepolicefirstandthengetthem,"hemouthed

back.

BethanywatchedinhorrorasTomslippedoutoftheirbedroom,thenboltedforthephone.

Secondslater,the911dispatchercameontheline.

"Nineoneone.Whatisyouremergency?"

"Ithinksomeoneisinourhouse,"Bethanywhispered.

"Ma'am,areyoualone?"

"No,myhusband,Tom,ishere,too.He'sgoneintothefrontofthehousetocheck.Hehasa

gun."

"IsyouraddressoneohsevenSunsetDrive?"

"Yes.Pleasehurry."

"Yes,ma'am,pleasestayonthelinewhileIdispatchthecall."

NowBethany'sheartwaspounding.Sheneededtobeacrossthehallwithherchildren.

"Hello?Hello?"shewhispered.

"Yes,ma'am,I'mstillhere,"thedispatchersaid."Ineedtobeacrossthehallwithmygirls,"

shewhispered.

"Ma'am,Ineedyoutostayonthelinewithme.Thereisapoliceunitinyourarea.Itshould

bethereinacoupleofminutes."

"Oh,God,"Bethanywhispered."Thatcouldbetoolate."

"Juststaycalmandlistentome,please.What'syourname?"

"BethanyHowell."

"Okay,Bethany,tellmewhatyouhear."

"Nothingnow.Idon'tevenhearTom."

She started to shake. What if something had happened to him? What if someone was

alreadycomingthisway?

Sheneededtogettothegirls.Sheneededtogetthemoutofthehouse.

"Please.Ineedtogetmydaughters.Ineedtogetthemoutofthehouse."

"Ma'am. Please. I need you to stay calm and stay quiet. Your husband might hear you

moving around and think you were the thief. We don't want any accidental shootings, all

right?"

Lord.Shehadn'tthoughtofthat.

"Allright,butpleasehurry."

***

Themomenttheboardsqueaked,Frankflinched.Secondslater,heheardbedspringsgiveand

then the soft pat-pat sounds of bare feet on tile. His fingers curled around the knife in his

hand as he moved toward the doorway. Moments later, he saw the woman come out of the

bedroomandwalkdownthehallintoanotherroom.

Hiseyesnarrowedangrily.ThatwomanwasDavid'sdaughter—butshewasalsohisniece.

Agoodmotheralwayschecksonthechildrenfirst.

Thethoughtcameoutofnowhereandthenherealizeditwassomethinghismotherusedto

saywhenshewouldcomeintotellhimandDavidgoodnight.

Sonofabitch.WhyamIdwellingonallofthesepeoplewhoarealreadydead?Theydon't

matteranymore.Ineedpayback,notastrolldownmemorylane.

Momentslater,thewomanexitedthebedroomandstoppedinthehallway.Instinctively,he

slidintotheshadows,andashedid,anotherboardsqueaked.Herolledhiseyes,wondering

whythehellthesepeoplehadn'tnaileddownthefloorsliketheyshouldhavedone.Hestood

thereinsilence,wellawarehe'dbeenmade.Shouldherun,orjustfinishwhathecamehere

todo?

When she bolted into the bedroom, he hesitated only moments before his decision was

made.

***

Bethanystoodatthewindow,thephonestillatherear,watchingandprayingforthepoliceto

arrive.Atthatmoment,shegotaglimpseofflashinglightstoppingthehilljustbeyondtheir

house,thentheydisappearedbehindthetrees.

Shestartedtocrysoftly.

"They'rehere.They'rehere,"shewhispered.

"Ma'am,areyousayingthepoliceareatyourdoor?"

"No,butIsawtheirlightsonthehill."

"Don't go to the door, ma'am. Wait for them to knock, okay? They'll search the outside of

thehousetocheckforsignsofentrybeforetheyattempttocomeinside."

"Yes,allright,"shesaid,herheartalittlelighternowthatsheknewhelpwashere.

Secondslater,sheheardthecrunchofgravelasthecarpulledinthedrive.

"They'reoutsidenow,"shesaid.

"Juststaywithme,ma'am."

"Yes,allright,"Bethany whispered. Then to her horror, she heard her oldest daughter call

out.

"Mother!Mother!"

"My daughter is awake," Bethany said. "I've got to get her before she walks into danger. I

won'thangup,butI'mgoingafterthem."

Withoutwaitingforpermission,sheboltedoutoftheroomanddownthehall.Rachelwas

sittingupinbed,rubbinghereyes.

"Mother,there'sapolicecaroutsidethehouse."

"Yes, I know," she said softly. "I'm going to get Kelly and we're going to go to Mother and

Daddy'sroom,understand?"

Theconfusiononherdaughter'sfaceturnedtofearashervoicestartedtoshake.

"Mommy…what'swrong?"

"Maybenothing,"shesaid."Daddy'sjustcheckingthehouse."ShescoopedKellyupinher

armsandlaidheracrosshershoulderandthengrabbedRachel'shand."Comewithme,baby,

anddon'ttalkanymore."

Inseconds,shewasacrossthehallandinsideherbedroom.Quietly,sheshutthedoorand

thenlaidKellydownonthebed,pulledRachelintoherlapandthenpickedupthephone.

"I'mback,"shesaid.

"Areyourchildrenwithyou?"thedispatcherasked.

"Yes."

"Whereisyourhusband?"

Bethanywantedtoscream.Instead,shetookadeepbreathandmadeherselffocus.

"Idon'tknow."

"You'redoingfine,"thedispatchersaid."Tellme…whatareyourchildren'snames?"

"RachelandKelly."

"RachelHowell?Issheinthefourthgrade?"

"Shewillbe,"Bethanysaid.

"Iknowher.Myson,Billy,isherage.MynameisJennParker.Mydadownsthebakery."

Theimageofafamiliarfacetogowiththevoiceontheotherendofthelinewassomehow

encouraging.

"Jenn,I'msoscared."

"You're doing really good," the dispatcher said. "The police tell me they're going to your

frontdoor.Istheresomeonetheretoletthemin?"

"Tom.Tomshouldbethere."

"Allright.JuststaywithmeaminuteuntilIknowthey'reinside."

Bethany could hear the faint but unmistakable sounds of someone knocking at the door.

She caught herself holding her breath, praying that the sounds would stop, because that

wouldmeanthatTomhadlettheminside.Theyknockedagain.Tearswererollingdownher

face.

PleaseGod,don'tletanythinghappentomyhusband.

"Nooneisanswering,"thedispatchersaid."Thepoliceareaskingmetotellyouthatthey're

goingtocomeinside."

"Thedoorislocked,"Bethanysaid.

"Theyknow.Juststaywhereyouare,okay?"

"Yes," Bethany said, then dropped her head and started to sob. Something was terribly

wrong.

***

Davidpacedthefloorofhisroom—fromthebedtothewindowsandbackagain.Hecouldn't

sleep.Everyinstincthehadtoldhimsomethingwaswrong.WhatifSimonsawthebroadcast

oftherobbery?Whatifheputtwoandtwotogetherandwentlookingforanswers?Thenhe

relaxed. No way! Simon never even knew about Cara, so he couldn't know about Bethany

either.

Damnittohell,buthehatedbeingcoopedupinthisplace.Hewasnobetterthanacaged

rat, waiting for someone to open a door so he could make a run for the cheese. Only the

cheese in this maze was his brother, and his brother was taking his own sweet time about

answeringthee-mailthathadbeensentout.

Damnhim,Davidthought.Damnhimtohell.

Hestartedforthephone,theneedtotalktoCarauppermostinhismind,butthenstopped.

It was after three in the morning. Just because he couldn't sleep didn't mean he needed to

disturb her rest. He hoped she'd taken a sedative to help her relax. The kidnapping and the

assault were so recent, he knew she would still be suffering from the memories of the

incident.Evenworse,itgalledhimtoknowthatjustwhensheneededhimmost,he'dlefther

alone.

Damn Frank Wilson to hell and back. Why had he survived? What possible good had his

existenceproved?

ThenhethoughtofFrank'sdaughter,LiseMeldrum,whobynowwasprobablyMrs.Russell

Devane.HerlifewasproofthattherehadstillbeensomegoodleftinFrank—thathe'datleast

beencapableoflovingawomanlongenoughtofatherachild.Fromwhatheknew,Frank's

wifehadbeendeadforyearsandLisehadbeenrunningtheirAustraliancattlestationinher

father'sabsence.IfFrankhaddiedinthatfireallthoseyearsago,thenLisewouldneverhave

beenborn.

Daviddroppedontothesideofthebed,hisshouldersslumpedwithfatigue.Heglancedat

theclockonemoretimeandthenrolledoverontohisside.Theleasthecoulddowasclose

hiseyesandrest.

Withinminutes,hewasasleep.

Chapter13

«^»

It started to rain just as Frank reached his car. Hurrying before his clothes got all wet, he

opened the door and jumped inside. But he didn't bother looking back to see if he'd been

followed.He'dalreadybeenoutofthehouseandintothewoodsbeforethepolicecruiserhad

evenpulledintotheyard.Ashelockedthecardoor,hetookagunoutofhispocketandlaidit

besidetheknifehe'dbeencarrying.

He paused a moment, resting his forehead against the steering wheel and letting the

adrenalinerushsettleashisheartbeatshiftedintoanormalrhythm.Whenhefinallylooked

up,hewassmiling.Thegunhe'dtakenfromBethany'shusbandwasoutofhabit.He'dnever

left a weapon on a victim before and he wasn't starting now, but as he'd been running

throughthewoods,athoughthadoccurred.NowthathewasonhiswaytoD.C.,howpoetic

woulditbetokillDavidwithhisowndaughter'sgun?

Helikedtheidea.Infact,helovedit.Butgettingitonaplanecouldbeaproblem.Hestarted

the car and quickly drove away. Considering what he'd left behind, lingering in the area

wasn't wise, but as he drove, his mind was still sorting through the possibilities that would

yieldhimwhathewanted.

ThestreetsweredesertedasheenteredChiltinghamonhiswaytotheCanandaiguaAirport.

Eventhoughnoonewasinsight,hestilltookgreatcarenottospeedorrunanylights.The

lastthingheneededwastogetcaughtwithastolenweapon.

Onhiswayoutoftown,hepassedabillboardadvertisingFed-ex.Aboutahalfamilelater,

thesignificanceofthatsignsuddenlyhithim,andaplanbegantoevolve.Nowheknewhow

togettheguntoD.C.Allheneededwasasmallboxandsomepackingandtheaddressofhis

hotel.Withalittleluck,itwouldbetherewaitingforhimwhenhearrived.

***

It was mid-morning the next day when an envelope suddenly appeared beneath the door in

David's room. Still in the shower and unaware of what had happened, he didn't notice until

hisbreakfastarrived.

Later, as he was dressing, someone knocked on his door. Tucking a rugby shirt into the

waistband of his slacks, he went to answer it, and as he did, he noticed the envelope and

pickeditup.

"Whoisit?"Davidasked.

"Roomservice,"amananswered.

Althoughhewasexpectingthefood,hestilllookedthroughthepeepholebeforeopeningthe

door.Abellhopsmiledagoodmorningashepushedafood-ladencartintotheroom.

"Wherewouldyoulikethis,sir?"

"Onthetablebythewindowwillbefine,"Davidsaid,ashesignedthecheckandhandedit

tothebellhop,alongwithageneroustip.

"Thank you, sir. When you've finished, ring guest services and we'll come and remove the

dishes.Enjoyyourmeal."

When he was gone, David sat down before the food, surprised to find he was actually

hungry. He laid the letter aside for the moment and spread some jelly on his toast before

tacklingthefirstbiteofhiseggs.Whenhehadpartiallysatiatedhishunger,hetookadrink

ofcoffeeandthenpickeduptheletter.Curious,heleanedbackinthechairasheslittheflap,

unpreparedforwhatwasinside.Abruptly,hesatupwithathumpandreachedforthephone.

"Frontdesk.HowmayIhelpyou,Mr.Wilson?"

"Someoneleftanoteundermydoorthismorning.Iwanttotalktowhoputitthere."

"Letmeconnectyouwiththemailoffice."

A few seconds later a woman answered. David repeated his request. There was a slight

pause,asifshewascheckingherrecords.

"I'msorry,Mr.Wilson,butwehavenorecordofaletterbeingsenttoyourroom."

"Areyousure?"

"Yes,sir,I'msure.I'vebeenondutysincesixthismorning.Iwouldhaveknown."

"Thankyou,"Davidsaid,andhungup.

Hisfoodnolongerappealed,hisappetitecompletelygone.Damnittohell.Frankhadonce

again regained the upper hand. He'd found David, had some flunky deliver a message and

walkedawaywithoutnotice.Asherereadtheletter,hisstomachknotted.

Otwohundredhourstonight,littlebrother.AttheWall.

David laid down the note, his gut in knots. How ironic that it was both their intentions to

meetatthesameplace.TheVietnamMemorial,otherwiseknownastheWall,wasfitting.A

symbolofwhereitallbegan.

Hestoodabruptly,gatheredhisroomkeyandwalletandthenpickeduphistrayandsetitin

the hall. He would meet Frank at 2:00 a.m. as he'd requested, but he had some

reconnoiteringintheareathathewantedtodofirstandheneededtorentacar.

***

Thedaywashot,thewindbrisk,andstilltheycame.FromthestepsoftheLincolnMemorial

where David was standing, hundreds of people could be seen milling about the grassy mall.

Some were taking pictures, others laughing and talking, pointing with excitement at the

surrounding monuments. Teenagers abounded in groups and he remembered that age—the

awkwardnessandlackofrespectforanythingoranyoneolderthanthemselves.

Asfortheveterans,theywereeasytopickout.Theyweretheoneswhostoodthelongest,

spoketheleastandquiteoftenleftwithtearsintheireyes.Andthenthereweretheirwidows

andfamilies,tenderlystrokingstoneandmarblethathadbeensetintheirlovedone'shonor

becauseitwasalltheyhadlefttotouch.

The long, crystal-clear waters of the gazing pool that lay between the Lincoln and the

Washingtonmonumentsreflectedthesurroundingtreetops,aswellasaclear,cloudlesssky.

Atthenorthendofthepool,Davidwatchedaflockofcirclingpigeonsastheylandedonthe

greensandthenproceededtothewaterforadrink.Thesettingwasidyllic—apicture-perfect

day.Itseemedobscenethatbeforethenightwasover,eitherheorFrankwouldmostlikely

dieinthisplace.

Abruptly,headjustedhissunglassesandtookthestepsdownward,anglingtotheleftashe

went. He'd been at the Wall many times before, but never with the need to lay out an

ambush.

Asheapproachedit,awaveofguiltwashedoverhim.Thathewasactuallycomingtothis

place with such a heinous plot in mind seemed sacrilegious, yet he'd been given no choice.

Even if he'd been inclined to change the game plan, it was too late now. The wheels of his

destinyhadbeensetinmotion.Allhehadtodowasmakesurehewasn'trunoverandkilled

intheprocess.

Anxioustogetthisoverwith,hesidesteppedacouplepushingastroller,thenmovedpasta

group of teenagers. As he neared the Wall, he came up behind an elderly couple trying to

negotiatethedownwardincline.Theoldmanwasusingawalkerandhiswifewastryingto

holditupright,sinceithadatendencytorollfasterthaneitherofthemcouldwalk.

At that moment, the last thing he wanted was personal contact with anyone, but his

consciencewouldn'tlethimignorethem.

"Needsomehelp,sir?"heasked,andthengrippedthefrontofthewalkerandproceededto

slowitdownsotheoldcouplecouldkeepup.

Thewoman'sfacewaspinkfromexertionandthesmileshegaveDavidwasenoughtomake

himsorryhe'devenhesitatedtohelp.

"Oh,thankyou,son.Wedidn'tknowthiswassosteep.Matthew'swalkerwasabouttotake

himforaride."

HeryouthfulgigglesurprisedDavid,andhecaughthimselfsmilingback.

"Haveyoubeenherebefore?"heasked.

Hersmilecrumpled."No.Wealwaysmeantto,butwelivesofaraway.We'refromIdaho,

youknow.OursonDennis'snameishere.Matthewwantedtoseeitbefore—"

Shedidn'tfinishwhatshe'dbeengoingtosay,butDavidknewwhatshemeant.

"Gotcancer,"theoldmansuddenlyoffered,ashescootedalongunderDavid'sguidance."I

reckonI'lldieofoldagebeforeIdieofthecancer,though."

Daviddidn'tknowwhattosay.Theiroptimisminthefaceofsuchadversityshamedhim.

"Weneverknowwhatlife'sgoingtohandus,dowe?"hefinallysaid,andthenchangedthe

subject."Doyouknowwhatsectionyourson'snameisin?"

Theoldwomangavehimascrapofpapershe'dbeenholding.

"Theladybackattheinformationboothgavethattous."

He read the name, the section and row and then turned toward the Wall, checking to see

howfaralongthey'dcome.

"It'salittlebitfartherdown,"hesaid."Canyoumakeit?"

"MeandShirleymadeitthisfar.IreckonIcangoalittlefarther,"Matthewsaid.

Afewyardsdowntheslope,Davidstopped.

"Justaminute,sir.Itshouldberightalonghere."

The old man turned his walker so it would no longer roll, and then stared at the Wall,

suddenlyoverwhelmedbytheexpanseofnamesthatseemedtogoonforever.

"Wesureweren'ttheonlyoneswhogrieved,werewe,Shirley?"

Hiswifeleanedherheadagainsthisshoulder,tearsstreamingdownherface.

ThenDavidturned."Here.Hisnameishere."

Theystaredatthename,asiftryingtoconjureupanimagetogowithit,buthecouldsee

theireyeswereblurredbytears.

"It'sbeensuchalongtime,"Shirleysaid."IthoughtI'dcriedmyselfoutyearsago."

"Yes,ma'am,"Davidsaidsoftly,andhandedherhishandkerchief."Iknowwhatyoumean."

Matthewlookedathimthen,judginghimwithallthewisdomofhiseighty-plusyears.

"Yougotkinonthiswall,too?"

"Yes,sir."

"Damnshame,that'swhatitis,"hemuttered,andthentookouthisownhandkerchiefand

blewhisnosewhilehiswifebeganfumblinginherhandbag.Whenshepulledoutacamera,

Davidknewwhatsheintended.

"Ma'am,ifyouwouldallowme,I'dbegladtotakeyourpicture."

"I want to stand beside my boy's name," Shirley said, as she patted at her hair, trying to

smoothdownthewhite,flyawayfluffthatthebreezehaddisturbed.

"Thenamesdon'tshowuptoowellonphotographs,"Davidsaid."ButifMatthewwillturn

justalittlebitthisway,"Davidsaid,easingtheoldmanandthewalkeralittleclosertothe

wall,"andifyou'llstandonthisside,youcanputyourhandonyourson'sname.Thatwayit

willbeeasierforyoutoseeitwhenthepictureisdeveloped."

Shirleynodded,butasshereachedtowardthename,hergnarledfingerstracingtheletters,

herlittlefacecrumpled.Davidlookedaway,waitingforhertocontainheremotions.

"I'mreadynow,"sheannounced.

Hetookafewstepsbackwardandliftedthecameratohisface.

Theimagecaughtwithintheparametersofthelensalmostsenthimtohisknees.

Adyingfather.

Agrievingmother.

Andallthatwasleftoftheirsonwashisnameonawall.

Hemadehimselffocusandthentookadeepbreath.

"Onthecountofthree,"hesaid."One.Two."

Hesnappedthepicture.

"Takeonemore,"Shirleysaid."Justincase."

He took the second one, and when he handed her the camera, she gave him back his

handkerchiefandthengavehimahug.

"Thankyou,son,"shesaid."Andwe'resorryforyourloss."

Davidnodded,buttherewasn'tanythinghecouldsay.Hisloss?Foryears,hebelievedthat

he'dlostmuchmorethanabrother.Untillastweek,whenCaraJusticehadtakenhimback

intoherlifeandherheart,he'dalmostlosthisfaithinGod.

DavidstartedtohelpthemalongwhenMatthewshookhishead.

"It's uphill the rest of the way and I can push better than I can run. We'll make it from

here."

Theymeanderedaway,talkingwithanimation,delightedthattheirquestwascomplete,and

astheywalked,Davidnoticedthatwhenoneofthemfaltered,theotherwasthereonwhich

tolean.

Aknotroseinhisthroat,swellingandburninguntilhethoughthewouldchoke.Whenhe

turned back to the Wall, he found himself looking through a thick blur of tears. Instead of

lookingforFrank'sname,hebowedhisheadandclosedhiseyes.

Andsohestoodwithinthesilenceofhisownheart,absorbingthepeaceofthemonument

and giving homage to the men who'd fought, those who'd died and those who were forever

lost. He lost all track of time, freeing his mind of everything and feeling a cleansing from

withinthathe'dneverknownbefore.

Finally, he lifted his head and as he started to leave, the hair on the back of his neck

suddenlycrawled.Thesensationwasoldbutfamiliar.Heknewhewasbeingwatched.

Rememberingtheletterhe'dfoundunderhisdoor,heturned,eyeingeveryonewhopassed,

but saw no one who set off any internal alarms. Convinced he wasn't imagining things, he

began scanning the surrounding area. Again, no one person stood out in the crowds that

shouldcausethisalarm.

Stilluneasy,hebegantowalktowardtheeast,comingoutofthewalkwayandupontothe

sidewalk.Atthecrestofthehill,hepausedagain.Thefeelingwasstillthere.

A woman screamed loudly off to his right, shrieking her disapproval at her children.

Instinctively,Davidturnedtowardthesound,andashedid,hecaughtaflashofmovement

withinaclusteroftreesacoupleofhundredyardstohisleft.

There.That'swhereitwascomingfrom.

IthadtobeFrank.

Heliftedhishead,hischinthrustforwardinagestureofdefiance.

***

FranksmiledderisivelyashewatchedhislittlebrotherplayingBoyScouttotheoldmanand

woman.WhentheyfinallymovedonandhesawDavidbowinghishead,hesneered.

"Pray,yousonofabitch.You'regoingtoneedallthehelpyoucanget."

When David suddenly looked up and then turned in place, he realized something had

spooked him, but what? Adjusting his binoculars, he began to scan the area, too, searching

foranswers.Whenhelookedback,Davidwasnolongerinsight.Aslightspurtofpaniccame

and went as he stepped out from behind a cluster of trees for a closer look. A few seconds

later, David emerged from the walkway, pausing at the crest of the hill. As he did, Frank

breathedasighofrelief.Itwasn'tasthoughhewasgoingtodoanythinghere—toodamned

many witnesses, but he liked being the one in control, and being the observer gave him a

senseofpower.

He moved a step backward, and as he did, he saw David's focus shift. Cursing his

carelessness,heretreatedbehindthetrees,thenliftedthebinoculars,adjustingthefocusto

makeupforDavid'snewlocation.

Whenhisbrother'sfacecameintofocus,hejerkedasifhe'dbeenshot.Davidwaslooking

straightathim.Hisheartstartedtohammer.Hishandsstartedtoshake.

"Youbastard…youarrogantbastard."

Throughthelens,Davidstoodtallandstraight,hischinthrustforwardinadare-to-take-me

attitude—his feet slightly apart, as if bracing himself for battle. Frank knew that he should

move,buthecouldn'ttearhisgazeaway.Atthatmoment,thetruthofwhohisbrotherhad

become finally hit. Intellectually, he'd known David had been the omnipotent Jonah for

severalyears,butlookingathimnow,herealizedwhatthatentailed.

The man he saw was a modern-day warrior, broad-shouldered and lean, hardened by the

years and by life. The word invincible came to mind, but he shoved it aside, because that

meantunbeatable,andFrankWilsonwasn'tamanwhoaccepteddefeat.

To his utter dismay, as he watched, David took off his sunglasses, smiled directly at him,

thenturnedhisbackandwalkedaway.ForFrank,itwasaslap-in-the-facegesturehecouldn't

ignore.

"You'llpay,littlebrother,andI'llbecurioustoseehowwideyousmilewhenyouseeyour

daughter'sgunpointedatyourhead."

Secondslater,hewasgone.

***

Davidwascalmernowthanhe'dbeensincethishellbegan.Bythistimetomorrow,itwould

beover.Insteadoforderingroomservice,hedecidedtogodowntothehotelrestaurantfor

dinner.Hecameoutoftheelevatorandpastthebarwithnothingbutamedium-raresteak

onhismindwhenhesuddenlyflashedonCara'sface.Hewasseeingherasshe'dlookedon

the morning he left her sleeping, her hair in gentle disarray, her hands cupped beneath her

chinasifshewaspraying.Hewantedtohearhervoice—tosaysomethingwittythatwould

elicitthatthroatychuckle.Butifhecalledhernow,beforethiswasover,shewouldtakeitas

adefeatedfarewell,ratherthantheselfishgestureitactuallywas.Sohetoldhimselftosuck

itupandkeptonwalking.

Ashortwhilelater,ahostessseatedhimatatableforoneandlaidfoodandwinemenuson

thetable.Heorderedaglassofwineandthenopenedthemenu.Asmallnotewasattachedat

the top, with one word printed in bold, black ink. Bang. Anger followed shock as he bolted

fromhistableandheadedtowardthedoor,grabbingthehostessbythearmandspinningher

around.Itwasn'tthewomanwhohadjustseatedhim.

"Whereisshe?"heyelled.

"Sir?"

Davidsawthefearonherfaceandimmediatelyregrettedhisactionsasheturnedherloose.

"I'msorry.Ididn'tmeantofrightenyou,butIneedtotalktotheotherhostess.Wheredid

shego?"

"Thereisnootherhostess,sir.I'mtheonlyoneondutytonight."

Davidloweredhisvoicewhenallhisinstinctsmadehimwanttoscream.

"Nottwominutesago,awomanwasstandingrightwhereyou'restanding.Shepickedupthe

menusandtookmetothattableinthebacknearthewindows."

ShelookedatDavidasifhe'dgonemad.

"Twominutesago,Iwasinthekitchen.Therewasnooneelsehere."

Davidslappedhisleginfrustrationandboltedoutoftherestaurant,thenstoppedaboutten

feetfromthedoor.Therewereatleastfourdifferentdirectionsshecouldhavegone,andeach

oneofthemledoutside.Ashestood,asenseofcalmbegantosettle.Heshookhisheadand

thenalmostsmiled.ThatwassolikeFrank.Alwayswantingtohavethelastword.

RefusingtoletFrank'santicspsychhimout,heturnedandwalkedintotherestaurant,sat

downathistableandorderedhismeal.Whenitcame,heateslowlyandwithrelish.Words

onpaperwerenothingbutmindgamesthathewasn'tgoingtoplay.

Afterward, he went to his room. Debating with himself about what he wanted to do, he

hesitatedtwiceandthensaidwhatthehellandmadethecalls,leavingmessagesateachone.

About fifteen minutes later, one of his calls was returned. He took down the information

withoutcommentthensatontheedgeofthebed,staringatthenumbers.Finally,hepicked

upthereceiverandmadeonemorecall,leavingonebriefmessagebeforehangingup.

Heleftawake-upcallformidnight,tookoffhisclothes,thenlaiddownandwenttosleep.

***

Frank's confidence had slipped another notch after watching David ignore his latest stunt.

Still in his disguise, he'd been at the bar across from the restaurant sipping a drink when

David had come running out. He'd been pleased by the anger and confusion he'd seen on

David'sface.Andthenhe'dseenhisbrothersmile.

It had unnerved him to the point that he'd ordered a second drink. But he'd come to his

senses before he drank it, tossed a handful of bills onto the table and left without looking

back.Hekeptrunningthroughscenariosallthewaytohishotel.

Shouldheshoothiminthebackandgetitoverwith,orfollowhisurgetoconfronthimfirst

bytoyingwithhismindandwatchinghimcomeundone?

Hethoughthewouldpreferthelatter.

Whenhereachedhisroom,therewasamessagelightblinkingonthephone.Hefrowned.

Nooneknewhewashere.Hepickedupthereceiverandpunchedinthecodetothemailbox,

listeningastheautomatedvoicecameontheline.

Mailbox1077hasonenewmessage.Messagereceivedat8:05p.m.

Frank'sfingersclenchedasaman'sdeepvoiceslidintohisear.

Youmissed.

Hiseyeswidenedindisbeliefasheslammedthephonedown.Damnitalltohellandback,

howhadDavidfoundhim?Hehadn'tregisteredunderhisownname.Hehadnotevenshown

hisrealface.He'dstayedindisguisefrommorningtonight,removingthefacialprosthetics

onlywhenhewenttobed.

Thesonofabitch!

Panic spread as he turned out the lights and then moved to the windows. Were they

watching his room—just waiting for him to make his move? Was he going to be arrested

beforeheevenhadachancetopayDavidbackforthehellhe'dputhimthrough?

Hestoodinthedark,peeringintothestreetsbelow,tryingtosortthroughthetrafficfora

signofsomethingsuspicious.

There in the parking lot! Behind the wheel of that car on the end. Someone was sitting in

thedarkbehindthewheel.Hecouldseetheendoftheircigaretteglowinginthedark.

Butashewatched,awomansuddenlyappearedwithinhisvision,andasshedid,thedriver

ofthecaremergedandwenttomeether.Theyembracedbriefly,thengotinthecaranddrove

away.

Frank cursed beneath his breath and moved his attention to some people on foot, certain

thathewasbeingwatched.Yeteachtimehethoughthe'dzeroedinonatarget,itwouldprove

himfalse.

Everytimeheheardfootstepsinthehallway,heexpectedaknockuponhisdoor,andeach

timethefootstepswentaway,hewentlimpwithrelief.Finally,hisnervesshot,hepackedhis

bag,putonanewdisguiseandslippedoutofthehotel,confidenthehadnotbeenseen.

So he'd go to the meeting place early. There were plenty of places he could hide without

beingseen.Hehadyettobebeatenathisowngame.

Evenwhenhe'dbeenshot.

Evenwhenhe'dbeensetonfire.

Eventhen,hehadsurvived.

Tonightwasn'tgoingtobeanydifferent.

Satisfied that he'd gotten away unobserved, Frank got in his car and drove away. He had

Bethany's gun, his favorite knife, a one-way ticket to the Florida Keys and was already

planningwhatkindofplacehewouldbuy.Somethingsmallbutcomfortableandclosetothe

water.Helikedthewater.Helikedtofish.That'swhathewoulddo.Bythetimehegottothe

areaandparked,hewasalreadyplanningwhatkindoffurniturehewouldbuy.Hestartedto

crossthegreensandthenpausedandwentbacktothecar.Heopenedthetrunk,removeda

bagandquicklyremovedhisdisguise.WhenhemetDavidfacetoface,hewantedhimtosee

therealdamagethatthefirehaddone.Heneededtoseetheguiltandtheshameonhisbaby

brother'sface—rightbeforehekilledhim.

***

Davidrolledoverandopenedhiseyes,wideawakeandrestedbeforehiswake-upcallcame.

Whenitdid,hewasalreadyintothepreparationsforwhatlayahead.

Hispantswereblackandfitclosetohisbody,leavingnoloosefabrictocatchonanything.A

black shirt—lightweight but long-sleeved, to cover any white flesh that would show in the

dark. Black, flat-heeled, rubber-soled shoes, soundless on any surface. In the bag that he

carriedwasahandgun—thesameonehe'dusedtofreethehostages—aknifethathe'dcarried

sinceVietnamandacellphonethatwas,forthemoment,turnedoff.Hetossedasmalltinof

camouflagefacepaintintothemixandthenzippedthebag.

Exitinghisroom,hedecidedagainsttheelevatorandmadehiswaytothestairs,takingthe

six floors down in less than a minute, retrieving his car from hotel parking without being

observed, and was on the street within seconds—a true credit to being Jonah. He drove

throughthestreetsofD.C.,parkedonasidestreetbeneathabrokenstreetlightandquickly

disappearedintothenight.

Although it had been a long time since he'd actually been on any missions, it felt normal,

evencomfortabletoblendwiththeshadows.He'dlearnedlongagothatdarknesscouldbea

friend,andinhisbusiness,hehadfewfriendshecouldclaim.

Ashemovedthroughthearea,hefeltthedifferencesintheairoutintheopenasopposed

to that beneath the trees. Even at night, there was a difference in temperature. It even felt

thicker,althoughheknewthatwasafancifulthought.

Once,hepausednearaclusterofshrubsandglancedatthesky.Whatheavenlybodieshad

beenvisiblewerenowallbutobliteratedbyagrowingbankofclouds.

Onthehorizon,hecouldseethefaintthreadsofdistantlightning,althoughthestormwas

too far away to be heard. He glanced at the digital readout on his wristwatch and then

resumedhistrek.

Itwouldn'tbelongnow.

Would Frank be waiting where he'd said he'd be, or would he be lying in wait, waiting to

shoothiminthebackashepassed?

Davidcouldn'tassumethathisbrotherwoulddoanythinghonorable.Notatthispoint.He

didn't know what to expect, but he did know that whatever it was Frank had planned, he

wouldmostlikelyhaveaslim-to-nonechanceofsurvival.

Althoughhedidn'tliketheodds,itwastheslimthathefocusedon,ratherthanthe none.

He'd survived a lot worse with a lot poorer odds, so he hastened his steps, moving quickly

now,anxioustogetthere.Anxioustogetitoverwith.

BythetimehegotwithinseeingdistanceoftheWall,hewasmovingwithextremecaution

—alwaysstayingwithincoveruntilhewasconfidentoftheareabeforehim.Dressedlikethe

shadowswithinwhichhemoved,hegotascloseashecould.

Davidstoodquietlyforlong,silentminutesastimecontinuedtopass.Thecloserandcloser

itcameto2:00a.m.themorecertainhewasthatFrankwasnearby.Buttherewasnowayhe

couldgettotheWallwithoutbeingseen,sohestoodandhewaited,prayingforsomethingto

change.Whenitdid,hetookitasapositivesignthatGodmightbeonhisside.

Itstartedtorain,firstawhisperofmist,andthen,withinseconds,ablindingdownpour.He

wasinstantlydrenchedbutitwasthefirsttimeinhislifehecouldeverrememberbeingglad

tobethiswet.Theheavyrainfallaffordedhimthebestcoverhecouldpossiblyhaveachieved.

And, although he was fairly certain at this point that he could have walked up on Frank

withoutbeingseen,hewouldn'tabandonallcaution.

Hedroppedtohisstomachandstartedtocrawl.

Chapter14

«^»

Despitethedark,overcastsky,thelightsfromthesurroundingmonumentskeptthenightat

bay,andeventhoughthehourwaslate,anoccasionaltouristcouldbeseenmeanderingon

thepathleadingtotheVietnamMemorial.Frankfiguredthemasvetsbytheirarmysurplus

clothing and the way they lingered at the Wall, as if standing at attention. They didn't stay

long,buttheintermittentappearanceofstrangerskepthimnervous.Whatiftheirpresence

keptDavidaway?

With each passing hour, Frank felt himself coming unwound. This moment had been too

longincoming.Insteadofbeingtensedandfocused,hefeltwearyandold.Hell,hewasoldin

thewaysthatcounted.

The fact that he'd been here at the monument far longer than he'd planned to be wasn't

makingthingsanyeasier.Withinanhourofleavingthehotel,heknewthathe'doverreacted,

butitwastoolatetogoback.Sohehadwalkedtheareauntilmidnight,searchingforthebest

place to hide, finally settling among a thick stand of shrubs beneath a cluster of trees.

Shelteredfrommostofthelightingandfromanypassersby,hebeganhiswatch.

Nowhe'dbeenhereforhours.Itwaswellafteroneinthemorning,hiskneeswerehurting,

and the overcast sky had started to come undone. What had begun as a faint, drifting mist

wasescalatingintoanall-outthunderstorm,seriouslydiminishinghisview.Fromwherehe

washiding,hecouldnolongerseetheWall.IfandwhenDavidshowed,hewouldn'tknowit.

If the rain didn't stop, he would have to move, well aware that when he did, he would give

himselfaway.Sohewatchedthetime,hopingthestormwouldpass.

Itdidn't.

Thirtyminuteslater,therainwasstillcomingdownanditwastimetoendthatwhichhad

beenleftundone.Heemergedfromthebushes,completelysoaked.Althoughthegesturewas

futile,heswipedhishandsacrosshisfacetoclearhisvision,thencheckedhisweapons.

His knife was still in his vest and the gun he'd taken from Bethany's husband was on his

hip.Thefamiliarshapeofmetalagainsthispalmwascomfortingtoamanwhohadlivedhis

lifebythesword.

Once more, he glanced at the digital readout on his watch. It was exactly 2:00 a.m. He

straightenedhisshouldersandstartedtowalk,nolongerconcernedaboutstayingconcealed.

Facetofacewashowithadbegun.Facetofacewashowitwouldend.

He moved past the statue of the nurses honoring the women who'd served in Vietnam,

staying on the footpath that would bring him in at the east end of the Wall. Although the

lights still burned, the Wall itself was a dark blur within the downpour. He felt the ground

beginningtoslopeandknewhewasmovingdownwardontherightpath.Everysensorynerve

thathehadwasonoverloadashelistened,tryingtodeciphersoundsthatdidn'tbelongtothe

storm.Bythetimehereachedtheapexofthememorialhewasinknots,damninghisbrother

anddamningthisrain.

***

It took David several seconds to realize that one of the shadows he'd been watching had

started to move. Only after he blinked did he realize that it wasn't the shadow that was

moving,butthemanwhowaspassingthrough.

His pulse jerked, but it was the only thing about his body in motion. He lay flat to the

ground and watched, confident that Frank could pass right by him and never know he was

there. He also knew that if he wanted, he could shoot Frank right now, without a word,

withouthavingtolookathisface.

Andithadtobesaidthatheconsideredit.Hewantedthisoverwithintheveryworstway,

buthecouldalsosubdueandarresthim.Itwouldn'tbehard.Thatwouldleavethemesswith

UncleSam.Itwould,however,alsoendangerSPEAR,andthatcouldn'thappen.

HeknewFrankwellenoughbynowtoknowthatifhewoundupinjail,therewasn'tacell

insolitarystrongenoughtostophimfromtalking.Withafewwell-chosenwordstotheright

—orwrong—people,SPEAR'sbenefittotheworldwouldbenullandvoid.AndsoDavidlayin

therain,strugglingwithhisconscienceandwithwhatheknewhewouldhavetodo,allthe

whilewatchingasFrankcamecloserandcloser.

***

Frank was jumpy enough, but when a shaft of lightning suddenly struck nearby, shattering

whatwasleftofhiscontrolandstrikingcloseenoughthatheducked,hehitthegroundwith

acurse.Momentarilyblindedbytheflash,hecoveredhiseyes.Whenhefinallystruggledto

hisfeet,Davidwasstandinglessthantenfeetaway.Adrenalinekickedlikeamuleashewent

intoacrouch,grabbingthepistol,swingingittowardhisbrother'schest.

"Hello,Frank.Longtimenosee."

Frank was pissed. He was the only one holding a weapon and yet once again, his brother

seemed to have taken the upper hand. He straightened, unwilling to be the one who'd first

takenadefensivestance.

Rain pelted both men, running down their faces and onto the ground between them,

culminatinginaneddyingswirlthatdisappearedintosomeundergrounddrain.

"Yousonofabitch,"Franksnarled.

Davidstared,tryingtofindthebrotherhe'donceknowninthetangledfleshofthatman's

face.

"Wecamefromthesamewoman,Frank.Becarefulwhatyousay."

Frank roared. The rage came up and out of him without warning, diluted by the rain and

temperedbythepowerofthestorm.

"Yousetmeonfire!Whatkindofabrotherwoulddosomethinglikethat?Answerme!"he

screamed."Iwanttoknow!Ineedtoknow!"

"Ididn'tsetyouonfiretoharmyou.Iwastryingtohidetheshameofwhatyou'ddonefrom

everyone,includingthemilitary.Besides,Ithoughtyouweredead."

FortyyearsofangeroverwhelmedwhatevercautionFrankWilsonhadleft.

"Bull!"hescreamed,andstartedwalkingtowardDavid,thegunaimedrightathisface.

ButDaviddidn'tmove—didn'tevenbackup.Instead,heextendedhisarmstohissides,and

foramomentitlookedtoFrankasifDavidwasofferinghimselfupforcrucifixion.

"So…you'regoingtoshootmeagain,areyou,brother?"

Frankstumbled."Whatthehelldoyoumean…again?"

David stared at him without moving, unflinching beneath the onslaught of the storm and

thedark,ominousbarreloftheguninhisbrother'shand.

"Youshotfirst,yousanctimoniousbastard,"Davidsaid."Thegunrunner'smoneywasworth

moretoyouthanIwas,remember?"

Frank'sheartskippedabeat.Hisgutstartedtoburn.

"Shutup,"heyelled."Justshutupandsayyourprayers."

"I'vealreadysaidthemearliertoday,"Davidsaid."Don'tyouremember?"

"Yeah,IsawyouplayingBoyScoutforthatoldman,"Frankyelled."Youcaredmoreforhim

thanyoudidforme.IhadagoodthinggoingthereinNamandyouscreweditup.Wewould

have both been set for life when the war was over. But no, you had to play Boy Scout then,

too,didn'tyou?"

AngerpushedbackatDavid,andhestartedtotalk,raisinghisvoicewitheveryworduntilat

theendhewasshoutingatFrankthroughtherain.

"Youweresellingourgunstotheenemy,Frank.Howdoyoujustifythatinyoursleep?How

manyghostshauntyourdreamseverynight?Howmanymendidyouputonthiswall?"

Frankshookhishead."You'rechangingthesubject.Stopchangingthesubject!"

"No," David shouted. "You are the subject. Your whole life has been selfish. No one ever

matteredtoyou.Nooneevercountedbutyou.You'vespentthelasttwelvemonthstryingto

bringmedown,andstillyoucouldn'tdoit.Youdidn'tgiveadamnthatyouwereruininggood

people'slives,orthatyouhadputourentirecountryinjeopardy.Allyouwantedwasrevenge.

Butit'snotgoingtohappen.It'sover,Frank.Evenifyoukillme,you'refinished.You'llnever

getaway."

Frank blinked, suddenly aware that his brother might not have come alone, after all. He

glancedoverDavid'sshoulderintothedarkness,waitingfortheshadowstomove.Desperate

togetthisoverwith,hetookaimagain.

"Iwillgetaway,justlikeI'vealwaysdone."Thenhesmiled.

David hid a shudder when the scars on Frank's face twisted the smile into a demonic

grimace.

ButFrankdidn'tgiveadamnabouthowhelookedandhewasn'tthroughturningtheknife

inhisbrother'sheart.IfDavidlovedCaraJusticeasmuchasFrankthoughthedid,hislittle

trumpcardwoulddriveDavidinsane.Theideawasgood.Hewouldn'twaitanylongertolayit

down.

"She'spretty,youknow.Youalwaysdidhavegoodtasteinwomen."

David's mind went blank. He couldn't think past the gut-wrenching fear and the smile on

Frank'sface.

"She's even pretty when she sleeps," Frank continued, and then laughed, a low, cunning

chucklethatmadeDavid'sfleshcrawl.

Oh,God.Oh,Cara."Whatthehellhaveyoudone?"

Frank'ssmilegrewwider.ThefearonDavid'sfacewaswhathe'dbeenneeding.Nowhewas

backincontrol.

"Done?Why,nothingyouwouldn'thavedoneinmyplace,"hesaid.

Davidflinched,hismindracing.

"Asforyourdaughter,she'safine-lookingwoman,too.Thisishergun,youknow.Consider

itjusticethatyourchild'spossessionwillbethethingthatendsyourlife."

Frankcockedthehammeronthepistol.

HeneversawtheknifeDavidpalmeduntilitwasimbeddedtothehiltinhischest.Oddly

enough,therewasnopain,onlyarapidlyspreadingweakness.Thegunslidfromhisfingers

ashe reached for theknife, trying to pullit out with both hands.Instead, his legs wentout

from under him and he fell backward and face up in the rain, his thoughts scattering as

quicklyasthebloodranoutofhisbody.

Thisisn'tfair.Itwasn'tsupposedtohappenthisway.

Davidbolted,grabbingFrankbytheshouldersandshakinghimwherehelay,thefearinside

himsogreat,hecouldbarelymakehimselfheard.

"What did you do to Cara! Tell me, you son of a bitch. If you hurt her, I swear to God I'll

followyoutohell."

Frank'seyesrolledbackinhishead.Hewantedtolaugh.Hewantedtotellwhathe'ddone,

butwordswerebeyondhim.Hesighed,andthesoundcameoutinbloodybubbles.Likemost

ofhislife,itwasawastedeffortashediedinDavid'shands.

Davidrockedonhiskneesandliftedhisfacetothestorm.

"No!" he raged, and then pushed himself upright, fumbling in his pocket for a phone then

punchinginaquickcode.

Secondslater,avoiceanswered.David'sorderswerepainfullybrief.

"ThisisJonah.IneedacleanupcrewattheVietnamMemorialandIneeditnow."

"Yes,sir!Inlessthanfive."

Daviddisconnected,thenquicklydialedCara'snumber.

Itrang.

Anditrang.

Itrangwhilehisheartbegantoshrivel.

ItrangashewatchedFrank'sbloodgoingdownthedrainwiththerain.

ItrangwhenhepickedupBethany'sgunandputitinhisbelt.

Itrangasheturnedhisfacetothewallandwantedtodie.

Hedisconnected,thentookaslow,sickeningbreathanddialedanothernumber,unableto

evenpray.

Itrangtwice.

Onthethirdring,Bethanyanswered.

"Hello?"

Thestartledsoundofhervoicewasablessing.Hetookadeepbreathandtriedtospeak,but

thewordswouldn'tcome.

"Hello?Isanyonethere?"

"Bethany."

Heheardahesitation,andthenacatchinhervoice.

"Daddy…isthatyou?"

Suddenly blinded by more than the rain, he staggered away into the darkness, his chest

swellingwithapainhecouldn'tignore.

"Yes…it'sme…yourmother…Ican't—"

"She'shere,"Bethanycried,andheheardhercallingCara'sname,thenshereturnedtothe

phone. "Someone broke into our home and injured my husband, Tom. He's in the hospital.

It'sonlyamildconcussionbuttheywantedhimtostay.Mother'sbeenherewiththechildren

soIcouldbewithhimduringtheday."

Ah,God…shewasalive.Theywerebothalive.

He started to cry, hot, burning tears that tore up his throat, leaving him both mute and

blind.

"Areyoucominghomesoon?"Bethanyasked,unawarehervoicehadtakenonthetoneofa

hesitantchild.

He looked behind him and moved deeper into the shadows. Some of his agents were

arrivingonthescene.Hewasstillstrugglingtobeabletospeak.

"Yes…I'llbehomesoon."

"Ican'twait,"Bethany said, and then she added, "Mother wouldn't tell me anything about

whereyou'vebeen.Shesaiditwasyourstorytotell."Thensheaddedquickly,"Mother'shere

now.I'mgladyoucalled."

"SoamI,"hesaidgruffly,thenheldhisbreath,waitingforthesoundofCara'svoice.

"David?"

Hefeltweak.Justhisnameonherlipswasallheneededtohear—toknowthatitwasgoing

tobeallrightafterall.

"Yes,baby,it'sme."

He heard a catch in her breath and then she whispered, as if she didn't want Bethany to

hear.

"Isitover?"

Heclosedhiseyes,wonderingifthenightmareswouldevergoaway.

"Yes,it'sover."

"Areyouallright?Iwassoworried."

"Iwasworriedaboutyou,too,"hesaidsoftly."Bethanysaidsomeonebrokeintoherhouse.

Dotheyknowwhoitwas?"

"Notaclue,"Carasaid."We'vebeenafraidtocloseoureyesforfearhewouldcomeback."

Davidhesitated,butleavingtheminfearwasunthinkable,especiallywhenheknewallthe

answers.

"Tellhernottoworryanymore.Hewon'tbeback."

"Idon'tunderstand,"Carasaid."Howcouldyoupossibly—"

Heheardhergasp,thenheheardasoftmoan.

"David…myGod…areyousayingthatitwas—"

"Hesaidyouwerebeautifulwhenyouslept."

Therewasalong,startledsilence.Hecouldn'tsee,butheknewthenthatshewasprobably

crying.

"Hewashere?"

"IsTommissinghisgun?"

"Yes."

"IthinkIhaveit.I'llbringitbackwhenIcome."

"Oh,myGod."

"Hedidn'ttouchyou?Hedidn'thurtyouinanyway?"Davidasked.

"No,myGod,no!Mysecurityalarmdidn'tgoofforanything."

"Have an electrician look at it tomorrow … or rather today," he said. "It was probably

bypassed."

"Iwill.Iwill."Thensheloweredhervoiceagain,onlythistimenotinfear."Whenareyou

cominghome?"

Healmostmanagedtosmile."Soon,baby.Soon."

"You'renotinanykindoftroubleoranything…Imeanbecauseof—"

"No."

"You'resure?"

Thistimehedidsmile."I'msure.Ihave…clearance…forthiskindofthing."

The hesitation was longer this time before she answered, and he knew she was absorbing

thefactthatthemanshelovedhadalicensetokill.

"David?"

"Yes."

"Iloveyouverymuch."

He closed his eyes as the last of his anger washed away with the rain. She made this all

worthwhile.

"Iloveyou,too,"hesaidsoftly."HaveyoubeenpickingoutthatweddingdatelikeIasked

you?"

"No."

"Whynot?"

"Becauseyou'repartofthisact,sowe'regoingtodoittogether.Isthatokay?"

"Yeah,that'sokay."

"David?"

"Yes,baby?"

"I'msosorry."

He looked back at the Wall. There was no one in sight. Nothing to prove that he or Frank

Wilson had ever been there at all. And even if someone had seen what had happened, it

wouldn't have really mattered. A man can't die twice. And Frank's name was already on the

Wall.

"Yes,Cara…soamI."

***

ItwasafterfourinthemorningwhenDavidwalkedintohishotelroom,hangingtheDoNot

Disturbsignonthedoorknobashewent.Hewalkedstraighttothebathroom,leavingbehind

a trail of water from his clothes. The moment he was inside, he began stripping them off,

leavingtheminasoddenpileonthefloorashegotintheshower.

Itmighthaveseemedoddforamanwho'dbeensowetforsolongtofeeltheneedtowash,

but he felt tainted to the soul by all that had transpired. The only saving grace had been in

knowingthatFrankwouldneverbeabletothreatenorharmanyoneagain.

Bracing himself against the walls, David leaned into the spray, lifting his face and then

bowinghisheadtothepowerofthejets.Hestoodthatwayforwhatseemedlikeaneternity

beforehereachedforshampoo.Methodicallypouringadollopofthecreamyliquidintohis

hand,heworkeditintohishairandrinsed,thenpickedupthesoapbaranddidthesamefor

therestofhisbody.Hescrubbeduntilhisskinwastinglingandthebarhaddissolved.Weary

in body and heart, he crawled out of the shower and grabbed a towel from the rack,

halfheartedly drying as he went. With a bone-deep groan, he collapsed facedown in the

middleofthebedandclosedhiseyes.

Itwasfour-thirtyinthemorning.

***

Atnoonthenextday,hisphonerang.Herolledoveronhisbackandreachedforthereceiver

withoutopeninghiseyes.

"Hello."

"I'mcallingtoexpressmysympathiesforthewaythingswentlastnight."

DavidrecognizedthePresident'svoiceandsatupinbed,rubbingthesleepfromhiseyes.

"Thankyou,sir.I'msorryIdidn'tcallyourightafterit—"

"Notnecessary.Igottheword.I'malsowonderingifitwouldbepossibleforyoutocometo

myoffice…sayaroundfour?"

"Today?"

Asoftchucklesoundedinhisear."Yes,ifyoudon'tmind."

Davidscootedtothesideofthebed."Ofcoursenot,sir.Iwillbethere."

"Thankyou."Thenheadded,"It'salmostover,isn'tit,son?"

Davidslumped,hisheaddroppingbetweenhisshoulders.

"Isitever,sir?"

"Look at it this way. We all have crosses to bear. He was yours, but he's in God's hands

now."

Oddlyenough,hearingsomeoneelseverbalizewhathe'dbeentryingtoconvincehimselfof

madeitalittleeasiertoaccept.

"Yes,sir.You'reright."

"Of course I am." He chuckled. "I'm the President. Now you go have yourself a good meal

andthinkaboutthatprettywomanwho'swaitingforyoubackhome."

David smiled, and in that moment, he knew that whatever else had yet to happen, he was

goingtobeokay.

"Yes,sir."

Thelinewentdeadinhisear.

Davidreplacedthereceiverthenpushedhimselfoffthebed.Therewerethingstodobefore

he went home to Cara. He had to arrange for his personal belongings to be shipped to

Chiltinghamandbuysomepresentsforhisfamily.

Andthenhesuddenlystoppedinthemiddleoftheroomandjustsmiled.

Family.

Hehadfamily.

Therewasawomanwholovedhimandadaughterwhowaswillingtogivehimachance.He

evenhadason-in-lawandgranddaughterstoformallymeet.Granted,they'dseeneachother

intheairport,butthistimeitwouldbedifferent.Hewouldbeabletotouchthemandhold

them,andifGodwasmerciful,theywouldlearntolovehim.

He took a suit off the hanger, laid it on the bed and went to get a fresh shirt from the

drawer.Theleasthecoulddowaslookrespectablewhenheturnedinhisresignation.

***

"Sir…thePresidentwillseeyounow."

At the secretary's bidding, David stood abruptly and walked into the Oval Office. The

President rose as David entered, and circled his desk, coming toward David with an

outstretchedhand.

"Gladyoucouldcome,"thePresidentsaid,andledhimintoanadjoiningroom."Ithought

we would be more comfortable in here," he said. "Please sit down. Would you care for

somethingtodrink?Coffee?Acola?"

"No,thankyou,sir,"Davidsaid,andunbuttonedthejacketofhissuitashetookaseatina

wingchairoppositetheonethePresidenthadchosen.

For a few moments, David bore the President's silent scrutiny and then someone knocked

onthedoorandthePresidentlookedup.

"Catherine,wouldyouholdallmycallsforawhile.Idon'twanttobedisturbed."

David knew the precision it took to keep a country running as smoothly as this man had

done. He owed him a lot for keeping the faith during the security crisis that Frank had

caused,yethewaitedforhimtospeakfirst.

The President cleared his throat and then leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees

andreducingthemeetingtothatofonemantoanother.

"You probably deserve a medal for what you've done," the President said. "At the least a

commendation."Thenhesighed."Youknowyou'llgetneither."

"Thisjobwasneveraboutnotoriety,sir."

ThePresidentnoddedandthenleanedbackinhischair.

"Areyougoingtobeallright?"

"Yes."

"Haveyoubeendebriefedsincetheincident?"

"Yes,sir.Ifinishedaboutanhourago."

"That'sfine,justfine."

"Sir…ifImayspeakfreely?"Davidsaid.

"Yes,ofcourse.What'sonyourmind?"

"IfIhadeverbeenhired,thisiswhereIwouldhandyoumyresignation."

ThePresidentgrinned,amusedbyDavid'swrybrandofhumor.

"Yes,anonymityisabitchtotackle,isn'tit?"

Davidsmiledback."Yes,sir,considerablyso.And…consideringthedamagethatFrankhas

donetoSPEAR'ssecurity,youandIbothknowmyeffectivenessisover.Besides,it'stimeI

steppeddown."

ThePresidentnodded."You'regoingtobeahardmantoreplace."

"Butyou'vealreadydoneit,haven'tyou,sir?"

AgainsurprisedbyDavid'sintuitivehumor,helaughedaloud.

"Actually,yes."

"Andhecantakecontrolimmediately,Ihope?"

"He'salreadyinflight."

An amazing weight lifted from David's shoulders. Surprised by how wonderful it felt, he

leanedbackinhischairandbrieflyclosedhiseyes.

"Youdidanamazingjobforus,"thePresidentsaid.

"Itwasmyhonor,sir."

"Iassumeyou'vetakencareofyourpersonalbelongings."

"Yes,sir."

"Again, I'm so sorry that I cannot publically acknowledge your unselfish contributions to

this country's safety and security, both here and abroad, but there is a tidy little severance

packageinyournamethatIhopewillsoftentheblow."

David smiled. He'd already received the paperwork that would net him more retirement

moneyannuallythanhecouldhaveimagined.

"Let's just say it didn't hurt my feelings," David said. Again, the President laughed, then

stood,signalinganendtotheirconversation.

Davidstoodaswell,readyinghimselftoleave.

"IsthereanythingIcandoforyou?"thePresidentasked."Anythingatall?"

David hesitated, and then thought, What the hell. The man asked. All he can do is tell me

no.

"Yes,actuallythereis,"Davidsaid.

"Nameit."

"If there are any military planes heading toward the state of New York, I'd like a fast ride

home."

ThePresidentbeamed."Icandoyouonebetterthanthat,"hesaid,andreachedforaphone.

Chapter15

«^»

Cara ran a brush through her hair one last time and then did a quick turn in front of the

mirror.

"Youlookbeautiful,Mom."

Caraturned.Bethanywasstandinginthedoorway,smiling.

"Exceptforthislovelybruise,whichisn'tquitesovividthankstopancakemakeup,I'lldo.

Asforlookingbeautiful,so,mydear,doyou."

Bethanyfidgetedwiththenecklineofherdress.

"IfeelalittlebitlikeIdidthefirsttimeIwentonadate,"shesaid,andthensmoothedher

handsdownthefrontofherpinksummersheath."IwanthimtolikemeandIwanttolike

him,butIdon'treallyknowhim."

Cara thought of what David had gone through with Frank, and with the last forty years of

hislife.

"Butyouwill,darling,intime.Rightnow,allheisaskingforisachancetogettoknowyou.

Heisn'ttryingtotakeRay'splaceinyourlife,oranythinglikethat."

"Iknow…butMom…he'smyfather.Myrealfather."Carastared,alittlesurprisedbythe

toneinBethany'svoice.

"Why,honey,IneverknewyoufeltanythinglessfromRay."

"IthadnothingtodowiththewayIwastreated,Mom.Pleasedon'tbelievethat.Butthink

about it. Tyler and Valerie are shorter and blond like Ray. I'm taller than everyone in the

family,includingyou.Myhairisdark.Myeyesarebrown.Inthefamilypictures,Ilookedlike

thecuckoo'schild."

Cara felt like crying. To think Bethany had kept this to herself all these years was

heartbreaking.

"I'msosorry,"shesaid,andhuggedherdaughterclose."Iwishyou'dsaidsomethingtome."

Bethanysmiledandshrugged."Whatcouldyouhavedone?"

Carasighed."Nothing,Iguess,butitmighthavehelpedifyou'djusttalkedaboutit."

"Iwasn'tsad.Justaccepting,"Bethanysaid."Itwasn'tlikeIwastheonlykidwhosefather

wasdead."Thenhereyeswidened."That'swhatmakesthissospecial!It'snothingshortofa

miraclethathe'sbackinourlives,andasforyoumarryinghim…"

"Soyou'rehappyaboutthat,too?"

"No.Ecstaticwouldbeabetterword."

Carasighed."IcalledValerieandTyleryesterdayandtoldthemalittleaboutDavid."

Bethanyfrowned."Surelytheyweren'tupset?"

"I suppose a more accurate description would be puzzled. I'm not the impulsive type, you

know, but here I am, engaged within a week to a man I hadn't seen in forty years. I think

TylerwantedtohireaprivatedetectivetoinvestigateDavid'sbackground."

Bethanychuckled."Itwouldbeinterestingtoseewhattheycameupwith,wouldn'tit?"

Cara smiled. All Bethany knew was that her dad had worked in a high-level branch of the

governmentthatdealtwithsecurity.ShehadnoideaofthescopeofDavid'sdutiesorthelife

thathe'dled,andinCara'sopinion,thelesssaidthebetter.AllshewantedwasforDavidto

havethelifewiththemthathe'dneverhad.

Shewantedhimtobeabletomakenewfriendsandgofishingwheneverhewanted.Tolook

forwardtorainydaysandlazymornings,andholidayswithbigfamilydinners.Shewantedto

know that, with time, the nightmares he lived with would fade. That's what she wanted for

himandforher.Godwilling,itwouldhappen.

"WhereareTomandthegirls?"Caraasked,suddenlyrealizingthehousewastooquiet.

"Hetookthemoutbackforawalkinthewoods.Ithinkhewantedtokeepthemoccupiedso

thatwe'dhavealittletimealonetogether."

"Isheuptothat?"Caraasked.

"Yes,Ithinkhe'llbeallright.Idon'tknowwhowashappierthathewasreleasedyesterday,

himorme."

"IknewtherewasareasonIlovedthatman,"Carasaid.

Theybothlaughed.

Suddenly,thebackdoorslammedandtheycouldhearbothchildrenshriekingatthetopof

theirlungs.Bethanywasoutoftheroomfirst,withCaraclosebehind.

"Mommy!Mommy!Comelook!Comelook!There'sabighepacopterupinthesky."

"Helicopter," Bethany corrected, as she let Kelly lead her outside by the hand. Then she

turnedtowardCara,smiling."Ican'timaginewhyallthisfuss.You'dthinkshe'sneverseena

helicopterbefore."

Caracouldhearit,too,andfollowedthemout.

Tomwasstandingontheporch,shadinghiseyesfromthesunwithhishand.Helookeda

littlelopsidedwiththehairthey'dcutawayfromhiswound,butCarathoughthewasahero

forstandingbetweenhisfamilyandakillerandbadtoldhimsomorethanonce.

"It'samilitarychopper,"Tomsaid."AndIthinkit'sgoingtoland."

Carastartedtosmile.Therewasonlyonereasonamilitaryhelicopterwouldbelandingin

herbackyard—andhewasgettingoutrightnow.

She walked off the steps, unwilling to wait a moment longer to feel his arms around her.

Abouttenfeetfromthebackyardfence,thechopperliftedoffinaswirlofleavesandgrass,

leavingthemanwho'ddisembarkedtomakehisownwaytothehouseinthedistance.

ThedistancebetweenCara'sstepsincreased,andbythetimesheclearedthegate,shewas

running.

***

Davidduckedhisheadandclosedhiseyesasthechopperliftedoff.Whenheturnedaround,

hesawCararunningtowardhim.Thelastofhisoldfearstookwing,followingthechopper's

ascent.Hedroppedhissuitcaseandstartedtowardher.Momentslater,hewasswingingher

offherfeetandintohisarms.Thisfeltsogood—soright—andwhenhethoughtofhowclose

he'dcometolosingbothherandBethany,itmadehimsick.Tothisday,hedidn'tknowwhat

hadstoppedFrankfromkillingthem,andhewasn'tgoingtotrytosecond-guessamanwho'd

losthismind.

"Imissedyou,"hewhispered,andburiedhisfaceinthecurveofherneck.

She laughed aloud and then kissed him soundly without care for the quartet who was

watching.

"There'ssomeoneelsewhoneedsawelcomehug,"shesaidsoftly.

Davidlookedoverhershoulder,thenputherdown.

CaraheardhisbreathcatchandsawthefearinhiseyesasBethanycametowardthem.

"Itwillbeallright,"shesaid,andgavehimagentlepushinthemiddleofhisback.

He went to meet her—this daughter he'd never known—and when they were so close he

could see his reflection in the color of her eyes, he reached toward her hair, fingering the

dark,silkytexturethatwassolikehisown.

"Mymother…yourgrandmother…hadhairthiscolor."

ForBethany,hecouldn'thavesaidamoreperfectthing.Thismanwhowasherfatherwas

givingherrootstoafamilyshe'dneverknown.

"Wasshepretty?"Bethanyasked.

Davidsmiled."Notasprettyasyou."Thenheheldouthishand."Bethany,I'mreallygladto

meetyou."

Her chin quivered. "I'm really glad to meet you, too." Then, ignoring the handshake he

offered,shewrappedherarmsaroundhisneckandstartedtocry.

Twoweeksago,holdingacryingwomanmighthaveundonehim,butnotanymore.Hehad

awholenewsetofresponsibilities,andwithsomanyfemalesinhisnewfamily,hesuspected

thatgettingusedtotearsshouldbefirstonthelist.

Caracameupbehindthemandputherarmsaroundthemboth,willingherselfnottocry.

Davidfeltherpresenceandreachedforher,pullingherintothefamilyembrace.

***

Uponthestepsadistanceaway,Bethany'stwodaughtersstaredintentlyattheirmotherand

grandmotherbeinghuggedbythestranger.Finally,itwasRachelwhospoke.

"Daddy,who'sthemanhuggingMommy?"

"Honey…it'sherdaddy."

"IthoughtGrandpaRaywasherdaddy."

Tomsighed."It'scomplicatedtoexplain,buttrustme,he'sherdaddy,too."

Rachelfrowned."Ithinkshe'scrying."

Tomsmiled."Probably."

"Ishehurtingher?"sheasked.

Tom shook his head and then cupped the back of both his daughters' heads, unable to

imaginewhatDavidmustbefeeling,tobeholdinghisowndaughterfortheveryfirsttime.

"No,she'snothurting,she'shappy.SeehowsheandGrandmaaresmilingandtalking."

Rachel leaned against her father, uncertain of all this grown-up stuff and even more

uncertainwhereshefitintothemess.

"IshegoingtohugmeandKelly,too?"

"Idon'tthinkso—atleastnotyet,"Tomsaid."Butoneofthesedays,Ithinkyou'regoingto

wanthimto."

"Why?"

"Becausehe'salsoyourgrandfather,andgrandfathersarereallygoodthings."

Rachellookedinterestednow.ShelovedGrandpaJoe.Healwaysdidlotsofstuffwiththem,

likeridingbikesandplayingtenniswiththem.Shethoughtofthepicturethey'dshownherof

thisman—theoneNannyhadonhermantel.

"Doyouthinkhemighttakeusfishingsometime?"

Tomgrinned.Nomatterhowyoungthewoman,theyalwaysseemedtofeeltheneedtoplan

aman'slife.

"You'lljusthavetoaskhim,okay?"

"Okay."

Rachelstood,watchingastheystartedtowardthehouse—hermother,hernanny—andthat

grandfather she didn't know. And the nearer they came, the quieter she got, almost holding

herbreathandwaitingforthatfirstmomentofeyecontactbetweenthem.

DavidnoddedatTomandthentheyshookhandsbeforeheturnedhisattentiontothegirls.

Granddaughters. Lord in heaven, he had granddaughters. And they were so beautiful—and

theylookedsoconfused.Hesquatted,puttinghimselfattheirlevel.

"AreyouKelly?"heasked,asthelittleoneleanedagainstherfather'sleg.

Shenoddedandthensmiledasonlyaninnocentchildcould.

David'sheartmelted.Hereachedbehindherearandpulledoutagold-coloredcoin.

"Youbetterbecarefulaboutwashingbehindyourears,"heteased."LookwhatIfoundback

there."

Shelaughedaloudashehandedheranewlyminteddollar.

Rachelheldherbreath,wonderingwhathewasgoingtodonext.Curious,shetestedbehind

herearsjustincase,buttherewasnothingthere.

Davidsawwhatshedidandstifledalaugh.

"Andyou'reRachel,aren'tyou?"

Shenodded.

"Irememberyourrabbit,Henry.Itrusthehasn'thoppedawayanymore?"

Hereyeswidened.Thiswasthemanwho'dfoundHenryattheairport!

"Iknowyou,don'tI!"shecried.

Hehesitatedbriefly,thenknowinghewascourtingrejection,stillheldouthishand.

"Youwill,honey.Youwill."

Rachelglancedathermother,whonoddedanokay.Slowly,shelaidherhandinthemiddle

ofDavid'spalm,thinkingasshedidthathewasbiggerthanherdaddyandthathiseyeswere

brownlikeMom's.

David was a goner, and he knew it. All the ugliness of the past forty-eight hours withered

anddiedinthislittlegirl'seyes.

"IsawyourpictureonNanny'smantel,"Rachelsaid.

"Youdid?Whatdidyouthink?"Davidasked.

Shefrownedindeliberation,wantingtobefairwithoutactuallyaskingthefavor.

"Ithinkyoucanfish."

Hesmiled."Yes,Ican.Doyouliketofish?"

Itwastheopeningshe'dbeenwaitingfor.

"Oh,yes,Ido.Andifyouwilltakemesometime,Iwillshowyouhowtocatchamuchbigger

fish."

Davidrockedbackonhisheelsandburstintolaughter.

Rachellookedalittlestartled,notquitesurewhateveryonethoughtwassofunny,butglad

theywerehappy.

DavidstoodandwrappedhisarmsaroundCara.

"Thankyou,darling,"hesaidsoftly.

"Forwhat?"sheasked.

"Forlettingmeknowwhatitfeelsliketocomehome."

Epilogue

«^

July4,2001

Thedaywashotandstill.Inthedistance,theUnitedStatesMarineBandwastuningupas

peoplecontinuedgatheringonthemallbetweentheLincolnMemorialandtheWashington

Monument.Inafewmoments,Davidwouldjoinhisfamilyforthefestivities,buttherewas

somethinghe'dleftundone.Somethinghe'ddoneattheWalleveryFourthofJulysinceits

inception.

He started down the pathway in front of the memorial, trying not to think of what had

happenedhereonlyafewshortdaysbefore.Withthesunbeamingdownonhisbarearms,he

should have been sweltering, but his mind was locked into a storm, and the rain pouring

down—andhisbrotherpointingagunathischest.

DozensanddozensofpeoplelinedthepathalongtheWall,eachpayingtheirowntributeto

alovedoneonthisdayofindependence.Therosehewascarryingfeltheavyinhishand—a

burdenhedidn'twanttobear.Unconsciously,hisfingersclenched,andastheydid,athorn

pricked.Hewinced,butconsideredthepainasnolessthanhedeserved.

Ten,maybetwelvestepsmoreandhewouldbethereattheplacewhereFrankhaddied.He

couldn'tlookdown—wouldn'tlookdown—yetwhenhegotthere,hisgazeautomaticallyfell

totheplacewhereFrankhadfallen.

Hepaused,staringattheconcreteuntilhiseyesbegantoburn.Finallyhesighed.

Nothing.

They'dleftnothingbehind—notevenabloodstainmarredtheplacewherehehaddied.

He turned, searching the Wall for Frank's name and then moving through the crowd to

touchit,tracingeachletterwithhisfingertip,asifthesimpleactmightresurrectandsavea

manwho'dmostlikelygonetohell.

"Family?"

Heturned.Astately,gray-hairedwomandressedinblackwasstandingathisside.

Henodded.

She pointed with a long, perfectly manicured fingertip. "That's my husband's name right

below."

Helooked."AnthonyC.DeFranco,"heread,onlyafterwardrealizingthathe'dreaditaloud.

"I called him Tony," she said, and then dabbed a handkerchief beneath the lenses of her

sunglasses."We'dbeenmarriedsixweekswhenhegotdrafted."Shesighed."Ineversawhim

again."

"I'mverysorry,"Davidsaid.

Shesighed."Yes,Iknow.We'reallsorry,aren'twe?ButithappenedandallIcoulddowas

goon."Sheshrugged,asiftoindicateitwasoutofherhands."WhatcouldIdo?Iwasstill

alive,wasn'tI?"

Thenshewalkedaway,leavingDavidwithhersimpletruth.

He turned again, this time looking at Frank's name with new emotion. The woman was

right.EventhoughFrankhaddiedonlydaysago,technically,he'dbeendeadforfortyyears

andGodknows,Davidhadgrievedforhimmorethanmost.

Itwastimetomoveon.

Afterall,hewasstillalive.

He laid the red rose at the base of the wall, touched Frank's name one last time and then

turned,lookingbackupthepathatthewaythathe'dcome.

Carawasthere,aswereallofherchildren.They'dtakentohiminspiteofthemselves,and

Godwilling,theyhadyearsandyearslefttolearntolove.

Hestartedtowalk,movingagainstthestreamofpeoplewhowerestillfilingdown—through

agroupofteenagegirls,pastacouplearminarm,thenbehindasolitarymaninanoutdated

uniform—untilCarawasinhisarms.

Heheldhertherewithoutspeakingbeneaththeheatofthesun,cherishingthebeatofher

heartagainsthischest.

"Okay?"sheaskedquietly.

Hemadehimselfsmile,andashedid,realizedthatforthefirsttimeinyearsitfeltright.

"Yes,okay."

"Thenlet'sgohome."

Theywalkedaway,losingthemselvesandthepastinthegatheringcrowd.

****