Blaze of Glory (23 page)

“Because
of
that,
I
consider
my
job
all
the
more
important,
to
make
sure
their
humanity
isn’t
damaged.
The burdens
they
carry
on
their
souls
are
heavy.
These
soldiers
and
airmen
resent
me,
fear
I’ll
take
away
their calling
to
serve,
but
in
actuality
my
job
makes
them
able
to
perform
better,
longer,
healthier.
In
a
nutshell, training
their
minds
for
combat
is
every
bit
as
important
as
training
their
bodies.”

“How
do
you
keep
them
from
being
egomaniacs?”

“Some
are.”

“Their
poor
wives.”

Grace
Marie
couldn’t
agree
more
and
ohmigod,
so
not
a
subject
she
wanted
to
think
about
with
Bobby
on the
brain—not
to
mention
his
sleek
physique
glistening
with
sweat
as
he
threw
everything
into
the
game.

Grace
Marie
tried
to
explain
this
nearly
inexplicable
concept
as
best
she
could.
“Aren’t
there
personality repercussions
in
any
career?
Good
and
bad.
What
about
a
heart
surgeon
who
shoves
his
hands
inside
a human
being’s
body
and
squeezes
life
back
into
a
heart?
Wow.
What
power.” Mind
boggled,
Grace
Marie
shook
her
head
at
the
magnitude
of
it
all
that
she
tried
not
to
think
of
too
often.

It
helped
her
to
focus
on
the
vulnerable,
human
quirks
of
each
person
she
treated.
“Truly,
for
the
most
part, they—”
she
jabbed
a
finger
toward
Bobby
doing
the
electric
slide
while
he
cheered
his
point
made
“—are brave,
selfsacrificing
men
who
keep
it
all
in
balance
by
remembering
to
enjoy
life.”

“Okay,
I
see
your
point,
and
I
even
agree,
but
they’re
still
not
my
cup
of
tea.” Felicia
didn’t
think
these
guys
were
hot?
Sheesh.
Even
being
involved
with
Bobby,
Grace
Marie
could
still shiver
a
little
at
the
macho
factor
of
his
crew
members
around
him.
“You’re
joking,
right?
That’s
like
saying Godiva
chocolates
suck—a
total
sacrilege.”

“Some
women
don’t
like
chocolate.”

Not
like
Godivas?
What
women?

And
as
soon
as
that
thought
hit
her,
she
realized
the
shallow
nature
of
her
kneejerk
reaction.
She
couldn’t miss
Felicia’s
obvious
attraction
to
Grace
Marie’s
buff
but
brainy
and
balding
dad.
Not
all
women
went
for the
guys
who
put
themselves
on
the
line
physically.
Some
women
thrilled
to
the
genius
factor.
Which
ought to
make
Grace
Marie
glad
that
someone
could
recognize
her
father
as
more
than
a
meal
ticket,
but
how
could she
be
sure
she
could
trust
this
woman—a
globetrotting
sexpot
secret
agent
of
all
things?

So
upon
further
reflection…
“All
right,
I
see
where
you’re
coming
from
now.
You’d
think
with
all
my training
I
would
have
known
better.
What
kind
of
guy
does
it
for
you?”

“I
guess
in
your
psychological
language
of
alpha
males
and
beta
males,
I
would
be
firmly
in
the
camp
that prefers
the
more
laidback
betas,”
she
took
a
deep
breath,
“like
your
father.” Theyhad
been
kissing
when
captured,
but
in
the
back
of
her
mind,
Grace
Marie
had
wondered
if
the
woman was
using
her
father.
Now
she
wasn’t
so
sure.

That
took
some
serious
mind
shifting,
thinking
of
her
father
in
a
real
relationship
with
a
happily
ever
after
of his
own.
He
deserved
it,
absolutely,
but
it
would
take
an
amazingly
strong
and
unique
woman.
Did
this woman,
with
her
prissy
ways
and
bright
red
lipstick,
have
it
in
her?
In
some
ways
her
preoccupation
with appearance
reminded
Grace
Marie
of
her
mother.

Except
her
mothernever
would
have
been
a
secret
agent
for
an
international
nuclear
agency.

People
were
complicated.
She
of
all
people
should
know
that.
Just
because
Bobby
was
alpha
confident
in his
job
didn’t
mean
he
wasn’t
vulnerable
in
relationships.

Shocker
of
all
shockers,
he
was
just
as
scared
as
she
was
of
all
this
turmoil
roiling
between
them.
She’d
seen the
wariness
in
his
eyes,
but
not
the
fear.
Until
now.

And
wasn’t
that
a
liberating
thought?

“Excuse
me,
Felicia,”
Grace
Marie
tossed
over
her
shoulder
as
she
shot
out
of
her
seat
and
sprinted
toward the
makeshift
volleyball
court
as
they
rotated
positions
between
plays.

She
kicked
up
sand
on
her
way
over.
“Hey,
Bobby,
your
team
looks
like
it’s
short
a
member.” His
eyes
went
wary
as
she
approached.
“That
it
is,
Gracie.” She
stopped
just
shy
of
his
sweaty
chest.
“Mind
if
I
join
you?” Face
ambled
up,
panting
hard.
“Sweet
Jesus,
please
do.
These
C17
dudes
and
their
maintenance
guys
are kicking
our
butts
and
we’ll
never
live
it
down.”

“Bobby?”
She
cocked
her
head
to
the
side,
perspiration
trickling
down
the
back
of
her
neck
from
more
than the
heat.
“Do
you
need
me?”

Oops.
She
hadn’t
meant
to
ask
quite
that
way
and,
sheesh,
did
he
ever
look
panicked,
which
panicked
her
as well
because
that
meant
things
were
going
deep
here.

Time
to
lighten
the
mood.
“I’ve
got
a
mean
overhand
serve.” Sandman
swung
around
in
front
of
her
and
fell
to
one
knee.
“A
woman
with
an
overhand
serve.
I
may
well be
in
love.”

Taking
their
positions,
the
whole
team
laughed—except
for
Bobby.

Gracie
settled
into
place,
pitched
the
volleyball
into
the
air
and
slammed
a
clean,
unreturnable
serve
over
the net.

Too
bad
it
felt
like
she’d
launched
her
stomach
right
along
with
the
ball.

INSIDE
HER
TENT,
Jiang
was
pleased
she’d
managed
to
persuade
the
guards
to
let
her
and
Rurik
share quarters
by
insisting
they
were
newleyweds.
She
unpacked
the
goods
the
Americans
had
given
them
to
set up
a
room,
bedrolls
for
their
cots,
pillows
and
a
few
extra
of
those
brown
packaged
meals—MREs?

She’d
lit
some
candles
along
with
turning
on
the
lanterns.
Felicia
had
introduced
her
to
Dr.
Lanier’s daughter.
Grace
Marie
Lanier
was
a
closet
romantic,
so
easy
to
read.
It
hadn’t
taken
much
persuasion
and
a few
welledup
tears
to
get
the
woman
to
find
her
some
candles
in
the
camp.
Jiang
had
pretended
such sadness
over
not
having
time
for
a
honeymoon
with
her
new
husband,
since
now
they
were
being
held
for questioning.

Rurik
had
actually
sneaked
out
of
the
university
compound
with
Jiang
a
couple
of
days
ago,
but
not
to
get married.
Rather
to
pass
along
the
final
bits
of
knowledge
Jiang
had
stolen
from
Matthias
Lanier,
information they
hoped
would
help
their
group
be
able
to
build
a
dirty
nuke.

A
dirty
nuke
wasn’t
a
true
nuclear
explosion,
but
rather
a
conventional
explosion
that
spread
nuclear
waste.

Easier
to
build,
less
technology
needed
than
for
a
nuclear
bomb.
Not
as
destructive
but
still
grossly
fearsome.

Especially
for
its
accessibility.

Slipping
out
had
been
simple.
Rurik
had
become
a
security
expert
for
a
reason,
even
though
he
preferred science
labs.
He
was
a
practical
man.
She
admired
that
about
him.

Elections
were
scheduled
for
four
days
from
now.
He
needed
to
maximize
the
impact.
Too
close
to
the election
and
people
would
be
too
stunned
for
it
to
make
a
difference.
They
needed
to
give
the
country
a couple
of
days
to
feel
the
impact.

The
tent
flap
swept
open
and
there
he
was,
filling
the
space
with
his
broad
shoulders,
his
hair
damp
from
a shower,
his
face
freshly
shaved,
making
his
dark
soul
patch
on
his
chin
all
the
more
prominent.

Sexy.

Wordlessly,
he
tugged
the
flap
closed
and
sealed
it
tight.
She
hurried
across
the
small
tent,
running
right
to him
as
he
turned
with
his
arms
open.

“We
have
tonight
all
to
ourselves.”

She
shivered
in
anticipation.
They
were
nearing
the
time
of
making
their
big
move.
She
just
wondered
what new
plans
Rurik
had.

Backing
her
into
the
room,
he
shuffled
her
toward
the
cot.

His
hands
skimmed
over
her
body
with
familiar
knowledge,
arousal,
love,
and
oh
how
her
parched
heart needed
affection
since
the
murder
of
her
family,
her
parents
and
baby
sisters.
But
with
Rurik
she’d
found
a new
family,
connection,
love.

Together,
they
could
avenge
the
death
of
their
cell
comrades,
and
so
many
more
who
had
become
her
new family.
People
called
them
terrorists,
and
she
guessed
that,
yes,
they
often
had
to
use
fear
to
make
people listen,
to
get
their
views
across.
But
she
preferred
to
think
of
herself
as
a
freedom
fighter.

Rurik
had
knowledge
and
connections
she
could
never
find
on
her
own.
She
relished
his
strength
and
power outside
the
bed
as
well
as
in.

He’d
made
it
possible
for
her
to
infiltrate
the
inner
sanctum
of
the
university
retreat.
They
had
passed
so much
data
on
to
the
new
order.
North
Cantou.
South
Cantou.
She
didn’t
care
which
side.
All
she
knew
was their
infighting
had
killed
her
family.

She
and
Rurik
had
lived
under
such
immense
pressure
for
so
long.
How
amazing
to
simply
be
with
each other.
Even
pretending
to
be
married
felt
wonderful.
Her
dreams
for
forever
were
so
close.
Although
first they
would
need
to
see
this
through
somehow.
He
backed
her
to
the
cot,
the
edge
hitting
the
back
of
her knees.

Jiang
stopped
him,
too
many
questions
piling
up.
She
couldn’t
escape
the
sense
he
was
using
sex
to
delay—

or
even
avoid—talking.
“What
are
we
going
to
do
now
that
we’re
out
of
the
compound?” He
lowered
her
to
their
musty
bed,
covering
his
body
with
hers
even
as
he
whispered
their
new
plans.
“We will
simply
adjust
our
plans
and
hit
another
target.
Not
a
problem.
Enough
information
has
been
sent.” To
their
cell
that
an
explosive
could
be
built,
but
how
would
they
be
delivered?
And
where,
to
make
a statement
without
killing
people?
Would
Rurik
be
content
now
to
let
someone
else
carry
out
the
final
stage?

She
was
adamant
about
that.
She
didn’t
want
to
be
like
the
people
who
had
taken
out
her
family.
Questions piled
up
in
her
head.

Jiang
opened
her
mouth
and
he
placed
his
fingers
over
her
lips.
“Shh.
Enough
for
now.” Of
course.
They
had
to
be
careful
of
what
they
said
aloud
here
among
these
American
soldiers.
He
swore that
after
this
mission
he
was
through.
Surely
that
meant
he
wanted
a
regular
job
and
life,
his
obligation
to world
peace
complete.
They
could
share
stories
of
their
escapades
with
their
grandchildren.

She
snuggled
more
fully
against
him,
tension
seeping
out
her
toes.
They
were
lucky
to
have
this
small
tent
to themselves,
even
with
the
guard
posted.
Her
Rurik
could
slip
past
that
paltry
security
in
a
simple
breath.

What
a
strong
life
partner
he
would
make.
Never
would
she
be
alone,
vulnerable
again
to
marauding, abusive
troops.

The
cut
of
his
muscles,
the
heat
of
his
body
seeped
through
her
silky
pantsandblouse
ensemble.
She
felt him
stir
against
her
stomach
and
knew
his
thoughts
mirrored
hers.

Time
alone
was
a
gift
not
to
be
squandered.

He
rubbed
his
cleanshaven
face
against
her
cheek
and
whispered
in
her
ear,
“Let
us
turn
out
the
lanterns, blow
out
the
candles.”

“You
are
not
into
voyeurism?”

“You
constantly
surprise
me,
little
rose.
The
idea
has
merits,
except
I
am
too
greedy
to
share
even
shadows of
you
with
anyone.”

“How
romantic.”

“Not
at
all.”
His
hard
face
loomed
over
her,
jaw
flexing.
“I
am
fierce
on
this.
You
will
never
be
with
anyone except
me.”

His
possessiveness
smoked
through
her
much
like
the
residual
scent
of
candles,
yet
a
tangy
scent
as
well.

Stirring
and
unsettling
her
all
at
once.

He,
however,
appeared
totally
focused,
his
eyes
and
intent
clear.
They
would
be
making
love.

They
were
able
to
have
sex
at
will,
thanks
to
her
intrauterine
device.
No
worries
about
making
a
baby
until they
were
ready
and
safe.

Jiang
dropped
to
her
knees,
huffing
at
the
candles
one
by
one,
the
acrid
curls
of
smoke
stinging
her
eyes
and bringing
tears.
She
sniffled.

He
reached
to
shut
off
the
lanterns—one,
two,
three—submerging
the
tent
in
darkness.
Sounds
from
outside magnified,
the
soldiers
standing
guard,
others
using
the
showers
or
merely
milling
about.

She
would
have
to
stay
very
quiet
while
they
made
love.

Rurik
scooped
her
up
and
placed
her
on
the
cot
before
covering
her
body
with
his.
She
accepted
him
inside, so
deep
he
touched
her
womb
as
perfectly
as
he
touched
her
heart.

They’d
spent
the
past
month
reinventing
the
Kama
Sutra,
yet
right
now
he
seemed
intent
on
making
sweet, reverent
love
to
her.
How
strange
that
it
should
turn
her
on
more
than
any
of
their
past
intense,
sometimes almost
violent
sex.

She
rocked
her
hips
and
touched
every
inch
of
him,
soaking
in
this
special
moment,
wondering
if
anything could
ever
be
this
perfect
again.

Jiang
flew
apart
in
his
arms
like
a
paper
flower,
fragile,
crackling
into
thousands
of
pieces
only
he
could
put together
again.
Except
his
own
release
shook
so
brutally
through
him,
she
wondered
if
the
pieces
of
him mingled
with
hers.

Rurik
shuddered
one
last
time
before
collapsing
on
top
of
her.

He
brushed
kisses
against
the
side
of
her
face
and
he
stroked
along
her
arms,
legs,
body
during
her aftershocks.

Such
tenderness.

“I
love
you,
little
rose,”
he
mumbled
in
her
ear.

What
an
odd
time
to
realize
he’d
never
said
the
words
before.
She
stroked
her
hands
down
his
muscular, sweatslicked
back.
“And
I
you.
Always.”

While
her
hands
moved,
her
mind
raced.
So
many
things
seemed…off.
Yes,
off.
But
her
mind
couldn’t
wrap around
it
all
with
so
much
pleasure
still
pulsing
through
her
body
as
she
slipped
into
the
deep
sleep
of
the replete.

Waking
later—how
much
later,
she
didn’t
know,
only
that
it
was
dark
and
cold.
She
stretched
under
the itchy
blanket
on
her
cot,
rolling
onto
her
side
to
look
for
Rurik
on
the
other
cot
they’d
pushed
right
up
beside hers
for
a
makeshift
double
bed.

Empty.

Where
was
he?
Her
eyes
adjusted
to
the
dark
and
she
scanned
the
small
tent,
only
to
find
him
nowhere
in sight.
She
sat
bolt
upright,
switched
on
the
lantern
by
her
cot
and
searched,
only
to
find
herself
alone.

Completely.
Sounds
outside
were
still
much
the
same
as
when
they’d
made
love,
a
slight
shuffle
of
guards.

So
where
was
Rurik?
The
showers?
She
waited.
And
waited.
And
as
the
sun
rose,
she
finally
had
to
accept the
truth.

Somehow
he’d
slipped
out
of
the
camp.
He
had
left
her.

She
thought
through
their
lovemaking
and
her
sense
of
something
wrong…something
off.

In
the
clear
cold
of
morning,
alone,
she
realized
he
had
not
been
celebrating
a
marriage
of
their
hearts.
He had
been
saying
goodbye.
Yet
since
she
knew
in
her
soul
he
loved
her,
she
could
only
conclude
he
intended to
carry
forth
their
mission
anyway.

He
still
planned
to
go
forth
but
had
not
told
her.
That
hurt.
They’d
been
partners
in
this
from
the
start
and now
he
excluded
her.
Did
he
plan
to
go
back
into
the
university
compound?
But
his
credibility
there
would be
compromised
now.

She
thought
hard
and
long
about
options
they’d
discussed
in
the
past,
and
what
in
the
world
could
he
want to
blow
up
out
here?
There
were
no
buildings
that
would
have
deserted
wings
at
night.