Chasing Shadows (30 page)
"Nah, but I was almost blown up. Your friend Neil helped, I'll bet he'd love to tell you about it."
"Great idea," Chase said, tugging at Lucky's IV pole so that the ATF man had no choice but to follow. "Why don't you tell Jay all about it—somewhere else. Like the cafeteria."
Jay looked confused, but Lucky grinned and gave Chase a wink. "Sure thing, partner," he said, ushering Jay out into the hallway.
Chase turned back to KC, his fingers rubbing the small box in his pocket. He took a deep breath. Going into battle was a hell of a lot easier than this.
KC looked up at Chase. He had a mournful expression on his face as if he'd just lost something vital to him. His hand kept stroking her arm, her hair, and she wondered if he was trying to find the words to say good-bye.
"Guess we really screwed things up," she said.
He grimaced, his gaze still on the door Lucky and Jay had exited through.
"Guess so." He sighed, then a half-smile crossed his face. "What were you thinking, crashing in there on my Harley?"
"Wasn't really thinking anything except that you were in danger. Freddie told me your gun was loaded with blanks."
"Crazy thing is, your stunt almost worked."
He ruffled her hair with his fingers, tilted her face back and looked appraisingly at her swollen eye. The doctor said nothing was broken, but she was certain that she had a beauty of a shiner starting.
"Until your friend, Lucky showed up."
"He thought you were going to kill me. Anyway, I owe you one."
"If you're keeping score, I figure it's about even."
She couldn't stop the shudder that crept over her as she remembered the firefight. His arm slipped around her waist, carefully avoiding the wound on her back.
"You were right earlier," he said. "None of this would have happened if I had trusted you. Every decision I made, I kept placing the job ahead of my feelings. And you, you kept doing all the wrong things for all the right reasons."
KC sighed and lay her head on his shoulder. She was so tired. "What can I say? I've never been in love before."
She felt him tense beside her. He slid off the gurney and stepped away from her, head hung low. Oh boy, here it comes. She'd lost everything on this operation. The Bureau would fire her, she'd be lucky to get a job as a meter maid, she'd killed four men—there'd be a price to pay for that, sooner or later—and now the man she'd done it all for was going to leave her.
"I was wrong, KC," he said, his voice barely audible. "Every time I chose the job over you—I was wrong."
He turned to her. "You're the answer to all my questions. I choose you, KC."
KC felt her mouth fall open. "You choose me?" A thrill of hope banished the weariness from her soul. "You mean—"
He pulled a slim box from his pocket and handed it to her. "They didn't have any rings at the gift shop," he said as she opened it.
A metal Medi-Alert Bracelet lay on a small sheet of tissue paper. She dangled it from the chain, the red enamel Star of Life glittering in the fluorescent lights.
"Turn it over," he said. "There's this machine, you just type in what—"
"However long the journey," she read, interrupting him, "together, forever."
He shuffled toward her, took her hands in his. "I resigned from The Team," he said, his eyes meeting hers finally. "I'll go anywhere you want, do anything you want—" he faltered.
"Yes," she said in a clear, firm voice that belayed the quivering in her belly. "Whatever you're asking, the answer is yes."
He opened his mouth again, but she had no need for more words. KC covered it with hers, her free hand twisting in his hair, pulling him close.
EPILOGUE
Rose found Billy in the staff lounge, coordinating the search for The Crusade's mysterious hitman via his handheld computer. "Anything?"
"No, but that's no surprise. Lucky's going to work with a sketch artist on a composite."
She blew her breath out, resisted the urge to hit something. Damn it, they were so close. To almost lose both Chase and Lucky and still come up empty—frustration didn't even begin to come close to describing how she felt.
"Did Chase tell you he's leaving us?" Billy asked, adding more fuel to her bonfire of aggravation.
"No. You're kidding me, right?"
He shook his head, a sly grin playing across his features.
"It's that girl, isn't it? Damnation, I knew she was trouble the moment I laid eyes on her."
"I hear she's talented—excellent field skills, natural at undercover work, walking lie detector one of her Quantico instructors called her. She'd be a good addition to The Team."
Rose ignored him, pacing the room, looking for something expensive to break. Damn hospital, everything was made of plastic and styrofoam.
"He's going to ask her to marry him, Rose," Billy continued as she settled for slamming the vending machine, earning herself a free Milky Way but little else.
"Think what that could mean for The Team. Two for the price of one. And," he paused as if delivering a
coup de grace
, "she knows Razgravia. Her grandfather was Konstantine Zdzieba, Gregor's brother."
The Milky Way did take the edge off the gnawing in Rose's stomach. She pivoted and faced Billy. "You know my rule. No attachments."
"No outside attachments."
Did he not see what he was asking of her? If Chase and KC both worked for her, she might have to send one of them to their death, and face the other.
Or worse, have the other going off on their own instead of completing the mission. Maybe lose them both. Rose shook her head, an image of Victor Krakow, the SEAL murdered last week flashed through her mind. Krakow was about Chase's age.
What good was fighting this fight if she couldn't protect the people in it, give them some small chance at happiness when they found it?
"I can't," she said to Billy.
"Can't or won't? Rose, your job is to put the needs of this country above everything and everyone else. These are two consenting adults. Who are you to make this decision for them? It's your responsibility to the Team to at least ask them."
Rose turned away. The man knew her too well, knew exactly which buttons to push. He was right—she had to do what was best for the Team, even if she didn't think it might be the right thing for KC and Chase.
"Damn you, Billy Price," she muttered, hating the look of triumph that crossed his face. "You win. But you're coming with me to ask them."
"Me? You don't need me—" He trailed off as she grabbed his arm and marched him down the hall to the examination room.
Rose knocked first, but it had no effect. Nor did her throat clearing. Only Billy's ear piercing whistle seemed able to break the spell that embraced the couple.
Slowly, as if waking from a deep slumber, KC and Chase parted from a kiss that was X-rated in sensuality.
"I've a question to put to both of you," Rose said once she had their attention.
They turned and stood before her, holding hands like school children in crush. She sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. They were obviously mindlessly in love, and she was about to propose something that could ruin their lives.
"Chase," she started with him, thinking that, given his recent experiences, he might decline and make her job easier, "if you stayed on the Team and KC joined, would you be able to take orders from her, give her the freedom she needed to operate independently on missions, and do you think you could work with her, knowing that you may have to order her into dangerous situations?"
His mouth dropped open as he digested her words. Rose waited for his answer, hoping he understood the gravity of what she asked and turned her down. Instead, he straightened and gripped KC's hands tighter, his face breaking out into a wide grin.
"Rose, do you mean it? That would be great!"
She raised a hand to silence him. Should have known better than to start with him. KC was certain to be more level-headed. Rose hoped. "How about you, KC? If you come on board, you'll have to leave the Bureau—"
"That's all right," KC interrupted her eagerly, "no way they're not going to fire my ass after today. Yes, I do, I will—"
"We will," Chase answered for them both, his eyes on KC, holding both her hands.
Rose sent a glare Billy's way. He slouched against the wall, smirking. She threw up her hands in resignation.
"Have it your way. As far as The Team's concerned, you're both on board. I now pronounce you man and wife."
She meant the last as sarcasm, but the man and woman before her took it literally, locking lips like a pair of teenagers.
Rose tried to conceal her grin. She remembered how it felt, once upon a time—a very long time ago.
KC broke away from Chase, reached into her jeans pocket and handed him a set of car keys. A brilliant smile lit his face as if sharing a private joke.
"You're driving, partner," KC said. Chase laughed, then pulled her into a soul-stirring embrace.
Billy sidled up to Rose, nodded to the young couple in love. "See, I told you it would all work out in the end."
"Then why do I have such a bad feeling about this?" Rose asked him. She tugged her second in command's arm and started toward the door. "C'mon, Billy. Give them some privacy. We've still got a madman to stop."
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