behind her as she set up for the shot.
“Where is he?” she murmured to the Ghost.
The Frenchman began to give a description, and after a few seconds, Kat cut in. “Got him.”
She murmured, “Target acquired. Request green light.”
Jeff answered immediately. “You are greenlighted.”
At his feet, she went completely still, as relaxed as if she were deeply asleep. Her legs sprawled wide to stabilize her body on her belly. Her right arm draped over his gun’s stock, and her cheek pressed against the housing as gently as a lover. He actually felt the calm that rolled off her, the utter concentration as her entire world narrowed down to a single point in her sights.
She exhaled slowly.
And then a single shot rang out.
Kat spoke emotionlessly. “Clean head shot. Target is down.”
Jeff sagged behind her.
She rolled over onto her back and the Ghost helped her to her feet. To the Frenchman, she said, “Thank you, my friend. I owe you one this time.”
“No, we are even. You went into that ambush instead of moi. I t’ink I would have died in there.”
“Not before you told them where you got that disk of yours,” Jeff commented.
The Ghost looked at him in surprise. “The Renoir job.”
Jeff nodded. They’d been right. The Indian businessmen. “Do you know who those men waiting for you were?”
“They are Russian. Not government. Private. How you say-mafiosi. The oil minister. He want his movie back and hire them.”
“Can you prove that?” Jeff asked.
The Ghost shrugged. “My source…’e cannot reveal himself to the likes of you. But ’e is never wrong.”
Jeff sighed. As he’d expected.
Jennifer spoke into his ear. “Police en route. Those outside shots were heard and reported by a neighbor.”
Kat started. “You must leave, my friend. The police are on their way.”
Jeff started. “Leave? Not on your life! He’s stolen a hundred million dollars’ worth of art. He’s under arrest!”
Kat turned to him. She didn’t say a word. She just looked at him with sad, wise eyes. And he knew in his heart that she was right. The honorable thing to do was as plain as day in her gaze. No wonder Vanessa Blake called her the Medusas’ compass arrow of right and wrong. He hesitated a moment more…
And then nodded in acknowledgment.
He turned to face the Ghost. “In light of the fact that you just saved the life of the woman I plan to marry, I think we can make an exception in this case. If you head down toward the beach, we can stall the police here.”
A wide smile broke across the thief’s face. He bowed his head briefly at Jeff, then turned to face Kat. He pressed a small rectangle of white into her hand. “If you ever have need of me, you have but to call this number. A message will reach me.”
He turned to leave, then paused and looked over his shoulder.
“She is a precious diamond, a woman of extraordinary worth. Take good care of her, monsieur.”
“Trust me. I plan to. For the rest of my life and hers.”
And as the Ghost faded away into the night, Jeff turned to face his future. Kat stepped into his arms eagerly, fitting against him as if she’d been born for him.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“For what? For letting him go? Or for finally seeing you for who you really are, and finally wrapping my brain around the fact that you can handle yourself every bit as well as I can? Or for accepting you for who you are-all of you, including your job and your crazy training and your blasted sense of honor?”
She laughed quietly. “All of that.”
“I love you, you know.”
She froze. Slowly she leaned back to look up at him. “Are you sure?”
It was his turn to laugh. “Oh, yeah. I’m sure. I was ready to slay lions and charge into hell for you in there. I’m a goner. Cupid’s Bolt did me in.”
“Gee, and here I thought it was Medusa’s arrow that got you.”
“That she did. She’s got all of me forever if she’ll have me. What do you say, darlin’? Will you marry me?”
Her smile was bright enough to light the heavens and illuminated his heart until he thought it might burst. “I thought you’d never ask. It would be my honor to have you.”
Jennifer Blackfoot’s voice came up on frequency, startling them both. “Uh, one of you is leaning on your transmit button.”
Kat buried her face against his chest in mortification as laughter and cheering erupted over their earpieces. And then General Wittenauer’s voice came up on frequency. “You’d better take good care of her, son. She’s like a daughter to me.”
Jeff closed his eyes in chagrin. “Yes, sir. I will, sir.” He gazed down at Kat apologetically. “So much for privacy for the two of us.”
“Welcome to my world,” she said, rolling her eyes.
He grinned down at her. “I think I’m gonna like it there. A lot.” He took her hand in his, and together, the two of them turned to walk into whatever the future held.
CINDY DEES
started flying airplanes while sitting in her dad’s lap at the age of three and got a pilot’s license before she got a driver’s license. At age fifteen, she dropped out of high school and left the horse farm in Michigan where she grew up to attend the University of Michigan.
After earning a degree in Russian and East European Studies, she joined the U.S. Air Force and became the youngest female pilot in its history. She flew supersonic jets, VIP airlift and the C-5 Galaxy, the world’s largest airplane. She also worked part-time gathering intelligence. During her military career, she traveled to forty countries on five continents, was detained by the KGB and East German secret police, got shot at, flew in the first Gulf War, met her husband and amassed a lifetime’s worth of war stories.
Her hobbies include professional Middle Eastern dancing, Japanese gardening and medieval reenacting. She started writing on a one-dollar bet with her mother and was thrilled to win that bet with the publication of her first book in 2001. She loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at www.cindydees.com.
