Will mulled it over. “Agreed.”
“So…Albuquerque? He’s going to travel back roads foras long as possible. At least till he’s sure he’s lost us.”
“If he’s taking her to LA. He could have beenlying about that. Maybe he’ll take her back to Denver.”
“True.” Taylor hadn’t considered that possibilityand wasn’t any happier for having it pointed out.
Will’s jaw clenched still tighter, but he didn’trespond. Watching him, Taylor said, “Listen…if this all goes south— or further south — I’ll take full responsibility.”
“Why would you?”
“Snatching her from Ramirez was my call, and it wasa bad call. We should have sent for backup the minute we locatedher. You would have if you’d been on your own. I fucked up.”
“You didn’t hold a gun to my head. We both fuckedup. Now we’ve got to fix it. Fast.”
“Right. I just…want you to know that whateverhappens, I won’t let it mess up your promotion.”
Will looked away from the road long enough to offera disbelieving face. “Not this again. I already told you —”
“That you’re not sure you’ll accept the Paris tour.I know.”
“I haven’t decided anything.”
Taylor nodded. Realizing Will probably couldn’t seethat gesture, he said again, “I know.”
“Really? Because every time this comes up, you makeit sound like a foregone conclusion that I’m going.”
“No.”
“I haven’t made my mind up either way.”
“Yeah. Well…”
“Well what?”
He couldn’t tell him, but that was part of whathurt: the fact that Will was seriously weighing taking thisoverseas assignment.
“It’s just…ironic. I guess. We knew one of us wouldget marching orders, but —”
“We thought it would be you.”
“Yeah.”
Taylor was the senior agent and due for promotion,and he’d been back in the States longer than Will. Four years now.But in June, Will had been part of a protection detail for theFrench president’s wife during her stay in Southern California.Apparently he’d made such a favorable impression that a request hadcome through the highest channels that he be invited to fill avacancy at the embassy in Paris.
Taylor summoned his energy and hoped any lack ofenthusiasm would be put down to natural fatigue. “It’s a big honor,and it’s an incredible opportunity. A hell of anopportunity.”
“So you keep saying.”
“And I’m proud of you. Happy for you.”
Except…
Except it would mean Will would be posted in Parisfor a minimum of two years.
Two years apart.
“But?”
“There is no but. I’m happy for you. I’mproud of you.” The more he insisted, the less sincere he sounded,and he was afraid Will could hear it.
There was an uncomfortable pause.
“Right. But if you’d been offered theassignment, you’d have refused it.”
The bitterness of Will’s tone shocked Taylor silentfor an instant. And then he was angry.
“Yeah. I would’ve.” No question in his mind. Taylorhad already thought it through, and he’d decided that if hecouldn’t avoid another overseas tour, he’d resign. Leaving a job heloved was obviously the final recourse. He was pretty sure thatwith his excellent record and history of foreign service, he’d beable to postpone another overseas assignment for a couple moreyears, until he and Will were on more stable ground.
“Bullshit.”
The fierceness of Will’s denial shut him up. Heshouldn’t have brought it up in any case, least of all now. But theunfairness still rankled. That was the way Taylor would haveplayed it, whether Will wanted to believe it or not. Taylor wastrying very hard to be supportive of Will — which meant fightinghis own worst instincts. It’d be nice to get a little credit.
“Fine. Forget I said anything.”
“Sure. No problem.”
He could hear the controlled anger vibrating inWill’s voice. Unlike Taylor, it took a lot to rile Will, so he wasobviously feeling self-righteous. Maybe Taylor really was in thewrong here. The promotion was Will’s, and Will wanted it. Of coursehe did. Taylor couldn’t blame him for that. It was a plumassignment, and there was no telling where it might ultimatelylead. In fact, if it wasn’t for his relationship with Taylor, Willwould probably have accepted the minute he’d been offered thetour.
Nor had Will been with the service long enough to beas sure declining an overseas posting wouldn’t have a detrimentaleffect on his career.
There was every reason to accept — and only one todecline. And Taylor knew he was a selfish bastard for even thinkingWill should put their still-tentative relationship first. At leasthe hadn’t committed the cardinal sin of asking. Not in so manywords, anyway.
He said, trying to undo some of the damage, “Look, Idon’t know how we got off on this. All I meant to say was…I don’twant your choices to be limited because of what we did heretonight.”
“Don’t worry about it. I make my own decisions.”Will scowled, concentrating on the storm-swept road.
True enough, but Taylor knew he’d dragged Will alongon this New Mexico detour. Left to his own recognizance, Will wouldhave played this by the book and Kelila Hedwig would now be safelyin custody and on her way back to Los Angeles.
For a few minutes, the only sound was thehiss of tires on wet road and the beat of the windshieldwipers. There was no sign of taillights anywhere in the darknessstretching ahead.
“I believed her,” Taylor said, thinking aloud.“Believed her…fear that she wouldn’t make it back to LA alive. Iread genuine terror there.”
It was satisfying, even reassuring, the way Willinstantly returned to business as though their earlier argument hadnever occurred. “That could have been fear of what she’s facing inLA.”
“Yeah. Fair enough.”
And if Hedwig had been telling the truth, maybeNemov was tasked with making sure she never reached herdestination.
He felt rather than saw Will look his way again.“Hey. I trust your instincts, MacAllister.” There was an apology ofsorts in there.
Taylor nodded.
“Although you’ve got to get over this notion thatyou’re bulletproof.”
Taylor snorted.
Will reached over, found his hand, and squeezedbriefly before steadying the wheel once more. “It’ll be okay. Wegot into this together. We’ll get out of it together.”
Taylor nodded, already missing that hard, warm hold.Will had been making more of these physical gestures lately. It wasone reason Taylor was pretty sure Will was taking the Paris job,even if he didn’t know it himself yet.
“Any sign of that sonofabitch ahead of
