Devlin looked away. “Impressive.”
He lifted a shoulder.
She confronted him. “And where’d you learn that neat little trick?”
“Before joining the DEA, I spent a few years over at another three-letter agency...the Central Intelligence Agency. I could read an asset and know more about him than he knew about himself.”
Her eyes narrowing, she gave him the once-over. “Well, you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you? Anything else I should know?”
“I’d love to tell you more, but,” he gave the area a quick scan and bobbed his head backward, toward the north, “how about we walk and chew gum at the same time? The good folks,” he motioned at the house, his mind’s eye seeing the bodies inside, “who sent them...might send more when the dead don’t report back. And,” he glanced around again, “we’re exposed out here.”
After giving the terrain her own visual assessment, she extended a hand. “Lead the way, mister man-of-a-thousand-revelations.”
Randall started to go around the structure.
“And just so you know, this changes nothing. For the time being, our interests align. When we get back to the States, I’m still taking you into custody. From there, the courts can deal with you.”
He stopped and half turned toward her, flashing a short-lived smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
*******
Half hour later
4:49 p.m.
“I’m curious. Since the firefight at the road, you’ve had the means to free yourself. Why haven’t you?”
Staying close to the tree line, Devlin and Randall, she on his left, marched along the edge of a wide stretch of farmland. Tall trees to the west gave them shade, but the humidity was relentless. Their shirts were moist. Their skin glistened.
Randall half shrugged. “I’m the unknown in this scenario. As far as you knew, I was a wanted man. Freeing myself would have only reinforced that belief. You had to be the one to make the decision to let me go.”
They walked a few paces.
“Plus, my life wasn’t in any immediate danger.”
Devlin glanced his way. “Ambushed by armed men and attacked again at that house doesn’t constitute immediate danger? You were unarmed, and your hands were chained to your waist.”
He returned her look, adding a brief smile. “Minor inconveniences.” He faced forward. “I was trained by one of the CIA’s best. He taught me how to...defend myself...in many, many ways; most of those ways requiring no weapons,” he lifted his hands, “except these.”
“As long as we’re on the topic of the CIA, I have another question.”
“Fire away.”
“Ever since we met, you’ve been plying your CIA tradecraft on me...reading me like a book, haven’t you?”
He half grinned. “Sorry...force of habit I guess. I see someone, and my mind starts analyzing that person’s every word, every body movement. I notice things most people don’t.”
Devlin wiped sweat from her forehead, swallowed hard, and smacked her lips. “Well, you can knock it off. It’s unnerving.”
Randall held out his water bottle, one of two he had taken from the dead men. “I’ll do my best.”
Having consumed her bottle ten minutes ago, she eyed the clear liquid in his and glanced at him. “Did you use your CIA training to figure out I was thirsty?”
“Nope. All I needed was my humanity for that one.” He nudged her arm. “Take it.”
She shook her head. “That’s yours.”
“You lost a lot of fluids back there wrestling with that woman. You need it more than I do.”
Flicking her eyes toward the refreshment, Devlin drew a scant amount of saliva deeper into her mouth.
“Besides, I’m like a camel. I can go for miles without needing water.”
“Thanks, but I’m good.”
He let out a short laugh. “Tough, devoted and selfless. Good qualities for a mother to have.”
She whipped her head his way. “How’d you know I was a mother?”
He turned up a corner of his mouth. “I didn’t...until you—”
“Just,” she nodded, “confirmed it for you.”
“Also, while you’re a fit woman overall,” after glimpsing her midsection, “your little tummy bulge led me to believe,” he lifted his gaze to be greeted with a nasty if-looks-could-kill stare, “you had,” before faltering and turning away, “have...led me to believe you have a terrific figure.”
Outwardly, her expression remained unchanged. Inwardly, she felt her defensive posture toward this man soften ever so slightly. “You know, for a CIA spook, that was a terrible recovery.”
“It was, wasn’t it?”
They took a few more paces.
“Anyway, back to the matter at hand.” He offered her the water.
“I told you. That’s yours.”
“Okay,” Randall unscrewed the cap, “we’ll compromise...and split it.” He took a pull and extended the skinny, plastic cylinder.
She examined the container. “That wasn’t half.”
Randall wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “Close enough. Now,” he pressed the bottle to her body, “at the risk of raising my voice and pissing you off even further, will you just take the dang water, Devlin...before you see me get angry?”
She took a couple swallows and glimpsed him. “So, all this time, I’ve been witnessing the charming side of Noah Randall?”
Facing her, he flashed his best, on-demand attempt at a charming smile. “How’ve I been so far?”
Devlin wavered. “Do I have to answer that?”
He laughed. “I’m afraid you just did.”
She forfeited the water bottle. “Where are we going, anyway?”
He finished off the drink and gestured at the approaching trees. “I have a friend—from my CIA days—who lives near here. He’ll be able to get us some transportation. We should be at his place in about an hour or so.”
∞=∞=∞=∞=∞=∞=∞
.
Chapter 16
Black SUV
7:04 p.m.
alexandria, virginia
After stopping the car in front of the garage and killing the engine, Ashford leaned forward and checked the side mirror to his left before scanning the area to his right. Complete with tinted windows and government plates, the black four-door SUV he had spotted at Cassandra’s school, the park, and outside the ice cream shop—twenty minutes ago—was not in sight.
In the backseat, her lips haloed in chocolate ice cream, Cassandra licked the dark mound atop the sugar cone. “When is Mommy,” she dragged her tongue across the cold treat again, “coming
