“HAH! Good point,” Peterson barked a laugh.
“Well, it’s worse, though,” Daggert said. “See, they must have planned for this, because his replacement is already on the way, complete with a new staff. So now we don’t know where the ball will be coming from.”
“And need someone on site to find out,” Gorski sighed.
“Yes. As soon as we can get someone there. Preferably before the new ambassador arrives, so we can maybe get our mole entrenched before he gets there.”
Everyone turned to look at Ashton. Ames bit her lip and paled almost white. Ashton drew a deep breath, threw Ames an apologetic glance, and sighed.
“All right. But if I miss the birth of my baby girl, you all owe me. Big time.”
“Done,” Daggert and Carter said simultaneously.
Later that day, Ashton called Peabody into his office and closed the door. “Have a seat, Win,” he said, resuming his chair behind the desk.
“Hey, Nick,” Peabody said. “What’s up?”
“How are Emily and little Anna?”
“They’re doing great, Nick!” Peabody declared, fairly lighting up. “Anna is growing like a water-weed, and Emily’s almost got her next book out! I couldn’t ask for a better home life.”
“That’s great, Win. I’m really happy for you.”
“Then… why aren’t you smiling?”
“Oh,” Ashton said, waving a hand and offering a slight smile. “I’m sorry. I’m…” he broke off. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“Cally, little Paul, and the baby on the way… when you’re not even gonna be here, maybe, when Leya is born.”
“Well, it’s a little worse than that,” Ashton murmured. “I’m going into enemy territory, Win. I’m a cop, not a secret agent. But we don’t have secret agents, at least outside the military, and I’m decent at it, so I’m drafted. And… it’s entirely possible I might not come back.”
“Shit. I… hadn’t thought of it quite like that.”
“So… I need to ask a favor.”
“Ask away.”
“If anything happens to me, I already know you and Pete will take good care of the Gang, because you have been for the last two years,” Ashton said, “but I’m worried about Cally and the kids. I…” He broke off again. “Look, if something happens to me, I’m depending on you to take care of Cally and the kids. If… if you’re okay with that. If Emily will be okay with that.”
“I’m okay with it, and Emily will be fine with it,” Peabody said. “I swear, if I’m needed, I will look out for ‘em, Nick. But I don’t want you going into this case with that in the forefront of your mind, or even in the back of it. You need to have a positive outlook, or your subconscious will ensure it happens,” he said earnestly. “I’ve been around the block enough to have seen that in action. Swear to me.”
“Swear what?”
“Swear to me that you’re going to trust us to look out for things here, and let it go, not focus on it. Just focus on getting your mission accomplished, and getting the hell off of Carolina as fast as you can. In one piece, and safe.”
Ashton stared at Peabody for a long moment, seeing the sincerity in the other man’s face. Finally he nodded.
“Okay, Win. Yes, I swear I will do just that, to the best of my ability.”
“Good. Don’t worry about anything else.”
“I’ll try.”
That night was an emotional uproar in the Ashton household. Cally was distraught, crying most of the night; her parents were almost as upset. Confused, little Paul ran around the apartment, unsure whether to play or cry or scream in fear at his mother’s unusual emotions, and therefore alternating between the three, causing even more ruckus whenever he began screaming.
“Honey, what would you have me do differently?” Nick finally asked Cally, after her parents took Paul off to their condo so that the couple could talk without worrying their son.
“You could send Adrian instead,” Cally sobbed into his chest, as they sat on the couch and he held her.
“No, I can’t,” Nick murmured. “Listen to me, Cal. You know about the killer that the media are calling the ‘New Ripper.’”
“Yeah… but you could do that one just as well, if not better!”
“Maybe I could and maybe I couldn’t. The point is, I’m not on that case right now. And Adrian and Rich have dug into it. Adrian thinks they may be within days, certainly no more than a couple of weeks, from closing the net – I talked to him today, so that’s straight from him. If I go in there and start rearranging things now, yanking Adrian and replacing him – even if his replacement is me – I could screw everything up, even tip off the Ripper. And then all their hard work for the last two months is ruined, and we’d have to start all over again. With who knows how many more people violated and murdered in the meantime, while we’re struggling to regain all that lost ground.” He tucked his fingers under her chin and lifted her face to look into it. “I know you better than to think that’s what you want.”
“N-no,” she whispered, meeting his eyes, those golden-brown eyes she adored. “That’s not what I want. But I don’t want you to go, either! You might not come back!”
“You know that’s true every time either of us goes out on a case, Cal,” he told her. “Why is this any different?”
“Because you’re gonna be so far away! If anything happens, there’s nothing I can do!”
“We’re only a heartbeat away from that, here on
