'I will. That's a promise.' Or I won't come home at all. Not on my hind legs.
He had a touch of that Ardennes feeling.
After another twenty seconds, during which he fidgeted with rubber bands and paper clips, Hank muttered, 'Good enough. Pick up your loose ends. Give Tucholski anything he can use. He'll be in charge here. Then go hope and rest up. You should get there fresh.'
'If they haven't hauled ass out of there while we've been farting around,' Cash replied sourly.
'Why should they? You said she didn't know we knew about the brother.'
Cash shrugged. 'Murphy's Law. It's been going strong up till now. Why should my luck change?'
Railsback dipped into his desk for a colorful handful of pills. He took them dry, closing his eyes and grimacing as they went down.
'Try to get back by Wednesday. That's when we're planning the funeral.' Hank took a deep breath, sighed.
Norm stared at the man's hands. They shook almost too much to manipulate the paper clips. 'And be careful. You're taking Tran? Good. Listen to him. He's a pro.'
'I will. I'm no hero. You know that.'
'Okay. Get moving.'
Cash started toward the door.
'Wait. Norm? Good luck.' Railsback half rose to extend a hand.
Surprised, Cash shook. Hank's palm was moist and cold. 'Thanks.'
He left Hank staring out the window.
It was suppertime before he got home. There was so much to do, so many people to talk to. Time fled as if some light-fingered thief were stealing his life-hours while he was preoccupied.
Malone. He was the worst chrono-bandit. Every time Cash turned around, there the agent was, pushing him for that New York address. The man wanted the stalk for himself. Apparently there were points to be tallied with Langley.
This was the downhill side. The big slide to the brink of the pit. Time seem to flow at an ever-increasing pace… He couldn't relax, couldn't rest. He kept remembering the shot-gunned cat. This was no good. He was working himself into another state of nerves…
Carrie, Nancy, and their offspring didn't help. They made his home scene seem like there was a Sicilian wake taking place amid the goings on at Little Big Horn. He finally fled to his bedroom, to lie staring at the ceiling, reviewing the insignificance and disappointment of his life.
It hadn't been much. Wouldn't become much. He hadn't contributed anything. History wouldn't have noticed at all if he had never been born. The highs and lows, the goods and evils, those hadn't touched but a handful of lives.
Not much of a bright side, thinking that, if you hadn't saved the world, at least you hadn't helped destroy it.
The next thing he knew, Annie was shaking his shoulder.
'What time is it?'
'Two.' She eased down beside him.
'I have to leave pretty soon.'
'I know.'
He rolled toward her, pulling her close.
There was a gentle sorrow to their loving, an expression of unspoken fears. For Norm there was a thirty- year-old
They hadn't been married then. Had not been lovers till that final night…
Alpha and Omega?
Annie refused to go to the airport, just as she had refused to go to the railway station back then.
Le Quyen watched her husband depart with the same sad eyes.
Matthew did the driving. It was a cool, silent morning. They had the freeway almost to themselves. There was a heavy dew, and the air smelled of rain.
Cash didn't notice Beth till after they had boarded the plane. She couldn't hide there. There weren't a dozen passengers to get lost among.
'Beth!' he exploded. 'What the hell do you think you're doing?'
'Going to Rochester.'
For half a minute he was too confused to say anything. Then, 'Girl, you just march yourself right back home.'
She sat down, buckled her seat belt.
'Come on, Beth. This isn't any job for you.'
