And inspired.
Flashing Angelina a grateful smile, she backed a safe distance away from the group, then turned and sprinted for the door.
“I still can’t believe she let you go.”
“I know.” Miranda helped herself to a third slice of pizza from the box on Kristie’s coffee table, then settled back in one of the spinner’s overstuffed easy chairs. “To her, I was a kindred spirit, thank God.”
“It was a brilliant move, telling her about you and Ray. It could have backfired, but instead, it was your ticket out of there.”
“Of course, she also didn’t want the world hearing about Night Arrow. So she might have let me go anyway.”
“After checking out your story. Verifying your background. And maybe letting her guards teach you a lesson. You definitely caught a break. Of all the people to walk into BioGeniSystems in the middle of the night…”
“It’s like you said. They must be doing some illicit testing in their lab at night. For the Carerra drug cartel. She runs it now, right? And even ten years ago, her husband had heard rumors about Night Arrow. That’s why he was torturing Kell in the first place.” Miranda sighed. “You’re right. I was lucky it was her. Not just because she let me go, but because it taught me something.”
“Let me guess,” Kristie protested with a groan. “Life after Ortega? Are we going to go through that again?”
Miranda laughed. “It’s more than that. Really. I like seeing a victim turn into such a confident person, period. You know about my father, right? He never recovered-emotionally-from his accident. But Angelina Carerra went through something just as horrible. Plus, she started out as such a…well, for lack of a better word, such a doormat, right? According to Ortega, she was scared to death of Benito, and extremely submissive and easily manipulated. But the woman I met last night was bursting with confidence. Exuding strength. And that’s what she said to me: ‘Be strong, Jennifer.’ It was very inspiring.”
“It’s unusual for a person to change that much,” Kristie mused. “Maybe she never really was as weak as people thought. Maybe she acted that way because Benito wanted a submissive woman, so she played the part in those days. After he died, she was able to be herself.”
“No. If she’d been that strong ten years ago, she never would have married him. According to Ortega, Benito Carerra wasn’t just an abusive husband. He was a full-out megalomaniac, viciously dominating everyone-his soldiers, his family, even the politicians that protected him.”
Kristie arched an eyebrow. “Ray freed her from all that? And she isn’t at all grateful?”
“Why should she be? He didn’t do it out of concern for her. It was just another mission to him. But to her, it must have been terrifying.” Miranda sighed. “I give her credit for not being bitter. She has definitely moved on. That’s what I want to do. So?” She eyed the spinner hopefully. “How long do you think it will take for you to finish the Kell scenario?”
“You’re such a slave driver,” the spinner said, laughing. “Give me a couple of days, okay? I have to study these files on the sly, you know, so I won’t get much done at the office. Why don’t you come over again tomorrow night and I’ll share whatever I’ve learned up till then.”
“What about the sample of HeetSeek? Are you going to get it analyzed?”
Kristie nodded. “But not until you’re back from Switzerland. I don’t want McGregor to hear about it before then.” She picked up the vial from the table. “I wish you could remember more of what those files said.”
“They referred to it mostly as Night Arrow. And they did tons of trajectory tests, most of which failed. But not all of them. If only I’d photographed those pages, too.”
“It’s lucky you didn’t. The only reason they didn’t search you for a camera was because you had actual files stuffed in your bag.” The spinner’s blue eyes sparkled. “You really think the natives in that region used it on their arrows to give them heat-seeking properties?”
“That’s the myth. A myth that’s been circulating for years, so maybe our government knows all about it already. Right? It’s probably been tested to death with no success.”
“Hard to say.”
Miranda smiled, sensing that the spinner didn’t want this to be a myth at all. And who could blame her? It was such an amazing concept-arrows flying through the darkness, guided by the heat emanating from their intended victim’s body!
“I guess I’ll go home.” She stood and stretched. “McGregor will probably be calling you soon. I don’t want to be here for the ‘what are you wearing?’ part of the show.”
“I still can’t believe I let you overhear that on the speakerphone. How mortifying.”
“It’s romantic,” Miranda countered, adding cautiously, “You two are great together. Once you really let go of Ortega, who knows what might happen. Right?”
Kristie frowned. “You make it sound like I’m interested in Ray romantically. I’m not and I never was.” She hesitated, then admitted, “But you’re right. It bugs Will a little. Or maybe a lot. Not romantically, but professionally.”
“That’s understandable.”
“Pardon?”
“Where would Ortega fit in if he came back? Not the FBI, that’s for sure. No way could President Standish appoint a killer, even if the killing was self-defense. So? Would he come back to SPIN? Is there room enough for him and McGregor?”
“Probably not,” Kristie admitted. “But there are other agencies. Other jobs than director. He’s an amazing strategist.”
“And his last official act was to plot himself an exit strategy,” Miranda reminded her. “Maybe you should respect that. He wants to be alone. Except of course for his monthly trips into Reno for sex, and his quality time with the X-rated videotape.”
“You make him sound like such a pervert,” Kristie complained. “That tape is actually very romantic, you know.”
“Puh-leeze.”
“Have you ever really watched it?”
“No, thank God.”
“Hold on.” The spinner walked over to a bookcase. “It’s here somewhere.”
“You’re kidding. Am I the only person in America who doesn’t own a copy?” She grimaced as Kristie pulled a tape from a box and stuck it into her VCR. “This is nuts.”
“Just watch.”
Miranda scowled, but sat on the couch, waiting for the show. It began with a poorly lit shot of herself and Ortega entering the apartment building. He held the door for her and she smiled up at him, her expression radiant. They laughed and chatted and teased, all the while gazing into one another’s eyes as though the rest of the world simply didn’t exist for them.
His demeanor was so respectful. So protective. So devoted. Even when he finally kissed her for the first time in the elevator, he seemed more smitten than aroused.
And through it all, Miranda stared, bewildered by the performances-her own as well as Ortega’s. It really was romantic. In fact, it was mesmerizing. Even the one blatantly erotic moment when he knelt in front of her in the elevator had an innocence to it. A sense of discovery, and generosity, and hope.
“He really orchestrated this perfectly, didn’t he? Can you believe what a dupe I was? But you’re right,” Miranda admitted with a sigh. “It’s really not X-rated at all. That’s a relief, at least.”
“Poor Ray,” Kristie said sadly. “It kills me to think of him spending the rest of his life alone.”
“It’s his choice. Plus…” Miranda gave a teasing smile. “Don’t you want to get married and have little McSpinners someday? That might not happen with Ortega around.”
“Go home,” Kristie advised dryly. “And take your X-rated videotape with you.”
Miranda spent the next day studying background on Kell and the other three known Brigade members: a financier named Alexander Gresley, an expert in secure communications named Victor Chen and a mercenary known only as Tork, who was reportedly a gigantic brute.
