Alexandria Link by Steve Berry

only way to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “If I’m not the only one who knows about the link, then I’m not a target anymore. And by the way, neither are you or Gary.”
    “What do you plan to do?” Pam asked.
    He truly didn’t know, so he said, “I’ll figure that out when I get there.”
    They wove a path through the crowded concourse toward the terminal, their silence and thoughtful steps salient signals that they were better off apart. Dormant senses, tuned from twelve years as a Justice Department agent, were once again alert. He’d noticed something on the plane. A man. Sitting three rows ahead on the opposite side of the cabin. A string-bean body, brown as a berry, his cheeks dark with stubble. He’d boarded in Copenhagen, and something about him had grabbed Malone’s attention. Nothing during the flight had been a problem. But even though the man had deplaned ahead of them, he was now positioned at their rear.
    And that seemed a problem.
    “You shot that man yesterday without a hint of remorse,” Pam said. “That’s scary, Cotton.”
    “Gary’s safety was at stake.”
    “That what you used to do?”
    “All the time.”
    “I’ve seen all the death I want to see.”
    So had he.
    They kept walking. He could tell she was thinking. He’d always known when her brain was churning.
    “I didn’t mention it yesterday,” she said, “with all that happened, but I have a new man in my life.”
    He was glad, but wondered why she was telling him. “Been a long time since we were concerned with each other’s business.”
    “I know. But he’s kind of special.” She lifted her arm and displayed her wrist. “He gave me this watch.”
    She seemed proud of it, so he indulged her. “A TAG Heuer. Not bad.”
    “I thought so, too. Surprised the heck out of me.”
    “He treat you good?”
    She nodded. “I enjoy my time with him.”
    He didn’t know what to say.
    “I only mention it to let you know that maybe it’s time we made peace.”
    They entered the terminal, crowded with people. Time they parted ways.
    “Mind if I come along with you?” she asked. “My plane to Atlanta doesn’t leave for seven hours.”
    He’d actually been rehearsing his goodbye, intent on keeping it nonchalant. “Not a good idea. I need to do this alone.” He didn’t have to say what they were both thinking. Especially after yesterday.
    She nodded. “I understand. I just thought it’d be a good way to pass the afternoon.”
    He was curious. “Why would you want to come? Thought you wanted away from all this?”
    “I almost got killed over that link, so I’m curious. And besides, what am I going to do in this airport?”
    He had to admit she looked great—five years his junior, but she looked even younger. And her countenance was too much like the old Pam, at once helpless, independent, and appealing, for him to be flippant. The features on her freckled face, the blue eyes, sent a rush of memories through his brain, ones that he’d fought hard to repress, especially since August when he’d found out about Gary’s parentage.
    He and Pam had been married a long time. Shared a life. Good and bad. He was forty-eight years old, divorced more than a year, separated for nearly six.
    Maybe it was time he got over it. What happened happened, and he’d been no angel.
    But brokering a peace would have to wait, so he simply said, “You get on back to Atlanta and stay out of trouble, okay?”
    She smiled. “I could say the same to you.”
    “That’s impossible for me. But I’m sure that new man in your life would like to have you home.”
    “We still need to talk, Cotton. We’ve both avoided the subject.”
    “We will, but after all this. How about a truce till then?”
    “Okay.”
    “I’ll let you know how things go, and don’t worry about Gary. Henrik will look after him. He’ll be well protected. You have the phone number, so check on him whenever.”
    He threw her a cheerful wave to match