Epic: Book 02 - Outlaw Trigger by Lee Stephen Page B

that her grades had been slipping. But in Russian? She’d never stand a chance.
    Her face softened, and she closed her eyes. “I’ll learn. I’m pretty good at foreign languages. I learned French pretty quick.”
    “ Sweetie…”
    When her eyes opened, they glistened. “Scott, please. This isn’t something I thought of five minutes ago. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, for weeks, for months. About the possibility. And when Nathan said that today, it just sounded so obvious. I don’t know what else to do. They wouldn’t even assign you to Detroit Station , so what makes you think they’ll grant you a transfer?”
    “ I’m an officer now.”
    “ Yeah.” She almost laughed. “In Novosibirsk . Do you understand that, Scott? God put you here . He didn’t put you in Michigan. He didn’t even put you in America. I’ll move here on base. You heard what Nathan said, that’s allowed.” She continued before he could cut her off. “You always talk about God’s will, and how you felt all of this was so right. I’m trusting you, Scott. Let me trust you.”
    He sighed and glanced away. She didn’t know what she was asking. “Baby…”
    She guided his face to look at hers, and spoke to him in a whisper. “God is putting you in the places you need to be. He’s putting me there, too. Let’s trust Him together.” Before he could answer, a smile broke from her lips. “So, Scott Remington…will you marry me…now?”
    His heart melted. God is putting you in the places you need to be. Those were the words she’d always told him. Maybe she was right. Maybe this was their destiny together. Maybe everything that was their future hinged on this decision. She felt it was right. He had his doubts, but she was determined. She wouldn’t have asked about it if she weren’t. And for the first time since his first day at Richmond , there was a solution on the table. There was a way they could be together.
    There was a way.
    How else could he answer her question?
    “ Okay,” he said. “You say you’ve thought about this—and I believe you. I’ll trust you, too.” He held onto her hand. “Yes, Nikki. I will marry you—now.” As soon as he said it, he felt a burden on his chest lift away.
    Nicole smiled contentedly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in close. “I love you.”
    That statement required no hesitation. “I love you, too.” Enough to trust her. “Let’s take a few days to figure this out. Not to talk ourselves out of it. Let’s figure out how to do it.” Somehow. Some crazy way. But a way nonetheless.
    She quietly nodded her head.

    For the next several hours, Scott and Nicole lay side by side. Few words were spoken, but few words needed to be. The tunnel still stared at them from ahead, but for the first time, there was a thin horizon of light at the end of it. There was hope. There was a chance.
    There was the two of them.
    Clarke’s orders were fulfilled to the letter. No one else saw them that day.

8

    Friday, August 5 th , 0011 NE

    1945 hours

    Alexander Nijinsky stood outside, behind the back of the hangar. He had been there for quite some time, blowing the scented vapor of a metallic sprig from his lips. In his free hand sat the picture. The face of the woman—the one who would come.
    She had a beautiful essence about her. She was young. She smiled like a sunrise. It was a professional picture, and he wondered how Dostoevsky had gotten it. He wondered who the young woman was. But none of it mattered. She was the Rule. That was all Nijinsky needed to know.
    He folded the picture and slid it back into his pocket. Then he pulled out the ring that had come with it. It was old—or at least it looked old. It looked like an ordinary ring, like a wedding ring. Until he slipped it on his finger. As soon as it was firmly in place, a minute needle—barely a sliver—protracted from its edges. It stuck out not even two centimeters. But it was enough. He stared at the